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“I’ll call to check in on you two tomorrow,” Wilder said as he trailed Lake out the door.
Auggie was holding an elevator open, waving them on. The alarm had sounded, having been held too long. He and Lake slipped in and allowed the doors to close. All three were silent, Wilder lost in his own thoughts.
“If Avery stays in jail after the baby’s born… will he still be your omega?” Lake asked.
“Of course he will. If that happens. Which I hope it won’t.”
“Let’s be real. There’s a good chance he won’t come home for a long, long time, right?”
Wilder met Lake’s piercing stare.
“He might not come home, but we need to stay positive.”
Tears formed in Lake’s eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s all my fault,” the boy said, curling inward. “He’s there because of me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Wilder said, rubbing the boy’s arm.
“It is! I’m the one who stole hisHeatexpills. Uncle Gray said I couldn’t use them, and Avery agreed it wasn’t safe. So I stole his stash… and then he didn’t have them later that night.” Lake paused, sucking in a breath. “And then you… you claimed him. BecauseIstole the pills he needed.”
“I’m sure your brother isn’t mad—”
“He hates me now.”
Wilder lifted the boy’s chin. “Did he say those words to you?”
“N-no,” Lake sputtered through tears. “But he thinks them. I'm sure of it.”
“What has he said to you when you visit?”
Lake looked away, his face growing red. “I haven’t. I couldn’t face him and see hatred in his eyes.”
“I’m going to see him this week. Why don’t I take you with me?”
Lake eyed him. “I can’t.”
“What you’re imagining is likely a million times worse than it actually is. He might be disappointed in you, but I doubt he hates you. You’re hisbrother.”
Wilder inwardly chuckled at his thoughts, comparing them to his own relationship with his sibling. The teenager frowned, his face falling.
“Sometimes we have to be brave and face the things we’ve done wrong. Apologize with our whole heart. Do whatever we can to make it right.”
Lake lifted his gaze, his tear-streaked face a mask of agony. “How do I makethisright?”
“No idea. That’s between you and Avery,” Wilder answered. “I can pick you up on the way there. I’ll text you beforehand. Okay?”
Lake nodded.“Okay.”He was silent a moment before meeting Wilder’s gaze. “I suppose I should apologize to you, too. I took him away from you.”
“A bunch of out-of-date laws took him from me. He should’ve been free to do what he did.” Wilder’s heart went out to the boy. “And had you not taken his pills, I might not know he was my mate. We wouldn’t have a child on the way.”
“He wasn’t ready. For a baby.”
In that moment, Wilder wondered if Avery was as excited as he was about the baby. He’d never really bothered to ask. “To be honest, I wasn’t either. I had no intention of mating and having a family so soon.”
“Sorry.”
