Page 66 of X-Clan The Origin

And in a bed, not a nest.

I pressed my palm to his chest and glanced around, confused.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I… I didn’t nest.”

“We didn’t breed,” he said. “You’re not pregnant.”

My brow furrowed. “But I went into heat.”

“After a decade of taking suppressants,” he murmured. “I’m going to assume that played into it. Or perhaps fate.”

I looked at him. “You’re not mad?”

“Of course I’m not mad.” He palmed my cheek. “You still have a world to try to save, Riley. Pups can wait. Or we can choose not to have them at all.”

I couldn’t help it. Igapedat him. “You… you would really be okay with not having pups?” He’d sort of insinuated it before. But to hear him say it again now,aftermating me, somehow made it more real.

“If you don’t want pups, then I’m okay not having them, Riley. I meant what I said—I won’t take away your choices.”

“But you’ll have to take something for my cycles, then…” There were drugs Alphas could use to make themselves infertile during an Omega’s heat. Many of them took the pills later in life when they wanted a break from raising children. It was essentially a male form of birth control.

Jonas shrugged. “If that means you not taking suppressants, and us still experiencing your heat, I’m fine with that solution.”

I sat there and just stared at him.

An ironic response, considering how often he used to stare at me.

But I couldn’t believe this male was actually real.

And not just real, butmine.

“I think I might love you, Jonas.”

His lips curled. “Well, that’s good, Doctor Campbell. Because I think I might love you, too.”

I threw my arms around him, tackling him to the bed. “You’re going to knot me now.”

“Again, I think you’re missing thepleasepart of that—”

I kissed him.

Because we were done talking.

At least for now.

I’d give him hell again soon.

Especially since that apparently led to punishing orgasms.

But for this moment, I chose to just be with him. To kiss him. To make love to him. To cherish him in the way he’d promised to cherish me.

Toexist.

And embrace this new path.

With Jonas.