My dad rested his chin on the top of his folded hands. “You must harbor some negative feelings about youroldpack.”
Gabe stared at the table. His fingers curled around his glassabsentmindedly.
“I should. I mean, I did, especially at the time. There was no excuse for how they treated me, but at the same time… It was my home, you know?” he said. “Sometimes I still feel guilty for leaving itbehind.”
A growl rose in my throat. “You shouldn’t. What happened was their fault, notyours.”
“I know.” He shook his head. “But it’s not that. I guess I realized they were just scared. They don’t know any other way to live,youknow?”
I didn’t understand why Gabriel was suddenly defending his old pack. What they did to him was completely unacceptable. Unforgivable. If it were up to me, I’d fly there and give them all a piece ofmymind.
“Anyway, I’m glad I live here now, but sometimes I just think about all the omegas like me who don’t have a choice.” He shrugged. “That’sall.”
My dad nodded sagely. “That’s wise, Gabriel. You’re a brave young man to go through what you have and still think aboutothers.”
That much was true. Still, I was glad Gabe was safe here with me and my family. He and our baby were my firstpriority.
I realized I still hadn’t broken thenewsyet.
“So, Gabe,” I began, “do youwanna…?”
“Hm? Oh!” He suddenly remembered why we were here and turned shy again. He grasped my hand. “Um… Dante, would you do thehonors?”
I chuckled. We were just telling my family about the baby. There was no need to be soformal.
“Well, I’m sure a bunch of you have figured it out already, but I’ll make it official,” I said. “Gabriel ispregnant.”
Ruby pretended to act surprised - and she was pretty good at it. If I didn’t know her any better, I might have thought she actually was surprised. Lorenzo smiled wide. He definitelyalreadyknew.
But the smile that bloomed across my dad’s face was something else. The news was genuinely newtohim.
“Oh, Dante,” he murmured, getting to his feet, “you’re going to be afather?”
“Sure am,” I said withagrin.
Gabe and I both stood to meet my dad, who embraced us at the same time. Gabriel nearly got lost among us two tallalphas.
My dad took Gabe’s hands in his own. “Congratulations, both of you. I’m truly veryhappy.”
Gabe flushed ear-to-ear. “Thank you, Mr.Anton.”
My dad didn’t even bother correcting him this time. He just hugged Gabeagain.
“If you two need anything, do not hesitate to tell me,” he said firmly. “My grandbaby will never want foranything.”
“I understand.Thankyou.”
As we sat back down, I shot Lorenzo a grin. “I bet dad thought you’d be the first one to make him agrandfather,huh?”
Lorenzo sighed and shrugged. “Fair enough. I am excited to be an uncle,though.”
My dad smiled sadly now as he murmured, “I wish your daddy was here toseethis.”
My heart clenched. Everyone sitting around the table understood that he was talking about Lorenzo and I’s omega-father.
“Me too,” I saidsoftly.
Gabe glanced at me with his big eyes and held my hand. “I lost both my parents when I was young. Since the pack is small and closed-off, disease spreads fast…” He looked at my dad. “But I’m glad the baby will have at least onegrandparent.”
