ANOMEGAFORCHRISTMAS
L.C.DAVIS
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AnOmegaforChristmas
L.C.Davis
Copyright©2017L.C.Davis
CONTENTS
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
Licensedmaterialisbeingusedforillustrativepurposesonlyandanypersondepictedin
thelicensedmaterialisamodel.
Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,businesses,places,eventsandincidents
are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any
resemblancetoactualpersons,livingordead,oractualeventsispurelycoincidental.
Warnings: This book contains explicit M/M content, MPREG, knotting and other
Alpha/omegathemesformatureaudiences.HEA,nocliffhanger.
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“A
C H A P T E R 1
D E A N
notherone,Dean?”
The secretary was looking down at him through her cat-eyed frames as she spoke
throughtheholesintheplatedglasswindowinthepolicestationlobby.SheeyedtheJohn
hangingdrunkenlybythearmintheofficer’sgrasp.
DeanGarzawasabearofamanstandingatsix-fiveandchangewithbuzzedbrown
hair,plainclothesthatshowedoffhisburlybuildandapairofreflectiveaviatorsthathid
justhowlittlesleephe’dgottenthenightbefore.Nonetheless,Lindawasnevershyabout
questioninghisoverzealouson-the-jobperformance.
“CaughthimtryingtopickupanomegadownonEastRiver.Shouldbeaprettycut-
and-drybooking.We’llbothbeoutofherebysix.”
“That’s what you said the last time,” Linda muttered, buzzing them in. “It’s
Thanksgiving.Someofushavelives,youknow.”
“Iwasn’ttryin’tobuythattrick,Iwuzjus’askin’himdirections,”theyoungerAlpha
slurred,stumblingalongasDeandraggedhimintothestation.
“Youcantellthattoyourmomwhenshecomestopickyouup,Kyle.”
“My mom?” Kyle squeaked. All traces of the defiant jock who’d put up a big fuss
when Dean had him up against his squad car, reading his rights vanished in an instant.
“Wh-why’sshegottabeinvolvedinthis?Can’tyoujustputmeinjailforthenightlike
lasttime?”
“Nope,” Dean said, shoving him into a chair by his desk. He didn’t spend any more
timeatthestationthanhehadto,butthemountainofpaperworkaheadofhimwaswell
worththeknowledgethatthestreetswouldbeclearofyetanotherAlphawhothoughthe
couldgoaroundtreatingomegasliketoystorentfortheevening.
Thewayhesawit,hehadtwooptions.HecouldeitherbookKyleandspendthenight
at the station until the next shift showed up, or he could start the process, call the kid’s
momandlethimsweatitoutwhileshemadethetwo-hourdrivetothesleepylittlecollege
townofSage.
Hedidn’thaveanyplanstospeakof,sohedidn’tparticularlycareeitherway,butifhe
didfilethereport,hissuperiorswouldstartaskingthewrongquestionsagain.Questions
likewhyhadn’thetakenintheomegawho’dbeensolicitingtheAlphainthefirstplace?
Howexactlywasitthatacopwho’dneverlostaperptoachaseinhisnineyearsonthe
forcemanagedtoleteveryomegahewassupposedtobookforprostitutionslipthrough
hisfingers?
They knew the answer, of course, but that never stopped them from asking. The
answerwasthatDeanknewtherewerefewomegaswhochosealifeonthestreets.Unlike
Alphas,whocouldsometimescompartmentalizeloveandsex,omegaswerevulnerablein
the sense that they formed a connection to any Alpha they mated. Under normal
circumstances,itwasapowerimbalanceandduringaheat,itwasthekindofexploitation
thatkeptruthousesinbusiness.Deanhadbustedonehisfirstweekonthejob,andsomeof
the mistreatment he’d seen going on behind those doors still stuck with him. It was
enoughtosetaprecedentforgoingeasyontheomegashecaughtandbringingdownthe
fullforceofthelawoneveryAlphawhodeservedit.
That night, he was compelled to show a bit of mercy, not only because he knew the
motheroftheidiotwhohappenedtobeslumpedindefeatathisdeskwoulddoleoutafar
harsher punishment than he could, but because it was Thanksgiving and just because he
didn’thaveanythingbettertododidn’tmeaneveryoneelsehadtosuffer.
Thestationwasduetoclosedownforthenightinlessthananhour,andhe’dmadehis
suspect’smotherpromiseshewouldn’tbreakanylawstogetthere.Afterpouringhimself
acupofcoffeeandfillingoutthedummypaperwork,helookeduptofindthefootballstar
asleepinhischair.
Itcertainlywasn’tthewayDeanhadpicturedhewouldbespendinghisholidayswhen
he was going through the academy. Back then, he’d been convinced that it was only a
matteroftimebeforehe’dfindanomega—hisomega—tostartalifewith.Nineyearsand
he’d advanced in his career, but he was still no closer to the mate or the family he’d
alwayswanted.Sometimeshewasn’tsureifitwasbecauseheworkedtoomuch,orjust
becausetherewasnomateouttherewho’dmakehimfeelthatsparkhisownparentshad
always talked about when describing their mate bond. Either way, he’d earned his
Detectivebadgebeforehe’dearnedthetitleofmate.
There had been other omegas, of course. He’d dated a couple seriously in the early
daysofhiscareer,buthe’dsoonrealizedthatthebondbetweenanAlphaandanomega
was just too intense to let it progress without the chance of anything more lasting. His
father had known from the day he’d laid eyes on Dean’s mother that she was it, and as
much as the waiting chafed at him, Dean intended on making sure that the next time he
madeacommitmenttoanomega,itwasforever.
ThefrontdoorbuzzedagainandthedrunkyoungAlphaatDean’sdeskjoltedinhis
sleep before passing out again. Even in her state of righteous indignation, his mother
couldn’thavemadeitfromNewYorkthatfast.
Deanlookedupasafamiliarbetawalkedthroughthedoors.Shewasasocialworker
hehadworkedwithplentyoftimes,andtheyhadamutualwillingnesstolooktheother
wayonprotocolwhenitcametohelpinganomegaoratroubledkidwho’dmadeafew
baddecisions.Therewasonewithhertoday,butthekiddidn’tlookoldenoughtohave
gotten into anything too serious. His messy brown hair covered half his face, and the
sweatshirt he was wearing was swimming on his scrawny frame. He couldn’t have been
more than twelve at the most, and other than the surly look on his freckled face as he
shuffledalongbesideher,Deannoticedhisclotheswerehardlywarmenoughtowithstand
thefrigidweather.
“Who’sthesuspect,Henrietta?”
“Dean,” she sighed. “Glad you’re here. The roads to the children’s home are shut
downbecauseoftheice,andthiswastheonlyplaceIcouldbringhim.”
“Children’shome?”Deanfrowned.Heknewabouttheprogramandhadgonetogive
talksonmorethanoneoccasion,buttheyalwayscloseddownfortheholidaysandsent
thechildrentostaywithfosterfamilies.
Henrietta put a hand on the boy’s shoulder and smiled. “Gavin, why don’t you go
checkoutthecoffeemachine?Itmakesameanhotcocoa.”
Gavin left without a word. Dean turned back to Henrietta. “Alright, what’s his deal?
Whyisn’theinafosterhome?”
“He was. He ran away,” she said with a sigh, rubbing her eyes. “Third time this
month.”
Deancastasympatheticglanceoverattheboy.“Roughstory,huh?”
“Morethanusual.Kid’sbeeninandoutoffostercareeversincehisadoptiveparents
fellthroughwhenhewassix.”
“Fellthrough?What’sthatsupposedtomean?”
“Let’s just say they weren’t the nicest people,” she said in a somber tone. “They’re
bothinjailforfraud,andGavinwaslefttopickupthepieces.Hehadagoodplacement
until last year, but it was an older woman who just can’t do it anymore because of her
health. He lashes out at everyone else who tries to help, and he keeps trying to find his
birthfather.”
“Well,whereishe?”askedDean.Thatwasahellofalottogothroughinthespanof
twelveyears,andhecouldunderstandwhythekidwaspissed.
She shook her head. “No one knows. The adoption was sealed, but that’s never
stoppedGavinfromtrying.”
“There’sgottabesomeonewhocantakehiminfortheholiday,atleast.”
“I’m afraid there’s not. I would, but I got called in to deal with another situation
downtown,andIdon’tevenknowhowI’mgoingtogetthereuntiltheroadsarecleared.”
Dean hesitated, even though his mind was already made up. “Just give me twenty
minutestowrapupwiththispunkoverhere,andI’lltakehim,”hesaid,noddingtoward
Kyle.“Mytruck’soutfittedtohandlethesnow,soI’lldropyouoffatthemetrostation.
They’llclearapaththerefirst,andyoushouldbeabletogettowhereyouneedtogo.”
Hereyeswidenedinsurprise.“Areyousure?Youdon’talreadyhaveplans?”
“I was just planning on going over to my parents’. Won’t hurt to bring him along. I
hatetheideaofakidspendingthenightaloneinsomestatebuildingonThanksgiving.”
“Youhavenoideawhatareliefthatis.Thankyou,Dean.”Shesmiledalittle.“Howis
itexactlythatyou’restillsingle?”
Hegaveanawkwardlaugh.“Justhaven’tfoundtherightomegayet,Iguess.”
Hewasbeginningtothinkheneverwould.
“A
C H A P T E R 2
M A X
reyousureyoudon’tmindtakingmyshift?”Annaaskedwarily,lookingupfrom
behindthefrontdesk.“It’slastminute.”
“Hey, it’s not like I have any plans,” the other omega said with a small smile.
“Anyway,Icouldusethecash.”
Theblondeomegastudiedhimworriedly.ShewasaroundthesameageMaxhadbeen
whenhe’dstartedworkingattheruthouse,andhewassuretheeightyearsthathadpassed
sincethenshowedonhisface.He’dtakenthejoboutofdesperation,andbecauseitwas
slightly safer than working alone on the streets. At least the master of the house would
ensurehisclientspaid.
At five-ten, Max was a good deal taller than the omegas the Alphas who frequented
theCabinusuallyliked,andhe’dneverconsideredhimselfparticularlyattractive.Hisblue
eyeswerebyfarthefeaturehereceivedthemostcomplimentson,butheknewhisface
wasplainandhisbuiltwasaverage.Evenhisshaggyhairwasadullshadeofbrown,but
heknewhowtomakeupforwhathelackedinflashwithtellinganAlphaeverythinghe
wantedtohear.He’dlongsincegivenupontheideaofeverfindinganAlphahewouldn’t
have to lie to in order to please. His one shot at love had turned his world upside down
twelveyearsearlier,andMaxhadalwaysknownhecouldneitherfindnorsurviveanother.
“Areyoustillpayingthatprivatedetective?”
Maxworriedathisbottomlip.“It’snotthesameoneIstartedworkingwith.”
“Max…”
“I know what you’re going to say, but this time, it’s different. I can feel it. He says
with all the old records being made available electronically these days, it’ll be easier to
findGavin.”
Hecouldseethepityanddisbeliefinhereyes.Itwasthesamelookmostoftheothers
gavehim.Theyallthoughthewascrazyforspendingthelasttwelveyearsandwhatlittle
extraspendingmoneyheearnedtryingtofindthechildwho’dbeentakenfromhimwhen
hewasonlyseventeen,andmaybetheywereright.Evenifhedidmanagetofindhisson,
heknewtherewasagoodchancethatGavinreallywasbetteroffwithouthim.Thatthe
boywho’dbeentakenfromhimasaninfantwouldnotonlyfailtorecognizehimashis
parent,butrefusetohaveanythingtodowithhim.
Asmuchasthosefearskepthimupatnight,thealternativewasenoughtomakeMax
keepsearching,regardlessofhowsmallofachancetherewasthatitwouldworkout.He
couldn’t live with himself not knowing what had become of his son, or passing up the
chancetomakesuretheboyknewthathewaslovedandwantedandalwayshadbeen.
“Ihopehe’sright,”shesaidsoftly.“Ihopeyoufindhim.”
Max smiled and waited until she had left to go off to whatever holiday celebration
awaitedhertoopenabottleofciderandsettleinatthedesk.Theholidaysweren’tasbusy
asusual,buttherewerestillafewlonelystragglerswhostumbledinfromtimetotime.It
was the one night of the year Max had any sympathy for the Alphas who came through
those doors. He knew what it was to be alone, but hope kept him going through each
milestoneandwould-bememorythatpassed.
Thisyear,asNovembergavewaytoChristmascheerandthefreshlyfallensnowon
the rural hills of upstate New York, Max would pass the holidays as he always did:
wishingforamiracle.
A
C H A P T E R 3
D E A N
sDeanstoodatthedoorsteptohisfamily’sspaciousyetcomfortablehomeinthe
suburbs, he could sense the nervous energy coming from the boy next to him.
His coat was much too big for Gavin’s small frame, and even with the sleeves
rolled up, they still covered his hands, but it was better than sending him out in that
sweatshirt.
“Youdon’thavetobenervous,kid.WealwayshavecompanyoverforThanksgiving.”
Gavingavehimawitheringlook.“I’mnotnervous.”
“Whatever you say.” Dean knocked on the door and when his mother answered, he
couldseethecolordrainfromGavin’sface.Shewasapetiteolderomega,butherenergy
wasbigenoughtofillaroom.
“Well,hello!”shegushed,leaningdowntogivetheboyacrushinghug.“Youmustbe
Gavin.We’resogladyoucouldjoinus!”
GavinstoodfrozenandshellshockedasClaudiaturnedandtackledherson.Christmas
musicwasblastinginthelivingroomandDeancouldalreadyseethathisextendedfamily
waspackedin.Hecaughtsightofhistwobrothersandtheirmates,alongwithafewaunts
anduncleshehadn’tseensincelastChristmas,andafewpeoplehedidn’tevenrecognize.
Claudia had always had a habit of bringing home “strays,” as her late husband put it. It
lookedlikeDeanwascarryingonthefamilytradition.
“Comeoninbeforeyoufreezetodeath,”shesaid,pullingthembothinside.Shetook
Gavin’sjacketandhungitupastheothersturnedtheirattentiontothenewcomers.
“Gavin, I’m Claudia, Dean’s mother. This is Uncle Larry, Uncle Dan, Aunt Esther,
cousinRita,myothersons,DavidandAntonio,andofcourse,Abuelita,”shesaid,smiling
attheolderwomansippingciderinthebackoftheroom.
Abuelitascowled.“Howisthepoorkidsupposedtorememberallofthat,Claudia?”
Claudiascowled.“Don’tpayattentiontoher,she’sjustcrankybecausesheknowsI’m
gonnakickhertushatcanastalater.”
“What’scanasta?”askedGavin.
“Don’t worry about it, kid. Come on, let’s get some grub,” Dean said, leading him
over to the buffet table. Gavin’s eyes widened as he saw the spread Claudia and Dean’s
grandmother had laid out. The kitchen looked like a culinary war between Mexico and
Italy, and Dean only realized how unusual their family traditions probably were through
anoutsider’seyes.
“That’salotoffood,”saidGavin.
“Helpyourself,there’smorewherethatcamefrom,”Claudiasaidwithasmile.“Once
you’ve got a plate, feel free to go into the den. The other kids are playing some guitar
villaingame.”
“Prettysureyougotthatwrong,mom,”Deansaiddryly.
Claudiagavehisarmaplayfulswat.OnceGavinhadwanderedoffwithaplatepiled
highwithfood,sheleanedin.“Thatpoorthing.Whathappenedthatheendedupaloneon
Thanksgiving?”
“It’salongstoryandIdon’tknowallofit,”Deanadmitted.“Heranawayfromhis
fosterhome,andtherewasn’tanyoneelsewhocouldtakehimin.”
“Well,I’mgladyoubroughthimhere,”shesaid,castingatroubledglancedownthe
hall.“Whathappensafterthis?”
“Haven’treallythoughtaheadthatfar,”Deanadmitted.
“Andyousaidhisadoptiveparentsareinjail?”
“Doesn’tlooklikethey’llbegettingoutanytimesoon,either,”Deansaidsomberly.
Claudia’sbrowfurrowedinworry.“That’sterrible.”
“Mihermano!”Davidbellowed,trappinghisbrotherinaheadlock.“Nineyearsonthe
forceandhestillcan’tpredictasneakattack.”
“Would you knock it off?” Dean groaned, leaning away to break free as their other
brothercametojointhefray.
“Look who showed up,” Antonio said, grinning as he stood with his arm around his
pregnantwife.David’shusbandLanventuredover,scowlingatthehorseplay.Theomega
was an accountant and as straight-laced as they came, and sometimes Dean wasn’t even
surehowthey’dgottentogether.Theyhadfourchildrentogether,sohefiguredsomething
abouttheirmarriagehadtobeworking.
“Thisisaparty,notawrestlingmatch,”Lancomplained.“You’regoingtotakeoutthe
cardtable.”
“Betterlistentoyourmate,beforeDeanmakesacitizen’sarrest,”Davidsaidwryly.
Deangavehimahalf-heartedshove.“I’macop.Itwouldbearealarrest,dipshit.”
“WhatdidIsayaboutprofanityduringtheholidays?”Claudiahuffed.
“JustsayitinSpanishandshe’llneverknow,”Antoniowhispered.
“Iheardthat!”
Deansighed,excusinghimselffromthelovingsquabblesofhisimmediatefamilyto
gocheckonGavin.Hefoldedhisarmsandleanedinthedoorway,smilingashewatched
GavintakinghisturnatthegamealongsideoneofDean’snephews.Thekidwhohadn’t
crackedasmilesinceleavingthestationwassuddenlylitupandheactuallyseemedlike
hisage.Hefitinwell,andDeanfoundhimselfcontemplatingwhathewasgoingtodoif
Henriettacouldn’tfindanotherplacementforhimbetweenThanksgivingandChristmas.
Deanlovedhisfamily,buthefoundhimselfusinghisworkasanexcusetoskipouton
holidaysandgatheringswhenhecould.Itwasn’tthevolumeoftheirget-togethers,orthe
dangerofbeingpressuredtoeatuntilhepopped.Itwasthefactthateveryrelativehisage,
fromhisbrotherstohissecondcousins,washappilymatedtothepartnerofhisdreams.
Hell,hiscousinJoelhadtwoomegastodoteon.Outofallofthem,Deanhadalwaysbeen
theonewhowassetintheknowledgethatoneday,hewantedamateandafamilyofhis
own.
He’dalwaysthoughttheonewouldcomebeforetheother,butmaybefatehadother
plans. Sure, there were nights he didn’t feel like making sure every food group was
represented on his dinner plate, and he could probably stand to get an actual table and
chairs, but his place was big enough and he was financially stable. Maybe it wasn’t an
accidentthatthiskidhadshownupoutofnowherewithnowheretogoandnofamilyto
callhisown.
ItwasthekindofgutinstinctthatDeanhadalwaysreliedoninhiscareer,andithad
yettoleadhimastray.Hestillwasn’treadytothinkaboutanylong-termcommitment,and
iftherewasabetterfostersituationouttherethatwouldgiveGavinachanceatthetwo
lovingparentshedeserved,hewasn’tgoingtostandintheway,buthe’dalreadymadethe
decisiontoopenhisheartiftheneedarose.
At least through Christmas. After all, how hard could fostering one twelve-year-old
kidonatemporarybasisreallybe?
A
C H A P T E R 4
M A X
fterlockingupthedownstairs,Maxwentuptohisroomandwasrelievedthat
mostoftheotheromegasseemedtohavegonehome,ortothenextbestthing.
The Cabin was a few cuts above the awful place he had first worked at, while
strugglingtomakeitonhisown,butspendingtheholidaysinanemptyruthousewasn’t
idealforanyone.
TheCabinwasbyfarthenicestoptionforanyomegainhislineofworkwhocouldn’t
afford living in the city or didn’t want to accept the dangers that came with it. Alphas
couldbehandsyenoughwhentheyweresurroundedbyguardspaidtokeeptheminline,
and heat suppressants were too unreliable for Max to feel safe relying on them. The
medium-sizedcityofWestworkwasfarfromtheidyllicsmalltownhe’dalwaysdreamed
of settling in, but it was safe enough and the free room allowed him to put almost
everythingtowardstheinvestigation.
Maxmadehimselfacupofcoffeeinhiskitchenetteandsettleddowninfrontofthe
TVtocheckhislaptop.TherewasanewmessagefromJohnWilson,themostrecentina
longstringofprivateinvestigatorswho’dbeenalltoohappytotakeMax’smoneywhether
theyprovidedresultsornot.
One had even let him think they’d gotten close, but the dead end ate away Max’s
savingsandverynearlyhishope.Johnwasdifferent,ifonlybecausehewasn’tanAlpha.
Maxhadonlymetthehard-nosedbetaonceinperson,andhisunfortunatelyironicname
had been a turnoff, but the fact that he hadn’t tried to broker sex in exchange for his
services like all the others was a plus. His fee was competitive and he told Max not to
botherwiththesecondhalfuntilhehadsomethingconcrete.
The omega’s heart skipped a beat as he opened the screen. He’d been hoping for so
long,andhenevergaveup,butitwastakingmoreandmoreoutofhimeachtimehewas
letdown.WhenhefinallygotupthecouragetoreadJohn’smessage,hereadandrereadit
afewtimesjusttobesurehewasn’tseeingonlywhathewantedtosee.
Think I have a lead. There’s been a new report that looks promising and there are
picturesIneedyoutolookat,butI’dratherdothisinperson.Coffeetomorrow?
Maxletoutashakybreath.Wasthisit?Aftersearchingforsolong,itjustdidn’tseem
possiblethattherecouldfinallybeanendinsight.Aselatedashewas,evenifitwasonly
aglimmerofachance,itfilledhimwithterror.
WhatifGavinhatedhim?Whatiftheboywantednothingtodowithhimandresented
Max’s interference in his life? He had already made a promise to himself that if his son
wantedhimtowalkoutthedoortohislifeandneverreturn,hewouldrespectthat.Buthe
hadtotry.He’dcomethisfar.
IcanmeetyouatthedineracrossfromtheCabinatseven.
FromthetimeMaxhitsendtothemomentanewmessagepoppeduponscreen,itfelt
likeeternity.
Seeyouthen.
Now,allhehadtodowaswaitalittlelonger.
“S
C H A P T E R 5
D E A N
o this is it, kid. Casa del Dean,” Dean announced, tossing the few belongings
Henrietta had sent with him onto the bed in the guest room. “Sorry it’s a little dusty.
Hasn’tbeenusedinawhile,andI’mnotreallyanentertainer…”
The Alpha rubbed the back of his head, watching nervously as Gavin explored the
room.HecouldnevertellwhattheyoungAlphawasthinking,butiftheotherfosterkids
he’dworkedwithwereanyindication,itwasbecauseheknewitwasn’tsafetowearhis
feelingsonhissleevesaroundjustanyone.
“Thanks,”Gavinsaid,floppingdowninthedeskchair.“Soyou’restuckwithmeuntil
Monday,huh?”
Thetoneinthekid’svoicebrokeDean’sheart.Itwassomatter-of-fact,borderingon
sympathetic for Dean’s “plight.” Dean wondered how many times he’d walked in on
adults talking about him like he was a burden to bear for a given amount of time, until
someoneelsecouldstepinandshoulderhim.
“Roads won’t be cleared until then at least, so the way I see it, we’ve both got
ourselvesawell-deservedvacation.Bathroom’stheseconddoorontheright,there’sclean
towelsinthecloset,andyoucanhelpyourselftoeverythinginthefridgebutthesixpack.
Cool?”
“Cool,”Gavinsaid,takingabookoutofhisduffelbag.Itdidn’tlooklikeatextbook,
butitwasareminderthatifGavindidendupstayingwithhimanylonger,he’dhaveto
askHenriettawhatwasgoingonwithschool.
“Well,goodnight.Anduh,makeyourselfathome,”hesaid,shuttingthedooronthe
wayout.
Despite his best intentions, Dean was starting to realize that he was a hell of a lot
betteratrescuingkidsintroublethanknowinghowtohelpthemoncetherewasnolonger
anemergency.Hejusthopedthatforthenight,givingGavinawarmbedandaroofover
hisheadwasenough.
I
N
THE
MORNING
, Dean slept a little later than usual before rolling out of bed to make
breakfast.Thehousewasquiet,sohehopedGavinwasstillsleepingratherthanrunning
around somewhere getting into trouble. Not that there was much you could do to stop a
kid who was intent on running away. He’d driven down enough side roads in search of
runawaystoknowthatthegreatestcommondenominatoramongtheoneswhocameback
was knowing there was someone who actually gave a shit waiting at home, and that the
doorwasopenanytime.
Dean was no gourmet chef, despite his mother’s trying, but he whipped together a
decentlookingomelette,astackofbaconfitforaheartattackandsometoastwithOJon
theside.Thesmelloffreshfoodhadawayofrousinganyonefromtheirsleep,andsure
enough,Gavincameshufflingoutofhisroom.
“Mornin’, kid,” Dean said, sliding an omelette onto the boy’s plate. “How’d you
sleep?”
“Okay, I guess.” Gavin yawned, pulling out his chair. He seemed to wake up a little
whenhesawthefood.“Looksgood.”
“Figured we could use some fuel for the day. I’m going out on patrol later and I
thoughtyoumightwannajoinme.”
“Patrol?Ithoughtyouwereonvacation.”
“I’m on vacation from police work,” Dean grinned, sitting down to enjoy the food
he’d made. Gavin was already eating like it had been a week since his last meal, even
thoughDeanknewforafacthe’dhadthreeplatesthenightbefore.Poorkidprobablyfelt
likehehadtostockupincasetherewasadrought.
There weren’t many young Alphas or omegas in the foster care system. Alphas and
omegaswerebothrareenoughandtherewereenoughcoupleswhohadtroubleconceiving
thattheytendedtogetadoptedearly.Theoneswhodidlingerinthesystemwereusually
brandedtroubleearlyon,andgivenwhatDeanhadseeninGavin’scasehistory,heknew
thattobethecase.
It was nothing too serious, but the kid had gotten in a few fights at school. Zero-
tolerancepoliciesmeanthe’dbeenexpelledtwice,andwhiletherecordsdidn’tsaywho’d
startedwhat,Deanhadputenoughbulliesawaytogetasenseforthem.Gavinwasn’tone.
Hecouldseetheconfusiononthekid’sface,soheexplained,“Mytruck’spracticallya
tank.Whenthere’sweatherlikethis,Ihookupthetowanddrivearoundlookingforfolks
whoignoredtheweatheradvisoriesandgotstuck.”
“Soyou’reliketheClintEastwoodofSage?”
Deanlaughed.“Somethinglikethat.Youupforalittlerescuework?”
Gavingaveanapatheticshrug,buthecouldseetheexcitementintheboy’sblueeyes.
Those eyes were older than their owner, the kind you could just tell had seen shit they
wereneversupposedtosee.
Deanclearedhisthroat.“So,Henriettatellsmeyouboltedfromyourlasthome.”
Adarkcloudimmediatelyformedovertheboy’sheadashestabbedhisomelettewith
hisfork.“Theywerejerks.”
“Wouldn’tsurpriseme.What’dtheydo?”
Gavin looked up sharply, as if he was surprised an adult wasn’t immediately siding
againsthim.“Nothing,”hemumbled.“Theyjustsaidsomethingthatpissedmeoff.”
Dean nodded in understanding before taking a sip of his coffee. “Guess that comes
withtheterritory.Whenyou’vebeenthroughstuffmostfolkshaven’t,it’shardforthemto
understand.”
“TheyallthinkI’mcrazy,”Gavinmuttered.Deancouldfeelhiswallslowering,ifonly
alittle.“ThatI’mjustsomestupidkidwhodoesn’tknowhowtheworldworks.”
“You’renotstupid.Hell,Isawthatbookyouwerereadinglastnight.Theyassignedit
toussenioryearandIcouldn’tevengetpastthefirstpart.”
Gavin’s mouth titled a little at the corners, but he seemed to have a rule against
smiling.“It’skindofboringatfirst,butthemilitarystuff’scool,onceyougetpastallthe
description.”
“I’lltakeyourwordforit.”Deanhesitated.“I’dtakeyourwordforanythingelse,if
youfeltliketellingme.Maybewhyyoufelttheneedtorun.”
Gavinfinallymethiseyes,andDeancouldtellhewasthinkingaboutit.Hefrowned.
“Itwasjustastupidfight.Henriettawillbemadifshefindsoutwhathappened.”
“Whosayswehavetogetherinvolved?”
Gavin bit his lip in deep consideration. “My foster parents wanted to adopt me,” he
saidquietly.
“Andthat’swhyyouran?”
He nodded. “I know it sounds stupid, but I was already adopted once, when I was a
baby.Didn’tworkoutsowellforme.”
“Andyou’reworriedthenexttime,it’llbethesamething?”
“No,”hemumbled.“TheNewportsarecool,Iguess.Thedad’skindofadork,but…
they’renicepeople.Theydon’tdodrugs,andtheyactuallyusethechecksthestatesends
togetusschoolsuppliesandstuff,it’sjust—“
“They’renotyourrealparents,”saidDean.
Gavinnodded.“Maybeiftheyadoptedme.Idon’tknow.Iwanttoatleastknowwho
theywere…myparents,Imean.”
Deanlistenedpatiently,tryingnottoletonhowmuchhisheartwasbreakingforthe
youngmaninfrontofhim.Whenhe’dthoughtitwassimplyamatterofGavinrunning
awaybecausehisfosterparentswerecruel,he’dbeenwillingtoconsidertakinghiminon
a longer-term basis. Now that he knew it was just doubt holding him back from a
permanenthomethatcouldgivehimfarmorethanDeancould,itwasanotherstory.“Iget
it,”hesaidinaroughvoice.“AndIcan’tsayIblameyouforwantingtoknow.Idohave
anofferthatIwantyoutoconsider.”
“Yeah?”
“IfIhelpedyoufindyourbirthparents—andthere’sawholelotofifsinthat,starting
with whether or not they want to be found—would you consider going back to the
Newports?”
“WhatifIfindmybirthparentsandtheydowantme?”heprotested.
“ThenI’llbethefirstpersontocongratulateyou,”Deanassuredhimwithasadsmile.
