Making a Family Collection 1

AN OMEGAVERSE MATES WORLD ROMANCE

ROSA SWANN

Making a Family Collection 1

An Omegaverse Mates World Romance

2nd edition

Copyright © 2022 Rosa Swann

Copyright © Easily Distracted Media

Originally published as: Making a Family Box 1 and Making a Family Volume 1

Copyright © 2017 ROSA SWANN

All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without express written permission of the copyright holder.

This book contains sexually explicit content which is suitable only for mature adults.

ISBN: 9789493139503

NUR: 343

Version: 20220223

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Blurb

When your idea of asking a cute Omega to be your pretend-husband for a weekend takes an unexpected turn…

Clay

I have my pride as an Alpha, and I don’t want to be the only unmated sibling at my youngest sister’s wedding.

What’s a successful, but bachelor, Alpha to do? Well, maybe ask the cute Omega frequenting my cafe to be my fake husband for the weekend.

Only, I didn’t expect a weekend of fun to go so very differently…

Aiden

The day after my sister leaves her three-month-old to look after, to be the parent she can’t be, I get an odd request from the handsome Alpha running the cafe I frequent. And who can resist a request from the only man able to make me smile this week?

So, I show up, play the role of adoring husband, and that’s when things go a little off-script…

This collection includes the first five novellas about Alpha Clay and Omega Aiden in Making a Family, Faking a Husband, Becoming a Boyfriend, Raising an Omega, Saving a Sibling and Marrying a Mate, which takes place in the non-shifter Omegaverse Mates World and contains mpreg (male-pregnancy).

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Faking a Husband

MAKING A FAMILY 1

Chapter One

AIDEN

I slowly get up out of bed, too sleepy still to really do much, but I know that I need to get up on time for work… I slip into some clothes and get out of the bedroom, walking through the small dining room and into the kitchen.

There, I turn on the electric kettle and slowly walk to the bathroom to relieve myself. I’m not really the best person early in the morning, but after some tea and breakfast, it should be fine. I generally am, I think…

I turn on my laptop in the dining room and make my way back to the kitchen right on time to pour some hot water into a mug with a teabag and prepare some cornflakes as I wait for the tea to brew. I bring both the mug and the cornflakes to the table and sit down, ready to check my social media while fighting to wake up.

As far as morning routines go, it’s probably the most boring thing in the world.

The first thing I hear is a little sound, just a whimpering, coming from my sister Hailey’s bedroom. I don’t pay much attention to it, Hailey sleeps with her young son, Seb, and the little man usually just wants a snuggle with his mum around this time.

I click on an interesting article and start reading as the whimpering increases. I sigh, but Seb’s not my kid, he’s not my responsibility. I can’t keep going in there and help her out all the time, we agreed on that.

When, after a couple more minutes, Seb’s whimpering starts to turn into soft cries, I stand up and walk over to the bedroom, knocking on the door. “Hailey, don’t let Seb cry. Please. He just wants a snuggle.”

But there is no response from the room, which is not normal, at least not for Hailey. Normal would be for Hailey to yell at me to mind my own business.

But apart from Seb’s cries intensifying, I’m not hearing anything.

“Hailey, I’m coming in.” I wait a couple of seconds with my hand on the doorknob, but I really don’t hear anything inside.

My heart starts beating loudly and I fling the door open.

Is there something wrong with Hailey? Is she hurt?

But what I find stops me in my tracks…

There, in his little crib, is Seb, all blubbery and crying, his small face scrunched up. But I don’t find the person I expect to find there. No Hailey.

I quickly take Seb in my arms, keep the little kid close, hoping he’ll calm down that way. Because I’m not sure what else to do. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

Hailey’s bed is perfectly made, her room is the neatest I’ve seen it since we moved in. Everything is cleaned up. Everything is neatly stashed away in closets and drawers and on top of desks and things.

I bounce Seb in my arms a little, the movement calming both of us down because I’m not sure I can believe this. I pull open one of the closets and find nothing inside, well, not much anyway. A lot of Hailey’s clothes are gone.

When I open another closet and some drawers I find the same, there are still some clothes, but more than half of it is gone.

I turn to the other side of the room, hoping to find more clues there, but instead of her laptop being on the desk, there is a letter.

Handwritten, barely readable, with crinkly dots on it that make me think those used to be tears.

Dear Aid,

I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t live like this and take care of Seb.

I can’t have a kid at eighteen. I can’t have a kid and no finished education before my life is even supposed to start. I can’t do it.

I thought I could. I thought I could do it as long as you were with me.

I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve all the help you’ve given me, everything you’ve done for me since you found out I was pregnant.

