Page 84 of His Forsaken Alpha

“Fight for us,” he whispered, brushing back some of Wynter’s silky hair.

“I will,” Wynter whispered back.

Cav grinned, not having expected a reply.

Wynter opened his eyes and met Cav’s gaze. “I’m not giving up on us. Only recognizing that this is going to be difficult. We need to be prepared.”

“If he was honorable, he’d step aside the minute he learned you’d found your fated mate.”

“He won’t.” Wynter trembled against him. “By law, he thinks he owns me,” his omega said, a hint of a sob in his voice. “He can be possessive with the things he believes he owns, though I’ve not seen it much when it came to me, so perhaps I underestimate him. Yet, I don’t know how he’ll react to another laying claim.”

“He might call you his by lawsof Alexandria,but by natural law? We belong together.” Cav’s mind had been running in between Wynter’s waves of heat and he’d struggled to sleep. “I once read a case like this, where an omega had been bound to an alpha who wasn’t his fated mate. The true alpha sued and won.That shows precedent—although I don’t believe this occurred in Alexandria.”

“I’ve never heard of it happening there, but I live a fairly secluded life. I heard mention of it in Blacksburg.”

“And others. I’ll just need to do some research into the mating laws in Alexandria.”

“I married a powerful, wealthy alpha. He has a bevy of attorneys who work for him. I don’t know if you’d win your case.”

“Yes, but the scandal it would cause might be enough of a threat,” Cav said, noticing Wynter stiffened even more at the mention. “The scandal would be more for him, than you. You were forced to be with him.”

“He was forced, too. It was my heat that caused the whole thing. My fault more than his.”

“No fault. How about that? The point is, if he’s wealthy and powerful, he won’t want the bad press.”

“His family has weight. They could threaten you. I think we approach him more gently than issuing threats,” Wynter said. “Or fuck… maybe we just do what you first said and run away together. He won’t be able to easily find us on the other side of the world.”

“We can do that—if that’s what you want. I don’t want you to lose your son, though.”

“Me, either,” Wynter whispered.

Cavanaugh lifted his chin. “We’ll try the legal route to keep your son close. We’ll exhaust every avenue. If none of those work, we consider an escape, but only if it’s the last resort, okay?”

“Are you sure this battle is worth it?” Tears pooled in Wynter’s eyes.“I’mnot worth it.”

“You are.”

“Cav, you nearly died because of me. I was terrified watching you battle that Wildling—yet I’m even more scared at the thought of you facing this fight than that one. I don’t know the length my mate would go to in order to end this. Ican’tlose you.”

“You’re worth it to me,” Cav said. “Am I not worth it for you?”

“Of course you are,” Wynter said. “I love you.”

“That’s all that matters. We love one another. We’re fated for one another.” Cav pressed his lips to Wynter’s. “Our future together is worth the fight.”

Wynter nodded. “Okay.”

“Never doubt your worth,” Cav whispered, stroking Wynter’s cheek. “You are everything to me.”

A tear slid down Wynter’s cheek. Cav wiped it away.

Cavanaugh closed his eyes, real doubts creeping into his mind for the first time. “The detachmentwill work.”

He lay there in the heavy silence lingering between them, the thought of losing Wynter striking him hard. Alpha and omega pairs, particularly long-time mates, often passed close. One right after the other. When one half of a mating was gone, the remaining partner seemed to fade away, their will to live gone. It was heartbreaking to watch. His own father had limped along after his papa had passed—and he recalled his brothers’ worry. He’d been so young; he hadn’t quite grasped why they’d been so concerned.

Even as an adult, he’d scarcely understood.

Not until Wynter.

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