HehopedtoGodthatwasthecase,butnineyearsonthejobtoldhimtoknowbetterthan
tohopeforanoutcomelikethat.“I’mjustsayingthatifyougetyourclosureandit’snot
ideal, I’d hate for you to miss a chance to be with people who love you. No more
running.”
Gavin was quiet for a few minutes, but Dean could tell he was at least considering
whathe’dsaid.Hefinallynodded,thrustinghishandacrossthetable.“Shakeonit.”
Deancouldn’thelpbutchuckle,returningtheboy’sfirmhandshake.“It’sadeal.”
A
C H A P T E R 6
M A X
sMaxsatattheboothinthebackofthediner,hecouldn’tkeephishandsfrom
shakingeventhoughhe’dbundledupagainstthecoldandtheheatwasonfull
blast. He sipped the coffee the waitress had brought him and looked around,
anxiousforJohn’sarrival.Heworriedhe’dmissedhimcomein,butthesecondthebeta
appeared,herealizedtherewasnomissinghim.
Johnwasatall,imposingfigureforabeta,andwithhisplaintanovercoatandthedark
circlesunderhiseyes,helookedthepartofaprivateinvestigator.Heremovedhishatand
madehiswayovertoMaxasifhe’dknownwheretheomegawasfromthemomenthe
walkedin.
“Morning,”hesaidwithapolitenodbeforesittingacrossfromMax.
“Good morning. Thanks for meeting me so early,” Max said, clasping his hands to
keepthemstillasthewaitresscameovertotaketheirorder.Hewastoonervoustoeat,but
he ordered toast out of obligation. As John folded his napkin in his lap and sipped his
coffee,Maxfelthispatiencewaning.“Yousaidyouhadalead?”
“IsaidIthinkIhavealead,”Johncorrected,slidingapaletanfolderacrossthetable.
Itcaughtonabitofhalf-driedjamstucktotheplasticcoating.
Maxopenedthefoldersoeagerlyittorealittleatonecorner.Helookedoverthepage,
a printout of a foster care website that listed the profiles of children in the system like
contestantsonaTVshow.
Name:GavinJacobKrieg
D.O.B.:Dec.2,2005
About:Gavinisasmart,headstrongyoungmanwholoveshistory,modeltrainsand
solving puzzles. He’s a bright student who performs well with the right encouragement,
buthedoeshaveproblemsinaclassroomsettingandwillneedafamilywhocanhelphim
findhealthywaysofchannelingallhisexcessenergy.
Maxranhishandoverthewordsonthepage,feelingtheoutlineofasmallsquareon
the other side. He flipped the page over and his breath caught in his throat as he sat the
pictureofayoungboywithdarkhairandhisownblueeyesattachedtotheothersideof
thepaper.
“It’shim,”hebreathedoncehewasabletorememberhowtospeak.“That’smyson,
it’sGavin.”
“I know he has the same name, and there is a strong resemblance, but the birth date
—“
“Idon’tcarewhatthepapersays,thebirthdateiswrong,”Maxinsisted.“That’shim.
That’smyson.”
The look on John’s face told Max he wasn’t as convinced, but he nodded patiently.
“Maybeitis.Iputinarequestwiththestatetogethisbirthcertificate,sobyMonday,I
shouldbeabletogiveyousomemoreinformation.”
“CanIseehim?”Maxasked,strainingtokeephisvoicelevel.“Theyputhispicture
uponline,thatmeanshe’snotbeenadoptedyet,right?”
“Itcouldmeanthat.Thesewebsitesaren’talwaysuptodate.There’salotofgraywe
stillhavetofigureout,butit’sagoodsign,”hesaidinthemostreassuringtoneamanwho
spenthisdayssittingincarsoutsidepeople’shomesseemedcapableof.
“Buthe’sinfostercare,”Maxsaidshakily.“Thatmeanshe’salone.Whoknowswho
hashim?”
JohnreachedacrossthetableandcoveredMax’stremblinghandinhis.Comingfrom
anyone else, it might have seemed like a move, but the compassion in the beta’s eyes
preventedMaxfrommakingthatassumption.“I’mgoingtodowhateverIcantohelpyou
find your son. I just want you to be prepared for the fact that this may not be as
straightforward as we both would hope. And before you think of just going down there
yourself,rememberthattherearelawsaboutthesethings.”
“Iknowtherearelaws,”Maxseethed.“Nooneseemedtocarewhentheywerebeing
brokenbytheAlphawhotookmybabyfromme.”
“Iknow,”Johnsaidcalmly.“AndI’mnotsayingthatwhathappenedtoyouwasright,
orthatwhoeverhashimnowhasanyrighttocallhimtheirs.Ijustdon’twantyoutolet
the emotion you’re feeling now push you to do something that will hurt your case later.
Weneedfactsfirst.Thenwecanact.”
Maxnoddedreluctantly.Itwentagainsthisinstincttofindhissonatanycost,buthe
knewJohn was right.He was justtrying to help. “Howmuch do Iowe you?” he asked,
reachingforhiswallet.
“Nothing.LikeIsaid,Idon’twanttherestofthemoneyuntilyoufindhim,oneway
oranother.”
“Thankyou,”Maxsaidstiffly,lookingupashesawoneoftheotheromegasenterthe
Cabin across the street. “I should get back to work. Please, let me know if you find out
anythingelse.”
“Iwill.AndMax?”
“Yes?”theomegaasked,turningtofacehim.
“HappyThanksgiving.”
The omega cracked a smile, but he murmured a meek return of the greeting and got
out of the diner before the tears in his eyes could fall. No matter how many years had
passed, November would always be the darkest shadow on the calendar until he was
reunited with his son. Twelve years and a few weeks earlier marked the day his entire
world had been taken from him at the hands of an Alpha who could only see his own
interests,andonlywhenthatwrongwasrightedwouldMaxhaveanythingtobethankful
for.
M
C H A P T E R 7
D E A N
ondaycame and went without Henrietta returning any of his calls. While
Dean was more than happy to keep Gavin for as long as he needed, he
knewtherewasafamilywho’dbeworriedabouthimandwasinahurryto
helpfacilitatetheclosureGavinneededtoseethat.
Ontheonehand,hefeltlikeshitknowingthelikelyrealitythatthekidwasstilltoo
youngandfullofhopetosee.Therealitythathisbirthparents,iftheywereoutthereat
all,probablyweren’tashopefulforareunionashewas.
Deanalsoknewthatassomeonewho’dgrownupwithtwoparentswho’dneverleta
day pass without reminding him of how much he was loved, he had no right to crush
Gavin’shopelikethat.MaybeGavin’sparentsweredecentpeoplewho’dsimplyrealized
thathedeservedabetterlifethantheyhadtogivehim,andgivinghimuphadbeenanact
oflove,ormaybethey’dnevergivenitanotherthought.Eitherway,nomatterhowpainful
thetruthwas,Gavindeservedtohaveitsohecouldstartmakingdecisionsaboutthelife
aheadofhim.
Forthetimebeing,schoolwasoutandtheyhadafewweekstogettothebottomofa
twelve-year-oldmystery.DeanhaddroppedGavinoffathismother’shouse,sincesome
ofhisniecesandnephewswerestillstayingoverfortheholidays.Thekidwasahellofa
lotmorewellbehavedthanDeanhadexpected,andhewasintentonkeepinguphisendof
thedealaslongasGavinwasstayingwithhim,sohesetoffforsocialservicestotrack
downacertainoverworkedagent.
Sureenough,HenriettawasatherdeskwhenDeanmanagedtocharmhiswaypastthe
receptionist.Shewasonthephonewhenheshowedupinfrontofhercubicleandtheway
thecolordrainedfromherfacemadeitclearshe’dgottenhismessages.
“Yes,IthinkwecanabsolutelyholdtheRomanfundraiserattheSeasons.Mhm.CanI
call you right back? Thanks, Kelly.” She hung up and spun her chair to face Dean.
“Officer Garza, I am so sorry I haven’t had the chance to get back to you. We’ve been
slammedallmorningandIstillhaven’tbeenabletofindanotherplacementforGavin.”
“Don’tworryaboutit.Thekid’snotrouble,andthat’snotactuallywhyI’mhere.”
“He’snot?”sheaskeddoubtfully.
“He’swithmymomnow,andasfarasI’mconcerned,hecanstaywithmeuntilwe
getallthissortedoutwiththeNewports,”hesaid,takingaseatinfrontofherdesk.“Ihad
thechancetotalkwithhim,andIknowwhyhekeepsrunningaway.”
“Youdo?”Sheseemedshocked,andDeancouldn’tblameher.Hedidn’texactlylook
likesomeonewho’dbegreatwithkids,buthe’dbeenateenageboyrecentlyenoughthat
heknewtalkingdowntoGavinwasthesurestwaytogethimtoclamup.
“He needs closure, and after what happened with his adoptive parents, I can’t say I
blamehim.”
Henrietta’sexpressionfell.“No,”shesaidquietly.“It’sjustabouttheworstthingthat
couldhappen.NotthattheKriegs’arresthadanythingtodowithhim,butwhenachildis
adopted and given up later, people make assumptions. They think it’s because he’s
damaged, and that kind of thing gets into your head at that age. After a while, you start
believingitanditbecomesaself-fulfillingprophecy.”
“I don’t think Gavin is damaged,” Dean said, frowning. “But I do think he needs to
know who his birth parents are, one way or another. Not knowing is holding him back
frommovingforwardwiththisnewfamily.”Hehesitated,knowinghecouldn’tsaymuch
morewithoutbetrayingGavin’sconfidence.
Henrietta listened, nodding thoughtfully. “I think you’re right, but it’s not that I
haven’ttried.Theadoptionwassealed,andevenifhisbirthparentsdidchangetheirmind
aboutbeingfound,theagency’shandsaretied.”
“Maybe,butminearen’t.”
Shelookedup,hereyeswidening.“OfficerGarza…”
“Wouldn’tbethefirsttimeIbenttherules,”hesaidwithasmirk.“I’mnotsayingthis
inanyofficialcapacity,butI’vegotsomevacationdayssavedup,soIfigureditcan’thurt
tolook.Unofficiallyandall.”
She shook her head. “What you’re talking about could get us both fired if anyone
foundout.”
“And if they don’t, it could be the boost this kid needs to get on with his life. I’m
willingtotakethatrisk,andthefallforusbothifitgoessour.”
Henriettaworriedatherbottomlipforafewsecondsbeforegettingupfromherchair
anddiggingthroughthefilingcabinetsbehindher.Afterafewminutes,shepulledouta
smallfolder and droppedit in frontof Dean. “I can’tshare the contentsof this file with
youunlessyouhaveawarrant,butIneedtogomakesomeurgentcopies.ItrustthatIcan
leavethesehereuntilIgetback,andthatyou’llbothbeherewhenIreturn.”
Deangrinned.“Iamaprofessional.”
Hewaiteduntilshe’droundedthecornerandheheardhermutteringsomethingabout
losing her mind. Once she was gone, he swiped the file and tucked it into his jacket to
leavetheofficebeforehelostthemboththeirjobs.
M
C H A P T E R 8
M A X
ax opened his eyes and for a moment, he’d almost forgotten he wasn’t
alone in his room. He struggled to remember the name of the Alpha
sleepingnexttohim,butitdidn’tmatter.He’ddrunksomuchlastnight,
Maxdoubtedhewouldberememberinghisownnamebythetimehewokeandshuffled
off. The omega took the money on the nightstand and got dressed as quietly as possible
before leaving the room that wouldn’t feel like his own until the last clients had left the
ruthouse.
Itwasstilllightblueoutsideasthesuntookitstimerising,andtheairwascrispwith
the promise of winter. Max walked the long path around the block of strip clubs and
businessesthenicersideoftownhaddecidedtorelegatetothefringes.
Notthathecouldblamethem.He’dcometotermswiththefactthatthethingshehad
todosimplytokeepexistingwereoff-puttingtootherpeoplealongtimeago,andwhile
themoneywasgoodenoughincentivetokeepgoing,nowthatheactuallyhadachanceat
findingGavin,heknewsomethinghadtochange.Bestcasescenario,hedidn’twantthe
firstwordshesaidtohissontobealiebecausehewastooashamedtoadmitwhathedid
for a living. If Gavin did want anything to do with him, even if it was only for Max to
existontheperipheralofhislife,hiscircumstanceshadtobedifferent.
It was for that reason that Max had woken up early to take the bus across town and
interviewforajobhewasn’tevenremotelyqualifiedfor.Thesliverofachancethathe’d
actually get it would change his life in a big enough way that it was worth the thirty-
minutetripandthechanceofhumiliation.
Roman Enterprises was one of the few companies that would not only look past an
omega’scheckeredpastbutactivelysoughttohirethosewhoworkedintheverykindsof
places Max had just come from. He knew it was still a long shot, since he had no
experienceasafilingclerk,butwhenhe’dheardthattheBuffalobranchofthecompany
wasopeningitsdoorstonewapplicants,he’dappliedthatnight.
Ifhegotthejob,thepaywouldbeevenbetterthanhisbestweekattheruthouse.He
couldusethatmoneytopayfortherestoftheinvestigationandmoveintohisownplace.
Itwasn’ttheflashiestjobintheworld,butitwasachancetostartanewlifethathecould
beproudof,onehecouldwelcomeGavinintowithopenarms.
AsMaxwaitedinthelobbyoutsidethereceptionarea,herealizedhewasfarfromthe
onlyomegaapplyingfortheposition.He’dthoughthelookedpresentableenoughinthe
thrift store suit he had so carefully pressed and polished, but the sea of designer dresses
and suits around him made him feel sorely underdressed. The other omegas were sitting
primandproperwiththeirBlackberriesandtheirlaminatedresumes,andtheyallmatched
theelegantwomanbehindthedeskfarmorethanhedid.
Maxtouchedhisshaggybrownhairandfoundhimselfwishinghe’dpulleditback.It
wasn’tquitelongenoughtodosowithouthairsfallingintohisface,butlookingaround,
he seemed to be the only one who hadn’t done so with the exception of a particularly
intimidatinglookingomegasportingabuzzcutacrosstheroom.
“MaxRedding?”thereceptionistcalled.“Mr.Romanwillseeyounow.”
Roman?Everyheadintheroomsnappedup.Maxhadexpectedtobeinterviewedbya
mid-level employee, not one of the four Alphas who made up the infamous Roman
Empire, a corporation that spanned nearly every industry and had its tendrils spread
throughouteverycontinentontheglobe.
Hestoodandforcedhimselftokeepwalkingeventhoughallhewantedtodowasrun
the other way. When the receptionist led him to a spacious corner office past an endless
rowofcubicles,Maxstoppedshortofgoingthroughthedoor.
Sureenough,ReeceRomanwassittingbehindthatmassivedesk,asuitinplaceofthe
flannel shirt he wore in most of the photos the paparazzi snapped outside his California
home.Despitehavingtradedinhisfavoritefabricforfinesilk,theAlphalookedeverybit
asruggedashedidinpictureswithathickifwell-trimmedbeardandanexpressionthat
saidhe’dratherbehikingthansittingbehindadesk.WhathewasdoinginupstateNew
YorkwasbeyondMax’swildestguess.
“Mr. Redding,” the rugged Alpha said, standing to shake Max’s hand. “Thanks for
comingintoday.”
“It’sapleasure,”saidMax,surprisedhecouldspeakatall.Heallbutcollapsedinthe
chairacrossfromtheAlpha’sdeskandchastisedhimselfforgawking,eventhoughitdid
little to stop him. “They didn’t say anything about who’d be interviewing me over the
phone.”
“Itwasalast-minutechange,”Reecesaid,takingMax’sresumetolookoverit.“Iwas
intowndealingwithsomeissuesforoneofourcompanies,andthoughtI’dstepintohelp
withtheinterviews.TheMovingForwardProjectwasveryimportanttomylatewife.”
“I’msosorryforyourloss,”Maxsaidsoftly.He’dseenthestoriesinthenewsofJanie
Roman’suntimelydeath,shortlyafterthebirthofthecouple’sonlychild.
Reecegavehimasadsmilethatdidn’ttouchhiskindeyes.“Itsaysherethatyou’re
currentlyworkingataplacecalledtheCabin,isthatright?”
Max swallowed hard. “Yes, sir. I know what it looks like, and I won’t pretend it’s
anythingdifferent,butIdohavequalificationsthatIbelievewouldservemewellatthis
job,eveniftheydon’tnecessarilyjumpoutonpaper.”
Reecewasn’tlaughinghimoutoftheoffice,andheactuallyseemedtobeconsidering
the omega’s words, so Max continued. “I handle a lot of the administrative work in the
business.Ledgers,guestlogs,waiversandthatkindofthing.Overtheyears,I’vebecome
comfortablewitheverynewpoint-of-salesystemtheyputout,andIknowIcanlearnthe
programsyouuseherequickly,ifgiventhechance.I’llworkholidaysandweekends,and
I’veneverbeenlateadayinmylife.”
Reeceleanedbackinhischair,listeningintently.“Whydoyouwanttoleavetheplace
youworknow?”
Thequestionwassimple,andstandardenoughforajobinterview,butittookMaxoff
guardallthesame.Anomegaleavingaretailchainmightbeabletospinasafeanswer
withoutdenigratinghisformeremployer,buthowwasMaxsupposedtodistancehimself
fromthefieldandremainprofessional?
“There are no wrong answers,” Reece said, seeming to sense his hesitation. “While
this program has produced some of our most innovative and dedicated employees,
includingmorethanafewparticipantswhowereeventuallypromotedtoexecutive-level
positions, we like to look at more than just stats and degrees. We take the whole person
intoconsideration,andabigpartofthatishelpingomegaswhofeelstuckintheircurrent
rolesinlifetomoveforwardintosomethingmore,ifthathelpsyouunderstandabitbetter
whyI’masking.”
Itdid.Maxtookadeepbreathandknewifhestoodachanceatgettingthisjob,hehad
tobehonest.EvenifitmeantswallowingthepridethatmotivatedhimtoleavetheCabin
inthefirstplace.“TheplaceIworknowisaboutasgoodasitgetsforanomegainthis
lineofwork.It’srelativelysafe,andwehavefreedom,butit’sajob.It’snotwhoIwantto
be.”
“Andwhodoyouwanttobe?”askedReece.
Maxswallowedhard.“Someonemysoncanbeproudof.”
TheAlpha’sgazesoftened.“Iwasn’tawareyouhadachild.”
“Idon’t.Ilosthimwhenhewasababy,butIhaveachanceatreconnectingwithhim
soon,andIwanttouseeverymomentIhaveuntilthentoaccomplishsomethingbetter,”
hesaidearnestly.“IknowI’mnotthemostqualifiedpersonhereforthejob,Mr.Roman,
butIsweartoyouthatifyougivemethischance,I’llworkharderthananyoneelse.This
isn’taboutajobforme,it’saboutasecondchanceatthelifeIwanttoliveandtheperson
Iwanttobe,formyson.”
Reece’sneutralexpressionfadedintosurpriseashelistened.Hewassilentforafew
momentsonceMaxhadfinished,studyingtheomegathoughtfully.“Ibelieveyou.Istill
havetointerviewtheotherapplicants,butIwanttothankyouforyourtimetoday.And
for sharing your story with me,” he said, standing to offer his hand. “We’ll be in touch
shortly.”
MaxreturnedthehandshakeandthankedReeceforhistimebeforeslippingoutofthe
room. The next omega in line for her interview gave him a once-over and a victorious
snortbeforeshestrodeintotheoffice.
AsMaxsatonthebus,staringoutthewindowforthelongridehome,hefeltdoubt
settingin.Asobstorydidn’tmakeagoodemployee,andtherewasprobablynoshortage
ofomegaswhohadonetotell.Allhecoulddowaswaitandhopelikehe’dbeendoingall
along.
S
C H A P T E R 9
D E A N
omehow, Dean had thought that the folder Henrietta had given him would be
moreinformativethanthebirthcertificateandadoptionpapersendedupbeing.
Asusual,thebirthcertificatehadbeenreprintedtoincludetheadoptiveparents’
names,andhisattemptstofindtheoriginalhadfizzledout,whichwasnothinghehadn’t
expected.Whathedidn’texpectwastofindconflictinginformationbetweentheadoption
certificate, which listed Gavin’s birthday as a different date than the one on his birth
certificate.Hewassureitwasjustaclericalerrorofsorts,buthe’ddroppeditoffwitha
familylawattorneywhohappenedtoowehimafavorinhopesthattherewassomeletter
left undotted or uncrossed that would give him an opening to request the official birth
certificate.
For the time being, it was getting late and Dean had promised to take Gavin out for
somemoviethathadbeenadaptedfromacomicbook.Whenhearrivedathismother’s
house,Gavinwasonthecouch,helpingDean’snephewwithhishomework.
“There he is,” Claudia said, walking into the room as she dried a dish in her hands.
“How’ditgo?”
DeanglancedoveratGavin,notwantingtogivetheyoungmanfalsehope.“Imight
havealead,butit’stooearlytobesure,”hesaidsoonlyhismothercouldhear.“Thanks
forwatchinghim.”
“Itwasnotrouble.He’sajoy,andsopolite,”shesighed,lookingoveratthem.Gavin
lookedupandsmiled.
It had only been three days, but he was already starting to let his guard down, and
Dean got the feeling that didn’t come easily for him. He was starting to get attached
himself,whichheknewcouldonlyendindisaster.
Afterall,theNewportscouldgiveGavinwhathecouldn’t.Maybetheywere“dorky,”
butthekidneededparents,notabuddy.Heneededstabilityandpeoplewhodidn’tuseold
mousepadsascoasters.ThesoonerDeanfoundhisbiologicalparents,thesoonerhecould
gethimbacktohisrealones.Thepeoplewhoalreadylovedhimandsawhimforthegreat
kidhewas,despitethetrustandangerissuestheotheradultsinhislifehadsaddledhim
with.
“Youreadyforthatmovie?”
“Yeah!”Gavinsaideagerly,turningbacktoMicah.“Justremembertodotheonesin
theparenthesesfirst,okay?”
“Okay!”MicahsaidbrightlyasGavinmadehiswayovertothedoor.Hepulledonthe
jacketDeanhadboughtforhim,andtheAlphawasrelievedthatitfit.Maybehecouldn’t
be the dad Gavin needed and deserved, but he could make sure he was safe and had
everythingheneededbeforehesettledintoamorepermanentsituation.
M
C H A P T E R 1 0
M A X
ax woke in the middle of the afternoon as his phone rang. He’d been
awakeallnight withaparticularly demandingclient,and sincehehadn’t
heardbackfromRomanEnterprisesinafewdays,he’dassumedhewasn’t
goingtoatall.Hewouldhaveletthecallgotovoicemailiftherehadn’tbeenachanceit
wasJohnwithmorenews.
“Hello?”heaskeddrowsily.
“Mr. Redding, it’s Taryn from Roman Enterprises’ corporate office. Is now a good
time?”
Maxsatupsharply.“Yes,ofcourse.”
“I regret to inform you that the position you interviewed for was filled by another
applicant,”shesaidinanapologetictone.
Max’sheartsank.Ontheonehand,hewasimpressedthatsuchabigcompanytook
the time to call and tell anyone they didn’t have a job. On the other, he wished they
wouldn’t.“Oh,Isee.Well,thankyouforlettingmeknow.”
“However,”shecontinued,“Mr.Romanwassoimpressedwithyourinterviewthathe
wantedtoofferyouanotherposition.There’sadepartmentstorethecompanyhasrecently
acquiredinBuffalo.I’msureyou’veheardofit.Brattleton’s?”
“Yes,”hesaidearnestly,rummagingthroughhisnightstandforapenandpaper.“I’ve
seentheiradvertisements.Aretheylookingforhelp?”
“They need an assistant manager,” she replied. “Now, the job is seasonal, but
accordingtoMr.Roman,youhavesomeexperiencewiththesystemstheyusethatwould
behelpful.Afterthat,ifyou’reinterestedinstayingon,I’msurewecouldfindaplacefor
you.”
“Yes.Absolutely,”hesaid,strugglingtokeephisvoiceatarespectablevolume.
“Wonderful.YoucanstartassoonasMonday.I’llhavethenewemployeeinformation
packetandsomeformssenttoyourcurrentaddress.”
“Thankyousomuch,”Maxsaidastearsstreameddownhisface.He’dexpectedherto
offer him a job as a sales associate, or maybe a janitor, but this was beyond his wildest
dreams.Itwasalsoprobablybeyondhisqualifications,buthe’dsavethatpanicattackfor
anotherday.
“I’llgiveyouthenumbertoourhousingcoordinator,”shesaid.“I’msureyou’llwant
tolookforaplaceabitcloser,andtherearemoretransferopportunitiesinBuffalothan
therearewhereyouarenow.”
“Housing?”Maxblinked.“Thecompanyhelpswiththat?”
“It’spartoftheMovingForwardProgram,”sheexplained.Afterapause,sheasked,
“Mr.Redding,areyouthere?”
“Yes,”hesaidquickly.He’dbeenrenderedtemporarilyspeechless.Whenhe’dsetoff
to go to that interview, somewhere in the back of his mind, Max had told himself there
wasnowayhislifecouldactuallychangeinanywaythatmattered.Ashelistenedtothe
HRrepresentativerattleoffnumbersandresourcesthecompanyofferedtoitsemployees,
hestruggledtokeepupwithwritingthemdownwhilehisheadwasalreadyintheclouds.
It was finally happening. After twelve years of living on the outskirts of hope, he
finallyhadreasontothinkthingswouldgetbetter.Tothinkhecouldchange.
“H
C H A P T E R 1 1
D E A N
ey,Dean?Canwetalk?”
DeanlookedupfromthestoveasGavincameintotheroom.He’dswappedshiftswith
someoneatworksohecouldbetheretopickGavinupfromschoolandhelphimwithhis
homework,whichprovedtobeunnecessarysincemostofthestuffthekidbroughthome
wentwayoverhistemporaryfosterfather’shead.
Gavinhadbeensilenttheentirecarridehome,andwhileDeanknewhewantedtoask
the question the Alpha had been trying to delay the answer two, he hadn’t. Now Dean
knewbetterthantothinkhe’dbeabletogetawaywithputtingitoffforanotherday.
“Sure,”hesaid,turningoffthestove.“Dinner’sready,anyway.”
Gavin helped set the table without asking, but the sullen look on the boy’s face told
Dean he’d been weighing his own words since they’d arrived home. “You found
somethingoutaboutmybirthparents,didn’tyou?Somethingbad.”
Withaheavysigh,DeansetaplateofspaghettiandmeatballsinfrontofGavinbefore
takinghisownseat.Foodwasthelastthingonhismind,eventhoughhe’dskippedlunch.
“There’snoeasywaytosaythis,soI’mjustgonnasayit.Igotyouradoptionpapersand
tookthemtoalawyerfriendofmine.”
Gavin’seyeswidened.“Whatdidhesay?”
“Theadoptionwasn’tlegitimate.Thepaperswerefiledincorrectly,andthewayBrad
tellsit,itlookslikesomeonediditonpurpose.”
“Why?”Gavinasked,shakinghishead.“Idon’tunderstand.”
ThiswasthepartDeanwasdreadingthemost.Howwereyousupposedtotellakid
he’dbeensold,forallintentsandpurposes,ratherthanadopted?
“Therearealotofpeopleouttherewhowantkidsandcan’thavethem,foronereason
oranother,”hebegancarefully.“Someofthemaregoodpeoplewhojustwantafamilyso
badlythey’lldobadthingstogetthere,andothers…”
“Others are like the Kriegs,” the boy muttered. The look that came into his eyes
whenever he spoke of his ex-adoptive parents was the kind of look that might be off-
puttingtoafosterfamilywho’dexpectedaperfectlybehavedkidwithnolingeringissues
fromthefalloutofhischaoticupbringing.“Areyousayingtheydidn’treallyadoptme?”
“Notlegally,”saidDean.“Now,therearelawyersouttherewillingtoturnablindeye
and push these things through for the right price. I’m trying to track down the guy who
signedyouradoptionpapers,butyouneedtoknow,it’salongshot.”
“Butifyoudo,he’dknowwhomyrealparentswere,right?”Gavinaskedeagerly.
“It’s possible, but it’s not a guarantee. Even if he does, Gavin, you need to consider
whetheryoureallywanttomeetpeoplewho—”
“Who what?” the boy challenged. “Who sold me to the first jerks who wanted a kid
andwerewillingtopayafewthousandbucks?”
“Iknowyou’reupset.Youhaveeveryrighttobe.I’mjusttryingtoprepareyouforthe
possibilitythatthisisn’tgonnagothewayyouhope.”
“Iknowthat!”Gavinsnapped.Thetearsinhiseyesshonethroughtheanger.“Istill
wanttotry.Whatifmyparentsdidn’tjustthrowmeaway?WhatiftheKriegsstoleme?It
happens,right?”
Deanhesitated.“Itdoes,but—“
“You’retellingmeIshouldstopcaringaboutwhotheyarebecausetheymightnotbe
goodpeople,butwhatiftheyare?Whatiftheydidn’twanttogivemeupatall?”
“I’mnotsayingthat,kid.Iknowyou’realwaysgonnacare,andyoushould.”
“Then help me find them.” Tears welled in the boy’s eyes as he gritted his teeth.
“Please.”
Dean’sheartachedatthedesperationinhisvoice.Henodded.“Yeah.OfcourseIwill.
Imadeapromise,andIplanonkeepingit.Ijustneedyoutobeprepared.”
Gavinfellsilentasheatetherestofhisfood.HereachedforhisemptyplateandDean
tookit.“Goon,finishyourhomework.I’lltakecareofthese.Trytogetsomesleep,I’m
droppingyouoffearlyatmymom’s.”
“Why?”Gavinasked,alookofconfusioncrossinghisfeatures.EverytimeDeanleft
him somewhere, whether it was at his mother’s house or at school, he could tell the kid
wasn’texpectinghimtocomeback.ThesurpriseonhisfaceeverytimeDeanshowedup
brokehisheartanew.
“I’mgoingtofindthisattorney,nowthatIhaveaname.”WhenhesawGavinaboutto
saysomething,headded,“Youcan’tcome.Notonthisone.”
