Chapter 32 #2
Might? What did that mean?
“It’s doubtful I’m pregnant. I was told it would be a minor miracle.”
Thank heavens.
Yet, he felt an odd longing within. A part of him that almost wished he was. To give Emerson a son and to become a family at his mate’s side. Emerson had the makings of an incredible father. He shoved the ridiculous thought away. It could never happen, so why consider it?
“I assume they did blood work to find out?” Dash asked, needing to know for certain that he was in the clear.
“You’re not. That’s a blessing.”
Dash frowned at his papa. “Meaning?”
“You’re not ready to be a papa,” Papa spat.
Dash didn’t want children. So why did his papa’s claim bother him so much? “Is anyone ever really ready? Were you?”
His papa scoffed. “What if you had an omega child? Would you love him? Or would you raise him to be self-loathing like you are?”
Dash blanched. “I’m not self-loathing.”
“Then what do you call it?”
Dash blinked a few times. “I don’t feel any connection to this omega part of me. That’s all it is.”
“And how would you even know which part of you is omega?”
Dash rolled his eyes.
“We’re more than our heats, Dashiell,” His papa rose and walked closer to the side of the bed. “We’re smart and creative. We’re brave and we’re kind. We’re protectors of the innocent and nurturers of the soul. We love with our whole hearts.”
“Alphas have the capability of all that, too.”
“Exactly my point,” his papa said. “We’re all the same. Just some of us come in smaller packages.”
Dash sighed.
“We’re also stronger than what we’re given credit for.
We’re the life-givers and without us, this world ends.
” His papa cupped his cheek and turned his face towards him.
“That strength resides in you. You might have learned of it late, but it has been there all along. You were given the gift of walking through both worlds, yet you reject one side. Which is your right, I suppose. You can identify as whomever you choose. But what I won’t have is a son who sees me as weak.
Not after all I’ve lived through and survived. ”
Dash held his papa’s gaze. “I’ve never seen you as weak.”
Papa lowered his hand. “Good.”
“But I suppose I have only seen the omega part of me through the lens of internal biology. My heats are… difficult to endure. I feel out of control and I hate that.”
His papa dragged his chair closer and sat down. “And now that you’ve found your mate?”
Dash fought a smile. When he caught his papa’s critical eye, warmth filled his cheeks. He hadn’t planned on discussing his sex life with either parent, especially not at thirty-five years of age. “It was… better, I suppose.”
“An alpha is meant to be an omega’s protector during his most vulnerable state. A good one will ease his omega and allow him to feel less guarded. Was that your experience with Emerson?”
“I suppose I felt less panic with him there.”
“The more you grow to trust your mate, the more comfort you’ll have.”
Dash grimaced. Trust? What trust?
“He seems to care greatly for you,” his papa said.
Dash winced. “He claims he loves me—yet exposed my secret at the first chance he got.”
“Smoke inhalation can cause miscarriage. Instead of putting your life at risk, he gave them vital information they might’ve needed.”
“But I’m not pregnant.”
“He didn’t know that.” Papa sighed. “Dashiell, they did a full-body CT to check for brain damage and blood clots. They would’ve noticed it then.”
“Why do you have to have answers for everything?” Dash growled. “It’s not helping.”
“You’re typically more logical than I,” Papa said. “Why are you being so illogical now?”
Dash scoffed.
“Maybe because your feelings for Emerson are making it difficult for you to be logical?” his papa said.
“My gods—it’s like watching Dash have a conversation with Dash.”
Dash’s head whipped to the side to see Eliott staring at them in fascination.
“So, this is where you get it from, hmm?” Eliott asked. He licked his lips and looked around. “Who do I need to fuck to get a drink of water around here?”
His papa rose and crossed the room. He poured Eliott a cup from a pitcher on his rolling table and tossed in a bendy straw before offering a sip. Eliott leaned forward, wincing, and took a drink.
“Thank you, Dash 1.0.”
“This is my papa,” Dash told Eliott.
“Ahh, nice to meet you Mr. Keller.” He glared at Dash. “Finally.”
“You don’t have to call me Mr. Keller. Aspen is just fine,” Dash’s papa said before offering Eliott another sip. “I understand you keep my errant son in line at the office?”
“Best as I can,” Eliott said. “He doesn’t listen, but I don’t let that stop me.”
