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“What are you doing here?” Val ground out, arms folded over his chest like armor. “Fuck off.”
His uncle’s smile felt oily. “And miss your Claiming ceremony? Never.”
“I didn’t invite you.”
“You didn’t have to. I’m family.”
“No, you’re not, not anymore. Get out.”
“Oh come on, Val. After all the evil you’ve wrought, you now seek to cast me out and make me miss your Claiming?”
“Stop talking like an elder scroll from a videogame and fuck off. I know what you did to me.”
“I did?”
‘Yes, you did. For so long, too fucking long, I thought it had been my doing, my freakish alpha nature, and that I’d abused you. But you were the adult and I was the child. You used me. You abused me. And then you ran off to tell my alpha father, your brother, that it had all been my fault. You know what hurts the most? That he obviously believed you over me.”
“Your father knew me. Of course he believed me.”
“But he was wrong.”
“Was he? He changed his will to get you on the straight path, didn’t he? Demanded you Claim an omega of my choosing.”
“You chose Jai?”
“A silly little omega from a wealthy family. A family under my control. His fathers owe me favors. All the wealth your daddy is leaving you? It’ll come to me...”
Val fought a shudder. “Fuck you. You’re filth. You make me sick. And you know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“My father never really changed his will. See, he believed you for a while, it seems, but then realized the truth.”
“What are you talking about? I saw Jai. He’s here.”
“But he’s not the one I’m about to Claim.”
“You wouldn’t dare...”
“Dare? Dare?” Val shook a fist at his uncle. “I’m not going to Claim Jai. And I won’t fucking have you anywhere near me or my family ever again. Get out or I’ll get the guards to throw you the hell out of here. Now!”
His uncle lifted his hands, his face going pale. “Val... you’re not going to the police with this, are you?”
“Get the fuck out!”
He gestured at two bodyguards, huge alphas, bigger even than him, and signaled for them to drag his uncle out. He jerked in their hold, shooting Val venomous glances, but he turned away and tried to compose himself.
Tried to examine his feelings about what had happened. He felt aggressed, attacked just by seeing his uncle and talking to him. His mind kept flashing back to the past. But he also felt an immense fucking relief for having figured this out, with his friends’ and Zach’s help, and for confronting his uncle and kicking him out.
Whether he went to the police or not was a matter to consider, but above all, he’d faced his past, his fears, the person who’d been giving him nightmares every night—until he’d found Zach.
Zach. He had to go back to him. His omega had looked very uncomfortable today, and it worried Val—though, granted, Zach’s belly was so big now that he probably wouldn’t get comfortable until the babies came. Val hadn’t been aware that a pregnant belly could get so big. He’d seen Alex’s Mate, Kai, when he’d been full-term with the twins, and he was sure that Zach’s belly was bigger.
Damn.
He was constantly torn between worry and excitement for his omega, joy and arousal and concern. If he had to guess, he’d have to say that this was probably what love was all about. This rollercoaster mixture of emotions, merging to form a state of affection and desire like no other.
As he hurried through the small crowd gathered to celebrate the Claiming, he felt it—the exultation and the fear as he searched for his omega—as if he could have moved from the chair where Val had deposited him half an hour ago when he’d gone to inform the shaman and organizers that they had arrived.
Now the shaman had lit up his incense sticks and candles, the catering service had sent out their people to ask everyone to sit down as the ceremony was about to start, and... what the hell was Jai doing, talking with Zach?
He hadn’t thought Jai would show up after all, that he’d been only trying to annoy Val by insisting on an invitation to the Claiming. His hackles up and bristling, Val strode toward them.
“Hey! You. Jai. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m getting acquainted with your Mate-to-be. Well, and father-to-be, quite obviously.” Jai made a sweeping gesture at Zach and his big belly. “When were you going to tell me?”
“Never. It’s none of your business, Jai. Is this why you’re here? To annoy us?”
“I’m here to wish you well,” Jai said with a cheerful smile, “and to see what people in love look like. I told you.”
“You did,” Val whispered, sitting down beside Zach, worry winning over at the pinched expression on his omega’s face. “Zach? What’s wrong?”
“I’m good,” Zach said, though his teeth were clenched.
“Jai, what did you tell him? I’m going to kick your ass.”
“He didn’t do anything,” Zach said. “Everything’s fine. Are we ready?”
“All set to go.” Val stroked the top of Zach’s belly. It felt hard and a glance at his omega’s face showed him tense lines. “If you are.”
“Help me up, alpha,” Zach said, shooting him a faint smile and reached for his hand. “Or else we’ll have to do this sitting here.”
“Helping you is my pleasure,” Val said, loving how his omega was weighed down by their babies, how he needed him. “Always will be.”
“Aw shucks,” Jai said, a hand pressed to his heart, a teasing smile on his lips. “I said I wanted to see love but you guys are getting cheesy.”
“Then go away and find something else to do,” Val growled. “We have business to attend to. Come on, love.” Ignoring Jai, he pulled Zach to his feet and kissed his cheek. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
***
The shaman waved a bunch of burning sticks of incense under their noses, and Zach started to cough.
Which made Val snicker.
Holding his Mate’s hand, breathing in that subtle sweet smell of pretty omega and pregnancy, breathing in the incense, the smells of his estate, the many boring scents of other shifters and whispers and shoe scuffing, he felt at peace.
Though there was, in fact, another scent that kept trying to burrow through his senses—sharper and deeper. Exciting. Getting his blood pumping, making him feel he should be doing something, acting, but he didn’t know what about.
He glanced sideways at Zach, but his omega seemed transfixed by the tall shaman who was currently shaking two bone rattles and chanting something about the old moon god and the mystery of creation.
