Page 125 of Abel's Omega

“Is that a problem? Are omega babies weaker? Should I get Adelaide?”

His questions confused me, until I looked up and realized that he didn’t care that the baby was an omega. His eyes scoured the baby’s body, looking for some hint of disease or deformity, but they skated right over the omega line like it didn’t even matter.

And then I realized that, to my mate, it truly didn’t matter. I gazed up at him and smiled, though tears still stood in my eyes. “No, there’s nothing wrong with him. I—we’ve been talking so much about non-omega names…”

Abel laughed, loud and joyous. “Like it matters. He’s healthy, that’s all I care about.” Then he frowned. “I guess we need a different name. Or we can just give him an alpha name and confound them all,” he said gleefully. I frowned at his silliness, but that only made him grin wider.

Goofy alphas.I made pushing motions at the mattress, wanting to sit up a little straighter so I could see everyone.

Jason took the baby for a moment, and Abel helped me to sit up against the pillows again, then Jason gave me back my little boy. I cradled him against my chest, within easy reach of a nipple if he decided he wanted to nurse. So far, he just seemed baffled by his surroundings, his tiny fingers scrabbling against my skin. Jason handed me a little blanket to drape over him so he didn’t get cold.

Abel laid his arm over my shoulders and leaned in to watch the baby smack his lips and wave his arms. “Damn, but he’s cute.” He kissed my temple. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

He smiled, his eyes still on the baby. “For him. For you. For all the good things that have happened to me since you showed up at the gates a year ago.” He reached out with a finger again to touch the silken strands of hair. “You make me happy.” He turned his smile on me. “What do you want to name him?”

“Really?”

“Sure. If it had been a girl, I was totally going to let you call her Rhiannon.”

After all this time holding out for Octavia. “You are an evil man,” I told him severely.

“That’s why I need my angel to give me balance.” He kissed me, his hand going to cover the baby’s back. “So, introduce us.”

I thought back to my list, still tucked inside that novel. “What about Taden? It means plentiful.”

“Taden,” he said thoughtfully, and regarded our baby with interest. “What do you think? Do you want to be Taden?”

The baby squawked and made crawling motions up my chest.

“Hey,” Abel said. “I think he likes it.”

I laughed. “I think he’s hungry.” Gently, I guided him up until he could get his mouth wrapped around one nipple. He fussed and got lost a couple of times, then seemed to figure out what he was doing. “You’re going to be a strong one, aren’t you?” I adjusted my arms to make it easier for the baby and smiled down at him.

Abel put a finger under my chin and turned my face up to him. “I love you. And I love Taden. And you have made me the happiest man in the world tonight.”

And then he kissed me, and in that kiss lay the promise of many, many more, and many, many years to come.