Page 32 of His Forsaken Alpha

“If we hadn’t been on their asses, I’d go easy, but the babies have been repeating Lake and Auggie’s curses,” Rohan said. “It was funny the first time. After that, no one wants to hear a two-year-old screamasshole,shit,orfuck youincessantly.”

Cav chuckled under his breath and received another of Gray’s glares.

“One day,someoneis going to beat Lake’s ass because of that mouth,” Avery said. “I don’t want him hurt, but if he mouths off to the wrong person, he might learn to regret that attitude of his. Maybe sending him to school somewhere less contentiouswouldbe a better idea.”

“I wholeheartedly agree. There are days he’s a powder keg, ready to blow up,” Rohan said.

“Which is why I’d prefer you to not set him off,” Gray interrupted, glaring at Cav.

“Sorry,”Cav whispered. “I was only trying to show my support.”

Gray narrowed his eyes.

Rohan cleared his throat. “As I said…” He turned to Avery. “I agree. But everywhere that’s open for omega applicants issofar away. If it was a province or two away, sure. But across the Palatinate? I know he’s a resourceful, smart kid, but accidents happen. Gray’s right. Without some kind of safety net for an omega on his own, I can’t get behind that idea.”

“What about an exchange program?” Cav asked. “I’ve heard of them in Europa. Is there a program like that here?”

“No idea what that is,” Rohan said.

“We had an exchange student at Waltyn & Marris,” Avery said, eyes widening. “I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that myself.”

“Whatisit?” Gray asked.

“Okay,”Avery said. “So Lake wants to study in Fort Seattle but lives in Alexandria. The program would help match anotheromega to Lake, one who wants to study in Alexandria but lives in Fort Seattle. They’d swap places. Lake goes to live with the other omega’s family and the other would live with you. It’s a built-in safety net. You offer room and board to this other kid, as well as some protections and guidance, while the other family offers the same to Lake.”

“Interesting,” Gray said. “But I don’t know if there would be many omegas who’d actually want to live and go to school here, considering everything being in flux and so new.”

“I’d be more concerned with a student wanting to live in a house with five kids,” Rohan said, chuckling.

“It can’t hurt to look into it,” Avery said. “If the option exists, let’s explore it. I can call some of my contacts at school and see if they can point us in the right direction.”

Gray nodded. “Maybe we don’t tell him yet—not until I’ve dug a little. I don’t want to get his hopes up.”

“I don’t know,” Avery said. “It would show Lake you have some faith in him and want to help him get where he wants to go, even if it doesn’t work out. That’ll mean something.”

“Yeah, but if it ends up a disappointment,” Gray said.

“Disappointments are a fact of life,” Rohan said. “He needs to learn how to overcome those. Protecting him won’t teach him anything.”

“Rohan, he just called us his parents,” Gray paused, eyes shining. “Hisparents.”

Rohan grinned softly.“I heard.”

“Yeah, well… let me live in that little win for a day or two before we make another mistake in his eyes and lose any forward momentum,” Gray said. “Especially with him living under this current dark cloud.”

“When did it start?” Avery asked.

“Just a few days, think,” Rohan said.

“About the time I was mating Wilder,” Avery said. “And giving birth. Maybe it’s the changes. He’s never been great with those.”

“It could be the funeral, as well,” Wilder murmured. “Maybe it’s added some old, unresolved memories to the surface.”

“Watching you lose a parent has definitely brought back some stuff for me,” Avery said. “I suppose it might impact him a little bit, too.”

“I suppose I should’ve considered that before being so hard on him,” Gray said, sighing. “You two are going to be better at this parenting thing than I am, I think.”

Avery chuckled. “It’s easier to notice things when you don’t have six boys in one house.”

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