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“Good,” he says. “I like you here too, on my lap where you belong. I like to tend to you. It gives me a great deal of pleasure. But why would you deny me this if it does not bother you?”
I don’t quite know what to make of his words. “Is this how it is between alphas and omegas?”
He nods. “I believe it is. Not that I know many mated alphas. An omega mate is wishful thinking, for the most part, given omegas are so rare. But having you on my lap feels natural.”
“The king will not be happy,” I say sadly as worry worms in. “When he finds out you snatched me and brought me here to get me with child.”
“I dare say he won’t,” Lor says, reaching for the next morsel and offering it to my lips. “And that’s why we… took the liberties.”
“I’m glad you did.”
Aston chuckles. “We’re glad we did too.”
* * *
After breakfast, the nest is refreshed, and I’m told to rest.
Aston and Lor are both dressed and stand together beside the front door, talking softly. I can just spy them through the gap where the bedroom door is ajar. The fire is well stoked, and the cottage is warm. The brightness tells me it is somewhere near the middle of the day.
My hand moves to settle against my tummy, where they claim a new life grows. A mate or husband and babies was an aspiration that never seemed real before. I was in denial where Marshal was concerned. I can accept this awful truth now, and it scares me how close I came to marrying a controlling, joyless man who sought to deny me the chance to see a dear friend for the last time.
All the markers were there for his nature, yet I ignored them because I’d convinced myself I had no other choice.
Marriage to a lord and a fancy life in the city was never for me. Not when the beautiful countryside around the clans and Penley had already stolen my heart from the time of my childhood summers with Dara and Aston, where I was often found in the village and where my mother felt safe for me to venture. She had visited on many occasions and would stay and chat with Dara’s mother while we played.
I wonder if my mother will be shocked at what I do, taking not one but two mates and both of them barbarians, even if one can shift. Except I already know she will be happy simply to see me happy, and ecstatic to learn there will soon be a baby. She often mentioned with pride that Papa had spoken of Aston in letters and that the young alpha had risen to be one of his trusted lieutenants. Then there is Lor, who she has talked aplenty about him being a blessing since he came to stay with us.
I chuckle, thinking about him turning up under the pretense of charity when he was, in fact, planning with Aston to claim me as a mate. I cannot find fault with him for it when it delivered me my dream.
They are still talking, but the deep rumble has taken on an undercurrent that stirs me from happy thoughts.
The front door opens, bringing a blast of cold air to the bedroom, before they both leave.
The tiredness that fills me is no longer strong enough to lure me toward sleep. Pushing covers aside, I rise and pad over to the other side of the room where my gown is neatly hung on a hook. I seem to recall it lying on the floor, so one of them must have picked it up.
I huff a little breath as it dawns upon me that I’m a clanswoman and will need to wear something more suiting… like the hide dresses that are scandalous by Hydornian standards. My tummy takes a slow dip as I imagine my mates’ heated gazes on seeing me in such clothing. How it will allow them easy access should they wish to rut me.
I’m getting distracted; this dress will have to do for now. The little buttons are difficult to do without help, but I get most of them done up. Then I lace up my boots and slip my cloak over my shoulders before I head for the front door. A little fresh air will do me good, and then I can sleep.
Only when I throw open the door I receive a surprise. There is snow, for sure, but it does not look very deep—no more than a few inches—and is patchy in places like it has rained.
A pile of clothes and boots lies on the porch. I stare from them to Aston, who is standing at the edge of the small clearing. On hearing the door open, he turns to look at me.
“What are you doing out, lass?” He stamps toward me, his long strides covering the distance swiftly.
“Where is Lor?”
“He is scouting, lass.”
The unease I felt a moment ago returns full bore. “There’s not enough snow.”
He shakes his head slowly. “There are a few drifts in places, but the road is passable on horseback.”
I swallow. “Do you think they will come?”
He doesn’t answer me for the longest time, and I know what that means. I stare at him, troubled. He’s such a beautiful male, with his hazel eyes and those freckles across his nose, golden hair, and the darker beard on his jaw. My heart belongs only to him and Lor.
“It’s too late now, isn’t it?” I say. “Now I’m with child?”