His omega looked spectacular—and also damn cute—dressed in his white and gold outfit, the elastic top stretched taut over his enormous baby bump, his blond hair caught up in a jaunty ponytail. His green eyes shone bright, and his cheeks were flushed.
So pretty. His Mate was fucking gorgeous. Val gave the smaller hand in his a squeeze as the shaman approached them. A glance over his shoulder showed him Tate and Luke standing at the sides of the small platform. Tate was staring at Zach with a puzzled expression on his pretty face, but the only thing Val cared about was that the dark-haired omega was close enough to Zach to help him if he needed anything.
Not that he would, since Val was right there, but still. It gave his nerves a break to know another person was there, ready to help.
Help with what exactly? his mind asked. Does it have to do with that scent you keep picking on? The clues you’ve been trying not to read?
Shit. What was it?
“We are gathered here today,” the shaman said, startling him out of his thoughts, to witness a love bond and a promise between an alpha and an omega. “I’d say to join hands but I see that you beat me to it already.”
Snickers from the crowd.
Zach’s fingers tightened in his.
“We’re here to witness a bond made public and official, made loud and open. Here is also where I’d wish you a fruitful union, but I see that you very clearly have beat me to that, too.”
More snickers.
Zach breathed a low moan. Val grinned at him, but Zach wasn’t looking his way so he just squeezed back the slender fingers in his hand and breathed in the scent of his mate.
Which was spiced with a light sourness of fear. And again, that other, new smell that kept getting under his skin like an itch, sending his adrenaline spiking and the blood pumping faster in his veins.
What was it?
“Let the moon god be a witness,” the shaman said, lifting his hands over his head, “that love binds this alpha and this omega, making them the beginning and the end in the circle of life, making them two faces of the same round coin, tenderness, and excitement, compassion and attachment, needing and giving. Let us all rejoice in the joining of Valerian and Zachary, the forming of their new family and their life ahead. Zachary, what would you like to tell Valerian?”
Zach produced a weird little sound, as if he was in pain, and Val frowned, but then he cleared his throat and said, “I love you, Val, and want to be with you and our babies forever.” He turned a sweet smile on Val that got his eyes all hot and blurry.
Damn.
“And you, Valerian,” said the shaman, “what would you like to tell Zachary?”
“Zach, I love you more than I can ever tell you. You and the babies are my everything and I’ll spend every day of my life showing you that.”
The crowd broke into applause, and someone started playing a tune on a flute. A tambourine joined in, and a lyre.
Zach turned a shocked gaze on him. “You brought Lotus Boys to play music?”
“They were happy to.” Val shrugged, pleased at his lover’s surprise. “It’s a goodbye gift from your academy.”
Zach smiled at him, and Val unclasped their hands to cup that beloved face and kiss him, without waiting for the shaman to give him the go-ahead. “I love you,” he whispered against those sweet lips. “Always will.”
Zach murmured something he didn’t catch, his mouth opening to his with a sigh, lips curving in a smile. God, Val loved this.
Loved this omega with all his heart.
“And now, with this kiss sealing the bond, let us celebrate, drink and eat and make merry!” the shaman shouted, and the world exploded in noise, clapping and foot-stamping and whistling.
The pop of champagne corks joined in the din, and then Luke and Tate were there, congratulating them and talking—for all Val knew about the weather. He couldn’t hear them over the din.
Didn’t care to pay attention when he held Zach close enough to breathe in that scent that had been bothering him all day.
“Zach...” He placed his hands on his omega’s heavy belly, felt it harden under his palms. “Are you in labor?”
Zach moaned, shaking his head, cheeks stained crimson.
“Love? Then what is it?”
“Val...” His omega’s pretty eyes were wide and frightened. “I think my water just broke.”
“What?”
Too soon, his mind chanted, it’s too soon for the birth.
But the doctor said the babies are large, another part of his brain reminded him, and look like big his belly is. Sometimes babies come sooner than expected.
“Val? I’m sorry, all these people here are waiting to talk to you and have a good time but... I’ve been having contractions all day and I can’t...”
“Fuck, babe. Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have canceled the ceremony.”
“I know. I didn’t want you to. I wanted— Ow. Holy shit...”
If he’d paid the scent more attention, he’d have known. He’d smelled labor on Zach and he hadn’t known what it was, too caught up in the ceremony and all that it meant.
Zach moaned again, clutching at his big belly, bowing over it, and that galvanized Val into action, breaking through the hazy panic that had gripped him.
“We have to get to the birth center,” he muttered. “Zach, we have to go, come on.” He took his omega by the elbow, tugged. “Zach.”
“I can’t,” Zach moaned. He was breathing hard, his face scrunched up. “Val, I can’t...”
“What’s wrong?” Tate appeared beside them, a glass of champagne in one hand. “Zach?”
“I’m going to... have the babies,” Zach panted, still kind of bowed over, arms around his belly.
“Well, duh.” Tate blinked. “Wait, you mean now?”
“Yes, now! You two don’t get it. I’m just... ooh! I need to sit!”
“Guys?” Alex was there, his omega, Kai, by his side, their babies nowhere in sight—probably left at home with a babysitter. “What’s going on here? We came to congratulate—”
“Zach’s in labor!” Tate blurted out, looking in equal measures happy and scared.
“That’s right,” Val said. “Tate, go ahead to open the doors, I’m going to carry him.” His alpha instincts were taking over. He had to help and protect his omega, make sure he and the babies were okay. “Come on, love, let’s get you comfortable. Luke!”
“Present!”
“Take my phone and call the birth center, ask for Dr. Coram, he’s Zach’s doctor. Walk with us.”
“Is he going to give birth now? Because I’m not—”
Val shoved his phone at Luke, then turned and slid his arms under his moaning omega, lifting him up. “Let’s go.”