“Good,” Papa said, casting Dash a raised brow.
“In his defense, he’s a pretty decent boss,” Eliott said, winking at Dash. “And a good guy. He definitely doesn’t hate omegas, by the way.”
“Nice to hear,” Papa replied. He cast another look at Dash. “Maybe there’s hope for him yet.”
“I suppose that means you heard most of that conversation,” Dash said to Eliott.
“I’m laying right here. It’s not like I can just get up and leave,” Eliott snapped. “I tried pretending I was asleep, but it was getting too good. I was invested.” Eliott eyed him. “What’s this about you getting pregnant, though?”
Dash groaned.
“I want to know the whole story,” Eliott said, offering a lopsided grin. “Not like you’re going anywhere. Spill.”
Before Dash could utter a single word, his cousin Tanner McCreary popped his purple haired head in through the door.
“There you are,” Tanner said. “Open to some visitors?”
“As in plural?” Dash asked.
“Quinn, Bell, and I,” Tanner said. “Fitz took the triplets to check on Randall, but he’ll swing by later. Beau’s supposedly on his way, too.”
Quinn and Bellamy moved into the doorway beside Tanner, eyeing him with expectant grins.
“You all didn’t need to come,” Dash said, squirming in the bed. That’s all he needed. More questions from his family. Extended family, at that.
Quinn walked closer and stood at the foot of his bed, a cocky grin on his face. “Not every day we have a cousin get blown up. The least we can do is stop in and see if he’s still alive.” Quinn walked closer and hugged Dash’s papa. “Hello, cousin.”
His papa kissed Quinn’s cheek. “You’re all sweet for checking on him.”
“Sweet? We’re mostly here for the gossip.” Tanner gave his papa a tight hug. He flopped down on the bottom corner of Dash’s bed, crossing his legs under him and getting comfy. “Are you intact?”
“Intact?” Dash asked, lifting a brow.
Tanner grinned. “No missing fingers or limbs, right?”
Dash chuckled. “I assume not. If so, no one’s told me.”
Tanner lifted the bottom of Dash’s blanket and counted toes. “Eleven, just as expected.”
“You have eleven toes?” Eliott asked in a loud voice before wincing and clutching his throat.
“I do not,” Dash answered.
“Of course he does,” Tanner said before winking at Eliott. “And he’s got a tail, too.”
Eliott chuckled, focusing on Dash. “At least someone in your family has a sense of humor.”
Tanner gazed over at Quinn and back to Eliott. “I got alllll of it. My brothers are almost as bad as Dash.”
“Hey, Quinn’s gotten better since he met me,” Bellamy said, spreading a hand over his swollen belly. “Beau’s the stuffed shirt now.”
“Did I hear my name spoken in vain?” Beau asked from the doorway before striding in.
“Quinn might be better,” Tanner said over his shoulder at Bellamy. “But he’s still no me.”
“No one could be you,” Quinn said to Tanner. He turned his focus to Dash. “Any news on what caused the explosion?” Quinn asked, urging Bellamy to sit in the chair Oakley had abandoned.
Bellamy walked past, squeezing Dash’s ankle with affection before sitting.
“I haven’t heard anything yet,” Dash said as Quinn sat down beside his mate.
“Beau, let’s put in a few calls tomorrow morning, see what we can find out,” Quinn said to his brother.
Dash gazed at Beau when he didn’t respond.
Beau was staring hard at Eliott.
“Beau?” Quinn asked again.
Beau dragged his gaze to Quinn. “Hmm?”
Dash spied Eliott while Quinn repeated what he’d said to Beau.
His cheeks were flushed red, his eyes wide and glassy.
He stared at his hands, breathing roughly.
Was that from the damage to his lungs? When Eliott’s gaze lifted to stare at Beau, a wave of recognition hit Dash.
It reminded him of the first time he’d met Emerson.
“Sure, yeah, yeah,” Beau replied to his brother as his eyes slowly traveled back to Eliott.
Dash scoffed. Maybe Eliott would get that filthy rich alpha after all.
But what would he do without Eliott?
“Let’s get down to a more interesting question than buildings blowing up,” Tanner said.
Dash’s focus turned to Tanner. “And what’s more interesting than that?”
Tanner leaned closer to Dash, resting his chin on his hand. “Why do you have a bed in the omega ward, cousin?”