You gave up everything, including the love of our parents, just to help me. I can never repay you. I’m sorry.

Please take care of Seb.

He doesn’t deserve a mum like me, but he deserves a dad like you.

Please. I love him, which is why I’m doing this.

I can’t be the mum he needs, that he deserves, but you can.

Please. I’m so sorry.

Heyhey

P.S. Don’t try to call me, I left my phone on the desk.

I stumble, grabbing for the edge of the desk with my free hand, able to keep myself up just long enough to slowly lower myself to the ground.

I can’t believe this. I can’t believe she’d do this. I look at Seb, at my beautiful nephew, and tears start streaming down my cheeks. It hurts, not just for me, but for Seb, for this beautiful little boy who hasn’t done anything wrong.

No, no, no.

Hailey left. It must have been in the middle of the night because I didn’t hear anything. But she’s gone.

And I’m here with Seb.

Seb starts to softly cry again and I push myself up. “You don’t care that your mum’s gone yet, you just want a bottle. Let’s do that first then.” I stumble for a few steps, not fully grasping what’s gone on yet, how much more different my life will be now.

But I make my way to the kitchen, putting Seb in his little seat and then start making his formula. I can’t stop the tears, but this has become enough of a second nature in the last three and a half months that I can do this automatically.

I go back to the dining room table and take Seb out of his seat again, holding him in my arms as I give him the bottle. His eyes focus on me, grasping a little at me as he drinks.

How can she leave him? He’s such a cute kid, he’s been nothing but good since he was born.

From the corner of my eyes I see the time on my laptop and realise that no matter what I’m going to do, I need to do it soon, or I won’t be able to get to work on time.

Sure, I don’t have to get to an actual office, but they still want me to check in on time each morning and I generally tend to do that at a cafe. Fuck.

I text Hailey, asking where she is, but then I hear the message arrive on her phone in her room.

Of course.

I sit up straighter. I can’t just take the day off. If Hailey’s really gone, I’m going to need that income, no matter what. I try to figure out my other options, but they are severely limited.

I can’t call our parents.

If Hailey’s really gone, I don’t want them to know yet, I don’t want them to look at me with eyes that tell me that I got myself into this situation by helping out my little sister.

But if she changes her mind and comes back in a day or two, I also don’t want them to know that she’s been gone… She just turned eighteen, she’s had to give up her school, her friends, her whole life and now has to take care of a baby and work for thirty hours a week on top of that.

I can understand that she may need a few days to herself. So, they’re out. Any of our other siblings isn’t going to work either since they’re all living at home or are away at college.

My other option is an Omega I’m friends with, Sterling, and his mate, Wilder. They’ve been helping us a lot since the whole mess around Hailey’s pregnancy kicked off, but I know that they can’t help me right now.

The end of April is a hard enough time for them with the first anniversary of their Alpha’s death, without me pushing my problems onto them too. Especially problems that are so insignificant in comparison to theirs. So, they’re out too.

Which means I’ll have to deal with this on my own first.

Fuck. Just…

Fuck.

I stand up and take Seb in my arms. “Well, I guess we should get ready to leave for work then… Right? Let’s get a move on.”

If I’m going to get us both showered and dressed and ready, I’m going to have to hurry up, because normally Hailey and I do this together, and today… I’m on my own.

On my own…

How did I get into this situation?

Why did Hailey leave? Why couldn’t she do this anymore?

I wish she’d talked to me, let me help her. But I guess that me helping her was part of the issue to begin with…

Right…

I fight against the cold April weather, which, of course, decided to be severely windy and let me walk straight into it the whole way to the cafe.

My bag with my laptop around my shoulder keeps getting caught by the wind but luckily I was able to get Seb all warm and cosy in his stroller.

It’s not far to the cafe where I work every morning. When Wilder got me this job back at the start of February, I tried working from home for a week or two, before I realised that that wasn’t going to work out.

So I looked around and found a work cafe decently close to home. It’s specially designed for people to work at for a few hours a day. With tables that easily hold a laptop and a cup of coffee or tea and enough plugs everywhere to charge all the laptops, plus, the internet is pretty quick.

The first few days I went on my own, but with Hailey also trying to find work and having odd shifts, I started taking Seb with me and he seemed to actually enjoy that a lot.

There were sounds and movements all around him, but it was quiet enough for him to also sleep. And I wasn’t the only one there with a kid, especially not a young kid. But, the very best thing about it, it totally saved on childcare costs.

I push against the doors and someone helps me open them so I can drag the stroller inside. Quite a lot of the tables are filled, but I see that one of my favourite spots, near the window but a little out of sight, is still empty.

