Page 54 of His Snowbound Omega

He wasn’t thrilled at all.

In fact, with each passing second, he felt like he was going to throw up all over again.

It had nothing to do with having to give up a child. Thorn had known what he was agreeing to when he’d signed the contract, and while, sure, he’d never imagined he’d actually ever conceive, he’d meant it when he’d said he’d be fine with the outcome.

Thorn had grown up in poverty. He knew what that was like. Without Baal’s support, he’d be forced to experience that again. The only way he’d get to keep the baby was if he made a run for it, which guaranteed robbing his kid of any semblance of a good life. He could never do that. Even if it meant never getting to know them or watch them grow up, Thorn would be content knowing he’d done the best he could for his child.

Giving it up to Baal, allowing it to grow under the protection of the White Frost, with all the riches and benefits that came with it, was the right thing to do.

Thorn could part with a baby.

But could he part from its father?

A wounded sound rumbled from his chest, and he squeezed his eyes closed. How quickly he’d fallen. Three months ago, he hadn’t even known Baal’s name, and now the thought of losing him was like a dagger to the heart.

Pathetic.

What was he going to do?

A breeding contract came to an end as soon as conception happened. If the omega was lucky, the alpha stuck around during the pregnancy, ensuring the baby grew healthy and there weren’t any complications. But after the birth…Baal would no longer have any use for Thorn.

Could he convince him to sign another contract?

Weren’t people like the underboss the type to like backup plans? A spare heir, so to speak?

Getting pregnant once was a miracle. There was no way in hell Thorn would be successful a second time, which meant—

It would be obvious what he was really after.

The alpha would see right through him.

Thorn didn’t think he could handle being openly rejected. If he fell apart, who was going to look after Aster when he came home from rehab? They still had to re-enroll him in high schooland start preparing him for college. Thorn didn’t have the luxury of crying in bed, wallowing over a failed relationship that was never real to begin with.

A traitorous voice in his head whispered about all the things the alpha had said to him in the past, but all of that had been spoken in the heat of passion. Thorn couldn’t actually believe that he’d meant any of it, could he?

People said all sorts of things when they were balls deep or knotted. Pheromones messed with them like that, made them sappy and romantic, or possessive and bold.

If Baal had actually wanted Thorn, he would have bitten him.

He laughed humorlessly and wiped a lone tear from his cheek.

“There you have it,” he said to himself, his voice filled with all the misery he was struggling to deny. “If he really wanted you to be his omega, he would have given you the claiming bite. But he didn’t, Thorn, because it was never about permanency.”

Baal had forced himself on him during the White Hunt even though he could have given Thorn a pass and let him declare sanctuary. He’d slipped a bag full of money into the car he offered to Thorn the next day, and trapped him in this contract through threats.

That wasn’t the type of person who’d hesitate to mark someone if they truly wanted them.

He would have taken first and asked for forgiveness later, as he’d done with everything else.

When the alpha had said he’d wanted Thorn from the moment he saw him, he’d meant that physically. Sexually. He’d wanted his body. Wanted to fuck him. Maybe even really did have hopes of creating offspring. But he didn’t wantThorn.

He’d pay to keep him, then pay him off to leave him. Simple as that.

Thorn was the idiot here. The one who’d grown attached even though he’d known better.

The timer on his multi-slate went off, but he couldn’t get himself to open his eyes. The test was in his right hand, the results right there, and yet…

“Please.” He didn’t even know what he was asking for.