The three of them climbed into the truck, Sam taking the narrow seat in the middle. Back when Valen had bought the truck, he hadn’t imagined he’d put the bench seat into great use... except Sam fitted nicely between them now, wedged between Harris’ thigh and his.
Sam smelled like dahlia, like honey, and Valen’s sandalwood scent from last week. As Harris backed them out of the driveway, Valen pressed his nose to Sam’s shoulder. Took Sam’s hand in his own.
“Look, if you’re pregnant, I’ll take responsibility for the baby,” he said.
He couldn’t imagine himself as a dad. Couldn’t imagine staying married, when he’d already failed Sam once. He’d bond and fuck up the bond somehow. And if he didn’t get married, he’d lose that inheritance his dad held over his head.
But Harris wanted a baby, didn’t he? Valen glanced at Harris, studying his solemn eyes, the press of his lips. Then again, Harris had lost his mate and child—maybe he was afraid of another pregnancy. Maybe it’d be better for Sam to abort the baby.
That left a sour taste on Valen’s tongue. In the end, it was still Sam’s decision to make.
If it meant Valen would lose his inheritance... Maybe that didn’t matter so much. Maybe Valen would learn to deal, so he wouldn’t hurt his omega again.
He lifted Sam’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to Sam’s knuckle. Held his breath.
Sam glanced sidelong at Valen, the corners of his lips pulling down. “I feel like I’ve fucked up,” Sam said. “I swear I was taking the pills right. I... didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Harris clicked his tongue. “I encouraged you and Valen last week. This should fall on my shoulders.”
Like it was Harris who’d come inside Sam. Valen glowered. “It should be my fault. My baby.”
My baby. It sounded... odd. Nice. It set off a possessive rumble in Valen’s chest. Except if it was his baby, then it was Sam’s, too.
Sam had left him eleven years ago. It wasn’t like he’d ask Valen to be his alpha again.
Valen bit his tongue, his chest aching.
Next to him, Sam cradled his belly, his lower lip caught between his teeth.
Harris sighed.
The drive to the store ended quickly. The sky was dark, and Harris parked further away from the store entrance, so they were all cast in shadow, lit by the faraway streetlamps.
Harris shut off the car engine and opened his door. “Be back in a bit. Wait here.”
“Wait, what?” Valen clicked off his seatbelt. He wasn’t spending time alone with Sam. He hadn’t the slightest idea what to say, how to react. Not like Sam wanted anything else to do with Valen, either. Last week had just been sex. “You should be the one here, Big H.”
“I know where the kit is,” Harris said. Gave Valen the same look he did back at the station, when he was pulling rank. But this wasn’t a rescue, this was between the three of them. “Besides, it’ll be quicker if it’s just one of us.”
Then Harris shut the door, locked it, and Valen watched as his lover strode through the parking lot, his shoulders broad and confident.
Give me a say in this, damn you!
He wanted to jump out of the truck, pull Sam along just to annoy the hell out of Harris. So what if he and Sam were younger? It wasn’t like they were kids.
But when Harris had looked at Valen, his eyes had also said, Fix this thing with Sam.
And as much as Valen wanted to give in to the roiling anger in his chest, he knew Harris was right. He needed to apologize to Sam. Grovel, beg, anything. Maybe it was better that Harris wasn’t here to see it.
Valen breathed in slowly, looking at the dashboard. Wasn’t sure what to say.
“Sorry,” Sam said. His voice rolled mellow and sweet into Valen’s ears, made his cock stir. “This wasn’t what I intended when I showed up for class.”
“It isn’t your fault,” Valen said.
Sam laughed throatily, but the look in his eyes—it looked like he regretted something.
Last week, Sam had said he’d been doing okay, but Valen had noticed he’d lost weight. His arm and thigh still pressed warm against Valen. If Valen reached over and touched him...
Valen turned slightly in his seat, facing Sam. Saw the gleam of Sam’s lips, the midnight-blue of his eyes. His high cheekbones, his pale throat.
Sam was so beautiful, and Valen had never been able to forget him.
“I guess... Harris wants us to talk,” Sam said, meeting Valen’s gaze for a heartbeat.
“Yeah. Probably.” Valen wasn’t sure he wanted to. He didn’t want to fuck up anything else. But Valen wasn’t gonna disappoint Harris, too. “Sorry I messed up when—when you asked. About forever. I just... I couldn’t do it. Still don’t know if I can.”
“You still remember that?”
Valen snorted. “Some days, it’s all I remember.”
Sam smiled a bittersweet smile, looking down at his lap. “What about Harris?”
“Harris isn’t you.”
Last night, Harris had said to Valen, What do you think of us dating Sam? Valen had winced and quailed.
But now, holding Sam’s hand in his own, breathing in Sam’s dahlia and honey, Valen wasn’t sure he wanted to let Sam go again. They’d been good together, a long time ago.
“You know my mom and dad divorced.” Valen grimaced. “I just... I don’t think I could ever stay married. Or bonded.”
Sam squeezed his hand. “Yeah, I know. I’d kind of suspected it.”
Sam had? “There’s that other thing I never told you about,” Valen said. “My dad—I’d lose the inheritance from him if I ever had a baby out of wedlock. Which is stupid, because it’s not like his marriage held together.”
Sam stared at him, horrified. “You don’t have to acknowledge this baby as yours.”
“Then I’d just be a jackass.” Valen gave a crooked smile. “I’m not doing that to you, Sam.”
Sam sucked in a breath, his eyes wide and vulnerable. Harris would be so much better for Sam—with his wealth and status,
