Page 8

CHAPTER 8

RYLAN

It's finished. Holy shit, it's really finished.

I whip my head up from where I'd been staring at the desk to see who else realizes. Maeve and Copper are both still focused on the spreadsheet, but Ezra is looking at me with a silly grin. I laugh, then cover my face as emotions overwhelm me.

"Congratulations on your first completed season with Medina. You crushed it mini boss," Ezra teases.

For some reason that makes me even more emotional. Two months at this company and I sometimes still get overwhelmed with it all. I'm literally living my dream life, yet all of it feels fragile. It feels like at any given moment the universe could decide to take it all away. I don't want that. Not now, not ever.

"Oh wow," Maeve says. "I didn't realize we were wrapped up."

It makes sense that she wouldn't know since I'd put her and Copper in research mode for the next season. They are supposed to find what our customers want next so we can continue to be on the cutting edge of it all. We'll still have to present ideas to Zeke to make sure they fit the company's goals of expansion, but it's a starting place.

Meanwhile, Ezra and I have been working on the final touches of everything for the Spring line. I've found he and I tend to work best at catching the last of the tiny errors that slip through. He has an eye for detail that's unparalleled in my experience. He could easily be management, though I get the sense that's not something he wants. I might have to ask Zeke about it. Keeping him here is great for the team, but I'd hate to hold him back if he wants more.

Ezra pulls my hands down from my face. "Be proud of your work. This is going to be amazing when it releases."

I nod as I look over the designs one more time. It doesn't feel real, and yet, I can see it all laid out before me. Months of hard work come to fruition.

Zeke chooses that exact moment to waltz in the room. "How's it going today?"

We all go quiet, then Copper grins and points my way. "Someone just finished the last review of the Spring Line."

"Did you?! Oh, that's wonderful. Where is it? I want to see." He moves forward as if to look and for some reason I throw myself in his path.

"Ummmm, maybe not yet?" I look up at him, worried I might be out of line. Instead of anger, I find him grinning down at me.

He pulls me into a hug. "There's no need to be nervous. I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't think you'd do a good job. Now, let me at it."

Of course, he ends up loving it. He tells me it's the best design he's seen in ages, and he congratulates the entire team for a job well done. We end the day on a high note, all of us glad to be done with the project before the upcoming holiday weekend. Now instead of worrying about the timelines of everything, we can all relax for the extended weekend.

* * *

"We've got to get going or we'll be late," Zeke says from the living room.

I yell in reply, "I'm coming. I swear it."

We would have been out the door ages ago if I could just pick what to wear. Or rather, if what I picked would fit. Since I'm no longer on a super tight budget, I'm finally eating like a grown man should. It's great to have three meals a day, but all of my clothes are starting to either be too tight or they don't fit at all.

"Ugh!" I throw the latest pair of pants on the floor. It sits with the others as I debate what to do. It's at that moment that Zeke comes to our bedroom.

Yes, our shared bedroom. Because you can bet your ass I moved in when he asked me to. There's no place I'd rather be than with my Alpha.

Zeke takes in my disheveled state and visibly fights to hold his laugh back. "Um, baby... you actually have to put the pants on. You can't just summon them onto your body or do whatever it is you're doing."

"I know that," I say with an eye roll. "It's just that none of them fit."

"That's an easy fix. I think we're only a couple of sizes apart and I've got some shorts with an elastic waist. It will be comfy and still stay on you."

"Really?" A wave of happiness rolls through me. If my problem can be fixed this easily, then I'll be overjoyed. We're supposed to be meeting his friends for dinner at one of the other guy's houses and I know I've already put us behind schedule.

My Alpha moves past me to go to the dresser across the room. He shuffles some clothes around in a drawer, then lifts a pair of shorts in the air. "Ah-ha! Found them."

When I slip them up over my underwear, they fit like a glove. I'm finally comfortable in something for the first time in days. This new discovery is going to mean a shopping trip is in my near future. And elastic waistbands are going to be a must. How have I lived all these years without them in my life.

"Ready now?"

I nod to Zeke. "Yes, Alpha. Let's get going."

We grab Dad from his room to bring him out to the car with us. I'd asked him early on what to call him, and he insisted he would only answer me as Dad, not Michael or Mr. Medina.

He's in good spirits today, his memory holding strong. I've been working with him to do some brain exercises along with some physical movement. It won't cure his Timer's, but my research suggests it might slow the progression down some. It could give us all a bit more of the one thing we need most - time.

"I can't wait to see you boys all together again. It's been a while since we've had a get together like this," Dad says from the front seat.

Zeke nods as he looks at me in the rearview mirror. "It has. We've all been so busy. Plus, I see two out of three of them damn near every day. It's Treyton who tends to stray far from home and keep himself busy."

It's my understanding Trey has had a run of bad luck lately that's made him feel the need to seclude himself. He's told Zeke it's so he doesn't bring the mood down. I get the sense that it's more than that.

Today, we're ambushing his home for a picnic/barbecue party. If we're being technical about it, he does know we're coming. He just doesn't know this is really an intervention.

"I hope this doesn't give him a bad impression of me or anything. Won't it be weird that this is the first time I'm meeting him?" I ask the further we get from home. My mind is telling me to flee. It wants me to go back home to snuggle into my nest of pillows so I can avoid the world.

"There's nothing to worry about. Trey should have known this was coming. We don't let him go long without a visit. He needs us to ground him and vice versa."

"The fearless four! I swear it was like you boys couldn't help but to get into trouble when you were younger," Dad says. "Someone was always with a cut or scrape on them. The worst were the broken bones."

