Unnatural (The Wrong Alpha 1)

When they managed to break the kiss, Royce hummed in contentment, pressing their foreheads together. “This feels nice. It feels nice not to feel like I need to piss all over you to keep you smelling of me. I’m going to miss this a little if you fix your genetic code.”

Haydn’s stomach clenched.

Right.

“Do you want me to?”

Royce pulled back a little to look him in the eyes. “What?”

Haydn bit the inside of his cheek. “I mean, don’t you want me to become an omega?”

Royce’s brows drew together. “First of all, it doesn’t matter what I want. It’s your body, and your choice. You should be only what you want to be.” He touched Haydn’s heart. “You should be only what you feel is right for you.”

Haydn looked at him searchingly. “You really don’t want me to become an omega? It would make things easier. And I would be able to give you children the natural way.” He flushed, suddenly embarrassed and unsure. They had never discussed children before. He didn’t even know if Royce wanted any with him. They’d never really talked about the future.

Royce looked at him for a moment before leaning down and kissing him on the nose. He was smiling. “You’re fucking adorable when you blush, did you know that?”

Haydn laughed a little. “Shut up, I’m not!”

Royce kissed him on the mouth briefly before pulling back again. His gaze was serious now. “I do want to have children with you,” he said. “I like the idea of having a few kids—maybe a couple of little girls and a boy with your eyes and your smile…” His expression became softer. He touched Haydn’s bottom lip with his thumb. “But I don’t give a damn whether they’re naturally born or gestated in a genetic center—I wouldn’t love them any less.”

Haydn bit his lip, trying to get a grip on his emotions.

Royce took his hand into his own. “I’m serious, Haydn. I don’t care whether you’re an alpha or an omega or a beta.”

His vision was suddenly blurry. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much he had been afraid that Royce would want him to change his designation to omega. He wasn’t sure he was ready to do it. It didn’t matter that omega was his natural designation. No matter how angry he was with his father for messing with his genetics, he still felt like an alpha. Maybe one day he would consider the option of becoming an omega, but for now, he was glad there was no pressure on him to decide one way or the other. For now, he would do nothing. He was comfortable enough with his mostly-alpha-slightly-omega designation and didn’t feel like messing with it.

And yet, there was a niggling doubt that refused to go away. He gave Royce a searching look. “But you prefer omegas.”

“I did. Until you.” Royce’s dark eyes gazed at him intently. “You’re my husband. You’re my mate whether you carry my mating mark or not. I kind of…” He swallowed, his jaw clenching a little and his cheekbones coloring. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of crazy about you.”

Haydn pursed his lips to stop himself from grinning stupidly, but judging from Royce’s expression, he wasn’t fooling anyone.

Looping his arms around Royce’s neck, he pulled him down, brushing his nose against Royce’s. “I’m kind of crazy about you, too,” he murmured with a smile.

Royce’s breathing hitched. “Are you?”

“Mhmm. Very much so.” He hugged his husband tightly and thought, I love you.

“I love you,” Haydn said, because he needed to say it. Crazy about you sounded so inadequate for this all-encompassing feeling that filled his heart with joy and warmth. “It freaks me out when I think we might have never met if the Galactic Council didn’t get sick of our war.”

Royce pressed their foreheads together, his hands cradling Haydn’s face. “I know, love,” he said hoarsely, kissing the corner of Haydn’s mouth. “Fuck, I love you so much I want to live inside of you.”

Haydn shivered, feeling a twinge of arousal. “Maybe we can—”

His phone went off.

Tearing himself away from Royce, he reached to the nightstand where he’d dropped his phone last night and answered it. “Yes?”

“Haydn? It’s Dr. Jordan.”

Frowning, Haydn sat up, wincing a little as Royce’s cock finally slipped out of him. “Do you have news? Did you find a cure—?”

“No,” she said. “I’m sorry, but your cousin has escaped the hospital.”

The phone dropped from his suddenly numb fingers, and he stared out into space, his mind racing.

“Haydn?” Royce said, sitting up, too, and touching his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Devlin’s escaped the hospital,” Haydn whispered, fear making his throat tight. “Fuck. He’s—he’s completely defenseless, without any memory and—and anyone might shoot him down like an animal—and—and—”

Royce pulled him into his arms, tucking Haydn’s face against his throat. “Breathe,” he said firmly. “He will be all right. He’s a fully transformed Xeus alpha exponentially stronger and faster than you or me. He’s not easy to hurt.”