Page 25 of His Bonded Omega Mate
I daydreamed a little about what my kids with Roan would look like. Would they have my golden skin or match their father? He was a beautiful man with dark smooth skin, I wanted to trace my fingers over. Those gem-like eyes and thick lips that I wanted to nibble on. He was much taller than me, which wasn’t hard since I was a half pint at barely five-six. He was muscular in a way that made me feel safe and not threatened.
Since he was shirtless, it was possible to see he had little body hair. He kept his tight curls cropped close to his scalp, in a no-nonsense style. Everything about the way he watched everyone in the room and evaluated what he said suggested that he liked things straightforward.
Roan was a protector and put himself last. With those qualities, he’d make a fantastic father. “Do you want children?” I asked before I even thought about it. Here we were, just talking about being open to bonding and I was asking about kids. We’d only just met.
My tiger made a huffing sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter. I grumbled mentally at them. I deserved their mirth for being an idiot.
“I do, actually. It’s been great seeing Kade through part of the pregnancy.” At my confused look, he clarified. “They sent the pregnant omegas away just in case at the start of the sickness. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in time for one mother. She lost the baby.”
“Oh, Goddess, no!” My cry was almost lost in similar exclamations from Tate and Asher.
“We all grieve with the parents, but still believe we got off lightly, which I’m sure is no comfort to the families that lost people. The Luna blessed Sweetwater with a lot of babies at the same time she caused so much pain.” He was silent for a moment. “Y’know, I was just thinking, right before the attack, that I wanted what Kade and Blake have for myself. Kids too, if the Goddess is willing.”
“Really?” Hope rose inside me.
“Sure. A bunch of them if we can. I never had a sibling, so I’d like to give my child what I didn’t have.” He paused. “Can I ask you something?”
Tate and Asher exchanged a weighted look with me. Was this where it all fell apart? Did Roan have a condition that we couldn’t accept?
“Sure,” I asked cautiously.
“Like I said, I’m willing to try a bond with us as a group, if that’s what you want. You’re my fated and I trust you. The thing is, I want to stay in Sweetwater, as part of the pack. In the compound.” He rushed the words out, like he was worried about their reception.
“That’s it? You just want to stay here?”
“Yes…” He dragged the word out hesitantly.
“Oh, that’s fine with me.” I looked at my betas. “You guys too, right?”
“Absolutely,” said Tate. “I’m training to be an enforcer. Being able to fly is useful here. Plus, my cousin is Jake. He’s bonded to Sebastian.”
“Oh, that’s right. I like Jake. I’m glad he came through the sickness alright.”
“And I’m working at the factory and learning a ton. Sweetwater has been pretty great to us. Accepting like we haven’t had before,” Asher added.
“You’re working with Aldrin?” Roan asked me.
“I am. The clinic is great here. Much better facilities than we had in Northarbor. Logan tried, but the pride is complicated. Most of the elders wanted me to be making babies instead of being a competent healer.”
The door shoved open, breaking the little bubble that we had going on.
“Roan! Are you okay?” Poppy asked as she approached the bed. She gave me a quizzical look at me sharing the bed with Roan. “What’s going on?”
Tate stepped forward, grabbing her a chair so she could sit next to the bed. She took the seat gingerly.
Poppy was looking radiant. The pregnancy certainly agreed with her. It had been a couple of weeks since I’d last seen her, just before my last heat, a time I wanted to forget. Since then, her stomach had rounded further, just a gentle swell that made it clear she was expecting.
“Hey, Poppy. Did you go see Kade?”
“No, I did not! I heard they had hurt you when they asked me to come check on the magic used. Then I came straight here to check on you. Kade was so worried. Said you’d nearly died because of the magic. Are you okay?”
“Pops, I’m fine,” Roan reassured her. “Hiroshi here fixed me right up.”
Poppy set ice-blue eyes on me. “And what’s happening here?”
Roan looked at me for permission. “Hiroshi is my fated mate!” I loved the enthusiasm in his voice. There was no faking it. He was genuinely happy that we were mates.
“Really? Oh Goddess, this is amazing! Congrats you two.”
