Page 151 of His Forsaken Alpha

“How’s your relationship with my papa?” Wynter asked Georgie. “Assuming he was still in his right mind when you and Arthur met.”

“Oh, he despises mewith a passion,”Georgie said, grinning broadly. “And the feeling’s mutual.” Georgie winced. “I hope that doesn’t offend you?”

Wynter chuckled. “Absolutely not. I have hopes you’ve made his life hell?”

Georgie rose and made his way to the lemonade and refilled his glass. “I don’t know if I’d say I’ve made his lifehell.He might. I definitely didn’t fit his preconceived notions of what his eldest son’s omega should lookoract like.” He returned to sit on the arm of Arthur’s chair. “I was from a rural province, and I didn’t have the same upbringing or etiquette, so I embarrassed Barnaby to no end.” Georgie cocked his head. “Though, Isuppose you were the eldest, right? Arthur said you were a few years older?”

“Two, yes,” Wynter said before taking another sip.

“Barnaby always called Arthur the eldest, so I’m sorry I said that. Kinda got stuck in my head, I suppose.”

“Oh, don’t apologize. Papa clearly pretended I was dead, so in his mind, I didn’t exist. Not that I ever really did.”

Georgie frowned. “I know that man is cruel, but I had no idea he could erase a child’s existence. I mean,who does that?”Georgie scoffed. “But then, who does anything he did? Arthur’s told me some tales and I told my mate that if he ever laid a hand on meorour kids, he wouldn’t wake up the next morning.”

Cavanaugh smiled to himself. He liked Georgie.

Wynter laughed. “Refreshing. Actually, we were just talking. I’d been hesitant to come, fearful all these years around Papa and Daddy, you guys might’ve turned into them.”

“Honestly, there was a shift after you died—or rather,after the funeral,”Anders said. “Dad lost his shit one day and tore Papa a new asshole in front of us all. Right after, Papa left for a while and Dad wouldn’t tell us where. He was gone a solid six months and when he came back… things were better. Not great, but better. Dad was, though. He finally started jumping to our defense instead of fading into the woodwork like before.”

“Then Papa got bad again and he went away again. A few times. He’d come back better, but it was only a matter of time before he returned to his wicked ways,” Broderick said. “Still, Dad put a stop to the abuse, for the most part. Too late, but it was betterthan nothing, I suppose. Plus, we were getting older and could stop Papa. Harris locked him in a closet once.”

Harris chuckled. “Better than getting hit.”

“Dad took us to a therapist. The lot of us,” Arthur said. “It helped.” He grimaced. “But now… I wonder if he knew? I’d made my peace with him—but if he knew you were alive and let us continue believing you weren’t, I don’t know if I can forgive that.”

“I have no idea,” Wynter replied. “When Papa exiled me from Blacksburg, he mentioned Daddy had gotten the private detective, but I can’t be sure if he knew about the later bits. He wasn’t there, and I never spoke to him.”

“And with his memory now,” Anders said. “There’s little chance we’ll get an answer.”

“I never found anything in his diaries,” Arthur said. “But there’s still a few volumes missing and if memory serves, it was the ones from that period. I’ve learned a lot of surprises reading his words. Things I wish I never knew.”

Cavanaugh eyed Wynter, who frowned.

Wynter turned back to Arthur. “What do you mean?”

Arthur hedged.

“Well, they’re not mates,” Georgie said when Arthur didn’t answer. “They were forced to get mated. Neither one of them could stand the other.”

Wynter nearly crushed Cavanaugh’s hand.“And they forced me to do the same?”

Georgie’s mouth dropped open. “Oh?” He looked at Cavanaugh. “My apologies. I tend to open my big mouth and shit falls out. I didn’t know you two weren’t fated mates.”

“Weare,” Cavanaugh murmured.

Arthur stood and eyed the younger members of the family. “It’s a warm day. Why don’t you all go on to the pool and enjoy it? The adults need time to talk.”

“Dad, I’m twenty,” one of the boys said.

“You’re still a kid to me,” Arthur said. “Scram.”

They paused as the children disappeared. As soon as the coast was clear, Wynter caught his brothers’ omegas up on some of what he’d shared inside.

“Bastards,” Georgie hissed. “But you’re here now.” He glanced down at Arthur, pulling a flask out from the side of Arthur’s leg and the cushion. “After hearing that news, I think it’s time to move on to something a little heavier.” He poured a bit into his lemonade before doing the same for Arthur.“Booster shot.”

Broderick and his mate reached out with their glasses. After Georgie was done there, he turned to offer some to Cavanaugh.

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