It feels surreal to think of Zeke in such a way. I've only ever known him to be all man. And yet, I can kind of see how he would be a daredevil of a kid. He wouldn't want anyone telling him or his friends what to do, and they'd all likely think themselves invincible. While I might not have had such a childhood - hello, book nerd here - I can remember several kids where I grew up being that way.

"We're here," Zeke says, pulling my mind from those memories and back to the present.

The house we're parked at is on the outskirts of town. There's a massive sign that boasts a veterinary service and animal boarding shelter. I wonder how he can board animals if he's always traveling like Zeke said, but I don't dare ask. I'm too nervous and I'd hate to come off offensive.

As I climb from the vehicle, I'm pulled into a bear hug by Ezra. "So glad you two finally decided to make it out."

"Someone was having wardrobe issues," Dad says nonchalantly as he strides to the front door dragging the cooler of food. He sure can move quick when he wants to.

"Traitor!" I shout after him before turning to a smirking Ezra. "Yes, I had some issues. It's all good now. I just need to not eat so much, and I'll be fine."

He loops his arm through mine to guide me inside. I look around for Zeke only to find him and Ozzy in a heated conversation.

"Those two are fine. Sometimes they push each other's buttons. Zeke wants to help with Johnathan and such out of a misplaced sense of responsibility. And Oz thinks it's wrong to take from his best friend because he's too proud. All of it's really fucked up, which is why I just have a savings account of money ready for whenever they need it. The day will come, and when it does I can just whip out the cash - no argument needed."

I laugh at the sincerity in his tone. He speaks as if it's not (what I'd guess to be) thousands of dollars he's so casually talking about.

"I'm glad they have you guys then. It's good to have a support team when you need it most."

We walk through the large open home that looks more like a barn before coming out the other side. There we find the others all settled around an outdoor patio table.

"You must be Rylan. I'm Treyton, but most of these fools call me Trey." The only person I don't know comes to greet me, hand extended.

I shake his hand in a friendly manner, my body aware he's another Alpha like Ezra and Zeke so I don't dare squeeze too tight. I don't think I could anyway since I'm too busy taking in the man himself. His deep brown skin is a strong contrast to my pale complexion. I'm fascinated by the comparison as we sit down to join everyone.

It's then I take in the group as a whole. They are all so different, yet you can see the bond they share. Even Johnathan who is the spitting image of Ozzy, seems to fit in with these grown men so well.

My nerves die down at the realization. At least they do until Trey speaks.

"If you'd had just told me what type of party this was, then I wouldn't have felt so bad," he directs at Zeke. "Congratulations, man."

We all look at Trey like he's got a third eyeball. Zeke is the one who finally speaks up. "Congratulations? What are you talking about? We're here because your behind is never in town and you've been avoiding us. What did you think this was?"

Trey's eyes go wide as he looks over at me. "Oh, um. I thought you knew."

Zeke leans forward. "Knew what?"

The rest of us watch them go back and forth like we're watching some type of ping pong match or something. It's confusing as hell, but I'm too invested to care.

"I don't know if now is the time. Maybe we should wait until - "

Ezra slaps a hand on the table as he grins. "Don't leave us hanging bro. What is the congratulations for? Is it about the Spring line? I didn't think Zeke kept you up to date on that stuff."

"That's because I don't. So why don't you tell us Trey what it is you know that we don't." There's something about the way my Alpha speaks now that send shivers down my spine. I fight to control my body's response. Producing slick right now will not help the situation, especially when the others in the room could possibly smell it.

Treyton scrubs his hands over his face as he sighs. Then he leans forward and gives me a sad sort of look. "First I have to apologize. I made an assumption and now I feel like an asshole. Sorry, Johnathan."

"No worries, Uncle T. My dad says worse when he thinks I'm not listening," the little man replies.

Ozzy gasps, a look of shock filling his features. "Johnathan! I do not."

"Um, yeah you do. You just go onto the back porch to do it. But my room is like, right there, so I hear it anyway. No big deal." He shrugs as he goes back to working the Rubik’s cube in his hand.

"Back to the point," Zeke urges.

Trey nods, then continues explaining his point. "I was congratulating you on Rylan's pregnancy. It's early stages, but I could smell it in his scent. There's an undertone there you don't get until you're with child."

"I'm pregnant?" I ask the group, my eyes wide.

"Is he going to cry, Dad? I can't tell," Johnathan whispers loudly.

Ozzy whispers back, "If he does, then I might too. You know I'm a sympathy crier."

"For Pete's sake, let's not start the waterworks. Yes, he said you're preggo Rylan. Congratulations, indeed. Zeke, I think you should go hug your Omega. Dad, let's go grab some beers for the non-preggo peeps." Ezra jumps from his seat to grab Dad's hand to lead him inside.

Them leaving snaps Zeke from his trance, which has him leaping from his seat to come around to me. "My Omega is pregnant with my baby. What a wonderful day?"

It's only then the tears start. But they aren't from sadness or fear.

No, these are actually happy tears. I could never have pictured my life going like this, but now that I'm here, it feels like a dream come true.

"We're going to have a baby," I say to my Alpha.

He cups my cheeks in his hands as his gaze holds mine. "We are. You've given me the greatest gift there is. First, your love and now a baby for us. I love you so much, Rylan."

I don't answer him. I can't with the way I'm choking up. So, I do the next best thing. I kiss him to show just how much I love him as well.

Dad and Ezra return with the beers, along with two water bottles for Johnathan and me. We lift our drinks in the air as Trey toasts us, "To family!"

The group shouts, "To family!"