Page 17 of His Omega Bear

“Well, it seems your mate has also come to you, little brother,” Graham chimed.

I glanced his way and saw the smile spread across Graham's face, his teasing tone showing that he was genuinely happy for me.

“Okay, how about you tell us what happened from the beginning,” Dad spoke up.

As I recounted the events of the last few hours, my dads and brothers listened intently, their expressions ranging from sad to surprised.

“Jayson…” Graham sighed, his words filled with sadness.

Hunter sighed, and I noticed him pull Sage even closer. “At least we get to meet his daughter.”

Gabe was the first to ask what I’d already figured out. “Does he know?”

“Know what?” Papa asked.

I shook my head.

“Shit!” That comment came from Austin. I watched as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, as he realized the gravity of the situation as well. Emilia was Jayson’s daughter, and if she inherited her father's shifter genes, there was a 50/50 chance she would shift.

“We have to tell Jaxson,” Gabe declared, his voice firm. “He needs to know about Emilia, about the possibility of her shifting.”

I nodded in agreement, my mind racing with the implications of my mate's potential reaction. Not that it hadn’t been since I realized who he was, who Emilia was…

As Jaxson's mate, it was my responsibility to handle the situation delicately, to find the right time and approach to broach the subject of bears and shifters.

But as I thought about the conversation ahead, I couldn't help but feel a surge of fear and uncertainty. How would he react to such a revelation? And what would it mean for us?

With a deep breath, I pushed aside my doubts; I had to find the right moment to tell Jaxson the truth about Emilia being a shifter and us being mates. I had to confront the reality of our connection head-on, no matter the consequences.

Right?

Chapter 5

Jaxson

“Please, sweet girl, sleep.” I begged as I paced back and forth in the dimly lit nursery. Emilia’s cries reverberated through the silent house. Each wail pierced my sleep-deprived mind like a needle, tugging at my frayed nerves.

“You slept for Rhys. Please sleep for Uncle Jax.” I wasn’t above begging. Why did Rhys soothe her easily, his touch lulling her into a peaceful sleep, while I kept struggling in vain to just calm her down? I would give anything right now to replicate whatever his calming presence had done for her. For god’s sake, the man had just met her… or she’d just met him and she went to sleep for him without fuss. For hours.

It wasn’t fair! I knew I sounded like a ten-year-old, but lack of sleep did that to a guy.

Life’s not fair… I hated the sound of my CO’s voice from basic with that fucking reminder.

All the books had advised new parents to establish a routine. I’d been trying since 7:30 to get her to sleep. It was now almost eleven.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on my shoulders as I met Emilia’s teary gaze, feeling utterly inadequate in the face of her distress.

“Shh, shh,” I murmur, rocking her in my arms. I gently hush and sway, hoping that me holding her would help get her to sleep. The last hour should have shown me it wasn’t working. She continued crying, her small hands pounding against my chest as if blaming me for some unspoken transgression.

Could a baby hate you? Because I could swear my niece hated me. I felt like I’d been judged and found wanting.

“I know you probably miss them. I do too,” I murmured.

Even though Emilia hadn’t met her parents, not really, still I could swear she knew something was missing. That I was the wrong guy to be doing this. That it should be Jayson and Leanne. Not me.

I paced back and forth in the room, hoping the movement would help, but the crying only seemed to get louder. My chest tightened with desperation and I prayed to whoever was listening to have some pity. Times like this all my doubts and worries about moving here surface trying to choke me. At least back home, I had people I could call. A community I could rely on. Here there was no one. Just Emilia and I.

You could call him… Rhys. He’d left his number. But I shook off that thought just like I had the last couple of days. I didn’t know the man, and he didn’t know me. Why would he help?

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