Page 3 of His Surrogate Omega

Gray felt the sting of tears as he held his nephew’s stare, thankful.Thank you, he mouthed.

His nephew smiled softly and squeezed his hand. Avery was so very much like Silver. Kind and considerate—even if he could be singularly focused and obstinate at times. Outwardly, he looked more like Gilead. Powerful and tall, Avery could easily pass for a beta if not for the thick, long braid of dark hair sliding down his back.

Gray smiled, pushing back the tears, before giving Avery a quick hug. Needing to avoid the stares around him, he headed up to check on Lake. He was more than ready for the house to be quiet again… but then, it hadn’t been quiet since the three had come to live with him.

Loud music cranked on just as Gray neared the boy’s door, and he sighed. He knocked but was, of course, ignored. Resting his forehead against the wood, he felt the vibrations of the bass against his face and closed his eyes. Gray stood a few moments trying to decide if he pushed or let the boy go, for now.

The biting comments from the teenager had grown more and more harsh—but then, he’d just lost his parents. How much was Gray supposed to let the boy get away with? He wasn’t a parent and very much doubted he ever would be, so he had no clue how to answer that question or the millions of others that would pop up in the days and months to come. He supposed it all depended on how much longer could he deal with being the boy’s punching bag.

Hearing a noise coming from Auggie’s room, Gray moved away from Lake’s door. He soon found the ten-year-old curled up on his bed, crying. Gray slid in behind him and wrapped his arms about the slight child. Auggie turned and buried his face into Gray’s chest and sobbed. He struggled to hold back his own flow of tears as he felt those tiny sobs wracking them both. Slowly, the crying faded some, and Auggie grew silent.

“You smell like papa,” Auggie whispered quietly.

Gray smiled slightly, but then wondered if that caused the boy more pain than good. “I do?”

“Uh-huh,” Auggie said.

He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of all the things this boy had now lost. There were so many words tumbling within his mind… sentiments that weren’t true.It’ll be okay… no, it won’t.What in the world did he tell this child?

“I wish I knew the words to say to make you feel better,” Gray whispered, swallowing back a sob of his own.

“It’s okay,” Auggie whispered, his voice sounding raw from his tears. “I don’t feel much like talking. The hugs are better.”

Tears stung Gray’s eyes. “I’m glad they’re better.”

Silence filled in around them. To call it comfortable wasn’t exactly true. They were just there, side by side in that moment of time, both of them aching and raw. Gray wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he realized Auggie slept.

He stared up at the ceiling, his mind unwilling to let him appreciate the quiet he’d longed for. The last conversation he had with his brother replayed in his mind.

“You’ll find someone… eventually,” Silver had said. “I’ve never given up hope. Actually, I was reading a story about a second chance ball they’ve started to hold in Alexandria once a year. Older omegas who never found a mate attend, as well as older alphas. You’d be a perfect fit. Perhaps we could escort you up there and… you know… maybe there’s someone for you.”

“No,” Gray had said. “I’m a lost cause, Silver. I don’t have a mate… and the sooner I accept that, the better.”

Silence had hung on the other side of the line before Silver had spoken. “I know you’re jaded, and I understand why. I know you see the mating of an alpha and an omega as some biological contract, but it’s so much more. Gilead…” Gray had almost been able to see the wistful smile on Silver’s face as he’d talked about his alpha. “Gilead makes me feel safe. Loved. Protected. He values me and my ideas… he’s a true partner. He’s given me three beautiful boys. A family. That’s all I want for you. A legacy of your own with a partner who loves you.”

Gray had known Silver was one of the lucky ones. Many omegas were happy in their relationships, but only a small few had an alpha as perfect as Gilead.

As perfect as Gileadhad been.

They’d paid a staggering price for that happiness and perfection… and their boys would continue paying for it. Now, Gray was convinced even more that an alpha was more trouble than it was worth. One way or another, he and Avery would figure a way out of this…

Sadly, he was fairly sure he knew how. Gray slowly slipped from Auggie’s bed before covering the boy with a light blanket and wandering down to check on Avery and their guests.

By the time he came back downstairs, much of the crowd had departed and others were gearing up to leave. He was thankful for it. The shame he felt from Lake’s words still haunted him. Avery stood at the door, shaking hands and murmuring his ‘goodbyes’ and ‘thanks for coming’. Not ready to face anyone, Gray moved to the kitchen and began to clean up the dozens of trays and containers of food that had been sent or brought.

They wouldn’t need to cook for a month, from the looks of things. Not that any of them had much of an appetite anymore.

When Avery stepped into the kitchen, Gray lifted his stare to the boy. “Are they gone?”

Avery nodded silently before moving to the island to help clean up.

“I can do this. Why don’t you go upstairs and get some rest? You look exhausted,” Gray said.

“And you don’t?” Avery asked. He continued his cleaning.

Gray walked over and tried to still Avery’s hands.

“Don’t,” Avery mumbled, pulling his hands away.

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