"You already have a kid?" That one was Jamie, gaping at Sergio, who tried to explain.
"Not...I mean,biologically, but..."
Brandt had moved around behind me, looming over Eric's shoulder. "What required explanation in Sage's lab results?" He read the contents of the screen for a moment, then inhaled sharply. "Oh." His throat worked. "Shit."
The rest of the rabble faded into background noise for me. "What? What do you mean 'oh shit'? What's wrong with—"
"How much magic does an omega body rely on during the early stages of gestation?" Brandt asked lowly, and my heart stuttered.
"Gestation?!" I might not have been a scientist or a doctor, but I knew what he was asking. My throat went dry. I coughed. "Why would...why would you be asking that?"
I knew why. I just wanted to hear them confirm it.
The rest of the room had fallen deathly silent at my exclamation. I could hear Serge's panicked breathing through the speaker, but I didn't dare tear my eyes from my omega mate's brothers.
"Why would—" I started to repeat the question, and Eric sighed loudly, pinning me with a pointed stare. His tone was somber.
"He's pregnant, Dex. And we need to get him out of that cage."
"We aresohaving a long talk the second we get Sage back."
I couldn't exactly blame Eric for his frosty attitude this time. He was hurt that his younger brother had kept him out of the loop for some pretty significant details. A three-way mating, another beta-turned-alpha, the fact that the alpha in question was our resident shamanandso much older than Micah had been when his designation had changed…It was a lot, and it was information that might have aided Eric with his research.
Following Eric's confirmation of what, exactly, Sage's blood tests had revealed, Serge had wheezed out a shocked "I'm flying home tonight" and abruptly ended the call on his end, leaving me to process the news on my own...and to face the inquisition.
Thankfully, while the others were clearly champing at the bit for answers, they seemed more interested in making sure we got Sage home first. His health —and our child's health— depended on it.
We spent the next few hours turning the meeting room into a war room. Beckett began making phone calls to his various contacts in local law enforcement, Brandt reached out to lawyers with either shifter ties or who were shifters themselves, and Rex left to go and see if the IT savant living at Frat House could dig up any connections between this mess and Moonmusic. I wasn’t quite certain what use that would be, but if Rex thought it would help, I wasn’t going to stand in his way. Anything that could possibly help Sage was encouraged.
Eventually, it got dark, but I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to keep working, keep discussing plans, keep working to free my mate. He was probably so upset, likely afraid and uncertain, too.
Beck’s hand landed on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Go home, Dex.”
I rubbed at my tired eyes and shook my head. “No. I can’t. I need to—”
“You need to go home and get some rest,” his words were firm, but spoken with compassion that I didn’t think I deserved. “You won’t be any good to Sage if you burn out.”
I haven’t been any good to Sage for hundreds of years,I thought miserably, feeling moisture gathering in my eyes. I blinked it away angrily. Tears were futile. They wouldn’t help anyone at that moment.
“We’re going to get him out of there,” Beck continued, sounding gentler now, “I promise.”
The thought of going back to our empty house, void of both my mates, made my heart hurt. Eyes burning, my voice came out thick and raspy as I replied, “I can’t.”
Guilt had stolen over me in the hours since we’d learned of Sage’s imprisonment. I felt at fault for it all. If I hadn’t let him leave while he was upset and distracted. If I had only insisted that we investigate the supplier together. If I had gone instead of him…
A broken sob broke free from my throat and I turned my face away, not wanting to see the pity painted on the Alpha’s face, nor anyone else’s for that matter.
“Then you’re staying in one of the guest rooms upstairs,” Beck squeezed my shoulder again. “But youaregoing to rest for now. We will all revisit this with fresh eyes and minds tomorrow.”
Nodding jerkily, I still couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I was desperate for comfort, but I didn’t believe I deserved it. Still, the plaintive words, “I want my alpha,” spilled from my lips before I could stop them. I had to bring my fist to my mouth to bite down on my knuckles, stifling the mournful cries threatening to follow the declaration.
Strong arms pulled me against an equally strong chest, Beck’s large hand bracing the back of my head and neck. His alpha scent was tinged with the scent of his wolf, but it was still familiar enough to break the last of my resolve.
I bawled into his shoulder, heaving, ugly, honking sobs wracking my body as I let the built-up stress and emotion escape. I would likely feel embarrassed about this later, about losing my composure so completely in front of them all, but particularly Eric and Brandt. They already disliked me, so I didn’t think falling apart and showing how weak and useless I was would endear me to them any further. After all, how good could I possibly be for their brother if I fell apart so easily under pressure?
“Sergio will be here tomorrow,” Beckett soothed, still speaking to me like I was fragile. Given that the words, which were meant to reassure me, only made me cry harder, I supposed I was fragile.
So, that made me weak, useless,andfragile.
