Page 150 of His Forsaken Alpha

Wilder cleared his throat.

Wynter flinched, his face warming. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry—but your brothers and their family are waiting for us,” Wilder mumbled.

Cavanaugh released his face and captured a hand instead.

“That they are,” Wynter said.

“I didn’t expect them to do be… sonormal,”Wilder said. “Living in this house with your parents all their lives, I guess I suspected them to be as terrible as the people who raised them.”

“I worried how much they’d be like Papa and Daddy myself,” Wynter said. “It was why I was so hesitant to return.”

“Are you glad you did?” Cavanaugh asked.

“I’ll answer that once the day is over, hmm?”

20

Cavanaugh led Wynter outside onto the porch where the family had gathered. It was a warm late spring day and the sky the perfect shade of blue. Hazy, cotton candy clouds hung in the air. The house was set on a hill overlooking the city below and was situated far enough back that it felt almost as if they were out in the country. A wide lawn spread out until it reached the treeline on either side. Just down the street, there had been houses clustered together tightly, but the Jaymes’ had clearly had the land for some time and cut a massive swath out for themselves.

While it grated his nerves a bit that Wynter’s parents had so much yet had given so little to their children, he was reminded of what his omega had said to him. He’d been happier with the son of a Wildling than with one of means.

Yet, knowing how Wynter lived, a moment of doubt crept into his mind. His bank accounts weren’t nothing to sniff at—he spent only what was needed and lived well under his means—it still wasn’t the kind of money the Jaymes family, either side of it, had.

The family were all smiles when they reappeared on the wide porch. It easily fit the dozen or so bodies waiting there and then some. Couches, rockers, and chairs were arranged—with a settee in the center ready and waiting for them to join. Ceiling fans ran lazily overhead as a servant refilled glasses of lemonade.

A few of the younger boys played ball on the lawn just yards from the house.

“I hope you don’t mind sitting out here,” Arthur said as they found their seat. “It’s quieter.”

“I think I prefer it,” Wynter replied, smiling. He paused to take a lemonade from the servant. “I always loved sitting out here. On starry nights, the sky was spectacular.”

Cavanaugh took a lemonade and thanked the beta offering it.

“Still is.” Arthur smiled.

Wynter returned the smile. “It’s one of the memories of this place that still makes me smile. Us sneaking out on summer nights and rocking out here under those stars.”

“We sit out here a lot,” Georgie said, perched on the arm of Arthur’s chair. “We can’t hearyou-know-whoas much. That’s why we have all this seating. It’s practically our family room half of the year.”

“I think I recognize that accent,” Cavanaugh murmured to Georgie.“The Valley of Murfre?”

Georgie gasped. “Why,yes.How could you tell?”

“I’ve traveled a lot and met a ton of people,” Cavanaugh murmured. “I haven’t been to that province in a long, long time, though. It was gorgeous, from what I saw.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it a province. It’s more a bunch of fields filled with cows and sheep. They outnumber the humans there. And the walls? Practically nonexistent,” Georgie replied.

“Well, the valley itself keeps it rather protected,” Cavanaugh said.

“True.” Georgie drained his lemonade and paused as the servant tried to refill it. He smiled up at the beta. “You can go on inside. Our arms aren’t broken. We can pour a glass.”

Cavanaugh watched as the servant smiled softly and nodded.

“I’ll go see how lunch is going and check back in a little bit,” the beta said before lowering the pitcher of lemonade onto a small table near the door.

“Thank you, Terry,”Georgie called.

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