Page 71 of Undone
Anthony shot him a hard look. “Don’t you start, you fucking hypocrite.”
“To be fair, I couldn’t tell Liam that I loved him because I was heavily injured,” Jon said. “What’s your excuse?”
Anthony scowled. “How would I know if what I feel is—that?”
His brothers fell silent.
Anthony couldn’t look at them. He kept his gaze on his friend.
There was understanding in Jon’s blue eyes but thankfully no pity. “You’d know,” Jon said quietly, taking Liam’s hand into his own and entwining their fingers. “Deep down, you know. All of us do. If he’s yours, you feel it in your heart when you look at him. Someone who belongs there.”
Liam brushed his lips against Jon’s cheek, his eyes warm. “Yeah,” he said softly.
Glancing toward his mate, Jules nodded, a smile on his lips. “I bow to the wisdom of the superior Anthony,” he said with a cheeky bow to Jon, who laughed.
Anthony scoffed, but he was still thinking about Jon’s words as he headed toward Michael.
If he’s yours, you feel it in your heart when you look at him. Someone who belongs there.
He felt... the words felt true, deep in his bones. He felt full when he looked at Michael, like the world finally made complete sense. He wanted to swallow Michael whole, bones andbreath, warmth and softness. When they weren’t close, it felt like there was this thread strung taut between them, invisible but unyielding. It tugged at him with every glance, every heartbeat. He couldn’t get enough of him, of his smiles andI love you’s. Michael was perfection wrapped up in one imperfect, lovely package. His. His mate.
His love.
“What’s with that face?” Michael said with a curious smile when Anthony reached him. “You look like you just got huge news and have no idea how to handle it.”
Anthony roved his gaze over that lovely face, over the warm dark eyes and beautiful smile, and just—he couldn’t stand it. He had to tell him. “I love you,” he said, taking Michael’s hand and bringing it to his face. He pressed his cheek against it, nuzzling into his hand greedily. “I love you.”
Michael stared at him with wide, startled eyes before a gorgeous smile lit up his face. He licked his lips and glanced around, which made Anthony finally remember that they had an audience. Shit, had he fucked everything up already?
“I take it this is your declaration of intent to court me,” Michael said, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Though I must say, it’s quite an unusual way of doing it.”
So he hadn’t entirely fucked it up, thank fuck.
Turning his face, Anthony pressed his lips to Michael’s palm. It wasn’t how alphas kissed omegas’ hands. He knew he was supposed to brush his lips against the air over Michael’s knuckles. But this felt more true. This felt morethem.
Michael’s gaze became unbearably warm. “I want to dance with you,” he said.
Whatever you want, Anthony thought dazedly.I’ll give you whatever you want.
He could feel the speculative gazes on them as he led Michael to the dance floor, but he didn’t even glance at their audience.
Let them talk.
Let them gossip.
None of it would touch them. None of it would ever destroy what they had. He would not let it.
Anthony drew Michael into his arms, and they danced, the rest of the world fading away.
Epilogue
“An alpha. Your daughter will be an alpha.”
Anthony’s stomach dropped.
As though in a daze, he watched Michael thank the doctor and sign the necessary paperwork.
Not for the first time, he wondered if it would have been better if Pelugians didn’t test newborns for alpha and omega genes. Maybe it would have been easier if they simply found out that their daughter was an alpha in some fifteen years or so when she presented, the way they did things in Kadar.
