Page 54 of Abel's Omega
Bax sat back and sent him a level look. Abel shook his head. “It’s a mating. I don’t own you.”
“No?”
“No. I don’t care what tradition says. Maybe it’s time we changed tradition. If you don’t want pups—and I could understand if you didn’t, after having four—then we won’t. You’re not denying me a chance to be a father.”
“Just denying you the chance to father your own.”
“You don’t like people making choices for you. I agree with that, because I’m the same way. So stop trying to tell me I need to get a pup on you. I won’t enjoy it unless you’re looking forward to it too. And what a hell of a legacy to lay on a pup, a ‘just because’ child.”
At those words, Bax looked up at him, his expression startled. “I…hadn’t thought of it like that. It wasn’t what I meant. I love all my babies. I’m certain I’ll love yours.”
Abel swallowed, his heart suddenly up in his throat. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Bax smiled up at him, and then, before Abel knew what was happening, he’d moved over to sit beside Abel on the couch. His arm was warm where it pressed against Abel’s, and he leaned in a little so his head fell on Abel’s shoulder. “There’s a lot of this when you have pups. This, and the next part.”
Abel lifted his arm and draped it around Bax’s shoulders, pulling his future mate close. Noah looked up at him, but never stopped in his industrious sucking, simply watching the two adults with interest. Abel pressed a kiss to the top of Bax’s head, and ran a finger over Noah’s cheek. “I could get used to this.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
“I could get used to this.”
My breath caught in my throat, hearing those words. Patrick had never been interested in the pups, not until they were old enough that they could do things he could brag about. This was what I wanted more than anything, someone who would love my pups as much as I did. I pressed my body back against Abel’s in gratitude, and he kissed me again.
I could have stayed there forever.
Noah fussed a bit and came off. “Time to switch sides, hm?” I asked him, while turning him so he could grab onto the other side. I moved my shirt out of the way and that was when I noticed that I’d leaked while he was nursing. “Dammit!” I said, and scowled at the large damp patch on the cotton.
“Does that happen all the time?”
I sighed. “Sometimes. Not always. I’m usually more on top of things.” I regarded it another moment, then gave up. “You distract me,” I said to my maybe-future mate.
“I could get used to that too.” He grinned at me, and I shivered. “Are you cold?” he asked.
“No.” But I wasn’t going to explain, especially after our talk in the woods, that he drew me like the moon. If he’d wanted, he could have had me right then, and I would have done my best to please him, because the moon knew I wanted him. But I also didn’t want to mix my messages to him. I’d asked for time—I’d damn well better take it, and make sure that whatever strange scars Patrick had left on my heart were healed before I offered myself to Abel. “No, just happy.”
He went still, and then his arm closed tightly around me and my pup. “Me too.”
I cuddled into his side as best I could with the baby in my arms. Noah was getting full, the movements of his mouth punctuated by longer and longer pauses, until he finally turned his head away and reached for my face. I let him sit up and started rubbing his back, waiting for a burp.
“I can do that, if you want to do up your shirt.” Abel half-reached for Noah, who reached back, grabbing Abel’s finger with his chubby fingers.
“Are you sure?”
“Part of the package, right?” His gaze caught mine. “I mean it. They’re my pups too, or will be, if you say yes. I want in.”
There were so many things I could have said to him, but I thought, maybe, actions would speak the loudest. Without a word, I handed Noah over to him. “You’ll want a cloth.” I bent to pull one out of my bag and handed it over. “Just in case.”
He took it with a bemused expression and I suppressed a smile. He said he had brothers, and he rubbed Noah’s back like he’d done it before—he’d figure out what the cloth was for. I bent my head to fasten the buttons on my shirt again, wincing a little as the damp spot, now cold, touched my still heated nipple.
Noah burped, sounding more like the Beast of Gévaudan than a six month old boy. No spit up, thankfully. I took the cloth, and Noah, back from Abel. He seemed slightly disappointed, which was a good sign. “I just need to change him, then we can head out.”
“Sure.”
I spread the cloth out on the floor and laid Noah on it, stripping him out of his diaper as I did so. He giggled, rolled up onto his hands and knees, and started crawling away.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked him, and he giggled some more. Shaking my head, I balled up the used diaper and put it in the plastic bag I used to keep them from smelling up the cloth bag, then pulled out an unused one and my supplies to clean my little runaway up.
Abel touched my arm. “Bax, look!”
