Chapter Forty-Six #2
With Zinn’s approval, Valentin maintained his friendship with Asher, who showed up every week for Beta Night at The Cracked Heart.
Their conversations made Valentin realize how isolated he’d been since getting out of prison.
Decoy had been doing a lot of heavy lifting as far as emotional support went.
Even his friendships with Ang and Xan hadn’t penetrated much below the surface.
Now that he had Asher’s friendship, and was in love with Wes and Assa, Valentin felt like he was coming out of a long, dark tunnel onto a road filled with possibility.
April 30 would always mean something to the five men. The day was a reminder of the unique bond they shared—connected by Ryde, but also by the many ways in which they’d landed in each other’s paths. Valentin hoped they would always celebrate it, even if they had to do so subtly.
“Can we open my presents before we eat?” Ryde asked him hopefully.
“That’s up to your dad.”
“I think it’s fine,” Wes said. “Once Pop is back in the room.”
Calder sat at the table, but Valentin excused himself. “I’m going to see if Assa needs any help in the kitchen.”
Valentin found him mixing a garden salad at the counter. After checking that they weren’t visible from the dining area, he slipped his arms around Assa’s waist and kissed the back of his neck. “I’ve missed you.”
Assa swatted Valentin’s fingers. “Staaawp. We literally spent three hours in bed together last night.”
Valentin snickered. “Was that supposed to make me not miss you? Because having you underneath me only makes me want more.”
Yesterday had been amazing. Ryde spent the evening at Calder’s house playing video games with Ked and then stayed the night.
Ryde liked both of Calder’s sons, but he and the younger teen had made a strong connection.
Assa and Wes welcomed the development because they’d always wanted Ryde to have siblings.
Now he had Jordie, Ked, and the baby on the way.
He’d been excited when Zinn and Calder told him they were expecting, declaring that he would be the best big brother ever.
Ryde being away had allowed Valentin, Wes, and Assa to spend a leisurely night together. They danced at the club before retreating to Valentin’s condo with takeout and a bottle of wine.
Valentin made love to both betas, fingering Wes open before taking his ass for the first time. Assa sucked Wes’s cock while Valentin thrust into him slowly and steadily from behind.
“Fuck. A cock in my ass and a mouth on my dick. Fuuuuuuuck,” Wes breathed out, the last word so sensually uttered, it was burned into Valentin’s brain.
“You feel like I was always meant to be here,” Valentin said, bending down to kiss between Wes’s shoulder blades. He used one arm to brace himself. With the other, he reached out to link his fingers with Assa’s.
The only sounds in the candlelit room were the breathy grunts of the men as they fucked languidly. Eventually, Valentin could no longer hold off.
“I’m going to come deep inside you, my beta,” he said to Wes.
“Do it, my alpha.”
Valentin would never get enough of possessing his betas.
He unloaded with a satisfied groan, holding Wes to him as he shot spurt after spurt of cum.
He pulled out before his knot popped, knowing Wes wouldn’t be comfortable taking it.
But an hour later, as he snapped his hips into a sex-drunk Assa, the red-haired beta begged for his knot, and Valentin had been more than happy to deliver.
He closed his eyes against the memory. The last thing he needed was to get hard in front of his son.
“Alright, I’ll stop bothering you.” He stepped back from Assa. “But I will say that whatever you’re making smells delicious.”
“It’s shepherd’s pie,” Assa said. “My alpha father, Jeral—remember I told you about him being kind of an asshole—used to make me cook for him after my daddy died. He was an unimaginative grump, so I made the same ten things all the time. Sort of killed my enthusiasm for it. But as an adult, I’ve reclaimed cooking as a hobby.
I do science all day in the lab. Cooking is kind of my art. ”
Valentin nodded. “You know, it’s incredible how much you and Zinn have in common that way.”
“What do you mean?”
“You both took the shitty hands your parents dealt you and found the silver linings.”
Assa sighed. “Zinn and I always have a lot to talk about.” He angled his body to peck Valentin’s cheek. “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met Wes. I’m glad Zinn had you back then, at least for a little while.”
“Me too.” Valentin would not let himself be sad. They’d all worked too hard not to dwell on the past. “Can I help chop vegetables?”
“As long as you promise to dice them evenly.”
An hour later, the six of them had polished off the salad and shepherd’s pie. Ryde was busy admiring his new toolbox, as well as the easel Zinn and Calder had gifted him.
“Nugget, how about you go upstairs and take your bath? When you’re done, we can have dessert. Daddy Z brought an ice cream cake from Felton’s.” Assa smiled at Wes. “And just for funsies, we’re gonna blow out eight candles again, since Papa V wasn’t here for your party.”
“Can I make another wish?” Ryde asked, delighted.
“Of course.”
“Okay.” He raced up the stairs.
Assa started clearing the dishes.
“Leave them,” Wes said. “I’ll take care of it later.”
“We all will,” Zinn amended. “You did enough with the cooking. We’ll clean.”
Assa threw down his dish towel. “Did you think I would protest? By all means, allow me to relax while you do the literal dirty work.”
Calder chortled. “How about we all relax for a few minutes while Ryde is in his bath,” he suggested. “After the month we’ve had, I’d say we’ve earned it.”
Seated in the living room, the five men raised their wine glasses.
“A toast,” Wes said, “to having so many mysteries resolved, with so many things to look forward to.”
“I want to toast our newfound family,” Assa added. “I didn’t know how much we needed you in our lives until you appeared, and now I can’t imagine how we ever got on without you.”
“Thank you all for giving me my life back,” Valentin whispered.
He glanced at Zinn, who was practically in Calder’s lap as he held up his glass.
“It’s sort of boring to toast to happiness,” Zinn said, wiping a tear from his eye. “Sorry—blame pregnancy hormones. But I just want to say that I’m so happy. More than I ever imagined possible. For the first time, I feel like I’m truly in charge of my future.”
“You are in charge, sunshine.” Calder raised his glass toward where Valentin sat between the betas.
“Just as we all are. And if I’ve learned anything from the past, it’s that you cannot predict the future.
Sometimes it opens doors you never imagined.
But whatever happens next, the one thing I’m sure of is that we’ll be in it together… cheers.”
The men clinked glasses.
Heat prickled beneath Valentin’s skin as he swallowed his wine.
He looked up. Calder was watching him. Studying him.
As Assa and Wes engaged Zinn in conversation about his pregnancy, Calder lifted his glass to Valentin, mouthing, Cheers to finding our way to what happens next.