“But—“
“Listen,Imaynotbeyourdad,butrightnow,I’mresponsibleforyourwellbeing,soI
needyoujusttotrustme.Canyoudothat?”
Gavin frowned and Dean could tell he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. “Fine,” he
muttered,turningtoleavetheroom.
The door slammed shut and Dean groaned, leaning back in his chair. He’d always
wanted a family and kids of his own, but he’d imagined there would at least be some
bufferbetweennewparenthoodandraisingapreteen.Somepartofhimalreadyknewthat
thiswouldbenothingcomparedtothedayhehadtogiveGavinback.
M
C H A P T E R 1 2
M A X
ax’sfirstdayonthejobprovedeverybitasharrowingashe’dfeared,but
not for any of the reasons he assumed. The store’s systems were enough
liketheoneshe’dusedtomanagebookingsattheCabinthathehadthem
figured out by the afternoon, but by the end of his first day, he’d slipped on a patch of
wax,takenoutawholeshelffullofshoeboxesandnearlyorderedthree-hundredboxesof
coatsfromlastseason.
Despite all of it, the store manager assured him that he was doing well and that she
thought he’d fit right in. His other coworkers were mostly omegas who’d been hired
through the Moving Forward Program, it turned out, and they seemed to like Max well
enough,evenifhefeltlikehewasabitovereager.They’dinvitedhimoutforlunch,and
sincethemoverswerecomingtoputhisfurnitureintohisnewapartmentatsix,hisboss
offeredtolethimleaveearly.
Thesmallstudiowasn’tglamorous,butitwassafeanditwashis.Maxhadgrownup
in an upper-class family in a house with a pool, but he’d never been prouder to call
anyplace home. He was exhausted and his feet were aching from walking the entire
departmentstoretwentytimes,butthemomentheputhiskeyinthedoor,hefeltarushof
joy.
His life was finally starting to feel like his own, and it wasn’t just the fact that his
namewasonthelease.Thepayathisnewjobwasmorethanenoughtopaytherentand
to keep funding his investigation, and if he stuck with the company, there were more
opportunitieswherethatcamefrom.Thebestpartwasthatattheendofalongday,Max
couldcountonhavinghisownspaceandindulgeinthehopethatsomedaysoon,hemight
havesomeoneelsetoshareitwith.
Intheweekthatfollowed,he’dneverworkedharderorsleptsounderwhenhishead
finally hit the pillow at night, but he’d gotten the hang of his routine duties and hadn’t
takenoutanydisplayssince,soheconsidereditaresoundingsuccess.
Maxwasonawell-deservedlunchbreakwhenhesawJohn’snumberpopuponhis
screen. Other than a few emails to let him know that nothing had changed, Max hadn’t
heardfromthebetaallweek.
“Sorry,I’vegottatakethis,”hesaid,excusinghimselffromhiscoworkersinthebreak
room.Oncehewasaloneinthehall,heanswered,“Hey,John.Anyluckfindingthebirth
certificate?”
“Yes,actually.Thebirthdateonthecertificatematchesthebirthdatelistedinthiskid’s
profilewiththeagency,andtheirsocialsareamismatch,butthat’snotwhyI’mcalling.”
Max’sheartsank.“Whatisit?”
“Yourexisintown,”Johnsaidinanapologetictone.
“InBuffalo?”Maxcried.Afewcustomerscasthimstrangelooksandheloweredhis
voice,turningtofacethewall.“Howdoyouknow?”
“Ifoundoutbycoincidence,actually.Iwasdownatthestationworkingonaleadfor
anothercase,andIsawhim.Recognizedhimfromtheoldpictureyoushowedme.”
“Areyousurethatwashim?”
“Hehasabeardnow,andtheyearshaven’ttreatedhimaswellastheydidyou,butI
neverforgetaface.”
Maxwasn’tquitesurehowtorespondtothecompliment,especiallysinceJohndidn’t
seemtomeanitasone.“Whatdoeshewant?”heasked,hishandstremblingashegripped
thephone.
“Hewasjustworking,farasIcouldtell.He’swiththefedsnow,youknowthat?”
Maxswallowedhard.“No,butI’mnotsurprised.Healwayswasambitious.”
“Listen,I’monlytellingyouthisbecauseit’sasmallcityandIdon’twantyourunning
into him by surprise and doing something you’ll regret. We’re close, Max. Closer than
we’veeverbeen.Rememberthat,alright?”
Hetookadeepbreathandtriedtoquietthefearandtheangerthatwerealwaysatwar
withinhimwhenitcametoChrisBram.“Iwill,”hepromised.“Thanksfortheheadsup.”
“Anytime.”ThelinewentdeadandMaxforcedhimselftogetbacktowork.Ifhewas
going to undo the damage Chris had done, wrapping his hands around the powerful
Alpha’sthroatwasn’tgoingtoaccomplishanything.Hejusthadtokeephisheaddown,
keepworkingandkeeptrustingJohntodohisjob,allthewhilehopingthatChrisdidthe
onethinghe’dalwaysbeengoodat:leaving.
T
C H A P T E R 1 3
D E A N
omBrennan’sofficewasfurtheroutoftownthanDeanhadexpected,and
bythetimehearrived,hefoundhimselfhopinghewasn’ttoolate.Itwasa
littleafterfive,butifTomkeptthehoursmostlawyersDeanknewdid,he
wasprobablystillthere.
Sure enough, there was a light on the top floor where the sign in the building lobby
promised Tom’s office would be. Dean took the stairs two at a time, telling himself this
wasn’tgoingtobeoneofthosecallswhereheendedupputtingsomeone’sheadthrougha
wall.ThenhesawTom’sfaceandhewasn’tsosure.
“Myofficeisclosed.Ifyouneedanappointment,callmysecretaryinthemorning,”
theAlphaslurred,startingtoshutthedoorinDean’sface.
Deanblockedthedoorwithhishandandpulledabadgesohewouldn’tjustdeckTom
rightthere.Therewasachance,howeverslim,thatitwasn’tasbadasitlooked.Thathe’d
hadaperfectlyfinereasonforbrokeringanillegaladoption.
Okay, maybe not fine, but Dean was trying to talk himself off a ledge. The second
Tomsawhisbadge,thecolorlefthisface.“Wh-whatcanIdoforyou,Detective?”
“For a guy who earns a living at the law, you’re kind of shady around cops. Might
wannaworkonthat,”Deansaid,musclinghiswaythroughthedoor.Helookedaroundthe
smallofficeandthefactthatTomobviouslywasn’trakinginthedoughwithhispractice
madehimallthemoresuspiciousofwhatthemanmightbewillingtodoforafatcheck.
“It’sjustthatIdon’tusuallygetunexpectedlawenforcementatmydoor,”Tomsaid,
movingastackofpapersintohisdeskdrawer.“Isthereaproblem?”
ThefactthatTom’sminddidn’tjumptohimbeingtherebecauseofacasewasallthe
morereasontosuspecthimoffoulplay,butDeanremindedhimselfthathewasn’ttherein
anofficialcapacity.“I’mherebecauseyoubrokeredanadoptiontwelveyearsago,andthe
paperwork doesn’t quite add up,” he said, deciding to just come out with it. Tom’s face
wasevenpalerwhenDeanturnedtofacehim.“Now,I’mgonnalevelwithyou.Thereare
twowayswecanhandlethislittleQ&Asession.Eitheryoutellmethetruthnow,orwe
can do this downtown with tape recorders and a whole lot more cops. The choice is
yours.”
Tomswallowedhard,fallingintohischair.“Whatisityouwanttoknow?”
“GavinKrieg.Ringanybells?”
TheotherAlphawasstartingtosweatdespitethatitwassnowingoutsideandtheAC
intheunitwasobviouslybusted.“N-no,Ican’tsayitdoes.”
“Yousurethat’sthewayyouwannadoit,Tommy?”Deantuckedhisfingerintothe
loop of the cuffs on his belt. “Cuz I got a pair of bracelets that’d make a lovely early
Christmaspresent.”
TomswallowedsohardDeancouldhearthegulpfromacrosstheroom.“A—alright,”
he stammered. Dean hoped he was a little more stalwart in the courtroom. Then again,
fromwhathe’dseenontheguy’swebsite,hemostlyhandledlow-levelcustodycasesand
apparently black market adoptions, when the mood struck him. “Okay, I know the kid.
TheKriegs…theypaidmetomakethearrangementsbecausetheydidn’thaveeverything
togetherfortheadoption.”
“Youmeanliketheoriginalbirthcertificate?Youdidn’tthinktheremightbeareason
forthat?”
“Look,Iwasn’tgettingpaidtoaskquestions.Theyseemedlikeanicecouple,andit
wasahellofalotbetterthanthesituationthekidwasborninto.”
Deanfrowned.Tomwasconfirminghissuspicions,butheknewbetterthantotrusta
manwho’dcavedsoeasilytotellthetruth.“Whichwas?”
“A teenaged omega, and a grandfather who had reason to keep the pregnancy under
wraps,fromwhattheKriegstoldme.Richfamily,didn’twanttheshameofitcomingout
thattheirkidhadgottenknockedupbysomerandomAlphaandallthatjazz.”
“Whatwashisname?”Deandemanded.
“Idon’tknow.Maxsomething.It’sbeentwelveyears,andtheoriginalbirthcertificate
wasdestroyedforareason.Theomega’sdadpaidbigmoney,I’msure.”
“Andyouwerealltoohappytohelpthemforgeanotherone,”Deangrowled.
“LikeIsaid,itwasbetterforeveryoneinvolved.”
“It wasn’t better for Gavin,” Dean gritted out, snatching the other Alpha out of his
chair to pin him to the wall. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get physical, but he
figured he could always make it his New Year’s resolution to start over. Not that that
would do any good for Tom. “You know, the kid who doesn’t even know his own
goddamnbirthdaybecauseofyou.Thekidwhoendedupinfostercarebecausethepeople
who bought him like a piece of furniture turned out not to be such fine, upstanding
citizens.”
TomflinchedlikethecowardhewasandDeanreluctantlylethimslipdownthewall.
“I—I didn’t know. I’ve never done anything like that since, I swear. You can check my
ledgers,”hesaid,fumblingforabookonhisdesk.
“Idon’tgiveashitaboutyourledgers,”Deangrowled.“Andifitwasn’tforthatkid,
we’d be having a different conversation right now, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry than
you.”
Tom started to relax visibly, so Dean added, “But I won’t be a stranger. I’ll be
watchingyou,Tommy,andifIthinkforasecondyou’rebacktotakingonfreelancework,
we’regonnahaveaproblem.DoImakemyselfclear?”
“C-crystal,”theAlphastammered.Deanshovedpasthimonhiswayoutthedoor.
MaxSomething.Well,thatcertainlynarroweditdown.He’dhopedtoavoidhavingto
checkinattheprisonforavisit,butitseemedtheKriegshadlefthimnochoice.
“A
C H A P T E R 1 4
M A X
re you sure you don’t mind closing this soon?” Amber asked worriedly as she
waitedbytheperfumecounterMaxwasrestocking.
“I’msure.Goon,havefunonyourdate,”hesaid,wavingheroff.“ButIexpectafull
report tomorrow at lunch. Might as well live vicariously through someone else’s social
life.”
Thefemalebetalaughed.“Youknow,themanagerofthatsportinggoodsstorenextto
usisalwayscheckingyouout.”
“I’ll keep that in mind if I ever decide I feel like faking an interest in rappelling
equipment,”hesaiddryly.“Haveagoodnight.”
“You,too!”Ambercalled.ThebellchimedassheleftandMaxmadeamentalnoteto
run and lock it as soon as he finished loading in the new fragrance samples. It was still
fiveminutesbeforeclosing,butthestorehadbeentorturouslyslowalldayandhecouldn’t
imagineanystragglerscominginwiththeweatherbeingasnastyasitwas.
HelovedBuffalo,ifonlybecauseitwasn’thisoldtown,buttheweatherwasstarting
togettohim.Sometimeshewonderedwhyhestayedintheareaatall,whenthechances
thathissonwasstillanywherenearupstateNewYorkwereslimtonone.Johnhadwarned
himthatmostparentswhobrokeredanillegaladoptionmovedatleastastateortwoaway.
Thelocalgovernmentofficeshadahardenoughtimekeepingtrackofpeoplewholived
there,andabitofdistancewasusuallyallittooktomuddlethingsenoughfortheirpeace
ofmind.
Max found himself wondering whether Chris was still furious about the fact that he
hadn’tbeenabletoforceMaxtosigntheirchildawaylegally.Foramanlikehimtohave
to lower himself to breaking the law to protect his precious reputation, it must have felt
like a concession he’d never imagined he would have to make. The Alpha was used to
getting everything and everyone he wanted without an effort. He’d gotten Max easily
enough,withhischarmandintimidation,andallithadtakenwasalienatinghimfromhis
parentstoensurethathewouldn’thaveanyonetoturntoforhelp.
Ithadbeentwelveyears,butMaxstillfeltlikethescaredteenagerhe’dbeenthefirst
time Chris had threatened his life. The Alpha had tried to force him to terminate the
pregnancy in the beginning, but once he’d realized that wasn’t going to work, he had
shiftedbacktothesuperficialcharmthathadluredMaxintohiswebinthefirstplace.
Lookingback,Maxknewhe’dbeenafool,buthe’dalsobeeninlove.Itdidn’tmatter
thathisheartbeatforthedevilhimself.Backthen,he’dwantedtobelievethatChriswas
going to make good on all his promises of whisking Max away to live somewhere as a
happyfamily.Thathewasreallywillingtoriskhisreputationbyclaimingtheomegahe’d
pursuedsorelentlessly,untiltheconsequencesoftheiraffairbecametangible.
AvialslippedfromMax’shandandrolledunderneaththecounter.“Shit,”hemuttered,
bendingdowntoreachforit.Hisfingertipsbrushedtheglassasthefamiliarsoundofthe
bellchimingoverthedoordrewhisattentionandnearlymadehimhithisheadonthetop
shelf.
“Sorry,”hecalled,“we’reclosed!”
There was no reply, so he gave up on hunting the vial and pulled himself up on the
counter. When he found himself face-to-face with the Alpha who haunted his every
nightmare, he dropped the box of samples he was holding and the vials clattered to the
floor, some bouncing off the tile while others shattered into a puddle at his feet that
cloudedtheairwiththeirmingledstench.
“Chris.”Thenamecameoutwithallthebreathinhislungs.Hecouldn’tbringhimself
toblinkormoveorscream.HewasthedeerandChriswastheheadlights.
“Clumsy as ever, I see,” the Alpha said coldly, keeping his unblinking gray eyes on
Max.Hishairwasabitgrayeratthetemplesthanithadbeen,butwhilehe’dlookedold
enoughtobeMax’sfatherduringtheirbriefandill-fatedrelationship,hehadn’tchanged
muchotherwise.
“You can’t be here.” The words came out so much fainter than he wanted them to.
Therewasabuttonunderthecounterbythecashregister,asilentalarmthatwouldcall
thepoliceifhecouldjustfindwhereitwas…
“I wouldn’t do that,” said Chris. “After all, I know most of the police in this town.
HowdoyouthinkIfoundyouhere?”
“Whatdoyouwant?”Maxgrittedout.Whenhe’drunfromChris,he’dknownitwas
only a matter of time before the Alpha found him. When months had turned into years
withoutharassment,he’dassumedthatChrishadfinallygrowntiredofhimandMaxhad
keptuphisendoftheirunspokenbargain.Hehadn’treportedChris,becausehe’dknown
that the moment he did, the discrediting would begin and he’d never stand a chance at
findinghisson.
“I just came to check on you. It’s been a long time,” he said, his tone softening.
Anyone else might have sounded worried, but he just sounded predatory in a different
way.Ashereachedacrossthecountertocaresstheomega’sjaw,Max’sskincrawled,but
he forced himself not to push him away. “I’m glad to see you’re not working at that
ruthouseanymore.Itwasalwaysbeneathyou.”
Max clenched his jaw. He knew better than to think Chris was giving him a
compliment. It was just a reminder that Max only had the independence he’d been
enjoying for twelve years because Chris allowed it. A reminder that it could all change,
even now. That Max could never put enough time or distance between them to matter,
especiallynotifhetalked.
“Youshouldtellyourparents,”Chriscontinued.“I’msurethey’dberelievedtoknow
theirsonisn’tawhoreanymore.”
“I think you should leave,” Max seethed. He could barely see straight through his
angerandterror.Sometimeshefeltlikeallthepassionandinfatuationhe’doncefeltfor
themaninfrontofhimhadturnedsourwithChris’betrayalandremainedwithinhimin
equalmeasure.
“Don’tbelikethat.Notwhenyou’retheonewhogotmyattention.”
Maxfrowned.“Ididn’t—“
“The private eye?” Chris challenged. “He’s not as smooth as he thinks he is. Start
pullingtherightstringsandthewrongpeoplenotice.That’showaspiderwebworks.”
Maxswallowedhard.“Hewasn’tlookingforyou.”
“Oh, I know exactly what he’s doing. He’s looking for your precious Gavin.” The
bitternessinhisvoicemadeeveryhaironMax’sbodystandonend.“Youknow,aweaker
manmightbejealous.Ifyou’dlovedmehalfasmuchasyoulovedthatbrat,wemight’ve
stoodachance.”
Maxswallowedthebilerisinginhisthroat.Themosttwistedpartofitallwasthathe
hadlovedChriswithhiswholeheartonce.He’dseentheagedifferencebetweenthemas
an obstacle to their star-crossed romance, and not the predatory fixation he could
recognizeitasnow.
“Ididloveyou.”Thewordswerebitterinhismouth,likepoison.“Ilovedyouenough
tobethesecretyoukeptintheshadows,andifyou’daskedanythingelseofme,Iwould
havedoneitwithoutasecondthought.”
“You were seventeen,” Chris growled. “You weren’t ready to be a parent, and it
would’vebeentheendofmygoddamncareer.”
“Thatdidn’tstopyoufromimpregnatingme,didit?”Maxcried.“Iwasoldenoughfor
thatinyoureyes.”
Rage lit up the Alpha’s eyes and for a moment, Max saw that look. The one that
alwayscamebeforeChrishithim.Heglanceduptowardoneofthesecuritycamerason
theceilingandseemedtodecideitwasn’tworthit.“Calloffyourdog,Max.I’dhateto
seeyouenduponthewrongsideofaprostitutioninvestigation.”
Max frowned. “I don’t do that anymore. And even when I did, I worked at the
ruthouse.It’slegallysanctioned,remember?”
Chris smirked. “Your word against mine, dollface. Not much of a stretch to think a
commonwhorewouldstooptomoonlightingnow,isit?”Hepaused,glancingaroundthe
store.“Ofcourse,itwouldn’ttakeaformalinvestigationtoputanendtoyourcareerata
placelikethis.I’mwillingtobetallit’dtakeisacalltotherightpeople.”
The Alpha opened the door and the sound of the bell chiming made Max’s stomach
churn.“Youenjoytherestofyourevening,now.I’msurewe’llrunintoeachothersoon.”
T
C H A P T E R 1 5
D E A N
heprisonwaseverybitashomeyasithadseemedthelasttimeDeanhad
visitedit.Hedidn’tgooften,buttherewereafewconshe’dmadeahabit
ofcheckingonfromtimetotime.Whentheygotout,hetriedtomakesure
they stayed on the straight and narrow, which occasionally meant providing a job
referenceoracouchtosleepon,asill-advisedasthatwasbyhiscoworkers.
Luckily,Deanhadafewconnectionsonstaff,too.Oneoftheguardshadpromisedhe
would conveniently misplace the visitor logs as long as Dean kept his time with Trent
Kriegtoaminimum.
“Fifteenminutes,”theguardwarnedasheledDeanintothevisitingarea.
“Gotit,”Deansaid,takingaseatinfrontoftheglasswallthatseparatedtheinmates
fromtheirvisitors.AnAlphainatanjumpsuitcameout,hishandscuffedinfrontofhim.
He looked more like an office worker than the Alphas who usually ended up in federal,
buttherewasacoldlookinhiseyesasheliftedthephonethatmadeDeansecondguess
hisinitialassessment.
He took a deep breath and reminded himself he was there to get information on
Gavin’s birth parents, not to get revenge. The kid needed a responsible guardian, not an
avengingangel,evenifDeanwasmoreinclinedtobeonethantheother.
“Whothehellareyou?”Trentasked,slumpinginhischair.
“I’m the guy who’s looking after the kid you dumped on social services when you
decidedmoneylaunderingwasmoreimportantthanbeingaparent.”
Trent’seyesnarrowed,lookingDeanupanddown.“You’reacop.Ialreadytoldyou
assholeseverythingyouwantedtoknow.”
“Yeah,andyougotagenerouspleabargainoutofit,ifIdosaysomyself,”Deansaid,
leaningforwardwithhiselbowsonthecounter.“I’mnothereonofficialbusiness,butif
youwannamakeitthat,I’msureIcandigupsomethingyourhigh-pricedattorneywould
rather have buried. Something like the illegal adoption you and your wife paid Tom
Brennantopushthrough.”
ThattookthewindoutofTrent’ssails.“Whatdoyouwanttoknow?”
“Names.IwantthenamesofGavin’sbirthparents,andanythingelseyoucantellme
that’dhelpmegettothem.”
Trentfrowned.“They’retrash,that’sallyouneedtoknow.Kiddoesn’tfallfarfrom
the tree,” he muttered bitterly. “Should’ve known better than to think nurture could
overcomenature.”
DeanlurchedforwardandTrentflincheddespitethefactthatthereweretwoinchesof
bulletproofglassbetweenthem.“Undernormalcircumstances,I’dbeinclinedtousemy
rather extensive reach behind these walls to make sure your time in here resembles an
award-winningmoviemorethanthespadayyou’vebeenenjoyingsofar,butyouhappen
tohavesomeinformationIfindvaluable.Isuggestyoustartusingittoyouradvantage.”
Trentgulped.“Th-theomegawasnamedMax,alright?”
Twofortwo.“Lastname,Trent.Clock’sa-tickin’.”
“Redding,” he choked out. “Max Redding. He lived in Dawers, New York when he
hadGavin,butthat’sallIcantellyou.”
“WhatabouttheAlpha?”
Trentshookhishead.
“You’re making the other side of this wall seem more and more appealing by the
second,Trent.”
“He’llkillmeifIdrophisname,”Trentsaid,lookinglikehe’dshrunktohalfhissize
withhisdefeatedposture.
Deannarrowedhiseyes.“MaybeIdidn’tmakemyselfclear.Givemeaname,orI’ll
—“
“Whateveryou’regonnadotome,thatbastardcoulddoworseandinhalfthetime,”
heseethed.
“He’sacop?”Deanaskedwarily.
“He’safed,”Trentcorrected.“Hewenttogreatlengthstocovertheadoptionoff.Me
andLisa,wewerejustpartofit.”
“YoumeanGavin’sfatheristheonewhopaidTomtoforgethepapers?”Deanasked,
strugglingtomakesenseofthetangleofliessurroundingGavin’sbirth.“Ithoughtitwas
Max’sfather.”
“Max’sparentsaresomerichfucksinArlington,”saidTrent.“Iftheyknowanything
morethanthefactthattheirkidgotknockedupandranaway,Gavin’srealdadprobably
paidthemoff,too.”
“Whywouldhedothat?Ifhe’spowerfulenoughthatyou’rescaredshitless,hewasin
apositiontoraiseakid.WhygotoallthistroublejusttohideGavin’sexistence?”
“Because Max was seventeen and the Alpha was pushing forty on Gavin’s first
birthday.Youdothemath.”
FreshangerstirredinthepitofDean’sstomach.Hewasstartingtogetthepicture.The
dooropenedbehindhimandtheguardappeared,watchinghimwarily.“Timetogo,man.”
“Yeah, alright,” Dean muttered, slamming the phone down. “You’ve been a ton of
help,Trent.”
Deanlefttheprisonbeforehecouldendupontheothersideofthebars.Helivedfor
his job, but some days it sucked. Finding out that the bullshit connected to Gavin’s
adoptionwasevenmorescrewedupthanhe’deverimagined,andthatanothermemberof
lawenforcementwasattheepicenterofthecorruptionthathadruinedthekid’slife?Well,
itmadeearlyretirementseemmoreappealingbythesecond.
A
C H A P T E R 1 6
M A X
ssoonasMaxleftworkandwasreasonablysurehewasn’tbeingfollowed,he
headedovertoJohn’soffice.Despitethefactthathewasclearlybetterathisjob
thananyoftheotherprivateinvestigatorsinthearea,Johnkeptmodestquarters
on the upper floor of a near-abandoned office park. The light was still on upstairs when
Maxparkedinthelotandhecarefullynavigatedthepatchesofblackiceonthepavement.
Whenhearrivedatthetopofthestairs,Maxcouldhearthesoundofclassicalmusic
comingfromunderneathoneofthedoors.John’sseemedtobetheonlyofficeonthefloor
thatwasrentedout,soMaxknockedloudlytobeheardoverthemusic.
Afewmomentslater,Johnappearedatthedoorandthemusicspilledoutintothehall.
“Max,” he said, clearly surprised to see the omega. “Did we have an appointment I
forgot?”
“No,” Max said, doubting the beta had forgotten anything in his life. He hesitated.
“Chris showed up at work, and he knows you’re working for me. I just wanted to warn
you.”
John looked out into the hall and put a hand on Max’s shoulder to usher him inside.
“Comeonin.”
Theofficewaswarmandsurprisinglyinviting,butunlikeeveryotherstoreandoffice
MaxhadbeeninsinceThanksgiving,therewasnoevidenceoftheholidays.Notsomuch
asastringoftinselorapoinsettiaonthedesk.Johnwassoefficientandhewasalways
talking about juggling multiple cases at once, so Max had assumed he at least had a
secretary,butitwasclearfromthelayoutofthetinyofficethatthebetaworkedalone.
“Areyoualright?Hedidn’thurtyou,didhe?”Johnaskedworriedly.
“No, he just scared me half to death and cost the store two-hundred dollars in
samples,”Maxmuttered.
“Hemusthavedonesomethingifyoudroveallthiswayjusttowarnme,”Johnsaid,
reachingintotherefrigerator.Hepulledoutacoupleofbottlesofbeerandofferedoneto
Max.
The omega had quit drinking years ago, but he decided that night was a special
occasionandtookthebottlegratefully.HetookaseatinthechairJohnofferedtohimand
racked his exhausted brain for a place to begin. “He threatened me and you indirectly, I
guess.Hesaidheknowsyou’reinvestigating,andimpliedthatifIkeptlookingforGavin,
I’dloseeverything.”
“Spokenlikeatypicalbully,”Johnmuttered.“Atleastweknowhehasn’tchanged.”
“You’renotworried?”Maxaskeddoubtfully.“He’swiththefedsnow.Hecouldcome
afteryou.”
“I’m sure he’ll try,” John said with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t be the first. This job has a
wayofpissingpowerfulpeopleoff.They’retheoneswhohavethemostreasontohidethe
truth,andthemosttolosewhenitcomesout.”
“I guess so,” Max said, not sure how the beta was staying so calm when he wasn’t
nearly as invested in the outcome of the investigation as his client. Max also knew he
wasn’t paying nearly enough to put up with harassment. “I’d understand if you couldn’t
keephelpingme.”
“Whosaidanythingaboutquitting?”Johnscoffed.“I’dratherdiethancavetoaman
likehim.”
“Pleasedon’tsaythat.”
“It’sfine,”Johnassuredhim.“Inaway,it’sprovidential.Iwasgoingtocallyouinthe
morning,butImanagedtogetaholdofthecaseworkerfortheGavinyousawinthatfile.”
Maxeyeswidened.“Areyouserious?”
“She said she’s not willing to discuss anything over the phone, but she did agree to
meetwithusbothinperson.”
“That’sgreat!”Maxcried,jumpingoutofhisseat.“Wehavetogo.”
“Iknowthat’showyoufeel,andI’msureyou’renotgoingtowanttohearthis,butI
don’tthinkthat’sagoodidea.Notrightnow.”
“What?Why?”
“If Chris is watching you that closely, going to Gavin’s caseworker is only going to
pushhimintofollowingthroughonhisthreats.”
“But he doesn’t have anything against me,” Max growled. “I haven’t done anything
wrong.”
“Iknowthat.Butmenlikehimaregoodathidingthemostegregiouscrimesinplain
sightandmanufacturingevidencewhereitjustisn’tthere.Weneedtoplayitcarefully.No
matterwhatthissocialworkersays,justgettingvisitationrightstoGavinisn’tgoingtobe
easy,”hesaidgently.“Fromthecourt’sperspective,you’reanomegawhogaveuphisson
andwantstocomebackintohislifetwelveyearslateroutofnowhere.”
“Butthat’s—“
“Iknowthat’snotthetruth,butit’showthey’llseeit,”Johninterrupted.“Wehaveto
build a case, and if you show up guns blazing with Chris hot on your heels, all they’re
goingtoseeisdramathatdoesn’tbelonginGavin’slife.”
Max knew the beta was right, but that didn’t make the words any easier to hear. He
forced himself to nod, knowing he’d see the wisdom in John’s plan in the morning.
“Okay,”hechokedout.“ButIcan’tjustsitbackanddonothing.”
“Ofcoursenot.Butwhatyou’redoingnowatyournewjob,buildingastablelife,that
matters.Itallmatters,andwhenthetimeisright,it’sgoingtohelpyouwinthiscase.”He
paused.“DidyouhavethechancetogetthosefilesIaskedyoufor?”
“Oh. Actually, yeah. They came today at work,” Max said, reaching into his
messengerbagforthefolderdetailingRomanEnterprise’semployeeresources.“Whatdid
youneedthisfor,anyway?”
“From what I’ve heard, there’s a legal assistance program for all Roman Employees
who’vebeenworkingforthecompanylongerthanthreemonths,”saidJohn,openingthe
folder.“I’mhopingthey’llbeinclinedtobendtherulesabitifItalktothem.”
“You’ddothat?”Maxaskedwarily.
“There’s only so much I can do to help you once we make sure this Gavin is your
Gavin,”thebetarepliedcasually.“You’llneedalawyer,andagoodone.”
