Page 126 of I Replaced His Husband
Storm was found guilty on several charges, though not of physical abuse, thankfully. The court ordered him to pay a large sum for the emotional distress hesupposedlycaused Tom. He had to give up the downtown apartment he’d worked so hard for, and he was forced to hand over all his savings to his ex. Because the judge included emotional abuse in the verdict, Storm’s former employer, the one who owned the matchmaking agency and the marital contract auction-and-fair house, refused to take him back.
After the ruling, some of my brothers started pulling away from Storm. I kinda understood; they were shaken by the fact that he was found guilty, even if it wasn’t for the most serious accusations. Storm must have picked up on their hesitation because he withdrew even more, isolating himself from the family. My parents kept trying to reach out, offering to help him financially, but he wouldn’t respond.
The only real link we had to him was through Nathaniel, who soon came to us with some disturbing news.
According to my cousin, Storm had taken a job with a really shady company that specialized in fulfilling clients’dark desires and fantasies. The company catered to people who wanted scripted and pre-planned scenarios involving consensual non-consensual sex, threats, kidnapping, stalking, humiliation, degradation, or just the feeling of being the victim in a home invasion. As strange as it sounded, there was clearly a market for those kinds of services.
We were all stunned that Storm would take a job like that. Sure, the money was good, but that didn’t explain everything. Was he really that desperate? We knew he had debts, even though our parents had offered to help, but he refused to take the money. He was always way too proud for his own good.
Honestly, I think a big part of Storm’s decision to cut himself off from the family was our father. He had always been very strict when it came to how omegas should be treated. He raised us to show deep respect and act with impeccable care and consideration around them. It must’ve been a huge blow for Father to believe that his own son had failed that standard. Even a hint of wrongdoing toward an omega was a hard pill to swallow. And when the court confirmed that an enraged Storm had destroyed Tom’s nest and other possessions, I think that was the last straw. My father might have sympathized with Storm over the cheating, but he couldn’t understand how he could attack something so central to an omega’s very nature and well-being.
Personally, I thought cheating was worse than nest-trashing, but hey, everyone sees things their own way.
There was one more thing. The fact that Storm took a job involving simulated violence was a huge shock to all of us. A lot of my brothers, including me, started wondering if maybe there was some truth to the other accusations he faced in court. Maybe violence didn’t repel him the way we’d initially assumed? Maybe, if he was willing to make a living off it, then he was capable of it after all.
As a kid and teenager, he had no problem being rough with us. Was this just another piece of the puzzle when it came to understanding Storm? Or was I possibly missing his side of the whole story…
???
About a month and a half later into Kay’s pregnancy, the heat waves finally let up. His body had adjusted to the new state, and the Bond between us had fully stabilized him.
He still craved closeness, but it wasn’t frantic anymore, and the painful cramps were gone. That didn’t mean our sex life slowed down much. The chemistry between us as True Mates was strong, and we still found ourselves wrapped up in each other’s bodies several times a day. With Adam and Marco working long hours, we had the whole house to ourselves, which gave us the freedom to explore different rooms and settings, keeping things exciting.
Kay’s growing belly changed a few things, influencing our positions. I could no longer lie on his body as I loved to do before, with my full weight, and riding also became more of an effort. The second trimester brought increased lactation; Kay’s nipples started producing way more than just small drops of milk. He was leaking it and wore pads to prevent his clothes from getting soaked, but it also made our sex more interesting in an unexpected way.
Kay absolutely loved it when I latched onto his nipples. Sometimes he’d ask me to stay there for long minutes while he held me in his arms. For some reason, it seemed to heighten all of his skin’s sensitivity, making everything feel even more intense. His orgasms started turning into full-body experiences, drawn out and overwhelming in the best way.
I was grateful that this new level of intensity was part of the natural progression of his pregnancy and the depth of our True Mate Bond, not the result of that high-risk pregnancy response widowed omegas often go through.
But the best part of it all was that we could enjoy each other without fear. There was no tension hanging over us anymore. Kay was doing well, the pregnancy was progressing smoothly, and his body seemed toknowhe was safe again.
???
My family first met Kay about a month later, at Skye’s graduation ceremony in early June. We decided to go because Dad had been messaging me almost every other day for the past two months, inviting us over or suggesting they’d visit. Before, I didn’t want to stress Kay out with my somewhat intense family, so I figured it would be better to give him more time to grow our relationship before introducing him to everyone.
Also, the college where Skye studied was halfway between White Cliffs and my parents’ house. Adam and I had gone to school there too, so it seemed like the perfect place to start.
The trip took a few hours, and Kay slept through most of it.
My parents had rented a few hotel rooms so we could rest comfortably. There was also a celebration planned for Skye after the ceremony. We got there just in time, about an hour before it started. Kay was still a little worn out and not fully recharged, since we’d had to wake up early. Now that he was halfway through the pregnancy, he got tired more easily and needed more sleep.
We met my parents for the first time outside the hotel room. That moment was really emotional.
Kay looked a little shy and caught off guard when he saw what they looked like. Their youthful appearance always surprised people, it was the clearest sign of their True Mate Bond. I think this was the first time he’d seen the effects of that magic up close.
My omega dad was the first to approach and gave him a tight hug.
"I’m so happy to finally meet you, Kay," he whispered through tears, clearly moved.
For some reason, Kay’s eyes filled with tears too. He rarely showed emotion around strangers, so it took me by surprise. At nearly six foot one, he had to look down at my dad, who was five eight.
"I must say, it’s hard to believe you’re Rain’s parents," Kay stammered, blushing hard as he realized that was his first sentence to his future in-laws, he hadn’t even said ‘hello’ yet.
My dad laughed warmly.
"Yeah, the True Mate Bond keeps you looking thirty-five till you’re almost eighty. After that, maybe you look forty?" he teased, winking.
They really were a beautiful picture standing there together, my dad with his platinum-blond braid, turquoise eyes, and angelic features, and Kay with his long jet-black braid and a face straight out of a modeling campaign.