I quickly make my way to it and slide into the booth, dropping my bag next to me.

Then I first unpack myself, taking off my jacket and getting comfortable, before I get Seb out of his seat, undo him of all the warm clothes and put him back in, angling the seat so he can sit comfortably but still see me.

I unpack my laptop and put it on the table. Then I grab my mouse from the bag and as my fingers fumble for a moment, I drop it. As I’m reaching down to pick it up, I push over my bag and everything tumbles onto the floor under the table, going all different directions.

Ugh.

I take a deep breath and slide down to get my things, getting more and more frustrated by the moment.

Not having my day…

When I’ve finally got everything back, I sit back up in the booth and put the bag next to my feet, hoping I won’t kick it over if it’s closer to the floor. I’m ready for today to start looking a little better, like, really ready for it now.

Next to me, Seb starts fussing a little and I take him in my arms, rocking him. “Hey, little man, what’s wrong?”

He looks up at me and his lower lip starts to wobble before he starts wailing, the loud wail of a very unhappy little three-month-old.

“Shh, shh. It’s okay. Everything is okay.” I pull the bag back onto the booth and start looking through it. I’m sure I packed a pacifier this morning, but no matter how much I look, I can’t find it.

“Shhh. Please. We’re all a little off today, baby. Mummy left and I don’t know how I’m going to manage this all yet. Please, just… Can you give me one moment? Just a few minutes?”

I dig around in the bag again, but it’s really not there. It’s not in the bag. I look around under the table as best as I can, but I can’t find anything there either.

I can’t believe I forgot it.

This can’t be true.

Nope.

Not happening.

In my arms, Seb is still crying and I try the next best thing, seeing if he’ll take my pinky instead, anything to make him stop for a moment, give me a moment to think.

It’s not the end of the world. This can be solved pretty easily. I try to catch the eyes of one of the people working here and the manager comes over.

“Can I get a tea and a pacifier?” I reach into my bag, taking out my wallet, only to come up empty-handed once again.

No. No, no no.

“Just a moment.” I look down into the bag, moving a few things. But, like the pacifier, it’s not there and I’m about ready to give up.

“Sorry, I can’t…” I’m about ready to join Seb in the crying in the middle of the cafe. “I…”

“I’ll be right back with them.” He smiles and turns around.

“I don’t have my wallet, or my card.” I’m able to finally say.

The manager turns back to me, his eyes soft. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll solve that tomorrow. You come here all the time and being a parent can’t always be the easiest thing.” He walks to the back of the store and my eyes follow him, filling with tears I’m trying to hold back.

I’m not supposed to cry over the kindness of others.

But I’m really seconds away from crying now.

I feel like such a failure. Not being able to take care of myself. Not being able to properly run my life…

And Hailey left little Seb with me?

Chapter Two

CLAY

I stop the manager, Zeke, as he passes by my table, a cup of tea in one hand and a box with a pacifier in the other, looking at the young Omega at the front of the cafe. “What’s going on?”

“He seems to be having a bad day. Forgot his wallet and a pacifier for the kid.” Zeke shakes his head. “Poor guy.”

“Yeah.” I let him walk on and watch as the Omega is so grateful, taking both items. And as soon as he gives the pacifier to his baby, the kid calms down again, curling up against his father. It’s beautiful to watch, which I do… Every morning.

Since earlier this year, the Omega and his kid have been coming here every morning. The kid mostly quiet and asleep as the Omega works hard and then, around lunch, they leave again.

He caught my eye the moment he walked in here. I don’t know what it was, but something about him keeps pulling my eyes to him every morning, time and time again.

Everything seems to calm down for the Omega for a while, until, about an hour later, the Omega’s baby starts to get fussy again and starts crying and the Omega looks like he’s about to break down himself.

I motion for Zeke to come over. “Can you get me a mint tea. That’s what he likes, right?”

I don’t even need to mention who I mean. Zeke was the one who pointed out to me that my interest in the Omega may be a little more than I have in other Omegas that come in here. But even with all that, I’ve not had the guts to actually go over and talk to the Omega before.

“Yeah. But…” Zeke looks back at the Omega, his eyes sad. “I think…” He stops, licking his lips as he looks at his feet before he looks up. “I think his Alpha left him, like, this morning.”

The fury rushing through me at that comment surprises me and with the way Zeke looks at me, him too.

Of course, I know he has an Alpha, or he wouldn’t have a kid. But still, how can any Alpha leave their Omega, especially when they have a kid?

It makes no sense to me.