Maxblinked.“That’spartofthereasonyouwantmetostay,isn’tit?”
Johnsmiled.“Reputationiseverythingwhenitcomestothesethings,Max.Iknowit’s
temptingtorunandactassoonasyouhaveanyinformationtogoon,butthisisn’tgoing
tobeaquickfightandyoucoulduseallthehelpyoucanget.”
“Yeah,”Maxmurmured.Atleasthehadonepersononhissideheknewhecouldtrust.
Hehesitated.“Whyareyousokind?IknowI’mnotpayingyounearlyenoughtoputup
withallthequestionsandharassment,nevermindChris.Whydoyoudoit?”
Johnchuckled.“Youareabitofahandful,butIdon’tmind.Iguessthehonestanswer
isthatyouremindmeofsomeone.”
“Who?”Maxaskedcuriously.
“Mymother.”
Maxscowled.“I’mnotthatmucholderthanyou.”
Johngrinned.“Inpersonalityonly,Iassureyou.Truthbetold,I’mnotinthisforthe
money,asyoucantell,”hesaid,glancingaroundtheshabbyoffice.“It’spersonalforme.
Alwayshasbeen.”
“Oh,” Max said, warring with his own curiosity. “Would it be wrong of me to ask
why?”
Johnwasstillgivinghimapatientsmile,butitdidn’tmeethiseyes.“Let’sjustsayI
was on the other side once. That’s how I got into it, I guess,” he said, setting down his
emptybeerbottle.Maxnoticedfromtheothersonthedeskthatitwasn’thisfirst.
“Whathappened?”heaskedsoftly.“Youdon’thavetotellmeifyoudon’twantto,but
you’velistenedtomysobstoryenough.”
Thebetasighed.“It’sprettytypical,really.Helpingyouisabreathoffreshair.Most
ofmyclientsarejealouspartnerswho’reconvincedtheotherpersonischeatingonthem
andtheywantmetofindproof.Mostofthetime,they’reright.Iwasoneofthosetimes.”
“I’m so sorry,” Max said, his heart aching for the man he was realizing he’d spent
hourswithwithouteverreallygettingtoknowhim.Hecouldn’tunderstandhowanyone
coulddosomethinglikethattosomeonelikeJohn.Sure,thebetawasabiteccentric,but
hewaskindandsmartandquitegoodlooking.IfMaxhadbeencapableofthinkingabout
anything other than getting his son back, he knew he might easily have fallen for John
already.Thefactthatthebetahadnevershownhimanythingotherthancompassionand
professionalismjustincreasedhisappeal.
“It’s in the past,” John said with a sigh of resignation. “At least, that’s what I tell
myself.Andhey,itturnedoutIwassogoodatbeingparanoidthatImakealivingoffit
now,soIcan’tcomplain.”
Max reached out to touch his arm. “You’ll find someone else, John. Someone who
deservesyou.”
“That’skindofyou,butatthispoint,IthinkI’mabittoocynicalforanythingofthe
kind.It’shardtofallinlovewhenyou’reusedtopredictinghowit’sgoingtoendfromthe
beginning.”
“Iguessso,”Maxsaid,yawning.“I’msorry…I’vebeenupsincefive.”
“You should get some rest. You’re welcome to stay at my place. I can’t imagine the
roadsareanybetterthantheywereafewhoursago,andit’squiteadrivetoBuffalo.”
Maxhesitated.“Idon’twanttoputyouout…”
“Don’tbesilly.Comeon,itisn’tfar,”hesaid,motioningfortheomegatofollowhim
outoftheoffice.Afewstepslater,hecametoastopinfrontofadooracrossthehall.
“Didyouforgetsomething?”askedMax.
“Nope,” John said, unlocking the door and stepping back to let Max inside. “This is
it.”
“Youliverightacrossfromyouroffice?”Maxaskedindisbeliefashewalkedintothe
smallapartment.
“Can’t beat the commute, and the rent is cheap since the place is practically
abandoned,”hesaid,smiling.“Thesofapullsout.Can’tsayit’sluxurious,butmyupstairs
neighborsnoresandIsleeplikethedead,soIthinkit’llsuityoubetterthanthebedroom.”
“It’sperfect.Thankyousomuch,”Maxsaid,sittingdownonthecouch.
“Well,goodnight,”Johncalledonhiswayintothebedroom.
“Goodnight,” said Max. He stared in disbelief as the bedroom door closed. It wasn’t
the first time a man had invited him back to his apartment, but it was certainly the first
timesuchaninvitationhadledtothembothsleepingindifferentrooms.
I
C H A P T E R 1 7
D E A N
ttookaweekofdigging,huntingandcallingineveryfavorDeanwasowedto
getaleadonMaxRedding.Thenamewasn’tallthatuncommoninNewYork,
and it seemed the omega was all but nonexistent on social media. Dean had
chaseddownnolessthantwentydeadends,andoneomegahe’dbeensurewastheright
suspecthadthreatenedarestrainingorderifDeancalledhisworkagain.
Hecertainlyhopedhewasoffbasewiththatone.Whenhe’dfinallygottenalead,it
hadcomefromoneofthewrongMaxReddings.ThisMaxhappenedtobeanAlphawho
workedasabartender,andhe’dinformedDeanthattherehadbeenamixuponceonhis
background check for work. His employers had pulled up the wrong Max Redding and
mistakenhimforanomegawho’doncebeenbroughtinonchargesofsolicitationabout
ten years earlier. In the interest of clearing up the mistake, the other Max had agreed to
send a letter to the bartender’s employer stating his name, address and unique social to
provetheywere,indeed,differentpeople.
WhileDeandoubtedthataprostitutehadkeptthesameaddressforthelasttenyears,
he reluctantly followed the lead to a ruthouse on the outskirts of a medium-sized town
aboutanhoursouthofBuffalo.Theplacewasasdingyashe’dexpected,butDeanwas
surprised it was still in operation at all. Ruthouses were technically legal, but they were
alwayscourtingsomeviolationoranother,andtheytendedtomovearoundandrebrandto
avoidprosecutionorgettingshutdown.
“Heythere,handsome,”theomegaatthefrontdeskpurred,leaningforwardtopushup
hercleavage.“What’reyouinthemoodfor?”
Shewasbarkingupthewrongtree,thoughtDean.Hesmiledpleasantlyandwandered
overtothedesk.“I’mnotactuallylookingforanomega,butI’dbehappytopayyoufor
someinformation.”
“Information,huh?”shesmirked.“Thissomekindacopandrobberkink?”
“Notexactly,”Deansaid,slippinghisbadgeoutofhispocket.Ifhestillhadajobby
thetimehefoundGavin’sfather,itwouldbeamiracle.
The omega’s eyes widened. “W-we’re legal. We’ve got permits and everything,” she
said,fumblingblindlythroughherdeskdrawer.
“Easy,I’mnotheretobustanyone,”Deansaid,puttinghisbadgeaway.“LikeIsaid,
I’mjustlookingforinformation.There’sanomegawhoworkedhereabouttenyearsago
namedMaxRedding.Maybeyou’veheardofhim?”
“Tenyearsago?”Shecockedaneyebrow.“Honey,theturnoverinthisplaceisabout
threemonths.”
“That’swhatIwasafraidof,”hesaidwithaheavysigh.
She stood and kept her eyes on him as she inched away from the desk. “There is
someonewhomightknowhim,ifhewashere.We’vehadthesamecleaningladyforall
eternity.”
Deannodded.Shedisappearedthroughthebeadedcurtainsthatledintothebackand
whenastoutolderwomanemerged,thedeskworkerwasnowheretobeseen.
IftherewasonethingaboutthejobthatDeanhatedmost,itwasthefactthepeoplehe
actuallywantedtoprotectwereafraidofhimwhiletheoneswhohadreasontoslinkoff
like the scum they were always held their heads high, convinced their status as Alphas
wouldgetthemoutofanything.Usually,itdid.
“CanIhelpyou?”theolderwomanaskedwarily.
“Thename’sDeanGarza,”hesaid,offeringhishand.Whenshedidn’ttakeit,heletit
falltohisside.“I’mherebecauseI’mlookingfor—“
“Max,Iknow.Cyndratoldme.Whatdoyouwantwithhim?”sheaskedharshly.
Dean hesitated. It looked like there was one omega who wasn’t afraid of him. “He’s
not in any trouble,” he assured her. “There was an adoption about ten years ago. I have
reasontobelieveitwasn’tvoluntary,notonMax’spart.Hissonislookingforhim,and
I’mtryingto—“Hebrokeoffwhenhesawthelookofshockthatsoftenedthewoman’s
hardfeatures.
Theolderomegagasped,coveringhermouth.“Ican’tbelieveit…”
“Doyouknowwhereheis?”Deanaskedhopefully.
“He doesn’t work here anymore. Hasn’t in years, and I was never happier to see
someoneleave,”shemurmured.“Maxwasasweetheart,andhedeservedbetterthanthis
place, even though the ruthouse he ended up at last I heard wasn’t too much of an
upgrade.”
“Whereisit?”Deanasked,takingouthisnotepad.
“It’scalledtheWesternDen,”sheexplained.“It’suponNorthHammondStreet.You
keepgoingafewblockstotherightandpastthebigcasinoandyoucan’tmissit.”
“Thankyou,”Deansaid,hesitating.“CanyoutellmeanythingaboutMax?I’mkind
of going blind here, and I need to know everything about him I can before I get Gavin
involved.”
“Allyouneedtoknowisthatthere’sneverbeenaparentinthisworldwholovedtheir
childmorethanMaxlovedthatlittleboy,”shesaidwithtearsinhersteelyeyes.
“SoMaxdidn’tgivehimupwillingly?”
Shelookedaway.“Hewouldn’tsaywhathappenedexactly.WhoevertheAlphawas,
Maxwasscaredofhim,andIassumehehadreasontobe.Butheneverstoppedlooking,
andeverydimehemadewenttotryingtofindthatbaby.”
The door chimed as another customer stumbled in, half-drunk. “Is there anything
else?”theomegaasked.
“No,”Deanmurmured.“Thankyou.That’sallIneededtoknow.”
F
INDING
theWesternDenprovedasstraightforwardastheomegaatthefirstruthousehad
promised, but finding anyone else who remembered Max was considerably less so. He
waitedaroundatacoffeeshopthatofferedfreeWi-Fianddecentsconesuntilhefinally
gotacallbackfromtheowner.Shedidn’trememberMaxpersonally,butshe’dfoundhis
nameinherrecordsasapastemployeeandhe’dworkedthereuntilsixyearsearlier.Dean
had her record keeping to thank for the next two ruthouses he’d tracked the omega to,
whichwashowhe’dendedupatthedoortotheCabin.
TheCabinwasbyfarthenicestplacehe’dbeenallday,andwhileitwasfarfromthe
kindofestablishmentheeverwouldhavesetfootinforanyotherreason,comparedtothe
others,itlookedlikealuxuryhotel.
“Good evening,” a lavishly dressed omega called from behind the desk. The entire
lobbywasdecoratedwithMoroccanaccentsandluxevelvetcoucheslinedthewallonthe
other side of the desk. Dean could smell the mixture of pheromones and high-quality
drugsintheair,buthe’dalreadydecidedtoapproachthisleadasacivilian.“CanIescort
youtooneofourprivaterooms,ordoyouhaveareservation?”sheaskedinasultrytone.
“Neither, but thanks,” Dean said stiffly. For most Alphas, being surrounded by the
scentofomegasinheatmighthavebeenatestofwill,butDeanhadseentheuglysideof
the industry far too intimately to find the idea of a ruthouse anything other than off-
putting.“Idon’thaveanappointment,butIamlookingforanomeganamedMax.Does
hestillworkhere?”
The woman’s guard seemed to fly up instantly. “I’m sorry, sir, but Max left a while
ago.Ifyou’reinterestedinmaleomegas,wehaveplentytochoosefrom.”
“I appreciate that, but I need to find Max specifically. It’s not that kind of personal
call.”Hedecidedbeingvaguewasn’tgettinghimanyfurtherthanflashinghisbadgehad
atthelastplace,beforehe’dhadthecommonsensetotrybribery,soheadded,“It’sabout
hisson.”
Her eyes widened with terror. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m sorry, I
havetogo,”shesaid,turningtoleave.
“Wait,”Deanpleaded,takingherarm.Theguardbythedoorchargedtowardthemand
Deanhelduphishands.“I’mnottryingtohurthim.”
“Wegotaproblemoverhere,Anna?”theguarddemanded.
“It’s Chris,” she said in a trembling voice, pointing at Dean. “That’s the creep Max
wasalwaysscaredshitlessof.”
Chris. So that was the bastard’s name. “I’m not him,” he said urgently, pulling his
badge.TheguardwentforhisgunbutDeanwasafasterdrawandthemanstoppedshort
andturnedpalewhenhesawthebronze.“I’macop.”
“So was Chris,” Anna seethed, hiding behind the guard. “That didn’t stop the prick
fromdoinghalftheshithedidtoMax.”
“YouknowMax?”Deanaskedhopefully.
“Yeah,andI’mnotgonnahelpyougettohim,”shesnapped.
“Look, I understand why you’re scared. I know you’re just trying to protect your
friend,butI’mnothereonofficialbusiness,”hepromised.“I’mheretohelpGavin.”
“Gavin?”Anna’seyeswidened.
“Yeah. Max’s son,” he said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through the photos
he’dtakenatthelastfamilygettogether.GavinwassmilingnexttoClaudiaandDean’s
nephewastheyposedforaphotoopnexttothebirthdaycake.Claudiawasinsistentabout
everyone in the family having a birthday, whether they wanted one or not, and the new
addition,howevertemporaryhewas,wasnoexception.“Thisishim.”
Anna’s gaze softened as she looked at the picture. “He’s got Max’s eyes…” she
murmured,lookingupattheguard.“It’sokay,Toni.I’vegotit.”
The guard reluctantly took a seat on the couch and started flipping through a
magazine,butDeancouldfeelhimselfbeingwatched.Annamotionedhimintotheback
andhefollowedher.Sheledhimtoaprivateroomwithaseparatebarandpouredherself
atallglassofwine.“What’syourpoison?”
“None,thanks.I’mdrivingbacktoPennsylvaniatonight.”
“That’swherethekidis?”sheaskedsadly.
“Yeah.”
Sheshookherhead,collapsingonthesofa.“Ican’tbelievehewasthatcloseallthis
time.”
“WhereisMax?”Deanasked,sittingdownacrossfromher.“I’mtryingtohelpGavin,
and if Max is the person I hope he is, I’d like to help them both, but I need to know
everythingIcanfirst.”
Annahesitatedbeforeanswering,“Maxdoesn’tworkhereanymore.Hegotajobwith
a good company last month. He wanted to turn his life around for his kid, and he was
workingwithsomedickwhowasgonnahelphimfindhim.”
“Dick?”Deanarchedaneyebrow.“Youmeanadetective?”
“Yeah,that’sit.He’sbeenpouringmoneyintothosefoolssinceIstartedworkinghere,
buthehadalotoffaithinthisone.Guessheneverfiguredthekidwouldcomelooking
forhim.”
Dean felt a weight lift off his shoulders, even if it was immediately replaced by
anotherone.Ontheonehand,he’dbeendreadingtheideaofhavingtotellGavinthathis
birth parents weren’t looking for him. On the other, there was still the chance that no
matterhowmuchMaxlovedhim,GavinwasstillbetteroffwiththeNewports.Amonth
of trying to start over couldn’t erase ten years of working in ruthouses or a charge of
solicitation. It certainly wouldn’t be enough in the court’s eyes, but he knew Gavin
wouldn’tbeabletoseeanyofthat.Allhewouldhearwasthathehadaparentoutthere
whowantedhimandwho’dbeensearchingforhimsincehe’dlosthim.
“WhatcanyoutellmeaboutGavin’sotherfather?AboutChris?”
Anna’s eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. It seemed to be a common reaction
amonganyonewhosomuchasknewoftheinfamousAlphainpassing.“Idon’tknowhis
lastnameoranything,butIknowhewassomebigshot.Acop,oratleast,that’swhathe
waswhenheandMaxweretogether.”
“FromwhatIunderstand,Maxwasyoungwhenhegotpregnant,”Deanpressed.“Do
youthinkChristookadvantageofhim?”
Annascoffed.“Thatdependsonwhoyouask.Totherichprickswhokeepmenlike
thatoutofjailwhileomegasgetlockedupjustfortryingtosurvive,no,I’msurehedidn’t
doanythingwrong,”shesaidinabitingtone.“Toanyonewithhalfabrain,yeah.Ithink
theguy’saClass-Apervwhopreyedonanaivekidandwhentheconsequencesgotalittle
too real, he tried to threaten him into silence and when that failed, he got rid of the
evidence.”
Her version of events lined up with the unsavory tale Dean had already pieced
together,andhismoodhitthebasementfloor.“Andyouhavenoideawhattheguy’sname
was?”
“No,Maxwouldn’ttellme.Tookyearstogetthatmuchoutofhim,”shemurmured.
“Whoeverhewas,Maxlivedinterrorthathe’dcomewalkingthroughthosedoors.Ihope
hefinallygotawayfromhimforgood.”
“Can you tell me where he is now?” Dean asked hopefully. He could feel the doubt
andmistrustcomingfromtheomegaacrossfromhim,andhecouldn’tblameherforany
ofit.“Iknowyou’reworriedaboutprotectingyourfriend,butmyonlygoalinallofthis
istodowhat’srightforGavin.”
“Whoishetoyou?”sheaskedwarily.
Thatwasagoodquestion.Deanknewtheanswerinhisheart,butjustbecausehefelta
fatherlyattachmenttothekiddidn’tmeanthatwaswhatwasbestforGavin.Sofar,the
Newportswerestilllookinglikehisbestoption.“Itookhiminonatemporarybasis,”he
said,decidingtogowiththetruth.“Heranfromhisotherfosterfamily,andtheywantto
adopthim,butnotknowingabouthisbirthparentsisholdinghimback.Icareabouthim
toomuchtoseehimthrowawayasurething,andI’mhopingonewayoranother,giving
himthechancetomeetMaxwillhelphimmoveon.Butfirst,IneedtomeetMaxsoIcan
figureoutifthat’stherightmoveforGavin.”
Annalistenedandsheseemedtobeconsideringhiswordscarefully,eventhoughDean
couldtelltheimplicationthatMaxmightnotbethebestthingforissoninsultedher.She
tookoutapieceofpaperandscrawleddownanaddress,handingittoDean.“You’llfind
him there,” she said, holding his gaze. When he reached for the paper, she held onto it.
“Max has been through a lot of shit trying to find that kid. I know how guys like you
think, even the good ones. You think you’re better than the Alphas who come in here
lookingtofuckus,butthesameentitlementandpridethatmakesitokaytothemiswhat
makesyouthinkit’sokaytolookdownonus.YougofindMaxandyoufinishyourlittle
assessment,butknowthis:Idon’tcarehowrichthatfosterfamilyis,orhow‘respectable’
theomegahappenstobe.ThereisnooneinthisuniversethatlovesGavinmorethanMax
does,andnoonewhodeservesasecondchancemorethanhim.”
Dean took the paper and slipped it into his pocket. He stood, sensing he’d outstayed
hiswelcome.“I’llkeepthatinmind,”hesaid,clearinghisthroat.“I’llshowmyselfout.”
“You do that,” Anna muttered, watching him leave through the curtains. The guard
wasalreadybythedoor,readytoshowhimout.
Deanstareddownattheslipofpaperinhishand.Ithadbeenalongandcrookedpath
togettoMax,andhesureashellhadn’texpectedittoendatanupscaledepartmentstore,
but life had a way of throwing curveballs. He just hoped this one went in the right
direction.
M
C H A P T E R 1 8
M A X
axhadneverfelttimecrawlasslowlyasitdidthemorningafterChrishad
decided to make an unannounced appearance. Every time the bell rang
above the door or a customer’s shadow loomed over the counter he was
working, he jolted. Luckily, his coworkers seemed to brush it off as a case of new
employeenerves.
Bynoon,hewasreasonablyconvincedthatifChrishadplansofmakinganothervisit,
he already would have. Max kept reminding himself of John’s advice. He had been
lookingforGavinfortwelveyears,butitwouldtakemoretorepairhisreputationthana
singlemonth,andappearanceswereeverythingwhenitcametodealingwithamanlike
ChrisBram.IfhecameforwardasGavin’sfather,therewasachanceChriswoulddothe
same,justtospitehim.Whileillicit,theirrelationshiphadn’ttechnicallybrokenanylaws
atthetime.ItmighthavemeanttheendofChris’careerbackthen,buthecouldalwayslie
and say that Max had seduced him. His own parents wouldn’t vouch for him, so why
shouldanyoneelse?
IftherewasonethingMaxwaswillingtoputabovehisdesiretohavearelationship
withhisson,itwastheinstincttomakesurethathewassafe.IfkeepingGavinawayfrom
Chris meant waiting a little longer to come forward, it was a sacrifice he was willing to
make.Afterall,he’dalreadywaitedtwelveyears.Whatwasafewmoremonths?
Maybeifhekepttellinghimselfthat,he’dcometobelieveit.Thefirsthalfofhisshift
waspassingslowlyenough,sosomehow,hedoubtedit.
Whenthefrontdooropened,Maxfoundhimselfprayingthecustomerwouldgotoany
otherdepartment.Hestillhadastackofreturnstoprocess,andanaisletocleanupaftera
flockofrowdychildrenhadrummagedthroughthedisplays.Ashereachedunderhisdesk
totossafreshstackofhangersintotherecyclingbin,ashadowthatcouldonlyhavebeen
castbyabroad-shoulderedAlphaeclipsedhisworkstation.
Ofcourse.“I’llberightwithyou,”hesaid,takingthetimetostuffthehangersdown
inthebin.Heknewitwasn’tChris,ifonlybecausethisAlpha’sscent,whileundeniably
woodsyandmasculine,didn’tchurnhisstomachthewayChris’did.Infact,itwasnicer
thananyofthecolognestheykeptstockedattheperfumecounter…
“Takeyourtime,”theAlpharepliedinarich,pleasingbaritone.
WhenMaxfinallystood,hefroze.TheAlphastandinginfrontofhimlookedlikehe’d
just stepped out of one of the advertisements in the sporting goods store’s window. The
patternofhisredflannelshirtdidnothingtohidethebulgingmusclesunderneath,orthe
imposingslopeofhiswideshoulders.Hisfacewaschiseledtoperfection,eventhoughthe
fiveo-clockshadowonhissquarejawanddarkcirclesunderhiseyesmadeitclearhewas
farfromrefreshed.Hisbrowneyesweretheonlythingsoftabouthim,andthegoldenhue
ofhisskingavehimanoverallwarmappearancethatmadeMaxfeellikehewasgoingto
melt.
Atleast,untilthoseeyesturnedcoldwithshockandthepleasantsmileontheAlpha’s
handsome face faded into a hard line. Max had never been stared at with such intensity,
andhefeltaviolentshiverrundownhisspine.Maxtookastepbackoninstinctandfelt
histhroattighten.
“AreyouMaxRedding?”theAlphaasked,hisrichvoiceturnedstiffandfullofanger.
Ithadtobeanger.Maxcouldn’tfathomanotherreasonwhyaperfectstrangerwouldreact
tohimsoviscerally.
“Yes,”hechokedout.Despitehiscasualclothing,theguyhadpolicewrittenallover
him. Max had been around enough of them to know. He knew the chances that the guy
hadn’t been sent by Chris were slim to none, but he was still on the clock and telling a
customertogotohellwasontheshortlistofthingsthatwouldgethimfired.“CanIhelp
you?”
“Iknowyoudon’tknowme,butIthinkwebothhavesomeoneincommon,”hesaid,
glancingoverhisshoulderasafamilycamethroughthedoors.“Istheresomewheremore
privatewecouldtalk?”
“I’montheclockuntilfive,”saidMax,tryingtocalmhisracingheart.“Ican’tleave,
I’mtheonlymanagerinthestorerightnow.”
Thestrangerseemeddisappointed,buthenodded.“Alright.I’llcomebackthen.”
Max nodded, forcing himself to stand still behind the counter until the man left. He
waitedafewminutesjusttomakesurehehadtimetoleavebeforerushingintotheback.
“Max!”Ambercried.“What’swrong?”
“Ihavetogo,”hesaid,hishandstremblingashetookofftheuniformsmockoverhis
clothes.“Canyoucovermyshift?”
“Sure,but—“
“I’msorry,Ican’texplainrightnow.Ifabigguyinflannelcomesinherelookingfor
me,callsecurity,alright?”
Hereyeswidened.“Okay…”
Maxknewheprobablywouldn’thaveajobbythetimeallthiswasover,buthehadto
at least get Chris’ goon away from the store. He went out into the employee lot and got
intohiscarbeforetakingouthisphonetodialJohn’snumber.
“Pleasepickup,”hebreathed,restinghisheadagainsttheseattocatchhisbreathas
thephonerang.
“Hello?”Thebeta’spleasantvoicefilledhimwithrelief.
“John,I’msosorry,butoneofChris’menshowedupatworkandIdidn’tknowwho
elsetocall.”
“Whereareyou?”Johnaskedwithouthesitating.
“I’mstillatwork.Heleft,Ithink,”hesaid,glancingaroundthelottomakesurehe
didn’tseethemassiveAlpha.
“Getoutofthererightnow.Don’tspeed,butstartdrivingandI’llmeetyouassoonas
Ican.”
“Where?”Maxasked,startingupthecar.
“Somewherepublic.There’sareststopoffI-86andtherearecameraseverywhere.Go
thereandheadstraightintotheshopsuntilIgetthere.”
“Okay,” Max said, still shaking even though he felt calmer now that he knew he
wasn’tgoingtohavetofacethestrangeraloneagain.“Thankyou.”
“Besafe,”Johnsaidbeforehangingup.
Maxpulledontotheroadandglancedintherearviewmirrortomakesurehewasn’t
beingfollowed.Chrisjusthadtowaituntilheactuallyhadsomethinggoodgoingtostart
stalkinghim.HeknewheshouldhavefiguredthattheAlphawouldshowup,nomatter
howmanyyearsithadbeen.Chrishadalwayshadanuncannyabilityforshowingupjust
intimetoruinhislifewhenthingswerefinallystartingtogoright.
“S
C H A P T E R 1 9
D E A N
hit.Shit,shit,shit,”Deangrowled,hittinghisheadagainstthesteeringwheel.He’d
been sitting in his truck in the back of the store parking lot for five minutes, and it was
onlybeginningtosetinjusthowmuchhislifehadchanged.
Onesecond,onelook,onewordontheomega’slipswasallithadtakenforDeanto
recognize that Max—the Max, if the familiar hue of those clear blue eyes was any
indication—washisdestinedmate.
Atonepoint,imprintingontheomegahehadbeenwaitinghiswholelifetofindwas
Dean’sideaoftheperfectThanksgiving,ChristmasandEasterallrolledupinone.Itjust
hadtobeMax.Ithadtobetheoneomegahehadanobligationtomistrust,tovet,toview
inthemostobjectiveterms…
Butdamn,whatanomegahewas.IthadtakenalltheAlpha’swillpowernottoreach
outandtouchtheomega’ssoftbrownhair,tocuphisangularfaceinhispalmandbrush
his fingers over that perfect Cupid’s bow. He’d never wanted anything or anyone more
than he’d wanted Max in that moment—and the desire hadn’t faded. Not even once his
commonsensesetinandherealizedjusthowdisastrousthisconflictofinterestcouldbe.
He’d already broken enough professional regulations on his little journey to uncover
thetruth,andifanyonefoundouthe’dimprintedonMax,itwouldgofromlookinglike
the altruistic effort it was to a personal vendetta. If the omega was truly as intent on
changinghislifeandfindinghissonaseveryoneDeanhadspokenwithclaimedhewas,
having an Alpha—a cop involved in his son’s case, at that—come forward now was the
worstthingthatcouldhappentohim.ItwastheworstthingforhimandGavin,andDean
owedthembothmorethanthat,evenifitmeanttellinghisheartnotoeverythingithad
alwayswanted.
MovementcaughtDean’sattentionoutofthecornerofhiseyeandhelookeduptosee
Max in the driver’s seat of a small blue sedan peeling towards the mall exit. “Shit,” he
muttered,startinguphiscartotakeoffaftertheomega.Asanundercovercop,he’dtailed
plenty of suspects, but his need to pursue the omega was making it hard to follow his
professionalinstincts.
Maybe Max was just going out on his lunch break, but if so, why wouldn’t he have
toldDeantomeethimthen?Thewayhewasdrivingleftnoroomtodoubthewasrunning
fromsomething.FromDean.
“Pleasedon’tbeascumbag,”hemutteredtohimself,keepingafewcarsbetweenhim
andtheomega.HechangedlaneswhenhethoughthesawMaxlookbackinthemirror.
Heswitchedbackintimetofollowtheomegadownaleftturnandontothehighway.
“Where the hell are you going?” he wondered aloud, putting more distance between
themsincethehighwaywasastraightshootandhe’deasilybeabletoseewhichexitMax
took.Ifbeingadepartmentstoremanagerdidn’tworkout,theomegacouldsureashell
takeupstuntdriving.Deanhadrackedupmorethanenoughjustificationtopullhimover
inthelastfiveminutesalone,butheheldback.HewantedtotalktoMax,notscarehim
shitless,andflauntinghisauthoritywouldonlymakethingsworse.
WhenMaxfinallytookanexitpopulatedwithgasstations,restaurantsandareststop,
Deanrealizedwhathewasdoing.Didheknowhewasbeingfollowed?Hesureactedlike
it,pullingoffintoahighlypopulatedarea.Sohewasclever,butthatmeantheprobably
had reason to cover his tracks. Dean was torn between being impressed, concerned and
weirdlyturnedon.LonggonewerethedayswhenitwassociallyacceptableforAlphasto
hunttheirmates,butitstillsatisfiedsomeprimalurgehe’drathernotacknowledge.
Deanpulled into aspot on theother end of therest stop parkinglot and thanked his
luckystarstheomegahadpulledinthereandnotthecrowdedrestaurantacrossthestreet.
