Page 125 of His Forsaken Alpha

Jamie was dead?

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Wynter’s head hung lower, his shoulders drooping. He wasn’t sure Gray, or any of them for that matter, would understand his reasons for not seeing Jamie in the end. While Warden had forced it, ultimately, it had been his choice. Either choice he’d made, he would’ve harmed one of his boys.

“I love Jamie,” Gray said, bold in his declaration.“Not past tense,present. Ilovehim. I know two omegas having a bond like that might seem strange to you, but the minute we met, it was like I’d found my best friend. Like I’d known him my entire life.” He took his hand from Wynter’s and pressed both palms to his chest. “He’s a part of me, and he took a piece of me when he left. He was an amazing man and the fact I got to live in his world for even a little while is one of the things I hold most dear. In the end, Rohan and I were the only ones there for him—and Wilder, of course. But I never saw youorWarden.” Gray turned to glare at Vaughn. “Or you.”

“Once,”Rohan murmured, glaring at Wynter before turning to Gray. “Wynter came once. You were on bedrest at the time.” His gaze flicked back to Wynter. “But then, we both know he wasno longer of value to you once his womb was gone. The minute Jamie couldn’t produce a child, you saw him as less than.That’swhy you didn’t bother coming.”

“When I was exiled, my papa demanded I play my part perfectly—and that I raise my children to be perfect, too. He said one foot out of step or any gossip, and Cavanaugh died. My papa poisoned my mind with that, and it had me twisted into knots for far too long. I know you all thought I was shallow, and to some degree, I probably am at this point, but I worried whenever we had any mishap what that meant for Cavanaugh. Jamie’s health issues caused gossip. It’s terrible that they did,but they did.All I could think about was—has my papa heard? Will he blame this on me, too? I became as twisted in my thinking as he’d been.” Wynter shook his head. “When Wilder called me to tell me the cancer had returned and that Jamie wasn’t faring well, I immediately rushed out to see him.Wardenrefused to let me go.”

Rohan scoffed. “I know Warden had his moments, but I never saw him bethatcruel.”

“If it had been my son, I’d have been there come hell or high water,” Gray said.“Every single day.”

I wanted to be there.How did he explain his choice? He’d chosen Wilder’s future over Jamie’s final days. They’d assume him heartless and again say he’d shown one son favoritism. Perhaps he had. Wilder was Cavanaugh’s son… and it was hard for him not to hold a special place in Wynter’s heart.

“Papa tried to leave to see Jamie the day after we learned the cancer had come back,” Vaughn interrupted. Wynter lifted his head, surprised to have Vaughn back up his story. “He and Dad had a massive fight over it. The whole house heard theargument. Dad sent Papa upstairs like some obstinate child then told the staff that he wasn’t allowed to leave the house. I caught Papa sneaking down the back stairs not long after. From what I heard, he bribed the driver to take him to see Jamie. Dude got fired for it, too.”

“Heneededto be fired,” Wynter snapped. “He had the audacity to offer…his serviceswhen he realized Warden and I were at odds. I was thankful I made it to Jamie’s that day in one piece.”

“But I don’t get it,” Rohan said. “Why did Warden bar you from visiting? For what reason?”

“Someone blackmailed Warden. He claimed he knew how…” Wynter didn’t want Wilder and Vaughn to know more than they should or embarrass Gray and Rohan. “He knew information relevant to your surrogacy.”

“Whatinformation?” Rohan demanded.

“That it was…” Wynter released a breath, searching for the right words. “Unorthodox.”

Rohan and Gray’s eyes widened, so the meaning didn’t seem to be lost on them.

“Unorthodox?” Vaughn asked.“What the hell does that mean?”

Wynter turned to Rohan and Gray. “Warden knew… and he was afraid the circumstances might get out—and to be honest, I feared it a little, too, considering my papa claimed he was watching and any scandals might cause Cavanaugh harm.”

“A scandal?”Vaughn asked. “What the hell is he talking about, Rohan? What happened between you and Jamie?”

“Jamie didn’t want our children to be made in a lab,” Rohan murmured, his face growing redder.

“So…are you sayingyou fucked Gray while you were mated to Jamie?”Vaughn asked, frowning.

“Jamie begged us to,” Gray said. “He said after all his hours in hospitals and treatment centers, he didn’t want his child’s life to begin in that atmosphere. Cold and uncaring. Looking back, I think it was his way to get Rohan and I to bond. So I’d remain after… after he was gone.”

Vaughn scoffed, and Wilder sat silent, as if he already knew.

“Warden feared a scandal,” Wynter said. “Especially with Gray living under your roof. He said it might appear that we approved, and he demanded I not go, but Ihadto go. I needed to see how Jamie truly was, and I won’t lie—I worried you two had planned the whole thing and were cuckolding my son. Even after he told me it was his idea, I didn’t believe him. It’s also why I wanted to take the babies after he died. Rohan was in no shape to be a parent, and I thought the worst of you, Gray. I sense now that I was wrong, but I was coming from a place of love for Jamie. I hadn’t been the papa he deserved, but I wanted to protect his children—and maybe have a second chance to do right by him.” Wynter eyed Wilder. “Wilder came and convinced me Jamie had honestly wanted the two of you together, which is why we didn’t come to the hearing and fight to get custody in the end. Warden wasn’t a hard sell. He hadn’t wanted the babies anyway.”

“You’ve never asked to see them,” Gray murmured. “Those boys you’d been willing to fight for.”

“I didn’t think you’d let me. Not after I’d tried to take them from you.”

“You didn’t bother to ask,” Gray said.

“Wilder was furious with me, so I could only imagine you two would be even angrier. Soon after that, we left for the extended trip.”

“Well, they’re technically not Jamie’s,” Vaughn murmured. “So you had no business taking them anyway.”

“Did you not hear me say that Jamie was a piece of my soul?”Gray snapped at Vaughn. “Those boys are mine, Rohan’s,andJamie’s. All of our boys are alive todaybecause of Jamie.I consider him their parent, too.All four of our sons.”

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