Page 109 of His Gentle Omega
Seth looked contrite, and tears shimmered in his eyes. “I’m just watching out for you, B.”
“I know,” reaching a hand to him, he grasped it tightly and squeezed hard, “and I love you and appreciate you for it. But this is too far, okay? If, and when, Shay and I take that step, it will be a decision we discuss together. Alone.”
Seth nodded his understanding, then offered a weaksorryto my mate. Shay just nodded, his chin rubbing against my shoulder, but said nothing. Grasping his hand in mine, I felt the slight trembling.
Gabe, bless him, announced to the room, “I think we should let the new parents have some time to themselves. The twins are getting restless, and we promised Lucas a movie night.”
I would be forever grateful for Gabe’s uncanny ability to manage people in a way that looked like he wasn’t managing them.
Seth gave me a hug, saying he was going to catch up on his sleep, and Maria and Albert both hugged Shay and me. Aftereveryone had filed out and we were blissfully alone, I sighed with relief.
“You okay?” Shay frowned, as he slid into the bed with me once more after seeing everyone out. I was so thankful the hospital had chosen the extra-wide birthing beds, made so an alpha could sleep next to their mate.
Nodding, I unfastened the side of my hospital gown, as Brodie began to fuss loudly. “Perfect, just glad for a minute for it to just be us.” Brodie rooted around my nipple before latching on tightly and began sucking.
“Me too.” Shay’s heat engulfed my side, and I leaned into him. “Not that I’m not happy to see our family, but I’m glad for this time with you and him.”
“Mmmm,” I murmured, watching as Brodie nursed. The room was quiet, the only sounds were Brodie’s soft suckling noises, when Shay broke the silence.
“Bennett,” Shay shifted on the bed until he was facing me, his blue eyes troubled and haunted, “it’s not that I don’t want to mate claim you. I just…can’t.” His shoulders rose almost to his ears when he said the wordsmate claim, a tremor running down the length of his body.
“I know,” smiling softly at him, I shifted Brodie to my shoulder, lightly patting his back so he would burp.
“It’s just after Edward,” he looked away, staring at the floor, “and breaking the bond, going through the procedures to break it and all it meant…letting Edward claim me–us claiming each other–it became a chain that bound me to him. I get almost sick to my stomach when I think about mate claiming anyone again.”
Switching Brodie to my other nipple, I laid my hand over Shay’s still shaking one. “Shay, I understand. I get it. You’re not ready, and I’m fine with that.”
His eyes were sad, his lips a thin line. “I might not ever be ready though, Bennett. I’m trying. I’m working on it, but it’s a trigger for me. I’m sorry. I love you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life, and I want to give you…the whole world. But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to give you that.”
“Shay, I know that. It’s not something I would ever ask you to do until you are ready.” Leaning forward, I placed a soft, chaste kiss against his lips. “And if you are never ready for a claiming, it won’t change how I feel. Are you mine?”
Nodding, he whispered, “I’m yours. Only yours.”
“And is Lucas mine?”
“He is.”
Staring down at Brodie’s sleepy eyes as he nursed, I could see ourselves in him already. My dark hair and Shay’s bright blue eyes, that I hoped wouldn’t change. My nose and Shay’s lips. This was all I needed.
“That’s all I need,” I told him, “you and our boys. That’s all I need. I don’t need a mark on my neck for the world to see to know that we belong to each other. I love you, and I love Lucas, and I love this little one. Our perfect little family.”
“You deserve the world,” Shay told me, the sadness lingering in his eyes.
“I have the world. You’ve given me the world.”
Epilogue
Bennett
Six Months Later
Something was burning.
The rank smell of charred food tickled my nose, and I groggily opened my eyes just as the shrill sound of the fire alarm started shrieking. It was distant and I suspected–by the empty side of the bed–that it was the kitchen alarm blaring and Shay was attempting to cook something.
The annoying sound ended abruptly following a growled, “Dammit! I hope that thing doesn’t wake up your brother.” Which came through the baby monitor loud and clear, telling me Shay had one of the other monitors with him.
Rubbing my eyes, I took a peek at the video baby monitor on the nightstand. Brodie, thankfully, was stillsleeping, poor baby. He’d been up pretty much every hour on the hour. Our normally chill, happy baby was cutting his first tooth, and he wasn’t about that life. He was a little crank monster when he was hurting, not that I blamed him. He’d finally drifted off a few hours ago, exhausted.
