Behind him, Raph had settled at the kitchen table across from Hazel. She was coloring in a pond today, on another of the calendar pages.
“Great job with the coloring,” Raph said.
Hazel beamed. “You think so?”
“Yeah.” Raph ruffled her hair. “Need some help?”
“Sure.” Hazel handed him an emerald pencil. “There, you can have the fern at the bottom. Don’t color outside the lines!”
Raph bent over his corner of the calendar, filling in the fern. He looked so intent doing that, as though he was trying his best for Hazel. And he’d make such a great dad, too.
Wyatt had expected Hazel to pout when Raph stepped into their lives, but she’d been a great sport about it so far. Maybe it was because she still had weeknights with Wyatt, when Raph was back in Highton. If they became a family...
“I think I can kind of see it,” Penny said quietly next to him.
“See what?”
“Why you like him. In a bondmate sort of way.” Penny smiled, her eyes soft. “I didn’t think he’d be great with Hazel.”
“Now you know.” Wyatt cradled his belly, leaning into Penny’s arm.
“What does it feel like? I mean, You don’t have to answer,” Penny said, glancing at his abdomen. “I just... I don’t know. It would feel odd to me.”
“Raph’s child?” Wyatt settled against the counter top. “Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was terrible at first. When you said my scent changed.”
Raph glanced over, raising an eyebrow. Wyatt shrugged; it was the truth. He wasn’t going to hide that.
“But I’ve always loved Raph, Pen. Since we were kids. I don’t think you noticed, but Raph and I were always close. After I presented as omega, he just felt... right.”
Penny flipped the eggs on the stove. “That makes sense. It didn’t happen to me when I presented as omega, though.”
Or maybe Wyatt was twisted. And maybe someday, he’d make peace with that.
“Hazel,” Raph said, pausing in his coloring. Hazel looked up. “Your dad and I have been thinking about getting married.”
Penny’s gaze flew to Wyatt’s. Hazel looked at him, too. Wyatt smiled at his daughter, his pulse racing. It was something he’d discussed with Raph, but maybe he hadn’t been prepared for Penny to hear it.
“When I marry your dad, you’ll get two choices,” Raph said. “I can stay as your uncle, or I can become your second dad. Would you mind if I became your dad?”
Wyatt’s pulse skipped. He didn’t know which Hazel would pick. And maybe he’d been hoping she wanted Raph as her dad, too. Heavens knew she needed a better role model than him.
Hazel thought on it. “Will you still make me lunch?”
“Anything you want, princess.”
“Sure, you can be my second dad.” She picked out a red pencil, starting on a flower.
Wyatt didn’t know if he wanted to laugh, or cry. “That’s your criteria, hon? Whether Raph makes you lunch?”
Hazel nodded. Penny snorted, and Raph grinned.
“This kid is motivated by food,” Raph said. “C’mon, give me a hug, princess.”
He knelt by Hazel. Hazel hopped up, throwing her arms around him. And Wyatt crossed the kitchen, pulling them both against his chest. “Gods, I love you.”
“Love you, too,” Hazel said. After a moment, she squirmed out of their arms, returning to her calendar. Despite how worldly she behaved sometimes, she was still nine, and Wyatt wished she’d always stay the same.
“You expected her to say something different?” Raph asked, his lips quirking in a smile.
“I didn’t know what to think.” Wyatt burrowed into his chest. “Hazel’s full of surprises.”
“Gotta love her,” Raph said.
“So... does this mean we’re getting married?” Wyatt asked.
Raph sighed. “Still not sure that’s a good idea.”
It really wasn’t. Not with Dad’s reputation, and Grandma hovering over Raph at work.
“Will I be invited if you do?” Penny asked.
“Sure,” Raph said.
Penny brightened, scooping the eggs into a serving dish. “I hope you’re planning to tell Mom and Dad about it. I think Dad’s trying to sign us up for another audition.”
Wyatt covered his face. “I’m not sure when we’d have time for that.”
“Before the baby comes along?” Penny laughed. “How much time do we have?”
Wyatt counted off on his fingers. “Another eighteen weeks. So... four months? Before February. Gods, I’d be huge by then. Just imagine—we’d be playing, and my water breaks.”
Raph groaned. “Don’t let that happen.”
“Knowing my luck, it probably will.” Wyatt chuckled, burying his face in Raph’s neck. “When are you moving in?”
Raph swallowed, glancing at Wyatt.
“You’re moving back?” Penny asked.
“Yeah, soon,” Raph said. Except his smile had faded, and he wasn’t looking at Wyatt at all.
Wyatt froze. Through the pregnancy, Raph had said multiple times that he wanted their baby. Wyatt believed him.
But they hadn’t made plans to be together, hadn’t talked about Raph’s job, and what he’d work as when he returned to Meadowfall. With Grandma’s connections, he could get something at an Alpha Associates branch here... but it wouldn’t be anything that paid like a regional manager position.
Wyatt had told Raph that he wasn’t willing to move away from Meadowfall. He couldn’t expect Raph to uproot himself, either.
After the months of Raph visiting every weekend... would it continue, even after the baby was born? Would Wyatt be fine with that? Wyatt thought about lonely nights with two children and no alpha, and his heart sank. “Raph—”
“I’ll make plans to move,” Raph said, sliding his hand down Wyatt’s spine. “Don’t worry about it.”
But he still didn’t meet Wyatt’s eyes, and Wyatt swallowed his nerves, holding on tighter to his alpha.
Things would work out for the best. Right?
23
Wyatt
A quiet lullaby tinkled in the background of the prenatal clinic.
Wyatt held his breath as he stepped in, half-afraid that someone would recognize him and Raph. They’d sprayed on the scent suppressants; Wyatt hated for Raph’s scent to disappear off his skin, but Raph had promised to mark him again after the visit.
Against a background of rainbows and unicorns, the receptionist smiled. “Here for an appointment?”
“Yes, under Wyatt Fleming.”
She tapped on the keyboard. “We’ve
