Page 27 of His Forsaken Alpha

“Auggie,”Avery murmured.

“Whatever. Uncle Gray’s coming,” Lake spat on his way out of the room. “Come on, Auggie.”

Avery eyed his youngest brother. “How about you come back next weekend?”

“Just me?” Auggie asked. “No Lake?”

“Just you,”Avery whispered, smiling.

Auggie’s face lit up again as he rose to his feet. “Good. Lake’s an asshole.”

“Language,”Avery whispered. He grinned. “But, yeah, he is.”

Auggie leaned down to press a kiss to the baby’s forehead and rose. “See you soon, Em.”

Auggie raced out of the room.

“Cute kid,” Cav said, grinning. “Gotta mouth on him, though I think it makes me like him even more.”

“He might only look ten or eleven, but he’s actually fourteen,” Avery replied, smiling at Cav’s surprise. “Auggie’s a sweetheart most of the time, though I think he’s spent too much time with Lake—who’s never been the same since…” He smiled, pain in his eyes. “Since losing our parents.” Avery paused again, appearing to wrestle with his own sense of grief. “Auggie’s getting a foul mouth and an even fouler attitude at times.” Avery sighed. “Teenagers aren’t fun.”

“Being a teenager is hard enough as it is, but to add loss like that? It isn’t easy at any age, but kids? That’s rough,” Cav murmured, remembering a loss of his own. He slid forward in the chair, getting a slightly better look at the baby. “You have a while before you have to worry about that with this one, though. He’s a tiny thing.”

“Newborn,” Avery said. “Only a week old.”

Cav smiled.

“Would you like to hold him?” Avery asked.

Cav slid back in the chair, stunned. “I’d hurt him. He’s so tiny.”

Avery chuckled. “Wilder had that same expression of panic when he was offered Emory the first time.” He cocked his head to theside, eyes narrowing. “Literally thatsameexact expression.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Cav took a steadying breath before rising. Of course, he wanted to meet his grandson, but he had no experience with tiny babies. He crossed the room and stood by the chaise. “Is it okay if I steal a little corner of your chaise? I don’t want to get too far away from papa.”

Avery slid his legs over. “Of course.”

Cav sat on the edge and allowed Avery to carefully place the little bundle in his arms.

“Make sure you’re careful with his head and neck,” Avery instructed, beaming as he looked down at his son in Cav’s grip.

His lungs burned as he eyed his grandson. Fighting back tears, he wondered if Wilder had looked like that as a newborn. He’d never know. Never get to experience holding his infant son in his arms. Never get the chance to raise a child into a man.

Holding his grandson gave him a taste of what he’d lost. The moment was equal parts profound and heartbreaking.

“He’s beautiful.”Likely the most beautiful thing Cav had ever laid eyes on. Tears blurred his vision, and he willed them back so he didn’t miss a second.

“Sorry I took so long, I wanted to ca—” Wilder strode into the room and froze at the sight of Emory in Cav’s arms. He stood silently, his jaw tightening.

“Little one, I think I should hand you back to your papa,” Cav whispered, shaken a bit by Wilder’s odd reaction. He gave the infant one last look, smiling at how precious his grandson was,before allowing Avery to take the boy. He rose and eyed Wilder. “You should be proud.”

“I am,” Wilder murmured, a hint of annoyance in his gaze. He turned his attention to Avery. “I tried calling Papa, but it seems he’s run off.”

“Run off?”both Avery and Cav asked, in stereo.

“He didn’t go back home to the reception. Nor did Vaughn. Gray and Rohan thankfully handled it for us and gently urged folks to leave early. Supposedly, Papa went to a hotel to avoid everyone.”

“So, he’s all alone?” Cav asked, worry filling him. Why he should care, he didn’t know—but he did. He would always care, no matter what had transpired between them.

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