Page 126 of Bully for Sale

And then there were the children. Ezer and Ned found they were great co-parents, both of them taking the other’s opinions to heart, and both of them feeling secure in the other’s devotion to the twins. Their delight in Sundy and Ollie’s growth, and the development of their little personalities, was something they shared in and which drew them closer and closer together.

For some time after the traumatic birth, they’d done little more than hold hands from time to time, giving Ezer’s body, mind, and heart time to heal. But after moving into the cottage on Heath’s estate, they’d found their way into each other’s arms, and to the surprise of Ned—who’d started to give up hope that Ezer would ever come to him on his own accord—they started sharing a bed, too.

In Ned’s opinion, life was good. Everyone he loved was happy. Everything they did together was freely chosen.

Ned had no desire to see any of it change.

Which was why he was surprised one evening to find Ezer in the front garden of their cottage, pensively plucking apart a white rose.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking a seat beside his lover, worried by the furrow between Ezer’s brows. “Is it your family? Shan?”

Ezer shook his head. They sat in silence as Ezer destroyed another bloom.

“Is it my family? My father?”

“No.”

Another long minute passed.

Ned chewed on his lower lip before saying, “Tell me, I’m getting paranoid. Is it me? Have I…are you…is this…?”

“No.”

The tension was too much.

Several more minutes passed. “This is torture. I feel like something’s very wrong, and you don’t want to tell me.” Ned whispered, “Are you leaving me?”

Ezer’s eyes finally lifted from the third rose he was ruining, and he scoffed, throwing the flower at Ned. “No. Ollie’s stopped chest-feeding, too.”

That made sense. Sundy had stopped a few weeks before. It was only a matter of time before Ollie did as well.

“They can’t stay young forever.”

“I swear, Ned, you are so adorable, but sometimes you’re just really dumb.”

Ned huffed but said nothing. What was there to say to that?

Ezer spoke again. “If Ollie and Sundy are both done with chest-feeding that means there’s only a few months left before there’s going to be a big choice to make.”

Ned’s mind spun, searching for what it could be. Pre-school? It seemed a bit early still. And then it dawned on him. “Oh.”

“Yes. Oh.”

“Well.” Ned swallowed hard. “It’s up to you. You’re free to contract with whoever you want to handle the heat.” He knew there was a handsome and unattached alpha who’d been helping Adrien and Ezer with aspects of their omega school curriculum design. What if this mood tonight was because Ezer wanted to share his heat with him instead of Ned?

“I swear to God, I’m going to strangle you one day,” Ezer said, but it was mild, with no real anger attached.

Ned sat quietly, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ezer had something big to say, and it was going to change his life. There was no other reason for all this brooding. It probablywasthe alpha at the school. He was smart, spoke three languages, and loved math. Likereallyloved math.

“I’m ready to sign the contract,” Ezer said. “The one you’ve had on hold? I’m ready now.”

Ned blinked. “The contract?”

“Yes, the one that says you’re my alpha and that we’re married,” Ezer looked at him as if he were an idiot. Truly it was a common expression, but this time it seemed unfair. He hadn’t mentioned anything about wanting to sign it in all the time since they’d dissolved their initial obligations.

“But what about that alpha at the school?”

“Who?”