My boss wasn’t convinced. “You know, it’s possible to be bonded and raise a family without leaving the brigade.” He gestured to a series of small ceramic picture frames on the corner of his desk that featured a plump, sweet-face Omega that I knew was his husband of over thirty years and their four grown children.
“I know it is,” I agreed, “but Ari worries about me not coming home more than I think the average mate does,” I said carefully, trying to balance my commanding officer’s need to know with Ari’s privacy relating to his abandonment issues. We were in counseling and it was helping, but even our counselor didn’t think it was something that could ever be fully cured.
Alfried continued to study me from under bushy brows. “Have you discussed this with Ari or are you just assuming that this is what he wants?”
Okay, he had me there.
“Not exactly,” I hedged. “I was going to surprise him with the news tonight after our mating celebration.”
Alfried cringed. “Son, I am telling you this as a friend and not just because we don’t want to lose you, but do notevermake a decision this big without discussing it with your other half.” He shook his head slowly. “You need to trust me on this!”
When I didn’t answer, Alfried sighed. “Look. You go home and tell your mate what you’re planning and I’ll hold onto this,” he pinched the paper between his thumb and index finger and waved it in the air, “until tomorrow. If you still want to go ahead in the morning. I’ll process your early retirement immediately and backdate it for today, okay?”
No matter how he phrased it, it was an order and, as expected, I agreed.
“Yes, sir.”
When I arrived back at the townhouse, I’d expected to find a flurry of activity with Ari preparing for the mating celebration run with our friends and my family, but other than the faint sound of a game show, all was quiet. Kicking off my boots, I peeked into the living room and my heart stuttered. My father sat at one end of the sofa, my mother at the other, and Ari was stretched out between them, fast asleep. His head was on my mom’s lap, her hands stroking his hair and my dad was rubbing his bare feet.
“Shh,” Dad warned with a smile. “He needs his rest for tonight.”
Nodding, I slipped down the hall and stripped for my shower. When I returned to the living room twenty minutes later, clean and dressed in the tracksuit I preferred for nights when I knew I’d be shifting, Ari had just started to blink awake.
“Hey, baby.” I squatted down in front of him, pressing a kiss to his lips and then to his belly. “Good nap?”
Ari nodded and yawned before casting shy looks to either side. “Um, your parents got here early.”
Ari had been afraid that my folks wouldn’t like him, wouldn’t approve of our relationship, but based on the sweet scene I’d walked in on, it looked like they’d won him over. If I’d had to guess, my first thought was that they’d arrived early with exactly that goal in mind.
“I see that.” I stood, kissed each of my parents’ cheeks, and then offered Ari my hands and helped him to his feet. “If you’ll excuse us, Ari and I need to talk for a few minutes before the run tonight.”
“Of course.” My parents stood, each hugging Ari on their way to the door. My mom swatted my butt on her way by, making Ari laugh. “We’ll meet you at the entrance to the forestry land at dusk!”
I felt the tension begin to build in the air as soon as I said we needed to talk, but even after the door closed behind my parents, Ari remained silent, his hands shoved into the pockets of his fleece pants. When I turned and pulled him close, the tension in his frame had me frowning.
“Nothing’s wrong, baby,” I tried to reassure him. “At least, not with me. Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Ari sounded uncertain. “What did I do?”
“You didn’t do anything,” I murmured, nuzzling into his neck. “Come sit down, okay?” I waited until we were snuggled together to explain. “I told Commander Alfried today that I want to apply for early retirement.”
Ari’s eyes widened. “What? Why? You love your job!”
“I do,” I agreed, rubbing circles on Ari’s back, “but I love you and our pup, also, and I want to be there for you both, every step of the way.”
Ari’s expression went from surprised to confused. “But you already have been. Why would you have to retire to keep doing that?”
I opened my mouth to answer and promptly stumbled over my tongue. It hadn’t occurred to me that I might need to convince Ari of the brilliance of my plan and other than not wanting to worry my mate, I didn’t have a convincing argument ready. Ari realized it, too, and his eyes narrowed.
“Is it because you don’t think I can handle being alone with the baby?” Ari’s lips twitched down in a frown and trembled the slightest bit. “Oh. You don’t trust me with the baby.” He swallowed hard and stiffened, somehow placing feet of empty space between us without moving. “I understand.”
“What? No!” I was shaking my head, completely lost at how Ari could have come to that conclusion. “Neither of those thoughts had even crossed my mind, I swear!” I exhaled sharply, well aware I was about to shoot myself in the other foot with the truth. “Ari, I just didn’t want you to have to worry about me not coming home, about something else going wrong after you had the baby.”
To my surprise, Ari’s response was to roll his eyes and snort. “Well, that’s a stupid reason to give up a career you love.”
“It, uh, is?”
“Of course, it is,” Ari huffed. “You don’t have to choose between your family and your career, Roger. You already have both.” His eyes softened and he leaned against me. “I know you worry about me, but I can stand on my own now, if needed. When you changed me, you made me stronger, Alpha.”