“I overheard him saying something to the little boy. Damn. An Omega like him and he just gets left alone…” Zeke shakes his head.

Zeke’s an Omega himself, still unmated, like me, but he’s got a passion for his work and I know that he fears that taking an Alpha may mean that he has to stop working. Which is not uncommon, sadly enough.

“Anyway, he may not be in the best mood for talking.”

I nod, frowning. “But he’s definitely in the mood for someone to help him out a little. I can’t just let this happen.” I put away my things as Zeke prepares the drink.

When he comes back over, the drink on a tray, he takes a hard look at me. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I can’t just let him be.” I really can’t.

Something in me wants to do nothing more than to protect the Omega. To take him with me and lock him up somewhere so he can’t be harmed.

Which, not sane and definitely not okay. Kidnapping people is not okay. But I guess it also means that I need to talk to this Omega at some point, find out why he makes me feel like this.

I take the drink and make my way over to the front of the cafe.

The Omega is still focused on the little boy, not looking at anything that’s going on around him. I put the drink on his table, right in his view, which finally gets his attention.

He looks up at me with a look in his eyes that breaks my heart. He really needs someone there for him right now.

“Do you need me to take him for a moment?”

The Omega eyes me, his gaze changing, and he takes a moment before he nods and carefully holds the baby out to me. “I’m having no luck today.”

I take the little boy, softly swaying with him and walking a little between the tables.

The Omega looks at the glass that I put in front of him. “How did you…” Then he looks at me again, recognition in his eyes. “You’re the guy who always sits in the back.”

“Yeah. I’m Clay.” I sit down in the chair opposite the Omega, the baby boy has finally quieted down.

“I’m Aiden, and that’s Seb.” He looks so relieved now that Seb’s quieted down. “Thank you. For both. I…”

He looks down and I want to hurt the person who made him look like that, who made him feel this pain.

“Bad day?” I offer, trying to keep my voice level.

“Yeah, you could say that.” He plays with his fingers along the edge of the glass and I can’t help but follow the movements with my eyes.

“Anything I can do?”

“Can you keep him entertained for a moment? I need to finish up a few emails. I know it’s a lot to ask, but… I can’t lose my job too.” He looks… desperate.

“Sure. You work, I’ll keep an eye on this one.” I look down at little Seb, the baby’s eyes focusing all around while contently sucking on the pacifier.

I’ve seen this Omega, Aiden, work every morning in the cafe, every morning without fail. Often taking his kid with him and managing everything at the same time.

To think that a hard-working Omega like him would suddenly be left alone. That there is someone who can not appreciate his work ethic or his dedication…

I find it hard to wrap my head around.

Maybe it’s because I don’t have my own Omega. But even from some of the Omegas that work at my cafes who do have Alphas, I know that they’re treasured, not just thrown aside. I can’t imagine anyone not appreciating an Omega like Aiden…

I stand up with Seb, walking around a little with him on my arm.

Many of the Omegas and even Betas and Alphas, come here with their kids. So I’m often around young children and comforting or entertaining them for a while is just part of the job.

Sure, now that I have four of these cafes, I don’t tend to do a lot of groundwork anymore. But I used to be just one of the guys behind the counter, one of the guys helping all these people.

And I carried a lot of kids around for customers, so they could get some uninterrupted work done. I even carried some of the kids from the employees around. Because I can understand that getting someone else to look after your kid isn’t always the easiest thing in the world.

This cafe is a little smaller than some of the others, so it doesn’t have a special dedicated play-corner for kids but the other three do. Something I chose the buildings and designed the layouts for specifically.

I don’t want parents to have to leave their kids with someone or somewhere else, if they just want to be away from home for a couple of hours to work.

They may want to be away from home, that doesn’t mean they want to be away from their kids. And I wanted to help them out by not having to choose between a job and being able to pay for childcare during those hours.

I make my way back to Aiden, who is looking at me and quickly averts his eyes when he realises I caught him. “Work done?”

He nods. “At least some of it. Thanks.” He reaches out and I give Seb back to him. “Hey, little man, are you being all quiet when the Alpha holds you, but not with me, eh?”

His voice is sweet and there is such a sad smile playing around his lips.

I want to make him really smile, to see an actual smile from him, because in all these months that he’s been coming here… He barely ever smiles, always a little stressed, a little sad. “You need someone to talk to?”

He meets my eyes for a moment, and that sadness seems to only have increased and I need to fight everything in me to not just insist that he tells me what’s going on.

“Thanks. Just…” He swallows hard. “A really bad day, one I didn’t think I’d have to deal with, after some really difficult months. And just…”

He looks at Seb, running a finger over his cheek. “Problems. Drama.”

