“Bastard,” Raph murmured, but he was smiling, too.
5
Raph
The door clicked, leaving Raph alone in the disused bedroom. For a moment, he didn’t move, merely stood watching the door where he’d last seen Wyatt.
Gods, this was a mess. Raph rubbed his face, looking down at his damp legs, his spent cock. That shouldn’t have happened. He’d known, going in, that there was a risk of pregnancy. And they’d gone and done it anyway.
I’ve just fucked my brother. What kind of sick alpha am I?
The chances of an omega conceiving during heat were sky-high. Raph used condoms with other people, every time. Then he’d come back to Meadowfall, and he had to be stupid about going bareback just because Wyatt asked.
And it had felt incredible, too, his bare skin inside Wyatt, Wyatt’s body squeezing around him. His cock twitched. It had been far too intimate.
Stop thinking about that. You probably knocked Wy up.
Raph’s stomach flipped. No, he hadn’t intended for any of this to happen. If Wyatt got pregnant... He wouldn’t be able to abort the child. And Raph would become a father.
I haven’t even paid off my loan yet. Raph groaned, turning to his forgotten pants on the floor. He should look up Wyatt’s contact details. At least be sure he could email his brother.
Except the pants were drenched when Raph grabbed them, heavy and reeking of chlorine. Raph closed his eyes, his heart sinking to his feet.
His phone screen was dark when he pulled it out. Raph didn’t dare tap on its buttons, but it didn’t matter, did it? Electronics didn’t like taking dives. Especially not the smartphones these days. And especially not a new phone he’d just gotten from the company.
Raph sighed. A replacement would have to come from his own pocket. It was both his work and personal phone, too, and he didn’t know offhand how much data he’d lost. Crap. On top of his monthly loan payments, and a baby...
Fuck, I don’t think I’m ready for kids.
Raph sank onto the bed, glancing at the stains on the sheets. Wyatt’s scent lingered faintly on his skin. At least I didn’t bite him. I’m not good enough for an omega, much less Wyatt.
But if that pregnancy happened... Raph would be seeing more of his brother. And somehow, incredulously, his heart skipped a little beat.
6
Wyatt
A week later, Raph’s teak scent still clung to his skin. Wyatt sniffed at his arms as he stepped out of his bedroom, wincing when two voices drifted over from the kitchen.
“Dad’s not up yet, so I thought I’d make breakfast for him,” Hazel said, bright and cheerful.
Before he could melt into a puddle of goop, Penny’s voice followed. “That’s so sweet of you!”
Wyatt cringed. Couldn’t Sam babysit today? Unlike Penny, Sam wouldn’t recognize Raph’s scent—they didn’t even know each other. I should’ve begged them to swap days.
With a groan, Wyatt retreated into his bedroom, sniffing at his hands. They smelled like onion and garlic—one of the chefs had to leave unexpectedly last night, and Wyatt had stepped in to help. The rest of his arms smelled like magnolia, maybe a little sweeter than usual. It smelled... almost familiar. But maybe he was falling sick, or maybe Raph’s scent was different from how he’d remembered it.
Thank the gods Raph didn’t mark me.
If Raph had been possessive, and marked Wyatt with his own scent, the teak trail would have been ten times stronger. Penny would have known immediately whom Wyatt had slept with—she was sharp, smart, and not a good person to argue with.
Wyatt sighed, glad that he and Raph hadn’t completed the mating—not the knotting, and certainly not the marking. He rubbed his eyes, his skin prickling. The fact remained that he’d slept with his stepbrother.
But if raising Hazel had taught him anything, it was that he couldn’t hide for long. Some things were easier to face head-on, so he could stop worrying about them.
Let’s do this. Wyatt took a deep breath, stepped out of his bedroom, and headed for the little kitchen.
Penny and Hazel were both standing in front of the gas stove, Hazel with a carton of eggs in her hands. At nine, she had Wyatt’s wavy blond hair and hazel eyes, and his thin frame. She reminded him of himself, except she was more outspoken in class, and braver than he ever would be.
“Morning, hon, Penny,” Wyatt said, stopping beside his daughter.
Hazel brightened. “Morning, Dad! I was just about to make you breakfast.”
Wyatt melted. Hazel had been watching him cook since she could stand; at seven, she’d wanted to try slicing garlic cloves. At eight, she’d learned to fry an egg on her own.
He was so proud of Hazel, and despite his past with Max, Wyatt was immensely glad he’d decided to keep and raise his daughter. “Why don’t we save it for tomorrow? Aunt Penny’s here—I owe her a breakfast.”
Hazel glanced at Penny, who smiled. “All right.”
“Thank you, hon.” Wyatt took the eggs from Hazel, scooping her into a big hug. Her damp hair smelled like fruity shampoo—she hadn’t presented as alpha, beta or omega yet, so she didn’t have a distinctive scent. Wyatt thought she might present as alpha, though, with the way she scowled sometimes, trying to boss people around. “How are you this morning?”
“Great!” Hazel said, beaming, “I finished that coloring book Uncle Sam gave me.”
“That’s wonderful! I’ll look at it after breakfast, okay?” Wyatt said, ruffling her hair. “Want another book?”
“Nah. They’re kind of expensive. Uncle Sam said I could draw my own gardens and color them. I want to try that!”
“That’s a win-win,” Wyatt said, kissing her cheek. “You save money, and you get more to color!” He glanced over Hazel’s shoulder, at Penny. “What about you, sis? How’s your morning?”
“Same old,” Penny said. She was omega, with red curls, bright eyes, and round glasses perched on her nose. “Dealing with things at the lab. I think I’m finally getting on June’s good side.”
“Yeah?” He unhooked a couple of pans from
