Page 76 of Bully for Sale

How is my Ezer? Give him my love and tell him to call me when he can. Please tell him to forgive me. He’ll do what you say. You’re his alpha.

Ned huffed a laugh at that. “You’ll do what I say? Yeah right.”

Ezer reached out his hand for the phone again. “It really says that?” he said, looking at the swimming letters. “He says to give me his love?”

“He does.”

“Oh…” Ezer looked helplessly at the message a little longer and then handed it back to Ned. “Can you…will you tell him that I’m pregnant?”

Ned sat, pulling Ezer along with him. Then together they watched as he punched letters in. “Here’s what I’m saying:Ezer is settling in slowly but surely. He’s pregnant and doing what he can to make sure the baby is healthy. We’re starting to get to know each other now. I think he’d like it if you called him instead. The number where he can be reached is…And then he put the number that rang the screen there in the nest.

“Have you sent it?”

“Not yet.”

“Don’t give him that number.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to talk to him yet.”

“But you’ll want his comfort later, won’t you? When the time gets closer?” Ned cocked his head. “In class they said omegas like to have their omega parent with them when they give birth.”

Ezer shrugged. “I don’t know what I’ll want by that time, but I can’t talk to him right now.”

“Why?”

“Because Ihaven’tforgiven him, and at the moment I’m using up all of my forgiveness on you, on trying to not hate you.”

“Is it that hard?”

“Yes.”

Ned huffed and took out the part about the number. He re-read the entire message and asked, “Should I send it?”

“Tell him that he was wrong. Tell him that I don’t like you at all.”

Ned frowned but started typing dutifully.

“Stop,” Ezer interrupted. “Don’t add that.” Ned wasn’t as bad as Ezer wanted him to be. Not here and now in their nest, not when he looked at Ezer with that sweet little smile, and his eyes glowing with suppressed amusement.

Even though nothing about this situation was funny. Nothing.

“All right. How about I tell him that you’re not taking calls right now to keep your peace of mind.”

“Tell him that I’ll call him when I’m ready.”

Ned typed and then read it all once again. When Ezer agreed it was okay to send it, he did. Putting the phone aside, he stretched and then chuckled when Ezer’s stomach growled. Ezer hadn’t even realized he was hungry yet, but suddenly he was ravenous. “Lasagna or spaghetti?” Ned asked.

“Spaghetti.”

“Apple pie or peanut butter ice cream?”

“Uh…peanut butter ice cream? I guess?”

“Then what’s your favorite ice cream?”

“Mint chocolate chip.”