Page 71 of His Bonded Omega Mate
“I am not coming back. Roan is my home. His family is here. My alpha mate has decided that Sweetwater is our home. We are moving house so that there is room for Tate and his baby, too. It’s a lovely house. I could send you pictures.”
“We will come visit. To help when your babies arrive.” She was becoming rigid again. Cold and unfeeling.
“Thank you, Mother. With three babies in the house, we will certainly need the help.”
“This other baby is not of our concern. It belongs to the out-of-control alpha and the pretend omega —“ Tate flinched.
“Okaasan!“ She seemed less rigid when I appealed to her in Japanese.
My father came into view, obviously drawn by the disturbance. “Otousan!Father! Please, come meet Tate, my other mate. Roan is on his way.“ I used my father’s appearance as a distraction and hoped, likely in vain, for his support.
“Hello,” my father said politely. I could never get a read on the man, but knew him to be the more reasonable out of my parents. I just hoped he would pull through for me. He didn’t ask to see my marks or demand an explanation, he just said, “your grandfather has been doing his research.” He looked at Tate this time, no condemnation in his expression or tone. “The goddess has spoken to him. He believes that this mating is an omen of good fortune. A return to a more fertile time for shifters. Given that you are both pregnant, you, Hiro-kun, with twins, I am inclined to agree.”
Beside him, mother gasped. I flopped back onto the sofa and placed a hand on my stomach. It was already rounding. Tate’s arm came around me for comfort. “Thank you, Father. Please thank Grandfather for his support.”
“Of course, Hiro-kun. Please don’t leave it for so long. I miss you. All the family do. Call soon so that I can meet your alpha mate. I need to speak with my mate or I would wait for him.” He reached over and disconnected the call, leaving Tate and I in a stunned silence.
“Wow. Now I see why you waited. Your mom almost makes Ash look reasonable right now.” Tate started laughing, his chest heaving with his chuckles, his face red.
Unable to resist his joy, I grinned. A hysterical laugh burbled up, breaking loose as Roan entered the house.
My mate found me and Tate laughing together, his confused expression making us giggle harder.
Relief
Tate
WhenÍvarrhadtoldAsher straight that he wanted to give me a break from our meetings and the testing, I was relieved. I loved Asher completely. My mate had been my rock for so long that I think that he’d neglected himself. He’d allowed things to fester that he really should have dealt with. His time with the elves was what he needed to heal from past trauma and recent events so that he could be the alpha that both me and our child needed.
Roan looked uncomfortable as he laid down his cutlery, finished with yet another excellent meal that he’d prepared. He had listened carefully as Hiroshi had explained his call with his family and while I had detailed my appointment at the clinic.
“Look, this house is just too small for us. I… well —“
“Just tell us,” I prompted.
“I know we said we’d do this without Asher, but the plan was for next week. But how about we just get some help from the pack and move what we can tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Hiroshi echoed my words.
“Yeah, I messaged Larken, and he said he’d round up some people. I have to pop into the office in the afternoon, but I can do some of it in the morning. If you both agree, I can hire a van.”
“What about the factory? Could they not loan you one?” I asked.
Roan shook his head. “No, I thought about that, but Dakota said they have deliveries to do. With the extra security, everything is taking twice as long to exit and enter the compound, so they are backed up.”
I looked at Hiroshi. “I’m happy to go ahead if you are. It’d be nice not to have to share a bathroom all the time.”
“Yeah, it’d be great to buy stuff for the babies. My family wants to see our registry, but I couldn’t give them the list until we had somewhere to put any deliveries.”
My heart gave a pang at Hiroshi’s casual talk about his family. I missed mine so much. They would never have understood my love for two different men, especially since both were big cats rather than ravens. They had drunk the kool aid of species purity over in the aviary.
Hiroshi seemed to sense what I was feeling, although I thought I’d locked the bond down tight.
Just the idea of moving had a smile rising on my face. Roan had never made me feel out of place, like I didn’t belong with them.
“Tate, Blake said that he wants you to make up a registry, too. With all the testing and everything that the elves have done, he believes the pack has to compensate you, and that means spoiling that ‘little miracle’, as he calls your baby, with all the things your heart could desire,” Roan informed me from beside the dishwasher. I must have blocked out the end of dinner by getting lost in my thoughts.
“I couldn’t.”
