Page 91 of His Surrogate Omega

“Then what is it?”

“Jamie’s cancer is back.” A sob rocked him. “And it’s bad. The outlook is grim.”

He was fresh out of hope in that moment. Gray had used every ounce of his strength trying to buoy both Jamie and Rohan. Now, he had nothing left.

“My gods,” Avery said. He frowned. “What about the baby?”

“The baby is fine.”

“That’s not what I meant.Whowill be there to raise the baby?” Avery murmured slowly, frowning.

Gray looked away. He didn’t want to imagine a world where Jamie wasn’t there to play the proud papa he’d been all set to become. He turned back to face the question. “I don’t know. Jamie will soon return to treatment… and I guess we take it day by day.”

“Day by day?” Avery’s frown deepened. “There needs to be a plan. What if Jamie doesn’t make it? Do you hand over a baby to a grieving alpha? Who will raise the child? A nurse or a manny?” Avery paused. “Or you?”

All the questions that had been circling in the back of his own mind. He’d ignored them, not willing to make the situation so dire. Avery didn’t suffer the same compulsion.

“I signed over my rights,” Gray admitted, not wanting to think about Jamie not making it.

“And so you’ll just wash your hands of the whole thing? I know you were carrying the child for them… but the bond. There’s no way you’d be able to walk away if Jamie died. I know you too well, uncle.”

Gray looked away. “No. I doubt I would.”

His thoughts went to Rohan. He’d nearly lost it when he’d seen the alpha’s stare roaming over him. Gray knew it had been the instinct… just as it had been instinct with him.

“Are we eating tonight?” Lake called out sarcastically from the family room.

“Yeah, yeah,” Avery called down the hall as he rose to his full height. “It’ll come when it comes.” He turned to look at Gray, offering a hand. “I hate cooking. Have I told you how much I hate cooking?”

Gray took the towel from Avery’s shoulder. “You’re not all that good at it, either.” He started walking toward the kitchen, wiping his eyes with one hand.

Avery followed him. “I make do.”

After washing his hands, Gray checked the two pots simmering, tasting them one after the other.

“Uncle Gray!” Auggie cried, a smile on his face. He raced over and wrapped his little arms around Gray. “Thank heavens. I thought we’d starve.”

Gray placed a hand on Auggie’s back, thankful for the little bit of joy. “Good to know I’m appreciated forsomethingaround here.”

“We appreciate more than your cooking,” Avery said as he watched Gray adding some spices to one pot.

“This isn’t half bad,” Gray murmured to Avery. “You’re getting better.”

“Better than terrible still isn’t good,” Avery said before he went to tackle the dishes piled in the sink. How one man could dirty so many while cooking, Gray didn’t know.

“Avery’ll have to marry an alpha rich enough to hire a cook,” Lake said. “I know I plan on it.”

“You can’t plan things like that,” Gray told the boy. “You get who you get.”

Lake shrugged as he sat down along the island opposite where Gray was cooking. “Yeah, sure—the fated mate bit. I’m so tired of the teachers going on and on about that. Why can’t we just find our own paths?”

“Good question,” Avery said from the sink.

“I’mnevergetting mated,” Auggie said before heading back into the family room to watch a movie.

Gray nodded his agreement before the sadness of his reality hit him hard. He wouldn’t have what he wanted… yet there was Jamie, who supposedly had it all, and would never get his happy ever after, either.

It wasn’t fair.

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