Page 57 of Undone
“Don’t call me Mike,” he said—more like slurred. He really did feel so much better now, the anxious, restless feeling in the pit of his stomach finally gone.
Anthony chuckled against his ear, sending goosebumps skittering across his skin. “I can help you with this,” he promised, his voice low and serious. His lips brushed against Michael’s earlobe. “I’m your best friend, aren’t I? I can take care of your needs. Let me take care of you.”
Michael’s stomach felt so very warm.
He knew this couldn’t end well.
But he was helpless against the need, the raw, gnawing yearning inside him. He’d never felt better than he did now, wrapped in Anthony’s arms, his lungs full of his calming scent. It felt achingly right, like the world finally made sense. Likehemade sense. His head felt empty, free of any worries. It didn’t matter whether he was an alpha or an omega; nothing mattered anymore.
Nothing buthim.
Chapter 24
Michael looked good with a baby in his arms.
Anthony wrenched his gaze away, disconcerted by how difficult it was.
He tried to focus on the other guests at the birthday party—mostly family and friends—but his gaze kept returning to Michael holding Jules’s youngest child in his arms as he talked to Liam.
Anthony couldn’t seem to look away from the way Michael’s strong, elegant hand was supporting the baby’s back, from the way the baby’s cheek was pressed against the crook of Michael’s neck. He looked so good like this.
The sight should have been adorable—and all right, it was. But it shouldn’t have given him ideas. It most definitely shouldn’t have made him think about breeding his friend, shouldn’t have made him imagine Michael full with his child.
Fuck, he’d never had thoughts like this. He’d always scoffed at the idea that all alphas were fixated on breeding omegas. It had never been something that aroused him.
But now he couldn’t stop looking, his insides warm with the idea of doing that to Michael.
Which was completely inane—and insane. He definitely wouldn’t be breeding Michael when as far as the rest of the world was concerned, Michael was an alpha.
“What’s with the long face, brother mine?” Jules said, pushing into his personal space and rubbing his cheek against Anthony’s scent gland affectionately. Anthony patted his head and gently pushed him away, suppressing a grimace at Devlin’s scent clinging to his brother. He liked his brother-in-law, but he wasn’t fond of his tendency to rub his scent all over Jules. Then again, Xeus alphas tended to be more territorial than most.
“It’s my resting face,” Anthony said. “Not all of us can be sunshines for no reason.”
Snorting, Jules pulled him toward Liam and Michael. “I’ve got the perfect cure for those grumps!” Approaching Michael, he took the baby from him and dumped her into Anthony’s arms. “Say hello to your Uncle Grumps, love!”
Liam snickered at Anthony’s unamused face. Michael’s lips were twitching too.
“Good thing there aren’t any unmated omegas around, or their ovaries would have exploded,” Jules said, chuckling. “A handsome, unmated alpha with a cute baby is practically biological warfare.”
Liam laughed.
Michael didn’t. He wet his lips, his dark eyes lingering on Anthony’s hands before shifting to his face. “Stop frowning so much, you’ll scare the baby,” he said with a smile.
As if on cue, the baby made an unhappy noise, trying to squirm out of Anthony’s grip and reaching back for Michael.
“Aww, look at that, she loves you,” Jules said, beaming at Michael. “She normally doesn’t like alphas—other alphas besides her daddy.”
Michael’s smile became a little wooden. His eyes locked with Anthony’s for a moment. He quickly looked away, smiling more genuinely as he took the baby back.
“The princess simply has very discerning taste,” Michael said, kissing her on the nose. “Don’t you, Lili?”
Lilian babbled something in baby talk, and Michael watched her with an utterly enamored expression.
Anthony tried hard not to stare.
“So,” Liam said. “When are you getting one of your own? You aren’t getting younger, Ant.”
Anthony shot him a flat look. “I’m still young. Alphas hardly have an expiration date.”
