Page 42 of In Their Arms

Luther’s growl rumbles through his chest as he steps up to the table, glaring down at Ward. “And what happens if the baby is Hudson’s?”

Ward hesitates, just long enough for me to wonder if there’s something we don’t know. “Then it becomes a custody case,” he finally says. “Hudson will have legal grounds to claim paternal rights.”

Luca’s breathing is uneven now, his body tense beside me, his face pale. I move without thinking, releasing his hand so I can pull him into me, wrapping an arm around his waist, pressing my lips against the top of his head. He lets out a shaky breath, his body leaning into mine, needing the support.

“There’s still a chance the baby is one of ours,” Grayson says, his voice tight, his jaw clenched. “And if not, then we fight. No one is taking our baby from us.”

Ward agrees, sliding the folder across the table. “There’s a myriad of new rules that come with this new ID and all of the restrictions are in there. I want this to be as easy as possible for the five of you since there’s a sixth one on the way. If you agree with what’s in there, I’ll get you started on next steps and I’ll make sure to help you set up a date with the judge unless you’re not planning on contesting this.”

I don’t like the way he says it. I don’t like the way his eyes flicker toward Luca’s stomach. Luca nods, though, his shoulders slumping slightly in relief. “I’d like that,” he murmurs, his fingers tracing over the edge of the folder.

Ward nods, pushing himself up from his chair. “I’ll give you all some time to read through the restrictions and the official charges. Just holler for me when you’re ready to make a decision.”

He leaves the room and I twist around in my chair, scanning the room until I find Maceo. He’s leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, his expression much darker than usual. He hasn’t said anything since Ward dropped the news, but I know him well enough to recognize that he’s analyzing every piece of this, every angle, every way this could go wrong.

“This isn’t normal, right?” I ask.

Maceo snorts, shaking his head once. “None of this is normal,” he mutters, his tone bordering on frustration. “But if he’s giving us an out, I’d take it. There’s no telling what kind of bullshit Hudson will pull once he finds out that Luca is pregnant. As it stands,” he says, his voice softer but still edged with warning, “we should already be thankful that they let us take him home after all that bullshit.”

Luca doesn’t answer right away. His fingers hover over the folder, like touching it will make it real. Then, finally, he flips it open. I lean in as my eyes scan the text, and the words hit like a slap to the face. “This is as good as a jail sentence. What do you mean he always has to be with an Alpha? And he can’t be outside past midnight? What the fuck is this?”

My Omega doesn’t seem to feel the same way. “I would do this again if it meant not being attached to Hudson. Now, the only thing that ties us together is a marriage certificate.”

That does nothing to make me feel better. I grip the folder, flipping to the next page, scanning over the list of restrictions. No independent employment. No financial autonomy. Must check in with an Alpha-approved handler for any major life changes. The words blur together in my vision, my grip tightening until my knuckles turn white. “This is fucking ridiculous,” I snap, tossing the folder onto the table. “This isn’t freedom. This is just a different kind of prison.”

Maceo exhales, stepping closer, his hand dropping onto my shoulder. “This is a tough situation. Had it been an Alpha, they would’ve gotten jail time, no question. But they try to keep Omegas out of jail as much as possible.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, because keeping them in a fucking cage is so much better.”

Luther, who’s been mostly silent until now, finally speaks. “There’s more to this than what Ward is saying. Someone’s trying to wrap this up too neatly and while I know Ward’s hands are probably tied, this doesn’t sit right with me.”

I feel the same way but this isn’t my choice to make. Luca’s eyes flick toward me and I know what he’s about to say before he even opens his mouth. “What should I do?”

“I want you to do whatever you think is best,” I tell him, my thumb brushing over his jaw. “But I’m not going anywhere. You’re mine, cupcake.”

A shaky breath leaves him, a tiny laugh slipping through despite the tension choking the room. Luther steps forward next, gripping Luca’s shoulder. “Whatever happens, you’re not doing this alone. We’re here.”

Maceo nods, arms crossed, voice firm but calm. “Every step of the way.”

We can’t get out of the station fast enough, Ward laying down a few more rules like getting Luca’s new ID in the next three days. Luca seemed a bit terrified of the idea of living as a restricted Omega until he made a joke about having the freedom to annoy the shit out of me in my office or curling up into the others’ laps as we work.

What bothers me most is that Ward said there wasn’t going to be an investigation into Hearthstone or Hudson. That everything was just wrapped up in a clean little ball and thrown away. Even after I told Ward that Hudson had access to me when I had been removed specifically for my safety. Even after I told him that it wasn’t safe there.

The only thing he said was that I was the only complaint he’d had and that Hudson was an outlier. I shouted at the man, raged at him, tears streaming down my cheeks as I ridiculed him for jailing my Alpha when he had taken in Luca to save him. It all just seems too easy and Ward’s answers pissed me off, even if they were all the truth.

We don’t have long before someone tells Hudson about Luca’s pregnancy and then he’ll be all over us like he has been, but this time demanding rights. Luca curls into me as we slide back into the rear of the car, letting out a heavy sigh. “How long do the DNA results take?”

Luther rolls his shoulders. “They said seventy-two hours. Quentin told me he’d call so we don’t have to come in or wait for the letter.”

Three days. Seventy-two hours before we know if this baby is really ours or if we’re about to have another war on our hands. I exhale, dragging a hand down my face, frustration curling tight in my stomach. “I hate this,” I mutter. “I hate this fucking limbo, like we’re supposed to be relieved, like we’re supposed to move on, but we can’t because there’s still too many loose ends. Too many questions.”

No one responds to me because there isn’t anything else to say. Until we get that DNA test, we can only hope that we’re one step closer to our happily ever after.

28

Luther

Three days. Seventy-two fucking hours of waiting. It’s been long enough to make all of us restless, especially me, Grayson, and Maceo. The Omegas? They’ve been in their own world, completely wrapped up in each other, barely noticing how on edge the rest of us are.

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