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Chapter Twenty-One

Jax

D uring their day together, Jax learned a lot about the McGinn children’s personalities.

Teeny Zayne was silly and sweet, completely innocent. Kino was the thoughtful, reserved one. And Garin saw himself as their protector. All three boys had big, open hearts, and although they were somewhat precocious, they were always kind.

The twins were also polite to every adult they met, regardless of gender. Growing up in the beta neighborhoods, Jax remembered isolationist betas declaring that alpha children were brought up to be rude and condescending to other genders, but they were nothing like that.

Niall held Zayne’s hand as the five of them walked into the aquarium’s premiere attraction, an underwater tunnel where sea animals swam above and along the glass sides. Niall had relayed Teal’s concerns about the kids’ safety, so Jax kept an eye out, prepared to protect them.

Thankfully, the aquarium wasn’t crowded and they had the tunnel to themselves. Garin, Kino, and Zayne seemed to love it, but Jax felt mildly claustrophobic. The surrounding water, while full of wonders, radiated a sort of eeriness.

Ronan and Teal’s youngest didn’t seem to think so, though. Zayne laughed and stared wide-eyed at the colorful creatures swimming in the enormous tank.

“Jaxey—” The tiny omega pulled away from Niall to put his hand in Jax’s. “Will you pwease lift me up so I can see better?”

“Of course.” Jax lifted Zayne onto his shoulders.

The twins said nothing, apparently too grown-up to play horsie, but Jax registered them watching their little brother with longing.

“Hey, Garin and Kino?” Jax asked.

“Yeah?” they answered as one.

“I want to test my strength. I already have Zayne on my shoulders. Would you mind letting me try to pick you both up, too?”

“Oh my goodness,” Niall effused, catching on. “That would certainly be impressive! You’ll help Jax test his muscles, won’t you boys?”

“I guess.” Garin said, looking to Kino for confirmation.

“That would be okay,” Kino agreed.

Zayne giggled and held onto Jax’s head as the beta kneeled to pick up the twins. Garin and Kino sat on his bent elbows like they were chairs. Jax carried the boys to the side of the tunnel, where they watched a small shark swim next to the glass.

“Cool!” Garin said, finally seeming like the six-year-old he was.

“Did you see that, Kino?!” Zayne shouted.

“I did.” Kino replied, grinning.

Niall took his phone from his pocket and snapped a photo. “I like this,” he murmured to his boyfriend. “Dad mode suits you.”

Jax smiled for the camera, even doing a few funny poses where he pretended to juggle the boys. He hadn't thought about it much in his twenty-eight years, but Niall was correct. Dad mode suited him just fine.

The McGinn children were a huge part of Niall’s life.

Jax had heard about them constantly since he and Niall first began dating.

Niall couldn’t go a day without bragging about the twins learning their numbers or Zayne cutting a straight line using scissors.

The past few months, Jax had been so fixated on his boyfriend’s relationship with Ronan and Teal that he’d almost forgotten that Niall was also deeply attached to the boys. Maybe even more so.

When Jax came home yesterday to discover the kids in his bed—thwarting his plan for sexy time with Niall—he’d been disappointed.

But the prospect of doing fun things with them quickly replaced that initial reaction.

He’d been only mildly shocked to learn that the reason Niall had taken the boys home was because the couple was helping Sorcha through his heat.

Jax wondered what helping meant, but Niall didn’t have many details. That hadn’t stopped some very naughty images from entering Jax’s mind. And judging by Niall’s smirk when he'd shared the information, he'd had the same idea.

Jax wanted to ask how Niall felt about the possibility Ronan and Teal were engaging in intimate activities with Sorcha, but he figured that conversation needed to wait until they weren’t surrounded by children.

For today, Jax was excited to play the part of supercool babysitter .

Niall was already a father figure to the boys, or perhaps more like a very involved uncle.

Jax was grateful for this opportunity to carve out his own relationship with them.

It made him feel closer to Niall and strengthened the familial feeling he’d gotten from Ronan and Teal at the barbeque.

He put the boys down so they could investigate the plexiglass window bubbles that created the illusion you were sticking your face in the water.

“They’re such good kids,” Jax said to Niall. “I’m glad we got this day together.”

“They really are. It’s nice for them to have a chance to relax and do something fun. Being Teal McGinn’s son isn’t easy. Zayne is mostly oblivious, but Garin and Kino are quite perceptive.”

