Page 2 of The Surrogate Omega, Part Two

I have no idea what he’s thinking, but I reach over to the nightstand and grab his phone, handing it to him.

“Thanks,” he mutters absentmindedly, but he’s already typing. I look at Ev over Lake’s head and he just shrugs. At least he’s as clueless as I am.

After a few minutes, Lake stops his searching. “Ah, here we go. Read this.” Lake hands me the phone and watches me expectantly.

Looking down, I realize it’s an article in some scientific journal titled “The likelihood of knotting in modern day Alphas.”

“It’s written by Dr. Lily Borden. She’s second-in-command at the Omega Project. I met her a few times and she is very good at her job. It’s a reliable source,” Lake tells me.

So that’s what he’s been doing, trying to find me some proof that I’m not broken. Ev practically lies on Lake so he can see what I’m reading. “What is this for, sweetheart?” he asks as he squints at the screen.

“I found Logan an article about knotting in the modern age. I know I personally wouldn’t trust just a random blog post, so I found someone I know is a reliable and trustworthy source.”

I squeeze Lake’s thigh, affection squeezing my heart. For Lake, this is a ridiculously sweet gesture. “Thank you, Little Bird.”

Lake just tilts his head toward the phone. “Read the article.”

Ev chuckles quietly and kisses Lake’s cheek while I read. Basically, it’s a scientific article stating that researchers believe it is very possible that those with the Alpha gene will eventually knot, or an evolved version of it anyway. Some scans they did of those with the gene showed the possibility of a knot forming. What they aren’t sure of is if and when it will actually happen, but it’s a very real thing.

After I read the article, I feel a little bit more at ease. I’m still freaking a little, but at least I know that this is probably a part of my anatomy and I’m not going to hurt Lake. What else it means, I’m not sure, but at least it’s something.

I lean over and give Lake a proper kiss. “Thank you, baby. That does make me feel better.”

He nods. “We will still call Dr. Rooke on Monday to try to find out more, but I hope this gives you enough ease that you can sleep tonight.”

Gods, do I love this man. I seriously don’t know how I got so lucky that I have these two men who are both up with me at the ass crack of dawn dealing with my existential crisis without complaining. I get another pang of guilt that I was blind for so long about my feelings for Ev, but I remind myself that everything happens for a reason. If I didn’t wait so long to be with Ev, we may have never met Lake, and I know without a doubt it’s meant to be the three of us. The past is the past, and I can’t change it even if I want to, so I need to let it go.

I glance over at Ev, and he has a devious smile, his gaze full of heat. “Well, I can think of something that we can do if you still can’t fall asleep.”

Normally, I’d be all for that, but this time, all his words accomplish is to form a lump in my stomach. Yeah, I feel a little better, but until I speak to one of the doctors, I don’t think I’ll be comfortable sticking my dick anywhere but a hand. Even that makes me a little nervous. What if I knot in my hand and it hurts since I’m not in a hole or something? Though, nothing is as big as my fear that I’ll knot in one of their mouths. Until I know exactly what’s happening, I might have to stay away.

Though . . . “I think I might sit out of this one.” I raise my eyebrows and grin overdramatically. “But I wouldn’t mind watching a show.”

Lake’s eyes widen as he realizes what I’m implying, and Ev just grins and practically jumps on Lake. “What do you say, sweetheart? Want to give our man a show?”

Lake sucks in his bottom lip and nods, eyes still wide. “Yes. I think watching a show before bed is a satisfactory way of unwinding.”

I bark out a laugh. It’s always impossible to tell if Lake is joking or not, but either way, I fucking love it. Ev is smiling as he kisses our man. “C’mon, baby, let’s help our man unwind.”

Lake is still nodding his consent as Ev pulls down his pants, exposes his semi-hard cock, and sucks it into his mouth. They are right. It’s exactly what I need to unwind.

TWO

Lake

“Lake, I’m stopping by Dad’s later this week to go through all of his old Christmas decorations. Do you want to come with?” River asks me as he digs through his closet.

It’s the day after the knotting incident and the three of us are at brunch at River and Cooper’s house. While Logan talks to Cooper about the knotting, Evander and I are in River’s room while he pulls out all the clothes he wore when he was pregnant. I’m not showing yet. I haven’t even started to get morning sickness, but it’s better to be prepared than to be caught unawares. With the holidays coming up, I know everyone will be busy and distracted, so it’s best to get it out of the way right away.

“Why?” I ask River. I’m sitting on his and Cooper’s large bed next to Evander, who’s scrolling through his phone and honestly looks a little bored. Not that I blame him. Shopping, even in my brother’s closet, isn’t exactly a big joy of mine.

“I’m assuming you mean why am I taking his Christmas decorations, not why did I ask you to come?”

I nod. As long as I’m not working, of course I’m coming. “Well, it’s Miri’s first Christmas, and I want to make it special. I know Dad has all our old Christmas decorations. You know, the ones we made as kids? He also has all the decorations Grandma Amy gave me until she passed away. He asked if I wanted them to share with Miri and start our own traditions, and I couldn’t say no.”

I feel a warmth in my belly thinking about my brother with his daughter. And it’s almost immediately followed by a wave of sadness thinking about Grandma Amy. Evander reaches over and squeezes my hand. It’s instinctual, he’s not even watching me, but it’s almost as if he can sense the change in my emotions. I squeeze his hand in return, but I’m not sad, or at least, not completely.

Until Mom married Luke, Riv and I didn’t have grandparents. Mom’s parents disowned her after she decided to keep River and me, and Seth didn’t have a relationship with his parents, so we never met any of them.

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