“So, um, what did you bring?” Zinn asked.
Assa let go of his hands and sat back, picking up the tote from the floor.
“More photo albums. We have a lot more than what you saw on the shelf. These four will give you a good sense of Ryde’s growing up.”
Eagerly, Zinn reached for the bag. “This is so thoughtful. Should I look at them now?”
“Only if you want to, but I figured you might prefer to go through them privately.”
Zinn bobbed his head, appreciative of the beta’s foresight. “If you’re willing to leave them for a while, I’d like to do it on my own first.”
“Absolutely. We can even get copies made of any you want to have.”
“That’s kind. Thank you.”
“Pfft.Showing you pictures is literally the least I can do.”
“It really isn’t,” Zinn murmured.
After transferring the bag to the tiny bookshelf that doubled as his nightstand, he paced a few laps before going into the bathroom and grabbing the thing he’d hidden in the cabinet earlier. Assa had been so open about his and Wes’s polyamory. It helped explain why they’d been willing to welcome Zinn, why they hadn’t feared him or rushed to judgement.
Assa was brave in his honesty, and Zinn wanted to be brave too.
“Can I tell you something?” Zinn asked.
“Sure.”
He placed the stick down on the table. “I’m pregnant.”
Assa’s eyes widened momentarily, then a grin took over his face. “Congratulations!” He clapped his hands together. “I’m sure Calder is ecstatic. Since that man is stupid in love with you.”
Zinn’s cheek lifted. “It wasn’t, um, planned. We weren’t a couple before my heat.”
Assa arched an eyebrow. “But I’m willing to bet you weresomething.”
“Maybe,” Zinn hedged. “But it’s still hard for me to imagine having this, after everything… Do you really think he loves me?”
“It’s only obvious to anyone with eyeballs.”
Zinn laughed, then scooted closer to Assa. “Having a new baby feels like a dream. But I hope you understand that this doesn’tchange my commitment to Ryde. More than anything, I want to be a part of his life. Whatever you and Wes will allow.”
Assa’s expression grew serious. “I know the four of us are getting together next week to talk logistics, but I need you to understand something. Wes and I want you in Ryde’s life. We discussed it last night, and we don’t want you to think of it in terms of what we’llallow. We are welcoming you into our family with full hearts. So we can get this right for our son. We aren’t just tolerating you or humoring you.” For the second time, he enveloped Zinn’s hands in his own. “I meant what I said, omega. We are better off for knowing you. All of us.”
Zinn felt the beta’s sincere words in his soul. “I—thank you,” he whispered.
Assa nodded. “And I hope you’ll consider letting us know this new baby, since he will be Ryde’s brother.”
“Yes, definitely. I don’t have a connection to my family.” Zinn frowned, remembering he still hadn’t decided what to do about Asher. “And this baby deserves all the love he can get.”
“He does. And the reason you want that for him is the same reason I trust you to put Ryde’s best interests first.” Assa took a breath. “From the moment I heard your story, I’ve felt a kinship with you I couldn’t quite explain. But now I get it.”
“Yeah?” Zinn gulped as the beta squeezed his fingers.
“You want your children to have the love you didn’t have growing up.”
In Assa’s eyes, Zinn saw an understanding drawn from experience.
“When I was a kid, my alpha father treated me like shit,” Assa said. “When he was older, and dying in a nursing home, I took care of him. It seemed like the right thing to do, and I wanted to counter his awfulness with compassion.”
