Chapter 37 #2
Emerson jumped to his feet and dragged Dash close. He kissed his mate, trembling from the fear he’d be denied. When he leaned back, he grinned down at Dash.
“Justice of the Peace is on the third floor,” Mason spoke over the group. “Shall we all hasten downstairs?”
“Now?” Dash asked, eyes wide and cheeks pink.
“He did tell us to hurry the fuck up,” Emerson said. “And considering the gang’s all here, why not?”
Dash stared at him a moment, clearly doing mental calculations. Finally, he grinned. “Might as well give them a good reason for coming, hmm?”
Emerson chuckled, hugging Dash close before they all raced down one flight of steps and stopped at the Justice of the Peace.
They were missing a few vital pieces of information, so Walker brothers were sent in hunt of a copy of the judge’s ruling and a copy of Emerson’s birth certificate.
Before the guys returned, Eliott and Tanner sidled up, each of them holding candy rings for them to use in the ceremony.
“Are you sure about this? It could be invalidated,” Dash said to Emerson.
“A chance we’ll have to risk,” Emerson said with a smile. “If nothing else, we’d be legal for as long as it lasts.”
Once they had all their paperwork submitted, the judge came out and hesitated at seeing two alphas standing in front of him. He read over the previous judge’s ruling, grim-faced.
“He’s part omega,” Emerson coaxed. “And we were told by the other judge we should be able to do this legally.”
The justice of the peace eyed Emerson and Dash a moment, shrugged, and said, “Fuck it. Why not?”
Forty-five minutes later, Emerson and Dash walked out of the courthouse, hand-in-hand.
As legal mates.
Emerson’s papa stopped beside them, appearing sad.
“I’ve had no time to plan!” his papa lamented. “We have no reception, no food, no cake, nothing.”
“Someday soon, we’ll consider having the whole shebang,” Emerson told his papa. “For now, we just go out for a big lunch together and celebrate this win.”
Emerson’s papa grinned, hugging Dash tight. “Works for me.”
“I’m not going to be left out of planning this, am I?” Aspen asked Emerson’s papa.
“Oh, no,” his papa said, threading an arm through Aspen’s. “We’ll have to go have lunch later this week and start planning everything.”
“Luke?” Emerson yelled out. “We heading to your restaurant to celebrate?”
“We can’t fit twenty-odd people for lunch there. It’s a tiny place,” Lucas said. “But I know a great spot just down the street that can. Everyone, head that way!”
“Lunch is on me!” Quinn announced, squeezing Dash’s shoulder on the way past with Bellamy on his arm.
Beau had returned after taking Tolliver home, apparently, and he paused to shake Emerson’s hand. “Congrats, you two. I’m afraid I have to get back to the office. I’ll miss lunch but I’ll await my invitation to the big hurrah later.” He smiled at Dash. “Later, cousin.”
“Thanks for coming,” Emerson said with a grin.
Beau waved as he walked off.
“Where’s he going?” Eliott asked, following Beau to his car.
After a little more conversation, everyone else headed to their cars. Emerson opened the passenger door for his mate. “After you.”
Dash shook his head and jumped up into the seat. Emerson quickly slid behind the wheel and soon tore off towards lunch, his face sore from smiling so long. Yet there was no stopping it. He reached over and clasped Dash’s hand before sighing with relief.
They’d done it.
“I have a question for you,” Dash asked, his voice low.
“Sure.”
“Will you still be okay with me making a choice soon? Even now, after we’re mated?”
Emerson’s smile finally ebbed. He nodded, squeezing Dash’s hand. “Of course. It’s your choice, Dash. I support you either way.”
“And if I chose to keep it?”
Emerson veered off the road, slamming on the brakes.
He was sticking out some into the lane of traffic, but he couldn’t trust himself to move it.
Turning to eye Dash, he swallowed past the lump in his throat.
“You don’t have to have the baby just because we’re mated now.
I swear, I support whatever choice you make. ”
“I know,” Dash whispered, clearing his throat. “Just like our mating, this might be our one and only shot, Em. I’m not going to let it slip through our fingers.”
Emerson couldn’t allow himself to hope. “Don’t do this just because you think I want it.”
“Don’t you?”
Emerson bit his tongue.
“I know you do, Em. And hell yes, I’m terrified of what’s going to happen to me, but…
” He stared out the window for a moment, sighing.
“After I learned I was a hybrid, I was terrified at the thought of getting pregnant. It was one of the reasons I pushed you away. I couldn’t see that for myself.
I denied the omega part of me and shoved it so deep that I refused to consider parenthood.
You’ve helped me realize that I can explore this other part of myself and grow to embrace both sides, maybe.
” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I still see myself as an alpha.
I’m just an alpha capable of being pregnant. An alpha who can give you a family.”
“You’d give us a family. Not just me,” Emerson said. “I only want to do this if you want to be a father. A child deserves two loving parents.”
“I’ve always seen myself as a father. Never a papa but so be it. I want to do this,” Dash said. “Not for you. Because of you.”
Emerson leaned in, capturing his mate’s lips, pouring every ounce of emotion he felt into it. When he moved back, he smiled at Dash. “You’re going to be one sexy daddy.”
“One sexy papa.”
“We can be Dad and Daddy,” Emerson said, grinning. “Or Dad and Dada. Dad and Pops. Whatevs. We make the rules.”
Dash grinned. “I think I like that.”
Emerson kissed him again, more than ready to rewrite all the rules with Dash at his side.
A knock sounded on Emerson’s window. Harrison frowned as he looked between them. Emerson rolled the window down.
“Everything okay?” Harrison asked.
“Yep,” Dash said.
“You’re halfway in the lane, parked like a madman,” Harrison said to Emerson. “You ready to go to lunch or do you need a minute to make out with your mate?”
“Give him a couple of seconds,” Dash said. “He just learned he’s going to be a dad.”
Harrison’s eyes widened and he looked between them. “For fuck’s sake… you’ve just gone balls to the wall, hmm? Mates and fathers in a single day.”
Emerson smiled at his twin. “Have to catch up to my big brother.”
Harrison smiled, tapped the bottom of the window frame with his palm, and chuckled. “Well, I’ve got two, so you’d best work fast.”
“One’s enough,” Dash said.
“Multiples run in the family,” Harrison said, pointing between him and Emerson. “Just ask Tanner and his triplets.”
“Oh, fuck,” Dash said, laying his head against the rest.
Emerson laughed. He squeezed Dash’s hand and brought it to his lips.
“See you in a few. Don’t take too long,” Harrison said before returning to his truck.
“Ready?” Emerson asked.
Dash eyed him with a grin. “Would it matter if I said no and wanted to go home to spend the rest of the day alone with you?”
“After lunch. I promise. It is our mating night tonight.”
“Have I been cleared for sex now?” Dash asked, sitting up straighter.
“I think you might be okay to give it a go.”
“Now I really don’t want to go to lunch,” Dash said.
Emerson pulled out into traffic. “At least we’re not facing the opposite. An empty table sounds worse to me.”
“True,” Dash said. “I’m just not big on socializing. I guess I need to get used to it with a family like yours.”
Emerson smiled. “A family like ours.”