Page 60 of Forbidden

Fuck it.

Lucien took a deep breath.

“Well, it seems the cat is out of the bag,” he said with a crooked smile. “Might as well give them something to gossip about.” Burying his fingers in Aksel’s hair, Lucien pulled his head down and kissed him gently. It was surprisingly easy to ignore the shocked gasps when all he could smell and feel was Aksel. “I’m already yours, darling,” he whispered. “I have been yours for decades. I love you.”

Inhaling shakily, Aksel hugged him hard, his scent exploding with such elation it made Lucien’s toes curl.

Lucien melted into his embrace, burying his face against Aksel’s stubbled throat, and thought, I love you more than anything, I love you more than I love myself.

He didn’t say that, because he knew Aksel would be angry with him for thinking that way, but it was the simple truth. The truth was, he’d stopped hating himself and his body because Aksel loved him. Rationally, Lucien realized that it wasn’t a very healthy way of thinking, but he tried to be honest with himself. If Aksel’s love for him was part of who Aksel was, it wasn’t inaccurate to say that his love for Aksel was also part of who Lucien was. Maybe they’d been created for each other, to be each other’s. It was a comforting thought. Maybe true mates were real, after all.

“Disgusting,” someone said, loud enough for them to hear. “That whore seduced even the son of his husband!”

Aksel stiffened. Entwining their fingers together, he straightened up and looked at the gathered crowd.

Bracing himself, Lucien pulled back and turned so they stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

It was frightening. And it was comforting. Them against the world.

Aksel lifted Lucien’s fingers to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. The gesture wasn’t improper, but it was kind of old-fashioned. Alphas used to do that to omegas they were courting.

“I will say it just once,” Aksel said. He didn’t raise his voice, but he didn’t need to. A hush fell over the room. Aksel’s eyes were glowing, his Xeus pheromones becoming so overwhelming that Lucien saw people flinch. “This is my mate, the man I’m going to marry. I will not tolerate any insult to him.” He gave a twisted smile, his sharp canines showing. “Everyone knows what poor self-control we beasts have. Don’t fucking test it.”

The silence that fell over the room was so absolute that it seemed deafening.

And then Belinda pushed through the crowd, smiling widely. “About time!” she all but squealed, hugging Lucien tightly, and then Aksel. “Congratulations!”

That finally seemed to break the tension.

Other people stepped forward, offering congratulations hesitantly.

Smiling, Lucien squeezed Aksel’s hand and thanked them graciously. He knew not all of them were being sincere. He knew people would still gossip and say nasty things behind their backs. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

But he also knew they would weather any storm together. They already had—and they would again.

Always.

Epilogue

Eight years later

Araminta Cleghorn had ten utterly perfect little fingers and ten equally perfect adorable toes. Lucien would know. He’d counted and kissed every single one of them, twice.

“She’s perfect, isn’t she?” he murmured, lifting his gaze to his mate.

Aksel watched him with a small smile. “She is,” he said, without even glancing at their daughter.

Lucien frowned. “You didn’t even look at her! You’re just humoring me.”

Aksel flickered his gaze to their newborn. “She isn’t much to look at right now, to be honest.”

“Aksel!” Lucien said, mock outraged. All right, his outrage was pretty real. Their baby was perfect!

Aksel laughed. “I’m sure she’ll grow into her face. How can she not with her genes? And you aren’t half bad to look at, either.”

Rolling his eyes, Lucien laughed.“Right,” he said with a wry smile. But it’s not like he could argue with that. Their daughter was blessed with a father who was so mouthwateringly handsome he still took Lucien’s breath away after years of marriage. It was already obvious that she was going to be a carbon copy of Aksel. Lucien couldn’t see even a slight resemblance to himself.

“It’s unfair that she looks so much like you when I did all the hard work!” He was joking. In truth, Lucien couldn’t be more delighted that their daughter looked like the man he loved the most in the world. Though, to be absolutely honest, Lucien didn’t really care what she looked like.

---