Now was his chance, and he wasted no time taking it. He jumped out of the car and
stalkedacrossthelot,catchingMax’sdoorasitopened.
Theomega’sterrifiedexpressionwarnedDeanofthescreamthatwascomingandhe
clampedhis hand overMax’s mouth tostop it. “I’m nothere to hurtyou,” he hissed. “I
justwanttotalk.”
MaxbitdownhardonhishandandthepainwasenoughtomakeDeanjerkitbackin
surprise.TheomegatookhischancetorunandDeanfoundhimselfhopingnoonesawas
hetookoffaftertheomega.Thisshitlookedbad,andassoonasheflashedhisbadgeto
anyconcernedpassersbytoreassurethemofhisgoodintentions,Maxwouldbetheone
whoendeduplookingbad.
Deanmoveduptocuttheomegaoffbeforehecouldreachthepathleadinguptothe
reststop’smainbuilding.HecaughtthebackofMax’sshirt,buttheomegawasquickand
he slipped through the Alpha’s grasp. Dean finally managed to catch up with him and
pushedhimupagainstthebackofthereststopasgentlyashecould.Hehadhisforearm
flattened against Max’s collar, keeping him pinned to the wall, but despite the fact that
there was no contest between them in size or strength, the omega refused to give up
struggling.
“I’mnotgoingtohurtyou!”Deangrowled,findingitmoreofachallengetorestrain
oneflailingomegathanmostoftheperpshechasedonanear-dailybasis.Tobefair,he
didn’t care if he hurt them. His words seemed to have no effect, so he tried a different
tactic.“I’mherebecauseofyourson!”
Thatgotthrough.MaxstoppedstrugglingimmediatelyandstaredupatDean,hiseyes
widewithdisbelief.“Gavin?”Thewayhisvoicebrokewhenhesaidtheboy’sname,asif
hewastooafraidtogiveintothehopewithinit,brokeDean’sheart.WhetherMaxwasa
fit parent or not remained to be seen, but now he knew the others were right. Whatever
reasontheomegahadforbeingseparatedfromhisson,he’dneverstoppedlovinghim.
“IfIletyougo,willyouletmetalk?”
Max nodded shakily, so Dean released his hold and took a step back. He glanced to
make sure no one was watching and realized somehow their chase had escaped notice.
“I’macop,”hesaid,takingouthisbadgeforasplitsecond.HecouldfeelMax’sguardgo
upimmediately.“You’renotintrouble.I’mlookingforyoubecauseIpromisedGavinI
would.”
“Howdoyouknowmyson?”Maxaskedwarily.“Isheintrouble?”
“No.Ofcoursenot.Iworkwithhissocialworker,andheendedupstayingwithme
andmyfamilyoverThanksgiving,”Deanexplained.“Heranawayfromhisfosterparents,
buthe’ssafenow.”
Max listened, hanging on Dean’s every word. His eyes filled with tears, but he kept
them in check. “Is he alright?” he asked in a strained voice. “Is he…is he healthy?
Happy?”
No matter how much of a fight he’d put up moments earlier, the omega standing in
frontofDeanseemedsmall,fragileandvulnerable.TheAlphaknewhiswordsweregoing
tofeellikeaknifeinthegut,butifhewasgoingtohelpGavin—ifhewasgoingtohelp
bothofthem—allcardshadtobeoutonthetable.
“He’sgood,”Deansaid,smilingalittle.“He’stallasaweed,andstubbornashell,but
he’sagoodkid.He’ssmartandhealthy,andhedoesgoodinschoolwhenhe’snotgetting
infights.”
Maxgaveastrangledlaughandthosetearsfinallyspilledoverhischeeks.Hecovered
hismouthandDeancouldtellhewastryingtogethimselftogether.“CanIseehim?Do
youhaveapicture?”hewhispered.
“Of course,” Dean said, fumbling for his phone. He pulled up the photo from
Thanksgivingandthebittersweetpainthatfilledtheomega’seyesashestudiedthephoto
likeitwasanancient,pricelessrelicbrokehimalloveragain.
“Who is that with him?” Max asked, his voice cracking. “Are they his…his foster
family?”
“No.That’smymomandmynephew,”saidDean.“TheNewportsarehisfosters.”He
hesitated.ThepartofhimthatalreadyfeltdevotedtoMax,despitethefactthattheomega
was a complete stranger, was railing at him for what he was about to do, but he had an
obligation to Gavin first. If Max was the person Dean hoped he was, he’d understand.
“They’regoodpeople.TheyloveGavinandtheywanttomakehimapartoftheirfamily,
permanently.”
Understanding crossed the omega’s features, but even though Dean could tell the
wordsbroughthimimmensepain,henoddedandkepthisshoulderssquare.“I’msoglad,”
hesaidshakily.“I’mgladhehaspeoplewholovehimthewayhedeserves.”
“He’s a special kid,” Dean said, clearing his throat. “But see, not knowing where he
came from is keeping him from reaching his full potential. He’s got it in his head that
somewhere out there, you’re looking for him and you never stopped wanting him. Until
recently, I thought that was just wishful thinking, but meeting you?” He smiled a little.
“I’veneverbeenmorerelievedtobewronginmylife.”
“OfcourseIwanthim.”Max’sbrowfurrowedinpainashehuggedhimself.“Ialways
wantedhim.InevergaveGavinup,hewastakenfromme.”
“I believe you,” said Dean, noting the surprise on the omega’s face. “I know about
Chris,oratleast,whatyoutoldyourfriendbackattheCabinandwhatlittleTrentKrieg
waswillingtospill.”
The murderous look that entered the omega’s eyes made Dean second guess his
assumptionthatMaxwassomefragilethingthatneededtobeprotected.Butitjustmade
him want to do the protecting all the more. “Trent Krieg is a lying piece of shit,” he
seethed. “He and his wife tried to buy my baby, and when I refused, they took him
anyway.”
“I know,” Dean said in a somber tone. “I talked to his lawyer. I know the adoption
wasn’tlegal.”
“Then you have to help me,” Max said earnestly. “All this time, it’s been my word
againstChris’,butifyoureallyareacopandyouknowthetruth,thenyoucanhelpme
getmysonback.”
“Iwanttohelp,”Deanassuredhim.“There’snoexcuseforwhathappenedtoyou,and
I’mgonnadowhateverittakestomakesuretheAlphawhotookadvantageofyoupays
forit,butjustbecauseithappenedthendoesn’tmeanthatbeingwithyouiswhat’sbestfor
Gavinrightnow.”
“The hell it doesn’t!” Max snapped. “He’s my son. He belongs with me, not some
randomfamily.”
“That random family has been feeding and clothing him for the past year,” Dean
replied, struggling to walk the line between firm and gentle. “They can give him a life
mostkidscouldonlydreamof.”
“I’vechanged,”Maxsaid,hisvoicecracking.“Idon’tworkattheruthouseanymore.I
gotanewjob.Arealjobwithbenefits.AndIhavemyownplace.Icantakecareofhim
nowthewayIcouldn’tbefore.”
“Maybethat’strue,”Deansaidsoftly.“AndI’mnotsayingyoushouldn’tbepartofhis
life,butyouhavetothinkaboutwhatthatmeansforhim.It’snotjustaboutstability,it’s
about safety. When I showed up, you looked like you’d seen a ghost. It’s because you
thoughtIwasworkingforChris,isn’tit?”
Maxlookedaway,hisjawsetinrefusaltoanswer.
“I know it is,” Dean murmured. “Can you honestly say you’re in a position to enter
Gavin’sliferightnowwithoutbringinghimintoit?”
TheomegahuggedhimselftighterandwhilehishairkeptDeanfrombeingabletosee
his face, he could see the way the smaller man’s shoulders trembled. “He’s my son,” he
saidinasmall,painedvoice.
Deanreachedoutandstoppedhimselftwicebeforehefinallydecidedtogiveinand
take Max into his arms the way he’d wanted to from the moment he’d met him. The
omega’ssoftscentfilledhisnostrilsandthefeelingofMaxinhisarmswassoright,so
perfect, it made his heart ache. “I know. And I know how much you love him, but you
needtoaskyourselfwhat’strulybestforhim,evenifithurts.You’retheonlypersonwho
loveshimenoughtodothat.”
Max broke down in sobs, and Dean felt like his soul itself was lit on fire. He was
halfway to convincing himself that the right thing could go to hell when he heard the
soundofagunbeingcockedfrombehindhim.
“Stepawayfromhim,”amansaidinalow,coldtone.Deanfroze,slowlyraisinghis
handsandturningaroundwhilekeepinghimselfbetweenMaxandthestrangerwithagun.
HisfirstthoughtwasthatChrishadtrackedthembothwhilehe’dbeenfollowingMax,but
astallandimposingasthemanwas,hisscentwasthatofabeta,notanAlpha.
Eitherway,thatlookinhiseyestoldDeanhewasallkindsoffuckedifhemoveda
singleinch.
“J
C H A P T E R 2 0
M A X
ohn!”Maxcriedoncetheshockofhisprivateinvestigator’sappearancehadworn
off.Dean’swordshadmadehimforgetallaboutthefactthathe’dcalledJohn,but
heknewhehadtogetahandleonthemisunderstandingbeforeitescalatedintoamurder.
He rushed past Dean and slipped the Alpha’s grasp as Dean reached to stop him. “It’s
alright,”hesaid,puttinghimselfbetweentheAlphaandbeta.“He’snotworkingforChris.
HecameherebecauseofGavin.”
“Sohesays,”Johnmuttered,hiseyesnarrowedashekeptthegunaimedatDean.
“It’strue.Hehasapicture,see?”Maxheldhishandoutexpectantly,andittookthe
Alphaasecondtorealizehewantedthephone.HepulledupthepictureDeanhadshown
himandofferedthephonetoJohn.
The beta stared down at the screen, frowning as he handed the phone back. “So he
does.”Heuncockedthegunandslippeditbackintotheholsterunderneathhistrenchcoat.
“Myapologies.”
“Isthatthingregistered?”Deanaskedwarily.
Maxshothimalook.“Officer,thisisJohnWilson,theprivateinvestigatorIhiredto
findmyson.John,thisis…I’msorry,Ididn’tgetyourname.”
“Dean,” he said, offering his hand to John. “Detective Dean Garza. The government
kind,nottheprivatekind.”
Johnsmirked,returningtheman’shandshakeabitmorefirmlythanheeverdidwith
Max.“Apleasure.Sorryforjumpingtoconclusions,butwhenIseeanAlphacorneringan
omegawho’sbeingstalkedagainstasecludedbuilding,Itendtodothat.”
“You make a habit of playing bodyguard for all your clients, huh?” Dean asked
withoutmissingabeat.Maxthoughtthehandshakewasgoingabitlongandturningabit
hostileforpolitecompany.
“OnlytheonesIlike,”Johnshotback,finallylettinghishandfallaway.
“We were just talking about Gavin,” Max said, growing somber as his mind drifted
back to what he and Dean had been talking about before John had shown up. “And the
familythatwantstoadopthim.”
All of John’s uncharacteristic machismo melted into sympathy. He put a hand on
Max’sshouldertocomforthim,andtheomegajoltedwhenheheardthesnarlinDean’s
throat.
“Sorry,” Dean said, clearing his throat. “Weather’s getting to my allergies. Could we
takethisinsidesomewherebeforewedrawanyunwantedattention?”
“That place over there makes a decent burger, and I’m sure Max could use some
coffee,”Johnsaid,leadingtheomegaovertotherestaurant.MaxcaughtDean’sglare,but
hegotthefeelingitwasn’tmeantforhim.
Afewminuteslater,theywereallsettledinaboothonthefarendofthediner.John
was the only one who had enough of an appetite to order things, but Max found the
warmthofhiscoffeemugcomforting,evenifhehadn’tmanagedtosettlethebutterfliesin
his stomach enough to take more than a sip. Over the past few minutes, Dean had been
givingthembotharecapofthecoursehisinvestigationhadtaken,frommeetingGavinat
thepolicestationtotrackingdownMax’sformeremployers.
“That’salotoftroubletogotoinordertoreuniteakidyoujustmetandanomegayou
don’tevenknow,”JohnsaidonceDeanhadfinished.Maxwincedatthechallengeinhis
words,butDeantookitinstride.
“Iguesswebothgoaboveandbeyondwhenitcomestoourprofessionalobligations,”
theAlphasaidpointedly.
Johnsmirked.“Isupposeso.”
Maxwastoowearyandconfusedtosortoutwhateveritwasgoingonbetweenthem,
butforthemoment,allhisfocuswasonGavin.“Whereishenow?”heaskedsoftly.
“He’swithmyfamily,”saidDean.
“Andheknowswhyyou’rehere?”
“He knows I’m looking for you, but I’ve kept him on a need-to-know basis when it
comestothedetailssohedoesn’tgethishopesupfornothing.”
Maxnodded.Deanhadgivenhimalottoprocessoverthelasthourorso,butdespite
the pain the Alpha’s words had caused him, he could recognize that Dean was only
lookingoutforGavin.HehadprotectedhimwhenMaxcouldn’t,andforthat,theAlpha
would always have his gratitude. “Thank you,” he murmured. “For everything you’ve
doneforhim.”
“Youdon’tneedtothankme.Hell,forasecondthere,Iwasthinkingofadoptinghim
myself,”Deansaidwithasmalllaugh.
Maxbithislip.“Thesepeople,theNewports…whataretheylike?”
“Thedad’sadentist,”saidDean,leaningoverthetableonhiselbows.“He’sthekind
of person who makes cheesy jokes about alligator teeth.” He laughed, shaking his head.
“Themom’sanartteacher,andshe’sbeenhelpingGavinworkthroughsomeofhisissues
withpainting.Theyhavetwootherkids,bothinhighschoolandfromwhatIunderstand,
Gavingetsalongwiththem.”
Maxswallowedhard.Theideaofsomeotherfamilyraisinghissonastheirownhurt
more than any blow Chris had ever dealt him, but mostly he was just grateful that
someone had been there to give Gavin the love and attention Max hadn’t been able to.
“They sound wonderful,” he said quietly. “They sound like exactly the kind of people I
alwayshopedhewaswith.”
“You don’t have to make a decision on anything right now, Max,” John said firmly,
keeping his gaze on the Alpha across the table. “And you don’t owe Officer Garza
anythinguntilwehaveachancetospeakwithyourlawyer.”
“I’m not the enemy here,” Dean said, frowning. “If I didn’t want them to get the
chancetobeineachother’slives,Iwouldn’tbehererightnow.Butforthetimebeing,I
think it’s best for everyone involved if Max holds off on walking into Gavin’s life until
Chrisisoutofthepicture.”
“Thatwecanagreeon,”saidJohn.“ChrisBramisaproblemthatneedstobetaken
careof.”
“Bram?”Deanechoed,lookingfromJohntoMax.“ChrisBramisGavin’sfather?”
“Soyou’veheardofhim,”Maxsaidquietly.Hereitwas.Nowhejusthadtowaitfor
Deantobackpedalonhelpingthematallandhopehehadthedecencynottoturnagainst
themwhenheran.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of him,” Dean muttered. “Every time he works a case in my
precinct,theevidencelockerendsupalittlelessfull.”
“Thenyouunderstandwhatwe’redealingwith,”saidJohn.“Theonlyquestionis,are
youheretohelportomakethingsworse?”
Deanheldthebeta’sgaze.“I’mhereforGavin,andprotectinghimmeansprotecting
Max.Thatshouldansweryourquestion.Nowhere’soneforyou.What’syourrealinterest
inMax?”
“DetectiveGarza,”Maxhissed.“That’suncalledfor.”
“It’salright.HeisanAlpha,”Johnsaid,smirkingashesippedhiscoffee.“Iwouldn’t
expecthimtounderstanddecencyforitsownsake.”
Deansnorted,leaningbacktodrapehisarmoverthebackofthebooth.“Aslongas
we understand each other. I have a plan for dealing with Chris, but it’s gonna require a
teameffort.Thinkyoucanhandletakingabackseat?”
“Ifit’sintheinterestofputtingthatassholebehindbars,there’snoendtowhatIcan
tolerate,”Johnrepliedcoolly.
Max listened intently as the Alpha started detailing his plan. Max was still warring
betweenhisreluctancetotrustanyAlphaandthestrangeinstinctthattoldhimtherewas
something different about Detective Dean Garza. Something his heart seemed to
understandintuitively,evenifhehadn’tyetwrappedhisheadaroundit.Hewasn’tsurehe
hadfullywrappedhisheadaroundtheplan,either,butitwasbetterthananythinghe’dbe
abletocomeupwithonhisown.
Hestillwasn’tsurewhyDeancared enoughtohelp himatall. InMax’sexperience,
Alphas with authority always wielded it to exploit those weaker than them rather than
help, but Dean had put himself on the line for Gavin, and Max decided that was good
enoughforhim.
A
C H A P T E R 2 1
D E A N
s Dean watched Max leave the Buffalo police station from the curb across the
street,hecouldsensetheomega’sfear.Hefeltlikeshitforsendinghiminthere
alone,butitwasnecessaryiftheplanwasgoingtoworkandJohnagreed.The
beta’s interest in Max seemed obvious to everyone but the omega himself, but Dean
remindedhimselfthathehadnogroundstotakehisirritationoutonJohnwhenallhe’d
donewashelp.
Sofar.Ifthatchanged,thebetacouldcountonspendingtherestofhisholidaysina
hospitalroom,butforthemoment,theyhadformedanunspokentruce.
If all went according to plan, John would be meeting them outside the mall soon to
outfitMaxwithawire.DeandoubteditwouldtakelongforChristorealizeMaxhadfiled
a report for harassment since the Alpha obviously had eyes and ears everywhere. Or at
least,thatwaswhathewantedthepeopleheintimidatedintosilencetothink.
Dean knew for a fact that Chris had been under suspicion from his higher ups for
years, but suspicion and proof were two different things. He’d grown cocky and all it
wouldtakewasabitofapushtogethimtoouthimselfasthecretinhewas.Theideaof
using his omega as bate made Dean’s stomach churn, but he knew if they didn’t act
quickly,ChriswouldbetheoneincontrolagainandneitherMaxnorGavinwouldbefree
tolivetheirlivesthewaytheydeserved.
“How’ditgo?”Deanasked,openingthedoorforMaxoncehearrived.
“TheofficerwhotookmyreportlookedatmelikeIjustshothiscat,buttheyfiledit,”
Maxmuttered,slippingintoDean’struck.
“I hate to say this, but good. That makes our job easier if he knows Chris,” he said,
checkingtomakesurenoonehadseenMaxgetintohistruckbeforehetookoff.
“IsJohnstillgoingtomeetus?”theomegaasked,rubbinghishandstogether.
Deanturnedtheheaton.“LastIheard.Justknowwe’rebothgoingtobewatchingand
listeningthewholetime,alright?You’renevergoingtobealonewithhim,notreally.”
“Hejusthastothinkthat,”Maxsaidinatoneofresolution.“Ijustneedhimtoconfess
towhathedid.”
“To stalking you,” Dean corrected. “That’s all we need. If the other stuff comes up
organically,fine,butwejustneedhimtoconfesstodoingwhatyousaidinthereport.No
matterhowmanyfriendshehasinhighplaces,it’shiswordagainsthimself.”
Maxnodded.“Icandoit.”
Dean couldn’t help but smile. Max had never once faltered in his willingness to go
alongwiththeplan,eventhoughDeancouldtellitmadehimnervous.“Iknowyoucan.”
MaxfellsilentandDeancouldtellhewasdeepinthought.“So,youandJohnseemto
have gotten pretty close through the investigation, huh?” He told himself he was just
askingthequestiontotakeMax’smindoffhisnerves,butdeepdown,heknewitwasself-
serving.
Theomegagavehimastrangelook.“He’sagoodperson.We’refriends,ifthat’swhat
youmean.”
Itwasn’tandMaxknewit,butDeanshrugged.“Hedoesseemprettyfriendlytoward
you.”
Maxsighed.“Listen,ifyou’restilltryingtofishforinfotodeterminewhetherI’mafit
parent,youcouldatleastbeupfrontaboutit.”
That was actually the last thing on his mind, but it was less embarrassing than
admittingthetruth,whichwasthathewasirrationallyjealousofanomegahe’djustmet
thedaybefore,soDeanwentwithit.“Justmakingconversation.”
The omega folded his arms with a huff. “For your information, there’s nothing
romantic between us. Between me and anyone, for that matter. I’m one-hundred percent
focusedonmyson,andthat’snotgoingtochangeforalongtime.”
“Right,” Dean said. The omega’s words were the reality check he needed to get his
thoughtsbackontrack.AshepulledintothebackoftheparkinglotoutsideBrattleton’s,
Dean found himself wishing for more time alone with Max, even if that was
counterproductivetohisgoalsforthemoment.“So,how’sthenewjobtreatingyou?”
“It’sgreat,”saidMax.“Mybossisawesome,andRomanEnterpriseshasbeennothing
but good to me from the day I started. They gave me a chance when no one else would
have,youknow?”
DeanknewMaxdidn’tmeananythingbyit,butthewordsstillhithimlikeapunchin
the gut. Here he was questioning his own mate’s fitness as a parent while some random
corporation had been able to look past his former career and see his potential. As far as
Dean could tell, Max had fulfilled it in every way. It wasn’t every omega who could
withstandthekindoftraumahe’dbeenthroughandcomeoutontheothersidewillingto
fight not only for himself but for a child he’d barely even gotten the chance to know.
Anyoneelsemighthavegivenupinhiscircumstances.Maybehedidn’thavethelifethe
Newportsled,butthathadtocountforsomething,didn’tit?
AknockonthewindowjoltedDeanbacktoattention.Heunlockedthecardoorswhen
hesawJohnwatchingthem.Hewouldgrudginglyadmitthatthebetaseemedlikeadecent
enoughguy,butheseriouslyneededtoworkonnotactinglikesuchaweirdo.
“Are you ready?” John asked, opening Max’s door. Dean had to stifle another growl
whenthebetaofferedhishandtohelpMaxoutofthetruck.
“ReadyasI’mgonnabe,”Maxsaidwithanervouslaugh.Deanwalkedaroundtothe
othersideofthetruckasJohnpulledasmallmicrophonesetoutofablackplasticcase.
MaxunbuttonedhisshirtandDeantriednottoactlikeacompletecavemanwhilethebeta
putthemiconunderneathhismate’sshirt.
“Justremember,there’snoneedtotalkintothemicrophoneorraiseyourvoice,”said
John.“Aslongashe’swithinfivefeet,therecordershouldpickupeverythinghesays.”
“Gotit.WhatdoIdowhenhesayswhatweneedhimtosay?”
“I’ll call the store on the number you gave me that goes to the back,” said John.
“Excuseyourselftoansweritandwe’llescortyououtofthestorefromthere.Ifthere’s
anysignoftrouble,we’llcomein.”
Maxnodded.“Okay.”
“Are you sure you’re good with this?” Dean asked, starting to have second thoughts
abouthisownplan.“Wecanfindanotherway…”
MaxandJohnbothfrownedathim.“I’mfine,”theomegasaidpointedly.“Areyou?”
“Yeah.Yeah,ofcourse.Justmakingsureyou’renothavingsecondthoughts.”Because
allgreatrelationshipsstartoutwithlying,thoughtDean.
Not that Max was going to want anything to do with him by the time it was safe to
comeoutwiththetruth.
“Alright,youshouldgoon,”saidJohn.“You’reduetoclockbackinwithinthenext
fiveminutes.”
“Wishmeluck,”Maxsaid,pullinghiscoattighteraroundhimandlookingbothways
beforehedartedacrossthestreetandintothestore.
“Nowwewait,”saidJohn,slippingintothetruck.
“Guesswe’rewaitingtogether,”Deanmutteredunderhisbreath,gettingbackin.He
watched as John adjusted the radio on his lap. He could hear the omega greeting his
coworkersandsettlingbackintotheroutineofthesecondhalfofhisshift.
“Alright, it looks like everything is set,” John announced once he finally seemed
satisfiedwithhisadjustments.
“Good.”Deanleanedbackagainsthisseat,proppinghisarmupagainstthedoor.He
hated that he needed anyone else’s help, but he was always the muscle when it came to
stingoperations,andhedidn’tknowhiswayaroundahotmicanymorethanaspaceship.
“So,” John said casually after a few minutes of silence other than the sounds of an
especially chatty customer coming through the speakers, “how does it feel to imprint on
someoneyoujustmet?”
Deandidadouble-take.Thebetawaswearingasmugexpression.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was it supposed to be a secret?” John asked innocently. “If so, you
mightwanttobeabitlessobviousaboutit.”
“Youmeanlikeyourlittlecrushonhim?”Deanshotback.“NotthatIblameyoufor
keepingthatunderwraps.”
“Maybe you’re right, and my feelings toward Max aren’t as platonic as I’d like to
think. It doesn’t matter, I know we’re not compatible. Doesn’t mean I care about what
happenstohimanyless.”
“Can’tsayIblameyou,”Deanmuttered.“I’vebarelyknownhimforadayandI’ve
alreadyfallenforhim.EvenifIhadn’timprinted,Iwould’ve.He’sthatkindofomega.”
“Whenareyougoingtotellhim?”
“Haven’tfiguredthatpartoutyet.OnceChrisistakencareof,there’sstillthematter
ofMaxgettingcustody,andIdon’twanttostandinhisway.”
“Ithoughtyouwantedhimtoagreetotheadoption.”
Dean frowned. “No. I… it doesn’t matter what I want. It’s not about me, it’s about
GavinandMax.Aboutwhat’sbestforthebothofthem.”
“Generally speaking, I’d say a child being with the parent who loves him is almost
alwayswhat’sbest.”
“And you think Max is ready for that?” Dean asked. “After everything he’s been
through,youthinkhecanhandlepickingupwhereheleftoffaftertwelveyears?”
“Ithinkthat’suptoMaxandnottome,”Johnreplied.“ButI’llsayonething,ifIwere
a kid and I had a choice between being born into royalty or to a struggling omega who
lovedmeasmuchasMaxloveshisson,Iwouldn’thesitate.”
Deanlistenedtothebeta’swordsandletthemsinkin.Hestillwasn’tsurehowhewas
supposedtogivehismatethesupportheneededwhilemaintainingthedistancenecessary
togivehimthebestchanceatimpressingthecourt,andthehourthatpasseduneventfully
didn’t bring him any closer. He’d started to zone out when he heard the rumbling of an
undercoverpolicecruiserpullingintothelot.
“That’shim,”hesaid,sittingupsharply.Thetruckwaswellobscuredbytheshadows
ofthetreesonthefarendoftheparkinglot,andDeanhadpurposelychosenaspotunder
a street lamp that was burnt out, so he could see Chris without the other Alpha seeing
them.
“Areyousure?”Johnasked,squinting.
“I’mtheonewho’smethim,”Deanmuttered.
Johnfiddledwiththeradio,turningthedialtoraisethevolume.Chrisdisappearedinto
thestoreandDean’snailsdugintotheupholsteryofhistruckashestruggledtoremind
himselfthatgoinginnowwoulddefeattheplan.
Thiswasgoingtobeharderthanhe’dthought.
T
C H A P T E R 2 2
M A X
he moment Chris walked through the door, Max’s heart leaped with hope
and terror. If he played his cards right, the fear he’d lived in for twelve
years would be over, even if his fight to get his son back was just
beginning. Nonetheless, he felt his courage waning the closer Chris got, even knowing
thatJohnandDeanwerelisteningcloseby.
The look in the Alpha’s eyes was stone cold, and Max knew the only thing keeping
him safe was the fact that they were in a semi-public location. The store was quiet and
therehadn’tbeenacustomerinthestorefornearlyanhour,butevenChriswoulddraw
thelineatattackinghiminastorefullofcameras.
Hehoped.
“Did I not make myself clear the other night, or are you just even dumber than I
imagined?”
Max took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. “I don’t know what you’re
talkingabout,”hesaid,takinggreaterinterestinthecounterhewaswipingdown.
Chriscaughthiswristandsqueezedhardenoughtohurtasheleanedin,hiseyeslivid.
“DidyoureallythinkyoucouldruntotellonmeandIwouldn’tfindoutaboutit?Evena
stupidwhorelikeyoushouldknowbetterthanthat.”
“Youthreatenedme,”Maxgrittedoutthroughthepain.Heknewifhemadeitobvious
that Chris was hurting him, John would come in before he’d had a chance to get the
Alpha’sconfessionontape.
“You’remine,”Chrisseethed.“IletyouscurryoffliketheratyouarebecauseIfelt
pityforyou,butthat’sallovernow.Youthinkyoucangotothepolice?Iownthepolice.
There’snowhereyoucanhidefromme,nothingyoucantakeforyourselfthatIhaven’t
allowedyou.Andtrustme,Max,thereisanendtomygenerosity.”
Maxswallowedhard.Thiswasenough,oratleast,he’dthoughtitwas.Buthecould
see it now, the way Chris’ lawyers would spin his words into an “innocent
misunderstanding.”TheAlphawouldwalkifhegaveinnow.He’dgetawaywithit,like
healwaysdid.
“Yourgenerosity,”heechoedwithabitterlaugh.“Isthatwhatyoucalleditwhenyou
soldourchildtothehighestbidder?Generosity?”
Chris’ eyes narrowed. “The best thing I ever did for that brat was making sure he
wasn’t raised by you. But if it’s a child you want so badly, I’ll give you one.” He
wrenchedMax’sarmandpulledhimaroundthecounter,dragginghimtowardstheback.
“No!”Maxshrieked,jerkinghisarmback.Chris’gripdidn’tbudgeasheheadedfor
thedoorthatledintothebackroom.Maxscreamedatthetopofhislungs,turninghimself
todeadweightwhenhisstrugglingprovedineffective.
“That’s enough,” Chris snarled, grabbing him by the front of the shirt to slam him
against the wall. He clamped a hand over Max’s mouth and froze, groping the omega’s
collartopluckthewirefromitstape.Hiseyesnarroweddangerously,buttheonlysound
Max heard was his own whimpering. Chris yanked the wire the rest of the way out and
threwittotheground,crushingitwithhisboot.
