Page 82 of The Omega's Secret Baby

“You can’t get engaged! You haven’t even met all the ladies I wanted to introduce you to yet! You’re being foolish and you don’t know what you’re missing out on!” She gestured wildly with her arms to underline just how preposterous she thought all of this was.

“No, it’s fine, Mother. I’ve made my decision, and you need to accept it.”Please just accept it.I couldn’t take all this fighting anymore. My family had never been super harmonious, but these last few months had been rough.

“You expect me to accept this?” She scoffed. “You’re my son, and I’m not going to watch you ruin your life.”

“I can make my own decisions.”

She laughed, as if the very idea was ridiculous. Of course it was, to her. She’d been running the show my whole life.

And suddenly I wondered whether that was the kind of parentIwas going to be—just for trying to get my kids into this business. I wanted to do what was best for them… but my mother had often used the same line of reasoning with me.

You won’t find a better bride than Danielle.

You have to major in business if you want to be successful in life.

You won’t be happy if you don’t marry.

“You know what, Mother?” I said. “Elias is pregnant with another child from me. You’re going to have another grandchild.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Another bastard?”

“Not if we get married,” I said, just to test her.

She bristled. “You can’t marry that omega!”

“And I can’t make you happy, either, can I?” I sighed, because as much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I knew that Eli was right. My family would never welcome him or our children, no matter what I did.

“You couldtry,” my mother insisted. “And to think that your father and I had such high hopes for you!”

Hopes or expectations? I knew all about the expectations that I tried to live up to.

And what for?

To please my parents?

To fulfill my duty as the alpha of this family?

Frederica was right. I was far too obsessed with those things.

I shook my head to myself. It was time to think beyond what it meant to be a good alpha. What I needed to be now was a good parent.Anda good fiancé.

38

Elias

Iwasn’tsure what to expect when Matt called me during my lunch break the next day. Honestly, I was a bit apprehensive to answer the call, but he sounded happy.

“Are you at the shelter right now?” he asked.

“I am, why?”

“Because I’m in the parking lot. Come out and meet me, please.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. What was that about?

When I got to the parking lot, I spotted Matt, wearing a heavy-looking rucksack on his back and carrying a basket in his hand.

“Care to have lunch with me?” he asked, lifting the basket up.