Page 116 of His Forsaken Alpha

Anger slammed into Cav. “You robbed me of that boy. Of a chance to be a father to him. How could you do that?”

“If you knew he was yours, there was no way you’d not be there in our lives—in one form or another. You’d want to know your son, as you should, but I also knew what that might mean for you. The rules had been clear. If you wouldn’t leave us alone, my papa would ensure you did.Permanently.”Wynter closed his eyes. “I told myself that it was better you have a chance forsomeday… than none at all. For Wilder, too. Warden was older than I. I assumed I’d outlive him and then… then I could tell you both.Then,you could know one another.” He scoffed. “It happened sooner than I expected.”

“I was at the funeral… someday had come… yet you sent me away,” Cav said, struggling to contain his anger. “YoudemandedI leave. Again.”

Wynter rubbed his upper arms. “I’d barely had time to think of how to proceed and there you were. In front of my boys, no less.”

“Barely had time? You’ve had over thirty years to plan what happened after that man died.”

“Trust me, I’d thought about it. But fantasizing about that day and having it thrust into your lap are two very different things. When I imagined it, it was through the rosy glasses of what Iwantedto happen.” He paused shaking his head. “The truth is going to hurt. Vaughn’s going to learn his parents despised one another and hadn’t wanted children together. Wilder’s going to find out his father wasn’t even his father, but a stranger is. Thisis a minefield and based off my history of fucking up everything I’ve ever touched, I wanted to do this right. But thenyoushowed up,with that face,and I freaked out. You forced my hand. Days after my entire world was upended.”

“Days after you finally gotyour freedom,”Cav corrected.

“Freedom?That word means something completely different to you than it does me.”

“How so?” Cav asked.

“Freedom for you means you can go anywhere, do anything. Sure, things are changing for omegas here in Alexandria, but what does that mean for me? I’m old. I own nothing. We haven’t seen Warden’s will yet. Has he given my home of forty years away to one of my sons? If so, will I have to beg Wilder or Vaughn for a roof over my head? I have no employable skills, so what else do I do? I can’t be a surrogate; my heats are over. Do I sell my body to the highest bidder—which, at my age, likely won’t earn me much. Say I am given a home and a small stipend, how do I spend my days? I can’t leave the province. I can’t travel outside the walls alone as an omega. But even if I could, where would I go? I can’t return to my family who disowned me.”

Cav hadn’t considered Wynter’s position and how precarious it was. For a man who’d considered himself an enlightened alpha, he’d sure failed to see his omega’s point of view.

Wynter scoffed. “I’ve always known I would one day find you and tell you the truth. But that wasn’t going to be today, not the day I put Warden into the ground. I amreeling,trying to figure out what comes next. I went from my parents to Warden. I’ve never been alone before. I don’t knowhowto be alone—because someone hasalwaysbeen in control of my life and my destiny.Now it’s mine—and I have absolutely no idea what to do with it.” He looked down at his lap. “And no one to spend it with.”

Silence filled the hotel room.

Spend it with me.Cav met Wynter’s gaze, forcing those words from his lips. “I didn’t consider yourpredicament—but you’re not the only one who’s suffered all these years.”

“I know you’ve been robbed of something precious, and you deserve the chance to know your son. I’d simply anticipated having a tiny bit of time to steady the ground under my feet before I sought you out. But there you were…”

“I was returning from a trip to Atlantis and had a layover at the helipad here. I was supposed to board a helicopter for Blacksburg. I grabbed a newspaper while I waited and saw the news… and knew I needed to see you before I left. The fact I was here, the day of his funeral… it felt like…”

“Fate,”Wynter whispered.

Cav held Wynter’s gaze, affirmation in his eyes. “It sure fucked up the last time, hmm?”

Wynter held back comment.

“The protective instinct roared to life in me, I suppose. I guess I could’ve simply left, but I was worried about you. Even knowing you’d likely send me away again, I came.”

Wynter bit back a sob. “I’m glad you did. I know it didn’t seem like it in the moment, but seeing you there…” He offered a tremulous smile. “It meant so much to me that you’d come. To knowsomeoneout there cared about me.”

“From the crowd around you at the funeral, I’d say there were a lot of men who cared.”

“Performative grieving,” Wynter replied. “They did what they thought they must.”

“No,” Cav said. “They were circling a widowed omega. A potentiallyrich,widowed omega.”

Wynter’s eyes widened.“At my alpha’s funeral?”

“He’snotyour alpha,” Cav growled.

Wynter shivered at the sound before his gaze lifted to Cav’s. “No. He wasn’t.”

“As you said, you’ve not seen the will. With the Jaymes fortune potentially falling into your hands, they came to get a good look.” Cav cracked his neck, as irritated by it as he’d been at the funeral. He’d watched the fools falling over themselves trying to get closer to Wynter.

But he’d also watched as Wynter had recoiled from each and every one.

He smiled to himself.

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