Chrisgrabbedahandfuloftheomega’shairanddraggedhimkickingandstruggling
acrossthefloor,backovertothecounter.Hereachedunderneathandslammedthesilent
alarm.Maxheardtheautomaticdoorslockaroundthemandfroze.
“Youthinkyou’reclever,don’tyou?”Chrisseethed,throwinghimtotheground.He
stalkedovertothemallentrance,pullingdownthemetalgratetheotherstoreshadalready
lowered. Brattleton’s was always the last to close, and Max’s heart raced as he realized
John and Dean didn’t stand a chance at getting in through that way. While Chris was
distracted,hescrambledtohisfeetandboltedforthebackroom.Itdidn’tlockforsafety
reasons, but he shoved a chair from the break room underneath the door and hoped it
wouldgivehimenoughtimetothinkofsomething.
Max struggled to take a deep enough breath to calm his panicked mind, but he
remembered to shut off the lights and darted back through the plastic slats covering the
opendoorwaythatledoutontotheloadingdock.
The dock was massive and filled with semi-trucks loaded with items ready to be
stocked when the freight workers came in the early morning. Max searched the room in
thedark,finallyspottingaladderthatleduptothehighshelvesofextragoodsthestore
kept to replenish during the holiday sales. If he could get up there and push the ladder
down,maybehecouldwaitoutChrisuntilhelpcame.
He could already hear the Alpha trying to ram through the break room door, so he
raceduptheladder.Beforehe’dreachedthetop,heheardtheflapsrustleasChrisbroke
intotheroomwithasnarl.
“Wherethefuckareyou?”theAlphagrowled,hissteel-toedbootsfallinghardonthe
cementfloor.Maxheldhisbreathandstayedwherehewasontheupperrungs,afraidhe’d
drawChris’attentionbeforehehadachancetomakeittothetop.
WhenChrisfinallyfoundhimintheshadows,Maxflewtherestofthewayup,butthe
Alpha caught the bottom of the ladder before he could get all the way up. He felt Chris
shakingtheladderviolentlyashegraspedontotheledgeofthetopshelfandtheladder
fellaway.Maxletoutasharpcryashefoundhimselfhangingfromthetwelve-footshelf,
barely managing to scramble up on top of it before Chris pulled the whole thing down.
Max took a leap and grabbed onto the next aisle over, but just barely, as the first shelf
wentcrashingtothefloorandChrisgaveastrangledcry.
The omega panted, barely able to see through the pulsing capillaries blurring his
vision.Heheldfasttotheshelfandprayeditwasn’tgoingtotipoverashewaitedforany
signthatChriswasstillalive,orconscious.
“Max!” The muffled sound of Dean calling his name came through the aluminum
doorsoutsidetheloadingdockandMax’sheartleapedwithrelief.“Letusin!”
Theomegatookanotherdeepbreathandgropedthedarknessforafoothold.Oncehis
toehitthelowershelf,hedroppeddownjustenoughtogetabettergraspandgradually
climbedtherestofthewayuntilhefeltsafetojumpwithoutbreakinghislegs.Allstore
employeeshadtogothroughbasicwarehousesafetytraining,soheknewtheoverridefor
theloadingdockdoorwasalongtheeastwallsomewhere.Ashetookonestepatatime
andfelthiswayalongthewall,thesoundofshufflingboxesdrewhisattentiontothefact
thathewasn’talone.
Asahandwrappedaroundhisankle,Maxcriedoutinalarm.Chrisyankedhimdown
justashisfingersbrushedthecontrolpanelonthewallandhisheadhitthecementfloor
hardenoughtorenderhimunconsciousforasplitsecond.Ashestruggledtorighthimself,
he heard the sound of a gun firing from outside, the bullet echoing as it grazed off the
metal lock. The door creaked and groaned in protest as someone peeled it open from
outside,andMaxcaughtasliveroflightfromthestreetlampsinhisfoggyvision.
Chris’handclosedaroundhisthroatandMaxscreamedjustbeforetheAlphacutoff
hissupplyofoxygen.ThedooropenedfullyandMaxcouldbarelymakeoutthesilhouette
ofDeanholdingitupwithhisbarehandsasJohnrushedintotheroom.Thebetaraisedhis
gunandfiredthreeshotsintothedark.
Withasnarlofrage,Chris’grasploosenedandhefelltohisknees.Maxscrambledout
fromunderneathhimandmadeamaddashforthedoor,stoppingonlywhenhecollided
withDean.TheAlphareleasedthebrokendoorandtookMaxintohisarms,holdinghim
tightenoughthatMaxcouldscarcelybreathe.
Not that it mattered. No matter how much or how little oxygen was getting to his
brain,noneofitfeltreal.
T
C H A P T E R 2 3
D E A N
he moment Chris had said the words they were all waiting for, Dean had
gonefromfeelingrelievedthatitwasfinallyovertoworriedthatMaxwas
keeping the conversation going. “Shit,” he muttered, already reaching for
hisdoorwhenheheardthestaticofMax’smicrophonegettingdestroyed.
DeancaughtsightofChrisloomingovertheomegaonthefloorjustashe’dreached
thefrontdoors,butwhenhetriedtopullthemopen,theywerelocked.Hepulledouthis
gunandfiredafewshotsatthelock,thentheglasswhenherealizedthatwasn’tworking,
butthethickplasticpolymeronlysplintered.
“Over here!” John called, rushing past him as he ran around to the other side of the
building.Deanwashesitanttofollowthebeta’slead,butwhenheglancedbacktocheck
onMax,boththeAlphaandomegaweregone.
“Youknowanotherwayin?”Deandemanded,catchingupwithJohnasthebetacame
toastopinfrontofthedoors.Helookedthemupanddown,frowning.
“They’reonautomaticlocks.We’llhavetooverridethem.”
“Howarewesupposedtodothat?”
The beta pulled his own gun and fired at the thick electronic lock. The circuits
crackled as they shorted out and Dean blinked. “That works,” he muttered, reaching for
thehandleontheothersideofthedoor.Atfirst,itrefusedtobudgenomatterhowhardhe
pulled.
“Wait,”Johncried,pointingupabovethem.“There’sanotherpanel.”
“Shootit,”Deanhissed.Whenheheardthesoundofamassivecrashfrominsidethe
loadingdock,hisinstinctswentintooverdrive.Thebetafired,takingoutthesecondlock
andassoonasDeanheardthecircuitsfry,hestartedpullingthedooropenwithrenewed
earnest.Themetalgroanedandprotestedagainsthisforce,butthelatchfinallybrokeand
hemanagedtopryitup.Itwastoodarkinsidethewarehousetoseeanythingclearly,but
Johnrushedinandfired.
Dean’sheartstoppedbeatingashesearchedthedarkness,desperatetocatchsightof
the omega. When Max ran into his arms, he was sure he was about to learn if it was
possibletogointocardiacarrestfromrelief.
Deanheldtheomegatighterthanhe’dheldanyoneinhislifeandnomatterhowmuch
chaoswasgoingonaroundthem,herefusedtolethimgo.
“He’s alive,” John called, his voice strained through the sounds of the other Alpha’s
groans.“Alittlehelphere,please?”
“I’llberightback,”Deanpromised,takingMax’sfaceinhishands.“You’renothurt,
areyou?”
Maxshookhishead,shakinglikealeaf.Deanpulledhimselfawayfromtheomegato
assistJohn,whowasbarelymanagingtoholdontotheragingAlpha,gunshotwoundsand
all.HegrabbedhishandcuffsandlockedthemtightaroundChris’wrists,pinningthemto
hisbackashedughiskneeinhard.“You’reunderarrest,”hesaidthroughgrittedteeth.
Neverhadhedelightedmoreinsayingthosewords,eventhoughhewasmorethanabit
reluctanttohandChrisovertothemercyofthelaw.Hehadnone,andifithadn’tbeenfor
Max and Gavin, the Alpha wouldn’t take another breath. “You have the right to remain
silent.Anythingyousaycan—“
“Fuckyou,”Chrissnapped.
Deangrabbedthebackofhisheadandslammedhisfacedownhardonthecement.He
looked up at John as the bloody-nosed Alpha went limp underneath him, groaning in
agony.“Hewasresistingarrest.Yousawthat,right?”
“Oh,yes,”abeleagueredJohnreplied,plantinghishandsonhiskneesashestruggled
tocatchhisbreath.Hewipedhisbloodylipwiththebackofhissleeve,hiseyesfullof
coldjudgmentashestareddownatahalf-consciousChris.“Resistanttothelast.”
“As I was saying,” Dean growled, turning back to his prisoner as John dialed the
policeonhisphone.“Anythingyousaycanandwillbeheldagainstyou,butbetweenyou
andme,pal?Iwouldn’tworrytoomuch.Yousaidmorethanenoughalready,andwegot
itallontape.”
A
C H A P T E R 2 4
M A X
sMaxsathuddledonachairatthepolicestationwithablanketwrappedaround
hisbloodyclothes,hefeltliketheterrifiedteenagerhe’doncebeen,sittingona
doctor’stablewaitingforthenewsthatwouldchangetherestofhislifetosink
in. All the mingled joy and fear he’d felt at learning he was pregnant had been dashed
when his older lover had discovered the truth he’d tried to keep so carefully, both from
Chrisandhisparents.
He’d been so desperate to believe the Alpha’s words then, promises of a life lived
together in peace if he came away with Chris and cut himself off from the parents who
wouldundoubtedlyjudgehimandforcehimtomakeachoicehecouldn’tlivewith.When
Chris had turned around and committed the same betrayal he’d used to drive the wedge
betweenMaxandhisparents,theomegahadbeensurehisheartwasasbrokenasitwas
evergoingtobe.
Then,he’dheldhissoninhisarmsandinthosefewfleeingmoments,allthepainand
fearandlonginghadbeenworthit.Thosepreciousmomentsbecametheonelightinthe
twelve years of darkness that had followed, as black as the night Chris had stolen their
infantsonfromthebassinetbesideMax’shospitalbed.
Twelveyearsandhestillfeltliketheboyhe’dbeenthenaspolicequestionedhisstory
eventhoughtheevidenceofitwaswrittenonhisbodyinbloodyscrapesandbruises.Ifit
hadn’tbeenforDeanandJohnstandingathisside,Maxwasn’tsurewhathewouldhave
done.Ifhewouldhavecollapsedunderthescrutinyandtheimplicationsthathewaslying.
Oncethetapecameout,theinvestigatorschangedtheirtune,andJohnwasalltoohappy
toremindthemthathe’dalreadysentacopyofthefilestohimselfandafewhundredof
hisclosestfriendsonline,justincaseChris’habitof“losingevidence”wasadepartment-
wideissue.
Aftersixhoursofquestioning,Maxandhisco-conspiratorswerefinallyreleasedfor
the night with the warning that they needed to stay in town. Dean got them a couple of
rooms, and while Max feared the moment the Alpha and beta would leave him for the
night,Johnwastheonetoleavefirstonhisown.
“Ishouldletyougetsomerest,”hemurmured,givingMaxatiredsmile.Hislipwas
stillswollenandbruised,buttoMax’srelief,nooneelsehadbeenbadlyhurtbecauseof
his desperate need to illicit a full confession from Chris. Looking back, it was the most
foolish,recklessthinghe’deverdone,andthefactthatithadworkedoutinhisfavordid
nothingtolessenhisguilt.
MaybeDeanwasright.Maybehewasn’tmatureorresponsibleenoughtogiveGavin
thelifehedeserved.Maybehe’dbeenlyingtohimselfwhenhe’dsaidhewouldstepout
ofhisson’slife,ifthatwastrulywhatwasbestforhim.
“Takecareofhim,Dean,”Johnsaid,staringtheAlphadown.
“I will,” Dean promised, walking him over to the door. Something had changed
betweenthetwooftheminthetimethathadelapsedsincetheinceptionoftheirplanand
itschaoticunfolding.
Oncethedoorwasshut,MaxforcedhimselftomeettheAlpha’sgaze.“I’msorry,”he
saidsoftly.
Dean frowned, crossing the room to sit in a chair across from Max’s bed. “Sorry?
Whatfor?”
“Iwentagainsttheplan,”hesaidguiltily.“Icouldhavegottenyoubothkilled.”
“Oh,that,”Deansighed,runningahandthroughhishair.“Itwasaprettyrecklessplan
fromthebeginningandthere’splentyofblametogoaroundforthat.Whatmattersisthat
you’resafe.Andthatitworked.EvenChris’buddiescan’tgethimoutofthisone.”
“You’resure?”Max’svoicecracked.
“I’mgoingtomakesure.”DeanstoodtodrapeablanketoverMax’sshoulders.“CanI
getyouanything?”
“You’vealreadydoneenough.”Hehesitated,forcinghimselftospeakthewordshe’d
never thought he would say. The words that he knew would make his heart break with
everysyllable.“ButthereisonemorefavorIneedtoaskofyou.”
“Anything,”Deansaidwithouthesitation.
“TellGavinI’msorry.”Tearsslippeddownhischeeksashetriedtoholdbackthesob
welling in his throat. “When you see him, tell him I love him more than he could ever
know,butheneedstogowiththeNewports.Thatheneedstoliveabetterlifethantheone
Icouldevergivehim,andtellhimI’msorryIcan’tbetheretotellhiminperson.Ijust
know if I do, I’m not going to be strong enough to do what’s best for him if it means
givinghimtosomeoneelse.”
Dean listened in silence, but the Alpha said nothing long after Max was finished.
Whentheomegafinallygotthecouragetolookupathim,hewasn’texpectingthelookof
guiltontheotherman’sface.
Dean sank to his knees suddenly, taking Max’s face in his hand. His touch was
surprisinglygentleashesweptthetearsfromtheomega’seyes.“You’rewrong,Max.So
wasIwhenIsaidgivingupwasthebestthingyoucoulddoforGavin,”hesaidsoftly.“If
there’sonethingthat’sbecomecleartomethispastcoupleofdays,it’sthatthere’snoone
inthisworldwho’sbetterforhimthanyouare.AndI’mgoingtomakesureyougetthe
chancetotellhimhowmuchyoulovehiminperson.”
“ButI—“
“Shh.Justlisten,”Deanpleaded,sweepinghisthumboverMax’slips.Thetouchsent
a shiver down the omega’s spine, and he didn’t fully understand the trance the Alpha’s
low,methodicalvoicewasputtinghimunder,buthefoundhimselfwantingtogiveintoit.
“I was wrong, Max. I don’t care what you had to do to survive in the past, it doesn’t
matter.AndChriswaswrong,too.Youaresmart,andstrongandkind.You’reeverything
anyonecouldaskforinaparent,afriend,a…”hetrailedoff,leavingMaxtowonderwhat
hewasgoingtosay.“ThepointI’mtryingtomakeintheclumsiestpossiblewayisthat
you’vecomethisfarbecauseyouwerewillingtofightforGavin,andIwon’tletyougive
upthisclosetothefinishline.Youneedhim,andheneedsyou.Youbelongtogether,asa
family.”
“I can’t give him what they can,” Max said, taking a shallow breath. “I’m just one
person.Hedeservestwoparentswholovehim,whocangivehimthekindoflifeIhad.
TheoneIthrewawayforChris.”
“Love isn’t about perfection, Max. It’s about how much of your heart you can give
someone,nothowhowmanythingsyouhave.”
“Evenifthat’strue,itdoesn’tmeanthecourtwillbelievethat,”saidMax.“Itdoesn’t
mean they’ll give him to a single omega over a married couple with two kids of their
own.”
Deanseemedtohesitate,hisgazesofteningashesearchedMax’sface.“Ihaveaplan
onhowtohandleit,butIwantyoutomeetGavinfacetofacebeforeItellyouwhatitis.I
needyoutotrustme.”
Maxbithislip.“Doesthisplaninvolveanymorewires?”
TheAlphasmiledandMax’sheartstartedracingagain,butthistime,fearwasn’tthe
culprit.Itwassomethingfarmoreunsettlingthanthat,andhewastooexhaustedtosortit
out.“Nomorewires,”hepromised.“Getsomesleep,alright?Yourlawyershouldbehere
inthemorning,andfromthere,itwon’tbelongbeforeweheadbacktoSage.
Max nodded reluctantly. He slipped underneath the covers and watched as Dean
movedtowardthedoor.“Wait,”hecalledsheepishly.
“Whatisit?”
“Wouldyou…stay?”Maxswallowedhard,buthisprideformedalumpinhisthroat.
“It’sjustthatI’mscaredtobealoneafter…youknow.”
“Of course,” said Dean, sitting down on the other bed. He turned out the lights and
murmured,“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” said Max, rolling over onto his side. Even in the darkness, he felt safe
knowingDeanwasnear.
D
C H A P T E R 2 5
D E A N
ean had been doubtful that Roman Enterprises would follow through on its
promise to provide legal support for all of its employees, but the beta who
arrived that morning to escort them to the police station was nothing shy of
professional. She had them in and out within two hours, and the officers who had given
themtherunaroundthenightbeforeweresuddenlymorethanhelpfulwhenshedropped
theRomanfamilyname.
ThecompanyhadextendedaleaveofabsencetoMaxandarepresentativeofReece
Roman’s had called the omega that morning to reassure him that his job would still be
therewhenhe’drecovered.
By mid-afternoon, Dean was waiting outside his truck as Max and John said their
goodbyes, and he told himself he wasn’t going to interfere. He meant it, too, no matter
howmucheffortittooktostayputwhileJohnembracedhisunwittingmate.
The beta’s eyes met Dean’s as he finally pulled away and offered his hand to the
Alpha.“Niceworkingwithyou,Dean.Youevergettiredofotherpeopletellingyouwhat
todo,you’dmakeaprettydecentprivateeye.”
Deansmirked,returningthehandshake.“Youevergettiredofplayingdetective,you
wouldn’tmakeahalf-badcop.”
ToDean’ssurprise,Johnpulledhiminforahug,butasthebetaleanedintowhisper
inhisear,herealizeditwasnofondfarewell.“YouhurthimandI’llcomeallthewayto
Amishcountryjusttokickyourass,andtrustme,Iknowhowtohideabody.”
Deanchuckled,pullingaway.“I’msureyoudo.Takecare,andtrynottopointthattoy
gunatanyoneunlessyoumeanit,alright?”
Thebetaflippedhimoffbeforegettingintohiscar.
MaxlookedupatDean,smilingdespitethesighofjudgmentthatpassedhislips.That
morning,helookedlikeawholenewperson.Aweighthadbeenliftedfromhisshoulders
nowthatChriswasinprotectivecustodyatthehospitalandonhiswaytoprisonassoon
ashiswoundshealedover.Therewouldbeatrial,whichDeanwassurewouldbringits
own challenges, but sometimes justice prevailed and for the time being, this was one of
them.
Itwasthereasonhe’dtakenthejobandmomentslikethismadehimrealizehe’dmade
therightdecisiontostickwithit.“Youreadytogo?”
“Yeah,”Maxsaid,eventhoughDeancouldseethenervousnessthatcameoverhim.
“Areyousurehissocialworkerisokaywithit?Idon’twanttobreaktheirrules.”
“I’m sure. I talked to her this morning,” Dean said, helping Max into the truck. The
omega’s things were in the back, and while he’d only packed a bag for the week, Dean
foundhisthoughtsdriftingtotheideaoftakinghisomegabacktoPennsylvaniaonafar
morepermanentbasis.
Once they got on the road, Max seemed lost in space. Dean wished he could say
something to comfort the omega, but the truth was that he was just as nervous. He’d
already grown to love Gavin during the short time he’d spent with the kid, and Max’s
wellbeing had taken precedent over his own from the moment he’d laid eyes on the
omega. He didn’t just want this to work out for both of them, he needed it to. So much
timehadelapsed,andthereweresomanyquestionstobeansweredandwordstobesaid.
The road ahead wouldn’t be easy for either of them to navigate, but Dean had already
sworn to himself that he would do whatever it took to support them both, even if that
meantstayingonthesidelines.
Evenif“theplan”meantdoingtheexactoppositeinpublic.Maxwasrightaboutone
thing:iftheNewportsdecidedMaxwasn’tafitparentandwantedtotakeittocourt,the
court would be torn at best when it came to prioritizing a single omega over a married
couple.Whentheylookedathim,theywouldmakethesamemistakeDeanhadmadeat
first and assume that his past would affect his ability to give Gavin the stable life he
needed.They’dseeamonthofnormalcyandrespectabilitycomparedtotwelveyearsof
flitting from one ruthouse to the next and assume Max had chosen that life rather than
dealtwithitbecauseitwastheonlywayhecouldsurvive.
They’dbewrong,justasDeanhadbeen,butheknewthatitwouldtakemorethanan
emotionalpleatoconvincethem.Hisplan,assumingMaxwaswillingtogoalongwithit,
was to ask the omega for his hand. Dean might not have had the first clue as to how to
raise a kid, but he had a stable job and a solid reputation within the community. It was
onlyamatteroftimebeforehisinvolvementinChris’arrestmadethecourtstartasking
the right questions, and rather than deny his attachment to Max, Dean had decided to
capitalize on it. He still wasn’t sure if admitting that he’d imprinted on Max was wise,
especiallysincetheomegahadalreadybeenpressuredintoarelationshipwithoneAlpha
in the past, but he knew that Max and Gavin had to at least meet before any of them
movedforward.
“CanIaskyousomething?”Maxaskedhalfwaythroughtheirdrive.
“Sure.Whatisit?”
“What’shelike?”
Deansmiledashetookthenextexit.Anotherfiftymilesandthey’dbeinSage.“He’s
gotyoureyes,andIcantellhegetsthestubbornstreakfromyou,too.He’sreallysmart,
too.Imeanlikerocketscientistsmart,ifhewantedtobe,”hesaidwithalaugh.“Kid’sgot
alotofpotential.”
“Hesuredoesn’tgetthatfromme,”Maxmuttered.
“Doubt that.” Dean glanced over at him. “You managed to stay off Chris’ radar all
theseyears.RomanEnterprisesseemstothinkprettyhighlyofyou,too.”
“I just want to do everything I can to repay them for giving me a chance,” he said
softly,gazingoutthewindow.“IhopeGavinneverhastofindoutwhatkindofpersonI
was.”
“You’reasurvivor,Max.Nothingtobeashamedofaboutthat,butthisisafreshstart
forbothofyou.”Hepaused.“Youknow,youhavesomethingelseincommon.”
“What’sthat?”
“You never give up on the people you love.” He smiled a little. “Must be in your
blood.”
Max’s smile turned sad. “I don’t know about that. My parents gave up on me pretty
easily.”
“Theirloss,”saidDean.“That’swhatmymomwouldsay.”
“Are you sure she doesn’t mind me staying there while I’m in town?” he asked
worriedly.
“You kidding? My mom lives to entertain,” he scoffed. “You’ll have a hard time
gettinghertoletyouleave.Iknowshe’sgonnafallinlovewithyouthesecondshemeets
you.”
GodknowsIdid…
Maxseemedtorelax,evenifhisnervousenergyspikedbythetimeDeanpulledupin
frontofthecolonial.“Youdidn’tsayyourhousewasthisbig.”
“There’snoreasontobenervous.Notonmyfamily’saccount,”Deanpromised,going
aroundfortheomega’sdoor.HehelpedMaxoutofthecarandtriednottofixateonhow
rightitfelttohavehismate’shandinhis.
The front door opened when they were halfway up the path, and Claudia appeared
first,awelcomingsmileonherface.“Theretheyare!”shecried,usheringsomeoneoutof
thehouse.Gavinappearedamomentlater,andtheboystoodfrozenonthedoorstepashe
staredatMaxandtheomegastaredback.
For a moment, neither of them made an attempt to move or speak. Dean could feel
Max’sloveandheartacheandterrorthroughthefaintbutgrowinglinkbetweenthemand
knewitwasonlyamatteroftimebeforetheomegastatedtorealizeitwasthere.Maxwas
thefirsttotakeafalteringsteptowardshisson,andeventhoughheseemedtotalkhimself
outoftakinganother,itwasenough.
Gavin took the steps in one leap and didn’t stop running until he’d reached Max,
throwinghisarmsaroundtheomega’sneck.Maxbrokedownthemomenthereturnedhis
son’sembrace,andDeancouldseethetearsstreamingdowntheboy’scheeksastheyheld
eachotherwithoutsayingaword.
Dean’sheartswelledwithjoyatthereunionthathadbeensolongincoming.Nowthat
itwasfinallyhere,heknewitwasamomentGavinandMaxneededtosharetogether.He
quietlyexcusedhimselfandwenttomeethismotheratthedoor.
Thereweretearsintheolderomega’seyesasshereacheduptotouchherson’scheek.
“Ihaveneverbeenprouderofyou,”shewhispered,leaningintokisshischeek.“Youdid
agoodthing.”
Deansmiled,lookingbackatMaxashefussedoverhisson,tearsstreamingdownhis
face.TheirreunionwascharacterizedbyalltheloveandoverflowingjoyDeanhadhoped
itwouldbe,andhisfearthatthedistancebetweenthetwoofthemwouldstandintheway
dissolved.
Forthemoment,hedecidedthatitdidn’treallymatterwhetherMaxeverreturnedthe
feelings that were growing in Dean’s heart by the day. All that mattered was that the
omega was home, and Gavin finally had his answer: he was not only wanted, he was
loved.
M
C H A P T E R 2 6
M A X
ax had spent years wondering what it would be like to hold his whole
world in his arms again, but no dream had ever come close to preparing
himforthejoythatovercamehimthatday.Fromthemomenthe’dheard
hisson’svoiceandlookedinhiseyes,thepainthathadtornwoundssodeepinhisheart
he’dbeensuretheywouldneverhealbegantodisappear.
GavinwaseverythingMaxhadalwayshopedhewouldbecome,withorwithouthim.
Hewassmart,well-mannered,cleverandfarmorecharmingthaneitherofhisbiological
parents.UnlikeChris,therewasasoftnessinhiseyeswheneverhespokeandwhileMax
couldtelltheboywaswaryofhimatfirst,he’dstartedtoopenupinthesixhoursthey’d
spenttalkingthatnight.
At some point or another, Dean had left to go back to his own home and Max felt
guilty for not getting the chance to say goodbye. He told himself he’d be seeing Dean
againsoon.Afterall,theAlphahadyettotellhimwhatthismysterious“plan”ofhiswas.
DeanhadalreadydonesomuchforhimandasGavinspoke,itbecameclearthattheboy
thoughtjustashighlyoftheAlphaasMaxdid.
Thatmorning,ClaudiahadannouncedthatshewasgoingtothestoreandMaxknew
shewasgivingthemtimetotalk.He’dgottenupearlytomakeabreakfastofchocolate
chippancakesandeggs,andfoundhimselfwonderingifGavinlikedthemover-easylike
he did or scrambled like his grandparents. When the boy appeared at the door, yawning
andlookingonlyhalf-awake,hedecidedheprobablywouldn’tnoticeeitherway.
“Morning,”Maxsaidbrightly,hopinghisnervousnesswasn’tasobviousasitfelt.He
set a plate in front of Gavin along with a fresh glass of orange juice. “Hope you’re
hungry.”
“Wow,”Gavinsaid,blinkingatthearrayoffood.“Thanks.”
Thewayhepausedafterhesaidtheword,asifhewasn’tquitesurewhetherheshould
tackon“dad”ornot,wasanawkwardremindertoMaxofjusthowmuchgroundtheyhad
tocover.Hetookaseatacrossfromhissonandsmiled.“So,you’regoingbacktoschool
today,right?”
“Yeah.Iwould’veaskedtostayhome,buttoday’sthedayweturninourdioramasfor
history.”
“Thatsoundsexciting,”Maxsaidearnestly.“Whatdidyoumake?”
“Ahistoricallyaccuratereplicaofarealgladiatorarena,”hesaid,growinganimatedas
hedrownedhispancakeswithsyrup.“Realfakebloodandeverything.”
“Thatsoundsexciting,”Maxlaughed.“Youlikehistory?”
“Yeah.Idunno,IguessonedaymaybeI’dliketobeanarchaeologistorsomething.
Mr.Newportsaysitdoesn’tpaywellandit’skindofcompetitive,though,so…”
Maxfrowned.HestruggledtoremindhimselfthatjustbecausehewasGavin’sfather
didn’tmeanhecouldjustpickupwherehe’dleftoff.“Well,he’srightthatit’simportant
to find a career you can earn a living at, but it’s also important to follow your passions.
I’msureifyouworkhard,youcanbeanamazingarchaeologist.”
“That’dbecool.”Gavinhesitated.“Whatdoyoudo?”
Maxgulped.“Nothingasinterestingasarchaeology,”hesaidwithanervouslaugh.“I
help manage a department store. Making sure things are stocked, scheduling shifts,
dealingwithcustomercomplaints,thatkindofthing.”
“That’sprettycool.Doyougettousethecashregister?”
“Sometimes,”Maxchuckled.“Whenwe’reshort-staffed.”
“That’sawesome.Ihaveagameonmyphonethatletsyourunacashregister.”
“Youdo?”Maxblinked.Gavinpulledhisphoneoutandpulledthegameupasproof.
“Wow.AndhereIthoughtcomputersolitairewasexciting.”
Gavin had already finished his pancakes, but Max noticed him staring down at his
plate,asifhewasdeepinthought.“Issomethingwrong?”
“Iwasjustwondering…Imean,Iknowwejustmet,andit’skindofshortnotice,but
there’s this thing at school in January,” he said carefully. “The kids who get the highest
scores on their dioramas get asked to present them at the history fair, and I just thought
maybeit’dbecoolifyoucame.It’skindofstupidthough,soIdon’tknowifyou’dwant
to.”
“OfcourseIwantto,”Maxsaideagerly.“Ican’tthinkofanyplaceI’dratherbe.”
Gavin’sfacelitup.“Yeah?Okay.MaybeDeanwillcome,too.”
Maxhesitated.“I’msurehe’sgoingtobebusywithworknowthathe’sback,butwe
candefinitelyaskhim.”
“He’sprettycool.Ican’tbelieveheactuallykepthispromisetohelpmefindyou.”
Maxsmiled.“Heisprettycool,isn’the?”
Gavinlookedupasthesoundofthebuspullingupatthestopacrossthestreetdrew
hisattention.Hegulpeddowntherestofhisorangejuiceandslunghisbackpackoverhis
shoulder.“Gottago.Thanksforbreakfast.”
