Mom’s scowl twisted further. “Bondmate? Who in their right mind would bond with you? You’re ugly, you’re grossly overweight, and I don’t know what you did to your stomach, but—”
Ulric’s chest squeezed. He glanced at Gage, half-thinking that maybe with enough of those words, Gage might possibly be convinced.
“Me,” Gage snarled, taking a step forward. Ulric had to restrain him. “Just because you can’t see the good in him, doesn’t mean no one else can.”
Mom flicked an incredulous look at him. “That’s a waste of your looks.”
“I don’t care what you think of my looks,” Gage retorted. “But I care that you’ve never done your part as a mother at all.”
“I’ve provided for him,” Mom snapped. “He should be grateful. What other lies has he told you?”
“None.” Gage looked like he was about to snap further at her, except Ulric knew he would never change her mind. Gods knew he’d spent years trying to. Every time he’d failed, it had broken him just a little more.
“I’m carrying Gage’s child,” he said, straightening to his full height. He hadn’t stood up to her in a long time. And now that he was, now that he risked her disowning him, his heart felt like it might explode. “We’re preparing for a family.”
She looked at his belly in horror. “Alphas can’t get pregnant. That’s disgusting.”
“It’s not.” Ulric met her eyes. Gage loves me, he told himself. Everything will be okay. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I’m happy now. I think that’s all that matters.”
“You’re not my son,” Mom snapped. “I’m sick of wasting my time on you.” Those words rang in Ulric’s ears; he couldn’t breathe.
She looked like she was about to hurl more insults at him, except Gage took Ulric’s hand. “We’ve got somewhere better to be, ma’am,” Gage said in his polite personal trainer tone. “Ulric has a family who accepts him for who he is. We’re returning to them. Have a great day.”
Then he turned Ulric away and tugged him down the sidewalk. Some of the pedestrians clapped for them. A couple of people came up, asking how Ulric had gotten pregnant. Gage gave them the details of Rutherford’s clinic.
They ducked down a quiet alley, and it was only then that Ulric realized his hands were shaking, his heart pounding in his ears.
He’d never walked away from his mom before. It had always been her leaving him behind.
“How’re you feeling?” Gage asked, cradling his face.
Ulric took several deep breaths, blowing out the anxiety in his chest. “I’m okay. I think.”
It hurt that his mom no longer wanted him. But maybe... she’d never wanted him in the first place. It had taken him until now to realize it. And that still hurt, no matter how far behind he’d left his past.
“I love you,” Gage murmured, kissing him. “You’ll remember that, right?”
Ulric bit his lip, his eyes burning. “Yeah. I just wish... I was strong enough to deal with this.”
Gage pulled him into a tight hug. Their bellies bumped, and the embrace was a little awkward. But Gage ran his fingers through Ulric’s hair, pressing kisses all over Ulric’s face. “It’s okay if you cry,” Gage whispered. “You’ve always wanted her love, and you’ve never received it. Hell, if it happened to me, I think I’d break, too.”
Ulric buried his face in Gage’s shoulder, feeling as though he might crack. Alphas shouldn’t cry.
Gage kissed his neck. “You’ll feel better if you let it out, babe. It’s perfectly fine.”
“I’m already not enough of an alpha,” Ulric muttered.
Gage pressed him up against a wall. “You’re enough. More than enough. The only person who should mind is me, and I love you, babe. You’re perfect as you are.”
That struck deeper than Ulric would like to admit. He bit his lip, blinking hard. And the memory of his mother disowning him welled up in his chest, until it overwhelmed him.
In his arms, Ulric broke down. Gage held him tight, stroking his back, never once letting go.
When he finally pulled away, scrubbing at his wet cheeks, Gage caught his hands. And he kissed off the dampness on Ulric’s face. “I’m going to ask Mom to bake a cake,” Gage said. “The most special coffee cake for you.”
Ulric snuffled. “But I’m not supposed to have—”
Gage kissed away his protests. “She’ll be delighted if you want her as your mom. We’ll have cake to celebrate.”
Ulric gulped, his throat tight. “Really? I couldn’t possibly...”
“Yeah.” Gage pressed their foreheads together. “She’s just been waiting for you to ask. You’re already part of the family, Muffin.”
Ulric stared, trying to believe all of this. Losing one family but gaining another. Gage holding him, Gage never judging him at all, even now.
“I love you,” he croaked.
Gage smiled and nuzzled his ear. “You’re the very best thing that happened to me.”
Ulric held his alpha, grateful for this man. In his belly, something fluttered. He looked down in surprise.
“Felt something?”
“I... don’t know.” Ulric touched his belly. Then came a stronger flutter, that was most definitely not his stomach gurgling. “I felt it.” He held his breath, meeting his alpha’s eyes. “I felt our baby!”
Gage’s entire face lit up. “Damn, babe.” He pressed Ulric back against the wall, kissing him thoroughly. Then he plastered his hands over Ulric’s belly, trying to feel it, too. “Might be too early for me.”
“You’ll feel it soon,” Ulric breathed, pulling Gage into a kiss. He couldn’t wait to feel the kicks from Gage’s belly, too. And a bubbly excitement began in his chest, that pushed away his misery from earlier.
Their babies were fine and healthy, and growing every day. Back home, there was a family who accepted him, waiting for them to return.
And in his arms, Ulric held the best alpha in the world.
33
Childbirth
Gage’s mom was assembling a meat pie in her kitchen. Ulric sighed longingly. He hadn’t eaten in hours—not that there was much space in his stomach right now,
