Page 67 of Baby and the Beast

"You think you deserve to be alone," Nash continued, voice gentle but unflinching. "But Copper doesn't think so. And neither do I."

"Stop," Casimir whispered, but there was no force behind it now.

Nash took a careful step forward. "You told me stories about foxes outsmarting wolves. About being small, but clever." His eyes searched Casimir's face. "But you never told me why a human would have a book of shifter tales. Or why you'd know what an omega is."

Casimir's gaze dropped to the floor. The silence stretched between them, broken only by Copper's soft breathing from the crib.

"Her name was Remelle," he finally said, voice so low Nash had to strain to hear it. "She was a wolf. We were... close."

Nash waited, sensing more was coming if he didn't push.

"Her father was the alpha. When she got pregnant..." Casimir's hand rose unconsciously to the scars on his face. "My father shot and killed her brother in his wolf form. Then her."

Nash's breath caught. "Cas—"

"I could have prevented it. Should have." His eyes, when they met Nash's, were haunted. "Three innocents died because of me. Because I hesitated."

"You were a boy," Nash said softly.

"I was old enough to know better. I was old enough to get her pregnant, which makes me old enough to take responsibility." Casimir's voice was flat. "Her father marked me. Said I'd live with the knowledge I murdered three innocents."

"You didn't pull the trigger."

"Might as well have."

Nash moved closer, careful not to touch him. "Is that why you helped us? Trying to save what you couldn't back then?"

Casimir looked away, unable to answer.

"Cas," Nash said gently, "you've been alone in those mountains for eleven years. How much longer is enough? When will you have paid enough?"

"It's not about paying. It's about not deserving—" He cut himself off, jaw tight.

"Not deserving what? Connection? Happiness?" Nash shook his head. "That's not how it works."

"You don't understand." Casimir snapped back, turned, and nearly dragged the door off its hinges in his hurry to leave. He had killedthree. And nothing he could ever do would make up for that.

Baby and the Beast

Chapter Eight

Nash heard the tentative knock on the door an hour later just as he was finishing the amazing dinner a polite teenager called Blue had delivered to him, and wondering what to do next. He jumped up and opened the door to see Emmett and another man he immediately scented as a wolf shifter with a heavy baby scent about him. “This is Charles,” Emmett said and nudged him to where Copper was laid in her crib staring at a musical mobile above her. “We thought you might be going stir crazy and wondered if you’d like to come to our Omega Club?” Emmett waggled his eyebrows. “We have virgin mimosas, or hot chocolate and cookies?”

Tears filled Nash’s eyes and Emmett enveloped him in a hug while Charles swapped Copper into a car seat he could carry and tucked a blanket around her. “It’s a lot,” Emmett said. “But you’re here now.”

Nash raised his head and glanced between Charles and Emmett. Charles looked at him intently. “Except that’s not it, is it?” Nash shook his head and Emmett rolled his eyes. “Alphas.”

“Yep,” Charles agreed, and they both steered Nash out of his room. Nash wouldn’t have said he was a shy person, but even he balked at what seemed like ten adults and at least fifteen kids all sitting around, laughing, drinking and chatting. Some were feeding babies. Some toddlers were sitting playing together on a colorful rug, and there were even some older children reading or playing games with each other.

So many shifters in one place, comfortable and unafraid. The concept was almost alien after the way he had been brought up, and then months of running, of hiding what he was.

"It's a lot to take in," Charles said gently, still holding Copper's carrier. "First time I saw this many omegas in one room, I nearly had a panic attack."

Nash managed a shaky smile. "I’m from a small pack. They weren’t understanding."

"Well, you’re with family now," Emmett said, guiding Nash toward a cozy corner where plush armchairs surrounded a low table laden with snacks. "Pretty much everyone here has a version of it."

A tall, slender omega with dark hair approached, carrying a mug of something that smelled of chocolate and cinnamon. "You must be Nash," he said, offering the mug. "I'm Darriel. Welcome to the madhouse."

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