“Anytime,” Max said, offering Gavin his coat. “Have fun at school,” he called,
following him over to the door. As he stood there watching Gavin get onto the bus, he
knewhewasprobablyinflictingmiddleschoolsocialsuicideonhim,buthe’dwaitedso
manyyearsfortheprivilegeofseeinghissonoff,hehopedGavinwouldforgivehimjust
thisonce.Asthebuspulledaway,hisheartstartedachinginthatbittersweetwaythathad
becomethecustomwheneverhethoughtofhisson.
Max didn’t even realize he was crying until he heard Claudia come in through the
kitchendoor.Herushedovertothesink,startingtoputawaythedishes.“Sorry,I’llhave
thesetakencareofinjustasecond.”
“Don’tyouworryaboutit,dear,”shesaidwarmly,eyeingtheextrastackofpancakes
onthecounter.“Ooh,arethosechocolatechips?”
“Helpyourself,”hesaid,offeringheraforkandknife.
Shehesitated,staringdownattheplateassheranahanddownherstomach.“Ireally
shouldn’t, I’m trying to get a head start on my New Year’s resolution… oh, what’s one
littlepancakegoingtohurt?”shescoffed,sittingdownatthecounter.
Max pursed his lips so he wouldn’t laugh. He’d never seen someone convince
themselvesofsomethingquitethatfast.
“Are you alright?” she asked worriedly, watching Max as he rinsed the plate in his
hands.
“Oh,I’mfine,”heinsisted.Whenheglancedup,shewasgivinghimalookthatsaid
sheclearlydidn’tbuythelieandhecouldn’tblameher.Itdidn’tevensoundconvincingto
him.“Okay,I’malittleoverwhelmed,”headmitted.“Imean,I’mhappierthanI’veever
been. I’ve been waiting for this for twelve years and I never imagined this day would
actually come, but now that it has, I just…” He trailed off, letting the plate float to the
bottomofthesink.“IjustkeepthinkingabouthowmuchImissed,youknow?”
Maxwipedhiseyeswiththebackofhishandandforcedhimselftoholdbackthetears
beforetheybecameaflood.“IguesssomepartofmewasconvincedthatjustbecauseI’ve
beenfrozeneversincehewastakenfromme,he’dstillbethebabyIheldinmyarmsthat
day.”
“Andinstead,he’sgrownuprightinfrontofyoureyes,”Claudiasaidsoftly,getting
up from her stool to walk over to him. “It’s something every parent dreads, and you’ve
livedtheworstversion,sweetheart.That’sboundtohurt.”
“He’ssoperfect,”Maxchokedout,coveringhisquiveringlipssincehe’dgivenupon
stoppingthetears.“He’sthisamazinglittlepersonwithallthesedreamsandinterests,and
Imissedallofit.”
“Oh, Max,” Claudia breathed, wrapping her arms around him. “You missed the first
years, but you’ve got the rest of your life to fill with all that’s left to come. And take it
fromsomeonewhoraisedthreechildren—someofthebestpartsareaheadofyou.School
dances,firstdates,sports,collegeapplications,watchinghimgrowupandstartafamilyof
hisown.”Shepulledaway,holdingMaxbytheshoulders.“Youcan’tchangethepast,but
you’regoingtomakeplentyofyourownmemories.Together.”
“Youthinkso?”hesniffed.
“Iknowso.Now,youletmetakecareoftherestofthesedishesandgoonupstairsto
getdressed.Deanjusttextedandaskedmetoletyouknowhe’scomingover.”
“Deantexts?”Maxasked,wonderingwhythatsurprisedhim.TheAlphaseemedlike
thetypeofpersonwhojustwentaroundfromoneplacetothenext,savingthedaybefore
hemovedontothenexttown,likeanold-schoolWesternhero.Theideaofhimhavinga
familyplanandsendingemojiswasabsurdlyamusing.
Claudiagrinned.“Iknowmysoncanbeabitintensewhenyoufirstgettoknowhim,
butstickaroundandhemightsurpriseyou.”
Healreadyhas,thoughtMax.HeclimbedthestairsandgotreadytomeetDean,but
hehadnoideajustwhattheAlphahadinstoreforhim.
D
C H A P T E R 2 7
D E A N
ean had thought of how he might propose to his destined mate from time to
time,butsomehow,he’dalwaysimaginedtheywouldactuallybedatingfirst.
Sillyhim.Heshouldhaveknownbetterthantothinktheuniversewouldmake
something like meeting the omega he’d hopefully spend the rest of his life with as
straightforwardasthat.
He’dgonebackandforthontryingtodecidewhetherornotnowwastherighttimeto
tellMaxhe’dimprinted,andashestoodonthedoorsteptohismother’shouse,hewasno
closertofiguringitout.Hedecidedhe’djusthavetofeeloutthemomentwhenitcame,
buteveniftheofferhewaspreparedtomakeMaxwasoneofconvenience,heintendedto
doittherightway.TherewasaringinhispocketandhealreadyhadplanstotakeMax
out alone so they could talk in private. A stroll in the park wasn’t exactly the romantic
overturehe’dalwaysplanned,butitwasbetterthanaskinghimonhisparents’sofaandif
theplanwasgoingtowork,itneededtobeineffectbeforetheirmeetingwithHenrietta
thefollowingmorning.
When Max answered the door, Dean realized just how long twelve hours could feel
whenthey’dbeenspentapartfromhisdestinedmate.AskingMaxtoactuallybehismate
was more than a matter of appeasing the court, at this point. He needed to be near the
omega, and the idea of Max going back to New York and taking Gavin with him was
unbearable.
“Wow,”hebreathed.“Youlooknice.”
Max looked down at his sweater, parka and jeans like he thought Dean was joking.
“I’mnotreallyfancyoranything.Andyou’rewearingablazer.ShouldIgochange?”
“No,notatall.Ijustwantedto,uh…nevermind,”hecoughed.“Wannagetgoing?”
“Sure,”Maxsaid,followinghimouttothetruck.“Whereareweheaded?”
“Ithoughtwecouldtakeawalkwhilewetalkabouttheplan.”
“Ah,right.Thismysteriousplanofyours.”MaxcockedhisheadandstaredupatDean
astheAlphaopenedhisdoor.“Sowe’redrivingtotakeawalk?”
Deangrinned.“Justtrustme.There’saplaceIthinkyou’lllike.”
Luckily,Maxseemedtobeinapensivemood,sohedidn’tnoticethatDeanwastoo
nervousto talk onthe short driveto the lake. Thepark that surroundedit was small but
well-kept,andtherewereevergreenplantsandflowersbloomingindefiancetothechilly
weather. Dean grabbed a blanket he kept in the back of the truck and draped it over his
arm,motioningforMaxtofollowhimdownthepath.
“This is beautiful,” Max breathed as they walked under the archway of barren trees,
white light streaming through the branches from the winter sky. The clouds were heavy
andDeancouldsmellthesnowintheair.Thelakewasalreadypartiallyfrozenover,and
soontherewouldbefamiliesskatingaroundit.Hewasrelievedthattheymostlyhadthe
parktothemselvesfortheday.
“Ithoughtyoumightlikeit.Usedtocomeherealottothink.”
“Whatstoppedyou?”
“Otherthannothavingalottothinkabout?”Deanteased.“Justworkmostly.”
“Youmustbebusy.I’msorryyou’vehadtousesomuchofyourtimeoffhelpingme
andGavin.”
“Itwasmypleasure.Anyway,thisisthefirsttimeI’vehadsomethingbesidesworkto
focusoninawhile,”headmitted.“It’snice.Imean,notthecircumstances,just…”Max
smiledpatientlyandDeansighed.“I’mnotgoodatthis.”
“Goodatwhat?”theomegaasked.
“Serioustalks.IcanreadaguyhisMirandarightsinmysleep,butwhenitcomesto
lifestuff,Iturnintoablatheringidiot,”hemuttered.
Maxstoppedwalkingbyanemptybench,lookingupattheAlphainconcern.“Iknow
wedon’tknoweachotherverywell,butwe’vebeenthroughalotinashorttime.AndI
literallyoweyoumylife.Whateveritis,Dean,youcantellme.”
Deangazeddownattheomegastandinginfrontofhim.He’dneverbeenanervous
person,butoneminutealonewithMaxandhefeltlikehewasaskingCoryKleintothe
promalloveragain,onlyifMaxsaidno,itwouldbeahellofalotworsethanthewhole
soccerteamlaughingathim.
“Likeyousaid,wehaven’tknowneachotherlongandIknowit’snotconventional,
but…IwantedtogiveyoutheoptionbeforewetalktoGavin’ssocialworkertomorrow.”
Maxtiltedhishead.“Whatoption?”
Dean groaned internally. He was bungling this even more than he’d feared. If he
couldn’tkeephisthoughtsstraight,howwasMaxsupposedtoknowwhathewasasking?
“I’mnotsayingthisbecauseIdon’tthinkyoucantakecareofGavinonyourown,firstof
all,”hesaid,sensingtheomega’sguardgoupashespoke.“Ibelieveinyou,andIknow
you’ll find a way to show the judge what I’ve seen, no matter what. Just so you know
whereI’mcomingfrom.”
“Okay,”Maxsaidslowly.“Iappreciatethat,butwhatthehellareyoutryingtosay?”
Dean started to laugh, but it got choked out in his throat. “It’s uh… Sorry, I’m not
usually like this. Not every day you ask an omega you barely know to be your mate, I
guess,”hesaid,reachingfortheringinhispocket.Sincewordswereutterlyfailinghim,
maybeitwastimetogobacktosymbols.Theringboxslippedoutofhishandlikeitwas
madeofbutter,ofcourse,andwhenhewenttolungeforit,hewoundupknockingheads
withMaxhardenoughtosendthembothtotheground.
“Sorry,” Dean groaned, holding his head as he groped the frosty grass for the ring.
“Areyouokay?”
“I’m fine,” Max said, staring at him in shock. For a second, Dean thought he might
have a concussion, but when Max looked down and the Alpha saw the box he’d been
lookingforintheomega’shands,heknewotherwise.MaxfinallylookedbackupatDean,
hiseyeswidening.“Didyoujustsayyou’reaskingmetobeyour…mate?”
Dean swallowed hard. Facing down a criminal with a gun? No big deal. Facing the
omegahishearthadalreadyclaimedasitsown?Thatshitwould’vebeenenoughtomake
him turn in his badge and his gun, if it was a job requirement. “I uh…yeah. I did.” He
clearedhisthroat,takingtheboxfromMax’shandtoopenit.Thegoldbandsittinginside
suddenly felt inadequate, but he didn’t know enough about Max’s taste in jewelry to go
withanythingflashier.Cometothinkofit,theomegadidn’twearany.Maybearingwasa
mistake,afterall…
“OhmyGod,”Maxsaid,unblinkingashestaredatthering.
Dean waited, hanging on the omega’s every word. Max’s face was too blank with
shock to tell if his reaction was good or bad. “Sorry the ring’s kind of plain. It’s just a
placeholder,really,untilwehavetimetolookforsomethingbetter.”
Confusion filled the omega’s eyes as he looked from the ring to Dean. “The ring is
perfect,but…Idon’tunderstandwhyyou’regivingittome.You’d…you’dreallydothis,
justsoGavinandIcanbetogether?”
I’ddoitthisverymomentfornoreasonatallotherthanthefactthatIcan’tremember
lifewithoutyou,thoughtDean.Whathesaidwas,“Yeah.Ofcourse.Imean,IknowI’m
notthecity’smosteligiblebachelororanything,butIfigureitwouldboostourchances.”
“Oh,” Max said in a strange tone. Dean had always known that trying to understand
omegaswasalostcause.Hisbrotherswerethebrainsinthefamily,butheconsideredita
victorythatMaxhadn’tslappedhimacrossthefaceinoffenseyet.“Wow.Dean,Idon’t
evenknowwhattosay.That’sthemostgenerousthinganyonehaseverdoneforme.”
“You could say yes,” he said with a nervous laugh, taking the omega’s hand to help
himtohisfeet.
“Areyousure?Imean,thisis…it’sahugesacrificetomakeforsomeoneyoudon’t
evenknow.”
“IknowenoughthatIcantellyouifthisthingisn’tpermanent,you’regonnabethe
onewhodecidesthat,notme,”Deansaid,hisvoiceturningrough.Everyinnocenttouch,
even through the thick fabric of their gloves, stirred a need inside of him that was
bewildering and incredible at once. In the beginning, the force of the bond he’d felt
formingfromthemomenthe’dmetMaxhadoverwhelmedhim,anditstilldid.Themain
difference was that now, he was more than willing to be overcome by it. “I’ve always
wantedamateandafamily,Max.Truthbetold,Ithoughtthere’dbesomespacebetween
thosethings,buttheideaoflosingyouorGavin?That’swhatscaresme.Notthis.”
Max’s eyes shone with disbelief as he listened to the Alpha’s words. Dean only
realizedthenthathe’dneverletgoofMax’shand.“Peoplewillfindoutaboutmypast,”
he said, lowering his voice to a whisper as shame filled his gaze. “Aren’t you worried
aboutyourreputation?”
“I’vedoneplentyofthingsI’mnotproudof,butthisisn’toneofthem,”Deanassured
him,sweepingthehairoutoftheomega’seyes.“Besides,doIreallylooklikeaguywho
careswhatabunchofprudesthink?”
ThesmileonMax’slipswouldhavebeenenoughreassurancethatDeanwasmaking
the right decision, even if nothing else was at stake. He’d dated omegas in the past, but
he’dneverfeltthiswaywithanyoneelse.Itwasmorethanjustachemicalattraction.Max
hadoncebeentheprizeattheendofalonganddifficultinvestigation,buthewasnoless
amysterynowthatDeanhadfoundhim,andtheAlphawasalltoohappytospendtherest
ofhislifesolvingit,ifMaxlethim.
Inthatmoment,heknewitwasn’tthemoment.Theonewherehewouldconfessthat
Maxwastheomegawho’dbeendestinedforhim,andtheanswertoeveryquestionthat
had lingered in his lonely heart for years. It wasn’t their time yet, but it would be. For
Dean, the offer he was making was more than just an arrangement of convenience or
necessity,buthe’dhadafullweektocometotermswiththeconnectiontheyshared.Max
deservedtime,too,andhedeservedtobecourtedthewayDeanhadalwaysplannedwhen
he finally found his mate. They’d both waited this long. What was a little more time in
exchangeforamomentthatwastrulytheirs?
“Thentheanswerisyes,”Maxsaidsoftly.“I’llbeyourmate.”
Dean’sheartskippedabeat,butheforcedhimselftoplayitcool.“Yeah?”hegrinned,
tugging at the fingertips of Max’s glove to pull it off. “In that case, I’d better do this
right.”
Max’s eyes widened as the Alpha sunk down on one knee. Dean took the ring and
slipped it onto the omega’s finger. “Look at that,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the
backofMax’shand.Maybethetimeforarealkisshadn’tcome,butthecolorthatrushed
intoMax’scheeksgavehimhopethatitmightnottakeaslongashefeared.“It’saperfect
fit.”
A
C H A P T E R 2 8
M A X
s Max sat in the social worker’s office in a chair next to Dean, he felt all his
resolve slowly unwinding. The Alpha reached for his hand and gave it a
reassuringsqueezethatcalmedhiminstantly.ThefactthattheAlphaheldsuch
swayoverhisemotionswasintimidatinginitsownright,butitwasn’tthesameasithad
been with Chris, who controlled by exerting his will over everyone else’s. It was
somethingelseentirely,somethingorganicthatMaxcouldn’tfullywraphisheadaround.
Itwasthekindofvaguelypleasantmysteryhewasinnohurrytosolve.
“There’snothingtoworryabout,”Deanpromised,leaningin.“Otherthan,youknow,
makingitlookconvincing.”
“Right.”Theomegaswallowedhard.PretendinglikehewasattractedtoDeanwasn’t
exactly a challenge, but he knew what the risk would be if anyone caught on that their
engagement was a farce. The plan was for Dean to claim he’d imprinted on Max, and
whiletheomegaknewthatwastheonlyexplanationforthequickprogressionofevents
thatthecourtcouldn’tlookdownon,hecouldn’thelpbutfeelguilty.
And unnerved. What if Dean really did imprint on another omega one day? It had
happenedbefore,anditrarelyworkedoutwellfortheoriginalomegaintheequation.He
toldhimselfthatifDeandidfindsomeoneelse—andhowcouldhenot?—hewouldbow
outofthewayasgraciouslyastheAlphahadsteppeduponhisbehalf.
“Good morning,” Henrietta said, walking into the conference room. Dean and Max
bothstoodtogreether,andwhileherhandshakewasaswarmashersmile,Maxknewthe
betawasassessinghim.Itwasherjob,anddespitethefactthatithadhimonthevergeof
apanicattack,hewasgratefulforallshe’ddoneforhisson.“It’ssogoodtofinallymeet
you,Mr.Redding.”
“Max,please,”hesaid,sittingbackdown.“Andlikewise.I’mhappyIfinallygetthe
chancetothankyouforeverythingyou’vedoneforGavin.”
“He’s a wonderful boy,” she said with a soft smile. “I’m not really supposed to play
favorites, but if I did… Truth be told, we’re all just relieved to learn that you’ve been
looking for him as earnestly as he’s been looking for you, and saddened to learn the
circumstancesofyourseparationinthefirstplace.”
“Thankyou,”Maxsaidquietly.“It’sbeenalongroad,butI’mhopefulnowthatwe’re
finallytogetheragain.IthinkGavinis,too.”
“I’m sure,” Henrietta said, glancing down at the papers on her desk. “But of course,
thesethingsareneverasblackandwhiteaswe’dlikethemtobe.I’msorrytosaythis,
Max,butyourpastdoesraisesomeredflagswherethecourtisconcerned.”
“I understand,” he said, straightening his spine. “But my past is behind me, and it’s
goingtostaytherenowthatChrisisinprison.”
“That’s certainly a good start, but it’s going to take more than that to convince the
court that you have a stable home environment to bring Gavin into. From what I
understand, you only recently started working for Roman Enterprises, and to go back
homewithyou,Maxwouldhavetobepulledoutofschoolandtakenawayfromallofhis
friends.”
“They’rebothgoingtomoveinwithme,”Deancutin.“Maxisonaleaveofabsence
from his job while he recovers from the incident, and when he’s ready to go back, the
companyisopentotransferringhimdownhere.Gavinwon’thavetomissasmuchasa
dayofschool,andhe’salreadybeenstayingwithme,sothere’snoneedtoworryabout
thestressofthemove.”
MaxgavetheAlphaagratefulsmile.Hisnerveshadstartedtogetthebestofhim,but
Deanspokewithsuchcalmauthoritythathesomehowkneweverythingwasgoingtobe
alright.EvenHenriettaseemedreassured.
“Well, it’s clear you’ve both thought this through, and I can certainly agree that it
wouldbebetterforGavintohavesomestabilitythroughtheholidays,attheveryleast.”
She hesitated. “I’d like to take things on a step-by-step basis, considering all that’s
happenedinthelastweek.Considerthenextmonthatrialtogiveyoualltimetoadjust,
especiallyGavin.Iwanttocheckinwithhimonceaweek,andwe’llreconveneafterthe
newyear,alright?”
“Okay,”Maxsaideagerly.Itwasn’ttheset-in-stonearrangementhe’dhopedfor,but
Chris had left their lives in pieces and he knew it would take time to put them all back
together.“Thankyou.”
“Thankyouforyourtime,”Deansaid,standingtoshakeherhandagain.“We’llstayin
touch.
“Pleasedo,”Henriettasaid,walkingthemtowardthedoor.“Andcongratulations,you
two.Ihavetoadmit,whenIfoundoutyou’dimprinted,itexplainedalot,”shesaid,her
eyesdancingwithamusementassheeyedtheAlpha.
Deangaveanervouslaugh.“Yeah.Itwasloveatfirstsight.”
Henriettaseemedtobethinkingaboutsomethingshewasn’tsureshewantedtosay.“I
reallyshouldn’tmentionthis,butpurelyofftherecord…Itwouldbeeasiertoprovethat
there’sastablehomeenvironmentiftherewasacommitmentinvolved.”
“Deanproposed,”Maxsaid,holdinguphislefthand.
“Amorepermanentcommitment,”shesaidpointedly,“accidentally”brushingtheleft
side of her neck. “I’ve never heard of a case where the state awarded custody to an
unmatedcouplewhenamorestablefamilywaswillingtoadopt,regardlessofbiological
ties.”
“We’lluh,keepthatinmind,”Deanpromised.“Thanks.”
Max’sfacewasstillburningbythetimetheymadeitoutontothestreet.Theideaof
wearing Dean’s mark wasn’t nearly as alarming as it should have been, but that didn’t
meantheAlphawouldfeelthesameway.Afakeengagementwasonething,butamark?
Thatwasforever.
“Thatwentwell,”Deansaidoncethey’dmadeitouttohistruck.
“Yeah, it did. I still don’t know how I’m going to repay you for any of this,” Max
admitted.
“Youcouldletmetakeyoutodinner,”theAlphasaidwithalopsidedgrinthatmade
Max’sheartflop.“Weshouldtalkaboutyoumovingin,anyway.”
“Okay,”Maxsaidweakly.Ithadbeenyearssincehe’dbeenonanactualdate,andby
thetimehefoundhimselfsittingacrossfromDeanatatableinanupscalerestaurant,he
realizedhehadnomorecluewhattodonowthanhehadthen.
“So,”Deanbeganoncetheirmealsarrived.“It’sreallyuptoyouhowwehandlethis.
Gavin’salreadystayinginmyguestroom,butthere’sanotheroneI’vebeenusingaskind
ofahomeofficethatIcouldclearoutandgetsomefurniturein.”
“Idon’twantyoutogotoanymoretroublebecauseofme,”Maxsaidearnestly.
“Well,theotheroptionisusbothsharingmyroom,”Deansaid.“Mightbebetterfor
thesakeoftheuh,arrangementandall.”
“Yeah,”Maxsaid,abittooeagerly.“Iwasthinkingthesamething.”
“Soit’ssettled,then.Youcanmoveintonight,ifyouwant.”
Maxnodded.“Um,there’sstillthematteroftheotherthingHenriettamentioned…”
“The mark?” Dean’s tone was stiff, like he wasn’t anymore certain as to how to
approachthesubjectthanMaxwas.“Yeah,I’vebeenmeaningtotalkaboutthat,too.”
“Ijustdon’twantyoutofeelpressured,”Maxbegan.“You’vealreadydonesomuch,
and I’d never ask you to do anything that would compromise your chances of finding
somethingelseoneday,ifthisdoesn’tworkout.”
To Max’s surprise, Dean reached across the table to take his hand. “However this
endeduphappening,I’mallin,Max.AndIverymuchplanforittoworkout.Theonly
thingholdingmebackisnotwantingyoutofeelpressuredintoanythinglikeyoudidwith
Chris.”
“There is absolutely nothing about you or this situation that reminds me of Chris in
anyway,”Maxassuredhim,needingtheAlphatoknowwherehestood.
Maxwasn’tquitesurehowtoidentifythelookintheAlpha’seyes,butherecognized
theheatitstirredupinhiscore.DeanwaseverythinganomegacouldaskforinanAlpha.
Hewasstrong,selfless,kind,andtheintensityinthosedarkbrowneyeswasnothingshy
of erotic. Any omega would be proud to wear his mark, and Max found his thoughts
fixatingontheideaofit.
Dean’s gaze softened as his fingers brushed the back of Max’s hand. “How about
tonight,then?”heaskedinahuskyvoicethatmadeMaxshiver.“Gavincanstaywithmy
momwhilewemoveyourthingsin.”
“Okay,” Max said, his breath caught in his throat. The conversation turned to more
casualtopics,likeDean’sworkscheduleandthefamily’splansforChristmas,butMax’s
thoughtswerefixedonthenightahead.
Deanwasgoingtomarkhim.Heshouldhavebeenterrified,butallhecouldfeelwas
thesameneedthathadrisenupinsideofhimthemomenttheAlphahadsuggestedit.
A
C H A P T E R 2 9
D E A N
fterdroppingMaxoffathismom’shouse,Deanknewhehadafewhourstoget
everything perfect. Maybe he was deluding himself, but the link between him
andMaxhadalreadystrengthenedtothepointwheretherewasnodoubtingthe
shiftintheomega’senergywhenhe’dbroughtuptheideaofamatingmark.He’dbeen
hesitant when he’d thought that Max would only be agreeing to it as a matter of
convenienceandprotection,butnowthatheknewtherewasachancetheomegawanted
himinthesameway,hewasn’tgoingtoletitslipaway.
Everything had to be perfect. He’d already brought most of Max’s things over and
cleared out space in the closet and dresser for the omega’s clothes. The scent of Max’s
things mingled with his own gave him some kind of primal satisfaction he didn’t have
timetodwellon.Hedidn’ttrusthisownculinaryskillsenoughtoriskruiningthemood
withburntdinner,sohe’dorderedinfromthenicestrestaurantintown.Hewasstilltrying
todecidewhetherthecandlelightwasoverkillwhenheheardtheknockatthedoor.
Max wasn’t due for another half an hour, and Dean had planned on picking him up,
butwhenheopenedthedoortofindtheomegastandingthere,he’dneverbeenhappierto
seeanyoneinhislife.
“Hey,”Maxsmiled.“Yourmomwasgoingout,soIaskedhertodropmeoffsoyou
wouldn’thavetomakeanothertrip.”Hepaused,lookingpastDeanatthetablesetfortwo
inthediningroom.“Oh,wow.”
“Sorry, it’s not quite ready,” Dean said, stepping back to let him in. “I uh, thought
you’dbehungryafterallthemovingplans.”
“This place looks amazing,” Max said, looking around. “And whatever you made
smellsdelicious.”
“Well,can’treallytakethecreditforthat,”Deansaidwithalaugh.“ButIdidtakethe
foodoutofthecontainers,so…Here,letmetakeyourcoat.”
Hisfingertipsbrushedovertheomega’sshouldersashehelpedMaxoutofhisparka
andfoundhisgazelingeringabittoolongontheotherman’sbareneck.
“Youdidn’tneedtodoallofthis,”Maxsaid,exploringthelivingroom.
“Iknow,butIwantedtonighttobespecial,”headmitted.“CanIgetyousomewine?”
“That would be nice. Thank you,” Max said, a hint of nervousness in his gaze as it
flickereduptoDean’s.
TheAlphapulledouthischairandfilledhiswineglassbeforesittingdownatthetable
himself.“Sorryaboutthecandles,”hemuttered.
Maxsmiled.“Ilikethem.Itwasasweettouch.”
“So, you think you’re gonna like living in Pennsylvania for the time being?” asked
Dean.
“It’sbeautiful,”saidMax.
“Youshouldseeitinthesnow.It’sbeenawarmwinterthisyear,butweusuallyhave
atleasteightinchesforChristmas.”
MaxpursedhislipsandDeangroanedwhenherealizedwhytheomegawastryingnot
tolaugh.“Can’tbelieveIsaidthat,”hemuttered,rubbinghisforehead.
“Seemslikeareasonableestimate,”theomegasaidinahuskyvoicebeforetakinga
sipofhiswine.“GuessI’lljusthavetofindoutmyself.”
Deannearlychokedonhis.“Sorry.YoucantellIdon’treallydothisoften.”
“Rescuingomegasortakingthembacktoyourapartmentforcandlelitdinners?”Max
teased.
Deanchuckled.“Thelatter.”
“Whatmadeyoudecidetogointolawenforcement?”theomegaaskedcuriously.
“My old man was a career Lieutenant,” said Dean. “Guess you could say it’s in the
blood. Started out as a way to impress him, and I wasn’t sure what else I was gonna do
afterschool,butitturnedintoapassion.Ilikehelpingpeople.”
“You’re good at it,” Max murmured. “I’m sorry about your father. I’m sure he was
proudofyou.”
“He was,” Dean said with a nostalgic smile. “He said the day I graduated from
Academywasoneofthebestinhislife,butitwouldn’tbeanythingcomparedtothedayI
startedafamilyofmyown.”
“I’msorryhedidn’tgettoseethat,”Maxsaidquietly.
Deanreachedacrossthetabletotakehishand.“Iliketothinkhedid.Max,Iknowthe
circumstancesaren’tthewayeitherofusthoughttheywouldbe,butthisistherealdeal
for me. When Henrietta walked into the police station with Gavin, I felt responsible for
him in a way that didn’t make sense to me then. I just knew I had to help him, and the
moreIgottoknowhim,themoreIfoundmyselfwishingIcouldbethereforhimtheway
myfatheralwayswasforme.Atthetime,IthoughthimgoingwiththeNewportswasthe
rightthing.ThattheconnectionIfeltwasjustmebeingsentimental,maybeeventryingto
compensate for the fact that I didn’t have the family I’d always hoped I would by this
pointinmylife.”
“Helovesyou,”Maxsaid,smiling.“You’rekindofhishero.Especiallynow.”
“I’ddoanythingforthatkid,”Deanadmitted,holdingMax’sgaze.“WhenImetyou,
itallfellintoplace.Thesamesenseofconnection,offamily.Inthatinstant,itallmade
sense,butitstilltookawhileformynumbskullbraintoputittogether.”
“Whatareyousaying?”Maxasked,searchingtheAlpha’sgaze.
“I’m saying I imprinted on you, Max. I’d say that I knew you were mine from the
momentwemet,butthetruthis,ithappenedalongtimebeforethat.Allmylife,I’vefelt
thispulltowardsomethingoutthere,alwaysoutofreachuntilIfoundyou.NowIknow,it
wasyouthewholetime,butnotjustyou.Iwantthethreeofustobeafamily,you,meand
Gavin. I already love him like he’s my own son, and I’d like to make it official by
adoptinghim.I’dalsoliketomakeyoumymate.Notbecauseit’llhelpourcaseincourt
orbecauseit’swhatpeopleexpect,butbecauseitfeelsasrighttomeasbreathing,andI
can’timagineitturningoutanyotherway.Idon’twantto.”
“Dean,”Maxwhispered,hiseyeswellingwithtears.“Whydidn’tyousayanything?”
