"I'll get those," Killian offered. Scout was surprised by the wild gleam in his mate's eyes. It was intense and hard, but full of affection at the same time. An alpha father's eyes.
Scout fished out the crumpled prescription paper from his pocket. "Well, I can't say no to that, can I? I just hope the pharmacy will still take... this."
Dr. Morris glanced at the sad looking paper and shrugged. "I'm, er, sure they've seen worse. Besides, I doubt they'll anything less than ecstatic to serve the prince's omega and his baby."
Scout's heart fluttered. He wasn't just Scout anymore — he was Scout, a parent of the royal baby. On top of the normal responsibility of being a first-time parent, there was also the added responsibility of being part of the royal family now, and caring for its next generation. Scout tried to ward off the overwhelming feeling. For now, he had enough to think about.
* * *
"Afather!?" the pharmacist cried. "Oh my god! Congratulations, your majesty!"
Killian was slightly embarrassed by all the fuss the pharmacy staff were making, but he took it in stride. It wasn't every day he got to announce that he was going to be a father.
"Make sure you have your mate read the instructions on the side. He shouldn't take more than two a day," she explained as she handed Killian the paper bag. "And make sure you take good care of him!"
"I will," Killian promised. There was nothing he looked forward to more than protecting his mate and making sure he was safe and cared for until the birth of their baby.
As Killian exited the pharmacy, a familiar wolf approached him. She changed back to human form and gave him a curt nod. "Sir."
"Amy," Killian said in surprise, noting the strained expression on her face. "What's wrong?"
"Stark hasn't returned to the guard quarters," she said.
Killian sighed. "That again? I had his omega friend asking me the same thing. I told him to stay on guard at the border in case Silvercreek was up to something suspicious."
But Amy shook her head. "That's just it, sir. I was down at the border and there was no sign of him."
"What?" Killian asked. "How can that be?"
"I circled the whole perimeter just to make sure I hadn't missed him," Amy said. "But he wasn't there, and his scent was stale." She paused and lowered her voice. "There was another sour scent I recognized as Silvercreek. Sir, I'm afraid something bad is going on."
The hairs on the back of Killian's neck rose. "What about the rest of the border patrol?" he snapped.
Amy's lips were tight. "I asked and they said they heard a suspicious noise at one end of the border, so they went to investigate, but when they got back Stark was already gone. They just assumed he had finished up and returned to the royal guard's quarters."
"Damnit," Killian growled. He gave Amy a firm glance. "Assemble the rest of the guard. I need to give this to Scout. I'll meet you down at the border."
"Sir?" she asked, looking surprised. "You don't need to get involved, I assure you. We can handle the situation. I just wanted to inform you about what was going on."
"No," Killian said, shaking his head. "This is more than that now. It's payback."
Amy slowly nodded. She knew the prince well enough to know when he was serious. "Understood," she said. "Then we'll see you there."
Killian saw her off as she shifted once more to wolf form and raced down towards the border. He turned and dashed back to the manor. The group was still assembled where he left them, excitedly discussing the pregnancy.
"Scout," Killian said, handing him the paper bag. "Here. These are yours." As he turned to leave, he said, "I have something to attend to. Stay here, and do not leave the palace."
Immediately panic sparked among the friends.
"What?" Scout asked. "Where are you going?"
Killian steadied his expression and forced himself to look Kyle in the eyes. "Kyle was right," he said. "Amy just informed me that Stark is missing."
The omega's face turned pale.
"And I have a good idea of who’s responsible," Killian growled.
"What?" the king roared. "Stark is gone?"
