Page 5 of His Surrogate Omega

No matter what he did, his hand wouldn’t listen. Everything went wrong, the colors not right. The depth of the stroke unbecoming. Perspectives skewed. Finally, he threw his brush and palette across the space and screamed in frustration.

And then he dropped onto the battered, paint-splattered stool and cried all the tears he’d held on to, not wanting the boys to see his pain.

Gray was not strong, but he’d tried to be.

And failed.

Chapter Two

Two weeks later…

Gray awoke, the soft sun shimmering in through the gauzy curtains of his bedroom. The breezy sway of the grand oak just outside allowed the shadows from the broad leaves to dance across the wall. A movement caught his eye. He lifted his head to see Silver sitting in the oversized chair across the room.

“Sleeping late this morning? The day’s a-wasting.”

Gray sat full upright, the air sucked from his lungs. And just like that, his brother was gone and the terrible realization that he would never come back gnawed through him. Fighting back tears, he scrubbed his hands over his face, begging that this was the dream—the nightmare—that he needed to awaken from.

Still in a haze that had wrapped around him for nearly two weeks now, he forced himself to get up. A little part of him almost wanted to slip back under the covers and go back to a place where Silver and Gilead were still alive. After washing his face and taking care of his needs, he headed down to the kitchen to put on a kettle and saw Avery hard at work over the island.

“What’cha working on?”

Avery lifted his stare from his work. “Our financial situation.”

Gray eyed the boy, knowing his nephew was all about budgets and plans and savings—all the things that were completely counterpoint to the creative being he was. He’d never balanced a checkbook, and when Avery had come to live with him at seventeen the boy had taken over all things to do with money and paying bills.

Which had been a blessing. Gray hadn’t been able to do any of it well.

From the look on Avery’s face,thiswasn’t a blessing.

More like another nightmare.

“How bad is it?”

Avery’s face screwed up, so apparently, it wasn’t good.

“After the cost of the funeral and all that entailed, the hospital bills, etcetera… and if we sell the old family home… added to what was left of the life insurance policies, papa’s and father’s savings accounts… we might be able to make it four to five years—ifwe live frugally.”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” Gray said. “Right? Five years. That’s enough time for you to make the rounds at the Alpha Balls. Find your alpha, and then you and the boys will be fine.”

Avery lifted his head and glared at Gray. “Did youreallyjust say that? What happened to not beingwombs with legs?”

Gray eyed his nephew. “I don’t like our situation any better than you do—and it makes me just as angry to think it—but what that beta said? He said it at theworstpossible moment, but unfortunately, it was true. The only way to save you and the boys is for you to be mated.”

“And what if my alpha doesn’t come?”

Gray grew quiet a moment. He was unmated and nearly thirty-five. Omegas were typically mated by the time they were twenty-five, at the very latest. Most were much, much earlier. Avery’s age. His nephew could meet his alpha in a matter of months… and then he might end up all alone again.

Until Lake went into heat and was sent to live back in the Quad.

That’ll be a joy.

Gray let Avery’s last question roll over him again. He then steeled himself. “What if your alpha doesn’t come? Or rather… you mean… if you end up like me?”

“That’snotwhat I said.”

“But it’s what you were thinking,” Gray replied.

Avery didn’t speak for a moment, the crease at his brows making it apparent he was searching for the right words. “Maybe Iwasthinking it. But come on, Gray… whatdowe do if I don’t find an alpha?”

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