Page 19 of His Forsaken Alpha

How I miss you, Jamie.

The tears he hadn’t been able to manufacture for Warden came full force for Jamie. His lower lip quivered as he recalled that tragic choice Warden had forced on him. Either decision he would’ve made, he would’ve been wrong. There had been no winning.

Friction against stone hones the blade and makes it sharper.

He glanced at Wilder and Vaughn, the only sons he had left in the world. Not that he truly had either of them. His mistakes as a parent hadn’t been limited to Jamie, though his first-born had gotten the lion’s share of them.

Jamie’s final request returned to his mind. The question he’d been unable to answer. He gazed at Jamie’s tombstone, wondering if he’d made a mistake in not sharing the truth. Would it have ruptured things even more—or healed something between them?

The truth.

Wynter’s gaze drifted to Vaughn… and then Wilder. He’d always known that Warden’s death signaled the moment he’d share his story, but doubt threatened to steal his nerve. He’d worried it would’ve destroyed his relationship with Jamie—didn’t the same hold true for Wilder and Vaughn?

They have a right to know. That I never wanted to mate Warden.

Complete and utter silence cleared Wynter’s fog.

He lifted his gaze to find expressions of confusion, shock, and disgust around him.

Had he spoken his thoughts aloud? When he met Vaughn’s gaze, he was almost sure of it. Shame filled him at their bewildered stares. He opened his mouth to correct his mistake, but instead, more rambled and incoherent thoughts rushed from his lips, as if the dam had finally been broken and the truth would come roaring out regardless of if he wanted it to or not.

“Now,I can’t seem to feel sad that he’s gone,” Wynter continued, gaze locked on Vaughn. Unable to stop, it raged on, an unending torrent. “I mean, I felt bad that he died, and I cried some, because that’s what we’re supposed to do.” He glanced around the circle forming tightly around him. “Right? That’s what’s expected of me?” He chuckled, no humor in the sound. “Honestly, I expect those tears were more for the fear of the unknown. I’ve spent almost my entire life with this man. What do I do now?”

“Anything you wish,” Vaughn replied. “Now you’re free to do all the things you wanted to do or see but never could because you won’t be locked up.”

Wynter turned to eye Vaughn, confused. “Locked up?”

“Didn’t widowers go back to the OQ?” Vaughn asked. “Before the new laws.”

“Only if they were still of childbearing age,” Gray murmured.

Everyone turned to eye Wynter expectantly.

“That’snoneof your business,” he spat. He was much too old to have a child, as they likely knew. Not impossible, but it was highly unlikely. He might be losing his reason and sharing too much, but he wasn’tthatfar gone. Wynter wouldn’t discuss his sexual health with his sons and Jamie’s replacement.

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Gray said. “Now that they’ve changed the laws, you wouldn’t have to go into the OQ for protection, even if you’d needed it.”

Wynter glared at Gray.

“Thanks to Avery,” Wilder added, a hint of pride in the smile on his face.

That change arrived too late for Wynter Jaymes. Far too late. “I came from a different time. Omegas in my generation accepted our lots in life without challenge, not like these omegas today. We accepteda lotof things.” Wynter paused, wishing he’d been born later.“Toomany things.”

Wynter noticed Gray’s mouth opening to argue and inhaled, steeling himself to whatever Jamie’s replacement had to say.

“I think we should go back to the house,” Wilder murmured, a hand to Wynter’s back. Had he purposefully intervened to curb an argument to come?

“I don’t want to go back to that house,” Wynter snarled, unsettled. He’d wanted the fight. Being angry sounded better than sad, lonely, or… numb.

Wilder turned to face him. “Our guests are waiting.”

“Damn them. Damn them all,” Wynter spat. He couldn’t handle more of their pity and murmured sympathies. He’d choke on them and die if he had to listen to any more.

“What would the country club set say to hear that?” Vaughn asked, grinning like the little devil he was, tears dried now that his audience had left.

Just as I suspected.

“I know what you think of me,” Wynter chastised. “I’m a small-minded, terrible person… but I’ve endured more than you realize. More pain than you can imagine.” He cringed, the memories of what he’d lost haunting him. “It hardened me. Turned me into…”Friction against stone hones the blade and makes it sharper.

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