Curling his arm around Ricky’s back, Morgan held him tightly. “For years, I’ve wondered if the fates were punishing me. I love my pack, but every day, I woke up alone, and every night, I went to bed the same way. I didn’t want to keep going but the pack needed me so I did, and the Golden Valley shifters were happy, but I was…existing. Just existing.” He reached his free hand up and traced his fingertips over Ricky’s jaw. “But now you’re here. My mate. My family,” he said worshipfully. He hovered his hand over The Baby, like he wanted to touch him but wasn’t sure he could. As if sensing Morgan’s presence, The Baby opened his eyes. Dark brown, just like his father’s. “I’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect you and him.”
“I know you will,” Ricky said, realizing the meaning of his own words as he spoke them. Morgan would protect him the same way he had protected the Golden Valley, which meant he would do more than keep his body safe; it also meant he would strive to make him happy. When it came to how he had treated his mate, Ricky couldn’t have made more mistakes if they had been assigned to him. And he only now realized the biggest one by far was keeping this man from his son. “Do you want to hold him?”
“Of course,” Morgan said, breathlessly. He reached his hands out. “I’ll be careful.” When Ricky placed The Baby in Morgan’s arms, he immediately cradled him to his chest and kissed his head. The baby gurgled and pushed his fist against his mouth. “Thank you,” Morgan said, meeting Ricky’s gaze. “He’s beautiful.”
Ricky hadn’t spent much time with Morgan, hadn’t had much in the way of conversation with him, but he knew him enough to realize his Alpha was gentle, perseverant, strong, and loyal. If he could welcome Ricky into his home after he had led him on a chase across the country and rejected him in front of other Alphas, two things sure to enrage most Alphas, the man sitting beside him and gazing lovingly at his child may be upset to learn his Omega had withheld information, but he surely would forgive this mistake.
“He’s yours.”
“You’re my mate. Your family is my family,” Morgan responded, smiling down at The Baby.
Apparently, he hadn’t been clear enough for Morgan to understand that he meant the statement literally. Not a surprise when he had used only two words to explain to a man that he had made a baby with another man. And when Ricky thought back to the pleasure he had shared with Morgan in his office months earlier, he realized they had barely removed their clothes, so even if his Alpha had knowledge of Psi wolves in general, he hadn’t seen Ricky’s birthing skin so he had no way to know he specifically was a Psi. That was about to change.
“Have you heard of Psi wolves?”
“Psi wolves,” Morgan mumbled to himself. “I think so.” He scrunched his eyebrows together in thought. “They’re…”
Taking a deep breath, Ricky climbed off the bed, and then turned to face Morgan and lifted his shirt, exposing the skin that made him different from other shifters. “I’m a Psi.”
Morgan looked at him and his expression morphed, confusion turning to understanding. He gasped and jerked his gaze from Ricky’s belly to his face. “You’re a Psi.” After a brief moment, his eyes widened as the meaning of that information clicked into place and then he lowered his gaze down to The Baby. “He’s ours,” he rasped. Pressing his face to The Baby’s head, Morgan blindly reached his arm out, wound it around Ricky’s back, and tugged him close.
“Yes, he’s ours.” Ricky blinked away tears, relieved that, instead of pushing him away after hearing the confession, his mate wanted him closer. “And he needs a name.” He slid his hand through Morgan’s hair. “We’ve been waiting for you to do that.”
“Are you sure? You did all the hard work. Alphas naming babies is old-fashioned.”
“Turns out I’m pretty old-fashioned.” He hadn’t known that about himself until the last few months, but he didn’t mind. Old-fashioned meant putting his trust in an Alpha and Ricky was blessed with the most reliable, generous, secure Alpha imaginable.
Morgan met his gaze. “You’re a treasure.” He looked down and kissed their son’s head. “I want to name him Alex after my father.”
“Alex Peters,” Ricky said, testing the name on his tongue. “It’s perfect.”
“Do you hear that, Alex? Your daddy likes your name.” The baby gurgled happily. “I guess you like your name too.” Morgan laughed and raised his watery gaze to Ricky. “Thank you for giving me this.”
Chapter 10
After Ricky’s long drive and their emotional conversation, the Omega was understandably exhausted, so Morgan hadn’t been surprised when he had fallen asleep while they’d been talking. And then like something out of his greatest fantasies, Morgan had the pleasure of lying with his mate tucked against side and his child in his arms. He reveled in the precious moment and kept very still so he wouldn’t wake either of them, but little Alex eventually stirred and then eyes nearly as dark as his own peered up at him.