“BecauseIdidn’twanttobeanotherAlphawhocameintoyourlifeandtookwhathe
wantedwhetheryouwerereadyornot,”hesaid,standingfromthetabletocomearound
toMax’sside.WhenhegotdownononekneeandtookMax’shandinhis,theomega’s
eyeswidenedinshock.“I’dplannedonwaitingalittlelonger,wooingyoutherightway,
butitfeelsliketherighttime.TherightmomenttotellyouhowmuchIneedyouandhow
deeply I want to make you mine, if you’ll let me,” he said, lowering his gaze to the
omega’sneck.
“Yes,”Maxsaidinatremblingvoice,reachingouttostroketheAlpha’sfirmjaw.His
eyeswerefullofwonderashegazedupatDean.Fullofcuriosityandthesamehopeand
excitementthatfilledtheAlpha’sheartwiththepromiseofeverythinggoodtocome.“I—
Iwanttobeyours,Dean.”
ThatwasalltheAlphaneededtohear.HetookMaxintohisarmsandkissedhimas
fiercelyashe’dwantedtofromtheirfirstmeeting.Ashepulledtheomegatohisfeet,he
plannedontakinghimintothebedroomhe’dadornedwithcandlesandrosepetals.
Theymadeitonlyasfarasthecouch,butwiththeheatofMax’slipspressedtohis,
theomega’sbarefleshbeggingforhismark,heconsideredthatavictory.Maxmadequick
workofthebuttonsonhisuniformshirt,andDean’sbadgehitthefloorwithaplink.Dean
peeled the omega’s shirt over his head, running his hands down Max’s lean, muscular
chestandabdomen.Theomegawassmallerthanhiminstature,buthewasstilltonedand
Dean found himself exploring every line of muscle, all the way down to the cut of his
hips.
Dean sank to his knees in front of the couch and unbuttoned Max’s fly, taking the
omega into his mouth hungrily. The wine on his lips was nothing compared to the
sweetnessoftheomega’sprecumonhistongue.Maxsankbackagainstthecouchandlet
outafaintmoanasDean’stongueexploredthecrownofhiscock,teasingtheslituntilit
weptmorearousal.
The Alpha tugged his mate’s jeans off so he could work a finger into Max while he
suckedtheomega’sshaft.Maxwaslongandalreadyrockhard,buthisownshaftwasabit
longerandagooddealthicker.Theimageofthemrubbingtogether,hotwithfrictionand
need, was making his slacks unbearably tight, and the scent of the omega’s arousal was
evenmoredevastatinglyerotic.
“Please,” Max gasped, his hips lifting off the couch as Dean found his prostate. “I
wantyou…”
Deandidn’tneedtocallonhisinvestigativeskilltoknowexactlywhattheomegawas
askingfor.Maxwasalreadysufficientlylubricatedbyhisownarousal,soheslippedhis
fingersoutoftheomega’stightholeandguidedhimontohishandsandknees.Thesight
of Max bent over the armrest, his ass offered fully to his Alpha’s care, was the hottest
thing Dean had ever seen, and his own cock was dripping precum by the time he
positioneditatMax’sentrance.
“Yes,”Maxpanted,digginghisnailsintotheleatherasDeanguidedhimselfin.The
omega’stightholeofferedlittleresistance,butoncehewasin,hefelttheothermanclench
tightlyaroundhim.Deanletoutaslowbreathtobracehimselfasheeasedintohismate’s
passage. He could feel their heartbeats in perfect synchronicity as he began to thrust
deeperinsideoftheomegauntilhewasburiedtotheknot.
He’d planned on giving Max a little more time to warm up, but when the omega
archedbackagainsthim,heknewitwastime.“Justrelax,”hecoaxed,restinghishands
onMax’shipsasheworkedhisknotinside.
Max whimpered, burying his face in a pillow, but Dean could feel his need
intensifyingastheomegabuckedformore.Hisknotfinallyslippedinandswelledashe
took Max’s dick in hand and started stroking. The omega was vibrating underneath him
withneed,hiscriesofblissguidingDeantojusttherighttempo.TheAlphacouldfeelthe
omegatightenupeverytimehisknotgroundagainsthisprostate,andtheirsharedpleasure
builtandbuiltuntilitfinallyreacheditsclimax.Thesoundofhisnameonhismate’slips
ashecamewasallittooktogiveDeanthatfinalpush.Ashefilledhismatewithhisknot
andhiscum,hesankhisteethintotheomega’sbaredneckandMaxcameimmediatelyin
responsetothepleasureandpain.
TheomegawasstillshudderingfromtheaftershocksofhisorgasmasDeanlickedthe
wound from his mating bite clean. The bite was already starting to heal, but the mark
wouldbethereforever,tellingtheworldthatMaxbelongedtohimandhimalone.
Justthewayitwasalwaysmeanttobe.
W
C H A P T E R 3 0
M A X
henMaxopenedhiseyes,herealizedthewarmfurnacehe’dbeensleeping
next to was his mate. At some point after being tied the night before,
they’dfallenasleeponthecouchonlytoheadintothebedroomforround
two.Andthree…
MaxleanedovertokisshismateandastheAlpha’seyesopened,thedreamysmileon
hisfacewouldhavemadeMaxfallhardiftherewasanydistancelefttoplummet.
“Morning,”theomegapurred,lettinghisfingersdanceacrosstheAlpha’ssolidchest.
Deanwasbearlikeinstatureanddemeanor,andthefactthathecouldbesogentlewhen
theoccasioncalledforitwasallthemoreappealing.
“Goodmorning,”Deansaid,pullingMaxtohimforadeeperkiss.“Sleepwell?”
“Mmh. Not much, but well,” Max grinned, pulling himself from the Alpha’s grasp.
“Stayhere.”
He barely made it to the stove before the Alpha appeared in the doorway, a sheet
wrappedlazilyaroundhisthicktorso.
“Doyoueverlisten?”Maxteased,crackingafeweggsintothepan.
“Notusually,”Deansaid,comingupbesidehim.Heplacedakissonthecrookofthe
omega’s neck and Max felt heat rush to the spot where the Alpha touched. “Damn, that
looksgoodonyou.”
Maxshiveredindelight.Hereacheduptobrushthecrescent-shapedscaronhisneck,
his heart swelling with pride at the knowledge that he’d been marked by his mate.
Somehow, learning that Dean had imprinted on him had only fit the last piece of the
puzzleintoplace,completingthepicturethathadbeenthereinhisheartforalongtime.
“Itfeelsgood,”headmitted.“So,what’sontheagendafortheday?”
“Thought we’d get the rest of your stuff moved in,” Dean said, slipping his arms
around Max’s waist as he watched the omega prepare their omelettes. “Maybe later, we
canpickGavinupandallgooutforamovie.ThatthingwiththeradioactiveSantasisstill
playing.”
Maxlaughed.“AndhereIthoughtthatwasajoke.”
“Oh, Revenge of the Space Santas is very serious,” Dean said in a tone of mock
seriousness,nippinghismate’sneck.“ThenmaybeyoucanhelpmedosomeChristmas
shoppingforthefamily.I’mrunningoutofideasthataren’tgiftcards.”
“Giftcards?”Maxgroaned.“Pleasetellmeyoudidn’t.”
“Hey,untilthisyear,IwasasingleAlpha.They’reluckytheydidn’tgetsocksanda
couponforafreeoilchange.”
“Thatisaratherpracticalgift,”Maxsnickered,shriekingashismatetickledhissides.
“Dean!”
“Sorry,I’vebeentryingtokeepmyhandsoffyouallthistime.Hardtoletupnow,”he
chuckled,pressingMaxupagainstthecounter.
Theomega’sheadfellbackasthesheetaroundDean’swaistslippedandtheAlpha’s
erectionpressedagainsthim.“Dean…theeggs…”
“Theeggscanwait,”hesaid,fumblingtoturnoffthestoveasheturnedMaxaround
tofacehimandcapturedtheomega’slipsoncemore.MaxgaspedasDeanliftedhimonto
thecounter.“Ican’t.”
Max moaned against the Alpha’s lips as he wrapped his legs around Dean’s waist.
He’dnevercravedanotherpersonthewayhecravedhismate’stouch,hiskiss,hisknot…
AstheAlphaenteredhim,thepainseemedinsignificantincomparisontothecomforting
sensation of being one with his mate. They fit together so perfectly, and he’d never felt
saferthanhedidintheAlpha’sarmswithDean’sknotbindingthemtogether.Hewasn’t
eveninheatandthey’dalreadymadelovefourtimesinthespanofeighthours,butasthe
Alphakissedhim,hestartedtorealizethattherejustweren’tenoughhoursinaday—ora
night—tosatisfyeitherofthem.
Mating was something Max had always seen as an exchange of goods, something
Alphaswantedandomegaswereobligatedtodo.WithDean,itwasdifferent.Itwasn’ta
transaction, it was an intimate expression and a natural result of the need he felt for the
Alpha.Itwasn’tjustsomethinghecraved,itwassomethingheneededtoremindhimself
ofthepermanentbondtheynowshared,andhecouldn’tgetenoughofit.
G
C H A P T E R 3 1
D E A N
oing to the mall was usually the last thing on Dean’s list when it came to
potentialwaystospendadayoff,butashestoodattheouteredgeoftheicerink
in the middle of the shopping plaza, watching Max and Gavin skate to their
hearts’ content, he realized his idea of a good time had undergone a dramatic
transformation.
SeeingMaxlaughsojoyouslyasheheldGavin’shandssohewouldn’twipeoutonthe
iceforasecondtimefilledDean’sheartinwayshe’dneverthoughtpossible.Ithadbeen
twoweekssinceMaxhadmovedinwiththem,andwhileDeanhadfeareditwouldtake
sometimeforGavintoadjusttohavingMaxinhislifeagain,thetwoactedliketheywere
alreadybestfriends.Deanpromisedhimselfthatnomatterwhatittook,hewouldmake
suretheydidn’tloseanymoretimethantheyalreadyhad.
He had a family to protect now, and while it might not have happened the way he’d
thought,hewouldn’thaveitanyotherway.
As Max glided over to him, Gavin wobbling along behind him like a newborn foal,
Deangrinnedatthemboth.“Havingfun?”
“Yes, and it’d be even more fun if you came out and joined us,” Max said, leaning
overtherailingtopeckDean’scheek.
“Idon’tdoskates,oftheiceortherollervariety.”
“Youchicken?”Maxaskedwithamischievousgrin.
“Yeah,” Gavin laughed, starting to make clucking sounds until he slipped on the ice
andbarelycaughthimselfontherailing.
“Yep,”Deansaidunapologetically.“I’mchickenandthatrighttherewouldbewhy.”
“And what if you end up chasing a suspect who’s an Olympic ice skating challenge
overafrozenpond?”Maxchallenged.
Dean paused to think about it. “Then I guess that criminal’s gonna skate his way to
freedom.”
Maxgaveaplayfulhuff,andDeancouldtellhewasabouttoarguewhenGavin’sface
went blank. He followed the boy’s gaze to a couple approaching them with two young
teenagersandadozenshoppingbags.
“Hi,Mr.andMrs.Newport,”Gavinsaid,wavingthemover.
“Gavin,”Mrs.Newportsaidinapleasantyetguardedtoneasshestoppedinfrontof
them.“Whatanicesurprise.”
“These are the Newports and their kids, Melissa and Rowan,” Gavin said, clearly
nervousashegesturedtoeachofthefamilymembers.
“BryanandNadine,please,”thefemaleomegasaidpolitely.
“Guys, this is my dad and his mate, Dean,” Gavin said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Dean’sacop.”
“Policeofficer,”Maxsighed.
“That’s cool,” Rowan said, his eyes widening as he stared up at the Alpha. “Do you
haveagun?”
“Ido,”Deansaid,chuckling.
Mrs.Newportgavehersonalook.“Well,it’snicetofinallymeetbothofyou.”
“Heyguys,wannacomeskate?”Gavinasked.
“Canwe,mom?”Melissaasked.
Mrs.Newporthesitated.“Idon’tseewhynot.”
“I’llgopayfortheskates,”herhusbandsaid,wanderingovertothekioskoutsidethe
rink.
Deancouldfeelthetensionlingering.Beforehehadthechancetosaysomething,Max
spokeup.
“I’m glad to finally have the chance to meet you both,” the omega said, looking
between the woman and her mate as he returned from the kiosk. “Gavin has told me so
much about you these past few weeks, and I appreciate you welcoming him into your
familythewayyoudid.”
“We love him very much,” Nadine said, watching the three teenagers chasing each
otherclumsilyacrosstherink.“Wejustwantwhat’sbestforhim.”
“Wecanallagreeonthat,”Deansaid,drapinganarmaroundMax’sshoulderswhen
theomegacamearoundfromtakingoffhisskates.
“He does seem happy,” Bryan murmured, staring out onto the ice. “I’ve never seen
himlikethat.”
“He’s been through a lot,” Max said, his tone full of sorrow. “When I had him, I
wasn’tinapositiontoprotecthimthewayIwantedto,andI’llalwaysshouldersomeof
theblameforthatbecauseofthechoicesImadethen.ButI’mnotthepersonIwasthen,
andfromthispointon,it’sallaboutGavin.Iwilldowhateverittakestomakesurehehas
thelifehe’salwaysdeserved.”
“AndI’mgoingtomakesurehehasthechance,”Deansaid,leaningtokissthetopof
hismate’shead.
Foramoment,neitheroftheNewportssaidanything.Nadinefinallysighedandsaid,
“Well,I’mgladtohearthat.Truthbetold,BryanandIwereworriedwhenweheardabout
everythingthathadhappenedinNewYork,butIcanseethatGavinishappy,andthat’s
whatmatersmost.”
Bryanputahandonhismate’sshoulder.“Ifthisistrulywhat’sbestforhim…”
“We’renotgoingtostandintheway,”Nadinefinished.
MaxlookedupatDean,thenbackatthecouple.“There’saneventatGavin’sschool
nextmonth.He’sgoingtopresentaprojecthe’sbeenworkingonformonths,andIknow
he’dlovetohaveyouallthere.”
Nadine’s face lit up with surprise. “Oh…” She looked up at her mate and they both
smiled.“We’dlikethatverymuch.Thankyou.”
“Dad!Look,I’mdoingit!”Gavincried.
DeanandMaxbothturnedtoseetheboyglidingacrosstheice,holdinghishandsout
tosteadyhimself.
Maxgrinned,givinghimathumb’sup.“Nicejob,sweetheart!”
Gavin started skating a bit faster toward them only to lose his footing at the last
momentandwindupflatonhisback.
“Gavin!”Maxcried,abouttorushtohelp.
Dean caught his mate by the arm and whispered, “Take it from someone who was a
teenageAlphanotallthatlongago,thepainoflandingonyourbuttisn’tnearlyasbadas
havingaparentrushouttosaveyou.”
Max sighed, watching as Melissa and Rowan helped Gavin to his feet, laughing.
“You’reright.Guessit’sgoingtotakemeawhiletogetusedtoraisingateenager.”
“You never fully get used to it,” Nadine said with a sympathetic smile. “But I think
you’llmanagejustfine.”
B
C H A P T E R 3 2
M A X
ythetimeChristmasEvecame,thetreeintheGarzafamilylivingroomwas
loaded with presents. Most of the children had already gone to bed as the
adults sipped cocktails by the fire and finished wrapping a few last-minute
gifts.
Max was sitting next to Dean, watching as the Alpha and his brothers argued over
sometabletopgamethey’dbeenplayingforthelastfewhours.Itwasarelieftoknowthat
as stone-faced and serious as Dean could be, the Alpha was still human enough to sulk
whenhewasgettinghisasskickedatagame.
“That’snotevenintherules,”Deangrumbled.
“You’rejustasoreloser,”Davidshotback.“Honey,what’sthescore?”
“You’reaheadofDeanbytwopointsandDavidbythirty,”Lanannounced,sippinghis
cranberry mule as he looked over the tab he’d been keeping in a small notebook. “And
Abuelitaiswipingthefloorwithbothofyou.”
David’sshoulderssaggedindefeat.“You’resupposedtobeonmyside.”
“Nobodylikesasoreloser,Davey,”Abuelitasaid,grinningassherolledthedieinher
hands.“Thirteen!Mymage’sdragoneatsyourenvoyandstealsyourtreasure.”
“Cansheevendothat?”Antoniodemanded.
“The old bird does whatever she wants, you should all know that by now,” Claudia
huffed,stackinganotherperfectlywrappedboxbythetree.
“You’rejustsaltybecauseIwon’tgiveyoumyrecipeforflan,”Abuelitasaidmatter
offactly.
Claudia rolled her eyes. In the short time he’d been a part of the Garza family, Max
hadcometorecognizesarcasmandtradedjabsasthesincerestshowofaffection.Hewas
justgladtheywereabitgentlerwiththenewcomerintheirmidst.
“Ithinkwe’realldonehere,”saidCarmen.TheprettyyoungomegapulledAntonioto
hisfeet,grinningathermate’sprotests.“Youcanalwayshavearematchtomorrowafter
thekidsopentheirpresents.”
ThecouplelefttoreturntotheirroomwhileAntoniomumbledhalfheartedaccusations
ofcheatingunderhisbreath.
Abuelitayawnedastheothersstartedcleaninguptheboard.“Globalconquesttiresan
oldwoman.Seeyouchumpsinthemorning.”
“Loveyoutoo,Abuelita,”Deansaiddrylyashisfamilymembersallretreatedtotheir
ownrooms.Despitethehouse’sconsiderablesize,Maxhadneverbeenanywheresofull
oflove,exceptperhapsfortheapartmenthesharedwithhismateandtheirson.Lifehad
finallysettledintoadelightfullypredictablerhythm.
Everymorningafterhe’dsentGavintothebusandkissedDeanbeforetheAlphaleft
for work, Max found himself counting his many blessings on his own drive to the store
RomanEnterpriseshadtransferredhimtoinSage.Healwaysranoutoftimebeforeheran
outofthingstobegratefulfor.
Amatewhoadoredhimandstirredhisheartinwayshe’dneverimaginedanAlpha
could.Aseeminglyimpossiblereunionwiththesonhe’dnevergivenuponfinding.Abig,
lovingfamilywhoacceptedhimandhissondespitehisflawsandhischeckeredpast.A
jobthathelovedandgavehimthefreedomtocomehomewhenGavinwasoutofschool
sotheteenagerwouldalwayshavesomeoneathometotalkabouthisdayandhelphim
withhishomework.
TherewasanotherblessingthatMaxhimselfhadonlyfoundoutaboutthatmorning,
andashefoundhimselfaloneinthequietlivingroomwithhismate’sarmaroundhimand
thefirecracklingpeacefully,heknewitwasthetimetosharethatblessingwithDean.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he said softly. “It’s about your
Christmaspresent.”
“YouaremyChristmaspresent,”Deanmurmuredagainsthislips.“Butmefirst.”He
pulledasmall,thinboxfromhispocketandofferedittoMax.“YouknowhowimpatientI
am.”
“Whatisthis?”Maxasked,hiseyesshiningwithcuriosityashelookeddownatthe
boxinhishand.
“You’rejustgonnahavetoopenittofindout.”
Maxpluckedthelidoffthebox,revealingakeynestledinside.“Aww.Youmademe
anothercopyofthehousekey,”hesaid,leaningintokisshismate.“Isthisbecauseittook
mehalfanhourtofindmykeyslastweek?”
Deanrolledhiseyes.“Comeon,I’mnotthatlame.ButIdidmakeabouttencopiesof
thisone,justincase,”hechuckled.
Max’seyeswidenedashepiecedittogether.“Isthis…?”
“Myoldapartment’sgettingabitcrampedbetweenthethreeofus,”hesaid,grinning.
“Now, I know we talked about waiting until the adoption goes through to start growing
ourfamily,butIfiguredwecouldusetheroom.”
“Youboughtusahouse?”Maxaskedindisbelief.
“It’stheoneyoualwayscommentonwheneverwewalkbyitontheparktrail,”Dean
replied,nervousnesswrittenalloverhisface.“Iknowit’sabigdecisionandIprobably
shouldhavetalkedtoyoufirst,butassoonasitwentuponthemarket,Ifeltlikeitwas
fate.”Hehesitated,searchingtheomega’sgaze.“Thoughts?Comments?Questions?”
Max lunged, throwing his arms around Dean’s neck as he kissed him harder than he
ever had. The Alpha wrapped his arms around Max’s waist, breathless when he finally
broke the kiss. “I will definitely pass that comment along to management,” he said,
grinning.
“Iloveyousomuch,”Maxbreathed,runninghishandsdownDean’sface.
“Backatcha,babe,”Deangrowled,nuzzlingthemarkonMax’sneckashepulledthe
omegaontohislap.“Now,whatwasityouwantedtotellme?Somethingaboutanearly
Christmasgift?”
Max smiled softly. “Actually, this gift is technically going to take a while to arrive.
Eightmonths,giveortake.”
Dean’seyeswidenedashelookeddownathismate’sstomach.“Seriously?”
“Mhm,” Max said, pursing his lips. Dean captured them, digging his hands into the
omega’shairashekissedhimrelentlessly.Maxyelpedinsurpriseashismateliftedhim
into his arms and started carrying him towards their room. “Dean,” he whispered
breathlessly,“it’sChristmasEve.”
“And I want to unwrap you,” he teased in a husky voice that went straight to Max’s
head.
As they closed themselves in their guest room, Max melted in his mate’s embrace.
There was something different about the way the Alpha explored his body with his
caressesandhiskissesthatnight.Theyhadonlybeentogetherforashorttime,butMax
alreadyfeltadeeperbondwiththeAlphathanhehadeverimaginedpossible,anditwas
growing deeper by the day. That night, as they reveled in the realization of the new
promisethey’dcreatedtogether,hefeltthematingbondbetweenthemlikeatangiblecord
bindingthemtogether.
NomatterhowmanynightshefellasleepintheAlpha’sarmsorwoketofindDean
gazing down at him in pure adoration, Max would never be able to bring himself to
believeitwasreal.Hedecideditdidn’treallymatter.Ifitwasallsomecrazy,wonderful
dream,heneverwantedtowakeupfromit.
A
C H A P T E R 3 3
D E A N
s sunlight filled the room, the gleeful screams and footfalls of Christmas
morningrousedDeanfromhissleep.Heyawnedandturnedtoburyhisfacein
Max’sneck,intentongettingjustafewmoreminutesofblissfulsleepbeforethe
festivechaosofthedayunfolded.
Thepoundingatthedoortoldhimthatwasn’tgoingtohappen.“Dad!Dean!”Gavin
yelledthroughthedoor.“Comeon,it’stimeforpresents!”
Maxlaughedsoftly,pullinghimselfoutofhismate’sembrace.“We’regoingtohave
togetusedtothefactthatwe’renevergoingtosleepinonanotherChristmasmorningfor
thenexteighteenyears,atleast.”
“Now that’s a sacrifice I can live with,” Dean said, sitting up to watch his mate get
ready. He finally threw the covers off and got dressed himself. When he pulled his
undershirtonoverhishead,helookeduptofindMaxholdingoutthecheesyChristmas
sweaterClaudiahadboughtforallherchildrenandin-lawstowearinthefamilyphoto.
“Seriously?”
“Hey, if I have to wear knitted reindeer frolicking around a Christmas tree, you can
showsomeholidayspiritwithSantaandhismerrylittlehenchmen.”
Deangroaned,pullingthesweateron.“Atleastwematch.”
He followed Max down the hall where the rest of the family had already gathered
aroundthetree.ClaudiahadsomecheesyChristmasmusicplayingandmostoftheadults
hadaglassofeggnogintheirhands.ItwasaGarzafamilytraditionfortheparentstoget
as plastered as possible before the kids had managed to assemble their gifts and start a
symphonyofelectronicshrieking,chirpingandwarblingthatwassuretogoonfortherest
oftheday.OruntiltheyallgotboredandwentofftowatchclaymationChristmasfilms.
Eitherway,amigrainewasallbutaguarantee,butDeandidn’tmind.Hewasjustgladto
havethechancetosharethechaoswiththeomegahelovedandtheiradorablekid.
Astheunwrappingfrenzybegan,DeansmiledasheandMaxwatchedGavinandthe
othersunwraptheirgifts.TheAlphafoundhisthoughtsdriftingtothefactthatbythenext
Christmas,therewouldbeanothernameonthegiftsunderthattree.Twinsdidruninhis
family,somaybeeventwo.
He made a mental note to mention that fact to Max later, but given the joy on his
mate’s face as he watched the children play and laugh as they opened their presents, he
figureditwouldbewelcomenews.
“Isitreal?”Gavincried,runningovertothemasheheldhismostrecentlyopenedgift
overhishead.Thereddishstonewasencasedinprotectiveplastic,anddespitethefactthat
itwasliterallyabrick,theboyseemedmoreecstaticoveritthananyofthevideogames
andgadgetshe’dreceived.
“Sureis.”Deanlaughed.“There’sacertificateofauthenticitythatcomeswithit,but
wefiguredit’dbesafertokeepitathomesoyoudidn’ttearitopenwiththewrapping.”
“What is it?” Claudia asked, wandering over to them. She eyed the brick doubtfully.
“Isthatsomesortoftablet?”
“It’sastonefromtheruinsofanancientRomanstatebuildinghe’sbeenresearching
forhisproject,”Maxsaidwithalaugh.
“Oh,” Claudia said, smiling even though she was clearly still confused. “Well, how
nice.Goodtoseechildrenthesedayshaven’tlosttheirloveforhistoricalmasonry.”
“It’sthebestpresentever,”Gavinsaidexcitedly,lookingbetweenhisparents.“Thank
you!”
“You’reverywelcome,”Maxlaughed,hugginghisson.
DeanwassurprisedwhenGavinturnedtothrowhisarmsaroundhimnext.“Gladyou
likeyourpresents,kid.We’reproudofhowwellyou’vedoneinschoollately.”
“I’dsayitdeservesatoast,”saidClaudia,takingtworedcupsfullofeggnogoffthe
tabletooffertoDeanandherson-in-law.
Maxhesitated,staringdownatthecup.“Oh,Ium…”
“He can’t,” Dean blurted out. His mother and Gavin were both looking up at him in
confusion,butClaudia’seyeswentwideassheputittogether.
Theolderomegadroppedthecupinhergraspandcoveredhermouthwithadramatic
gasp.“Areyouserious?”shecried,drawingattentionfromLanandDavidnearby.
“Whatisit,mom?”askedDavid.
“Whatdoyouthink?”Deanasked,lookingdownathismate.“ShouldItellthem?”
Maxgrinned.“Whynot?”
“Alright, everyone,” Dean said, clearing his throat. “We’d planned on waiting until
afterNewYear’s,butMaxishavingababy.”
Claudia’s shriek filled the room as she pounced on her son and son-in-law, pulling
them both into her arms and showering them with kisses and congratulations. Soon, the
wholefamilyhadjoinedin,butDeanwasespeciallyfocusedonmakingsureGavinwas
takingthenewsokay.Whenhefinallymettheboy’seyes,Gavinwasgrinningupatthem
both.
“Congrats,kid,”Deansmiled.“Youreadytobeabigbrother?”
“I’lladapt,”Gavinsaidwithacasualshrugeventhoughhiseyeswereglitteringwith
excitement.
Deanlookeduptofindthathismatewasstillbeingswarmedbytheotheromegasin
thefamilyastheytradedopinionsonthevarioussignsofsuperstitionthatindicatedMax
mightbecarryinganAlphaversusanomega.“ThereisonemoregiftyourdadandIwere
gonnagivetoyoulater,butIthinknow’sagoodtime.”Hereachedforthered-and-green
envelopehe’dtuckedawayinthebookshelfforsafekeepingandofferedittoGavin.
Astheboyopenedtheenvelope,Dean’seyesmetMax’s.Theomega’ssmileechoed
the joy in his own heart, and hopefully Gavin’s. As Gavin read over the words on the
adoptionpapers,hisconfusionturnedtoshock.“Forreal?”Hisvoicecrackedindisbelief
ashelookedfromDeantoMax.Theomegafinallymanagedtofreehimselffromthewell
wisherstorejointheirfamilyunit.“Dean’sadoptingme?”
“TheNewportsgavetheirrecommendationalongwithHenrietta’sthatthethreeofus
shouldbewhatwealreadyare,”saidDean.“Afamily.”
TearsfilledGavin’seyes,onlyinsteadofthepainthatDeanhadseeninthemmonths
earlier, when Gavin had first asked for his help finding Max, there was only relief and
happiness. For a moment, the boy seemed at a loss for words before he threw his arms
aroundDeanandpulledMaxintothehug.“Thankyou,”hesniffed.
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” Dean assured him, smiling down at him as he
pulledaway.“You’retheonewhobroughtusalltogether.”
“He’sright,”Maxsaidsoftly,leaningintoDean’sside.“Wewerealwaysmeanttobea
family.Thosepapersarejusttheproof.”
“CanItelleveryone?”Gavinaskedexcitedly,lookingbackathiscousins.
“Goforit,”Deansaid,chucklingashewatchedtheirsonrunofftorelaythenews.He
draped an arm around Max’s shoulders, gazing down at the omega who looked more
serene and happy than Dean had ever seen him. “Not bad for our first Christmas as a
family,huh?”
The smile on Max’s face just confirmed the Alpha’s opinion that he’d received the
greatestgiftanyonecouldaskfor.“BestChristmasI’veeverhad,”hesaidsoftly,glancing
up. Dean followed his gaze to the mistletoe hanging down from the doorway. “Another
familytradition,huh?”
“It is now,” Dean said, pulling his mate into his arms for a kiss he planned on
continuinglater,oncethewrappingpaperwasthrownawayandallthegiftsunpacked.He
smiled against Max’s lips, cupping the omega’s face in his palm. “And we’ve got our
wholelivestomakeuptherest.”
T
HE
E
ND
.
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R
L.C.DavisisaqueerauthorofM/Mromanceandotherfictionwithapassionforrepresentation.
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A L S O B Y L . C . D A V I S
WolfConan&L.C.DavisBooks
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Document Outline
- Copyright
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Also by L.C. Davis
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- About the Author
- Also by L.C. Davis
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