A moment later, Kino slipped his small hand into Jax’s large, tattooed one and said, “Hey, Dad. Can we go look at the otters?”

Jax glanced down at him in confusion. Dad?

He was further confounded when Garin walked over to Niall and said, “Yeah, come on Daddy, let’s go see the otters.”

Jax and Niall locked eyes over the boys’ heads. Jax was about to ask the twins what they meant when he noticed two mean-looking alphas skulking at the end of the tunnel.

The men scowled at Garin and Kino. They were with their own toddler-aged alphas, who stuck their faces in the plexiglass bubbles next to Zayne.

Leaning against the wall with their arms folded across their chests, the big alphas blocked Niall and Jax’s path. They must have entered from the other direction, Jax realized, cursing himself internally for not clocking their arrival.

The larger of the two men narrowed his eyes at the twins.

Now Jax understood what Garin and Kino were up to.

If these men were traditionalist alphas, they might be in danger.

The boys’ names and faces had been posted online in enough news stories about their parents.

It wasn’t unreasonable to suspect they’d been recognized.

“Come on, Dad,” Kino insisted. “I’ll get our little brother.” Kino was so smart, not saying Zayne’s name.

Luckily, Zayne hadn’t heard his brothers referring to Jax and Niall as “Dad” and “Daddy,” so he didn’t spoil the ruse when Kino pulled him away.

As the five of them made their way out of the tunnel, the smaller alpha man asked Jax, “These your boys?”

“Yes,” Jax answered neutrally. “Do they go to school with your kids or something? Have we met?”

“No. We thought—” the other alpha piped in. “They look like… Nevermind. They just looked familiar.”

“Oh. Okay,” Niall said. “Well, have a nice day.”

The first alpha stepped in front of him. “You know something that’s rare?” he asked, dragging a hand over his jaw before cracking his neck. “Twins. Twins are rare. Especially alpha twins.” He turned to Garin. “What’s your name, son?”

Garin looked him directly in the eye. “Landry.”

The alpha frowned. Jax assumed the surly man suspected these were the McGinn children. What was the chance he would do something in the middle of the aquarium? Some of these pro-alpha folks were insane. Jax couldn’t risk it.

He scooped up Zayne, and he and Niall muscled past the alphas, tugging the twins along into one of the main rooms where there were more people around.

They’d almost escaped when Zayne asked, “Garin, why did you tell that man you were the mean little boy from the pool?”

Jax groaned.

“I knew it!” The smaller alpha barreled after them. At least they weren’t trapped in the tunnel.

Niall turned to face the men. “Back off.”

“These are Ronan and Teal McGinn’s kids,” the big one said. He looked at Garin. “You tell your cunt of a daddy that he better watch his back. Alphas don’t appreciate being told what to do by omegas.”

If the man hadn’t been so vulgar and belligerent, Jax could have found humor in the absurdity of him getting upset with a six-year-old who was literally one-tenth his size.

Not that Garin was backing down. “Don’t talk about my daddy,” he said with the conviction of a much-older child. “He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.”

The alpha’s face reddened. He stepped toward Garin.

Jax moved in between them. “If you touch one hair on this child’s head, or utter one more inappropriate word to him, I swear you will regret it. What is wrong with you? Yelling obscenities at a little boy who has nothing to do with his father or his father’s career?”

“I’m just saying growing alphas ought to be taught right. And these boys are being raised to be omega-lovers.”

“No,” Kino interjected. “We’re being raised to treat everyone with respect. Except for alpha trash like you.”

“You can’t call us that!” the other alpha blustered.

“Pretty sure he just did,” Jax retorted. “And although I normally wouldn’t condone children speaking to adults this way, I’m willing to make an exception here.”

“Soon enough, this won’t matter,” the big alpha said.

“I came here with my brother and our boys today to see the aquarium. But I'm not missing an opportunity to tell a McGinn—any McGinn, I don’t care if he’s six or thirty-six—that Teal and those who think like him are the problem in our society.

But there are right-thinking alphas out there who plan to make sure the problem is handled.

” He glared at Garin again and waved his finger.

“You tell your daddy that. He should be ashamed of himself.”

“Yes, of course,” Niall said, adopting a bored tone. “One of the state’s most accomplished and respected lawyers is definitely the one here who should be ashamed of himself.”

The big alpha glanced around, and Jax noticed that several aquarium-goers had their phones out, filming the interaction. Great. They’d made a scene. He hoped this didn’t upset Ronan and Teal.