Page 53 of His Snowbound Omega

“You were?”

“Best sex I’ve ever had.” Damn it, had he really just said that?! Thorn grimaced.

Baal chuckled. “Someone’s after a big reward, it seems.”

Thorn caught the alpha’s hand as soon as it slipped under the front of his t-shirt. “Hold on. I really can’t. I meant it. It feels like my body has been pieced together and all of the screws are loose.”

Baal didn’t remove his hand, but he didn’t push it further either. “How much do you remember?”

“Of the past four days? Bits and pieces.” But he knew what the alpha was getting at. “I remember you telling me that you’re going to fuck me when I’m not in heat.”

He tipped his head back and caught Thorn’s gaze. “Objections?”

Thorn pretended to think it over, then shook his head once. “No.”

The alpha seemed to be searching his face for a lie, then concluded he was telling the truth and released him. Stepping back, he took his coffee and moved to rest against the sink counter instead. “Tomorrow then.”

He scowled. “I need more time than that.”

“Don’t get greedy.”

“I’m not. I’m seriously worried you’ll break me. A week.”

“Three days.”

“Four.”

“Two.”

Thorn swore, and the corner of Baal’s mouth tipped upward. He wasn’t going to win here. “Fine. Two. But that means full days, alpha. Forty-eight whole hours.”

“And then you willingly get on your back and spread those legs for me,” Baal drawled wickedly.

“Yeah, whatever.” Thorn tried to cover his blush with his coffee cup, but the alpha’s dark laugh proved he wasn’t fast enough.

Chapter 17:

They settled into a comfortable routine. Thorn spent his days working on his online classes, studying, or visiting the places he’d never had time for before. Nothing fancy, just local cafes and libraries. A few department stores. He bought his first game, one for his laptop—he wasn’t going to go crazy spending Baal’s coin no matter how many times the alpha told him to do it—and twice a week, he chatted for an hour with Aster.

His brother was making great progress in rehab, and they thought he might even be able to come home within the next six months, which was amazing.

Baal started coming over for dinner, and more often than not, he ended up spending the night. He wasn’t always there in the morning when Thorn woke, but the roses and notes kept coming no matter what, and soon, Thorn had collected a shoebox full of them.

Time passed like that, in simplicity, and contentment snuck up on him before he even knew to be wary of it.

Which was probably why the sudden sickness hit him so hard.

It started basic, just a stomachache and some mild nausea. Baal was on a business trip, and Thorn didn’t think much of it without having someone there to bring it up. It wasn’t until the third day, when there were also hot flashes, that he started to get worried and went to the clinic.

A friendly redheaded beta nurse had been the one to suggest pregnancy. She’d said it kindly, with a hint of excitement, not aware that her words were like barbed wire cutting across Thorn’s exposed flesh.

He’d returned home with a pregnancy test, unwilling to do it at the clinic, and a bottle of expensive whiskey he’d never even considered tasting before.

Both had sat on his bedroom end table for a couple of days, but as it drew nearer to Baal’s return, Thorn finally caved.

Fear gripped him as he sat in the bathroom and waited, eyes glued to his reflection in the mirror, only slightly seeing himself. Logically, he should be thrilled at the possibility of a successful breeding. He’d fulfill his end of the contract, he and Aster would be set for life, and he wouldn’t have to put out for the alpha anymore.

But he wasn’t.