“Something a piece of pie could fix?” I stand up.

“You don’t have to. I can’t afford it today.” He seems almost panicked.

“No worries. I’m the boss here and I don’t allow a cute Omega to look that sad if I can make it better with some pie.” I turn around before I can see his reaction.

Fuck. I should keep my mouth closed sometimes.

The guy has an Alpha, and a kid, no matter if the Alpha isn’t here right now. He’s mated. Off limits.

I catch Zeke as he makes his way to the back. “Can you get me a piece of cherry pie and a piece of apple pie from the back?” I step behind the counter to make a hot chocolate and a cappuccino.

Zeke looks at me. “Clay…”

“I know, just… I don’t want him to look that upset.” I shrug. I know that it’s not a good idea. But I can’t help myself.

“Fine. I’m taking it out of your profits though.” He laughs as he walks to the kitchen in the back.

I roll my eyes at him and put the two drinks on a tray, then I glance at Aiden, who has gone back to work, Seb in the chair next to him. If his Alpha left him, so soon after he gave birth to their son, and he sort of admitted that things hadn’t been going well for a while…

What can I do to make things better? How can I make everything a little easier on him?

“Don’t just stare at him. You’re finally talking to him.” Zeke appears next to me with the two pieces of pie, pretty generous pieces too, and puts them on the tray. “Go, get back to him.”

“I didn’t think you’d agree.” I know that he’s not been the biggest fan of my infatuation these last months.

“I don’t care right now. His Alpha left him. He needs all the cheering he can get, even if it’s attention from a different Alpha. He seems at least a little less sad when you’re talking to him.” Zeke pushes at me. “Go.”

“Thanks.” I mean it. Zeke’s an important friend, his opinion matters to me.

I balance the tray as I wind my way through the tables, becoming more and more aware of Aiden looking at me and when I meet his eyes a surge goes through me and I nearly stumble.

Fuck.

Nope. I should not be responding like this to a mated Omega, it’s not right. “Pie and something warm to drink.” I put the tray down.

“Thanks.” Aiden blushes a little. “I’ll make sure to pay for it tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry. You’re having a bad day. I just want to make it a little less bad.” I put the hot chocolate in front of him. “You prefer cherry or apple?”

“Ehhh…” That seems almost the hardest question I could ask him today. “Both?”

“Okay.” I sit down and the surprise in his eyes is almost comical.

I laugh as I try my best to cut both slices in half, swapping half of each pie and then handing one of the plates to Aiden.

“Thanks.” He takes a bite, savouring the taste. “The pies here are so good.” He grins, then he looks at Seb as the little boy starts to become fussy again. He takes the boy in his lap, looking uncomfortable as he meets my eyes. “He needs a bottle. I hate to ask, but…”

“No worries.” I wave at Zeke, pointing at Seb and Zeke nods, giving me a thumbs up. “He knows how to deal with situations like this.”

“Is he…” Is Aiden blushing?

“What?”

“Is he your mate?”

“What? Oh. No. He’s just been working for me for a long time.” Zeke and I, mates… I think we’d drive each other crazy. He’s a great guy, and a very good friend, but we wouldn’t be able to work as mates.

Zeke brings over the bottle and I wrap my arm around his waist, pulling him close.

Zeke pats my head after handing Aiden the bottle. “What’s he telling you now?” I can hear the laugh in his voice.

“Not much.” Aiden smiles a little as he gives Seb a bottle, looking at the little boy for a moment before he looks back up at us. “Why?”

I shake my head and Zeke steps from my arms. “Don’t listen to him too much, he can sometimes tell the most ridiculous stories.” Zeke turns to walk off.

“Like him being your boss?” Aiden calls after Zeke.

“No, that part is actually true.” Zeke laughs and I hear him walk off, greeting a customer that just came in.

That seems to get Aiden’s attention, or, maybe it’s just an interesting distraction from working today. Anything to make him seem a little happier. “So, you’re really the boss here?”

“Ehh. I own the chain of cafes, but this is my favourite one.” I normally don’t mind talking about this, but it feels different when Aiden looks at me like that. Like I’m the most interesting person in the world.

“Wow. That’s so cool! So, you now own like… Five cafes?”

“Four.” I let out a laugh. “I wish it was five and maybe it will be before the end of the year. I’m…” I stop myself, I haven’t even talked to the investors about this.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. You’re not a spy from another company as far as I know, and you seem to be a smart guy.”

He finally shows me a real smile at that, just for a moment, and it takes me a bit to remember what I was planning on saying.

“I’m actually looking into maybe opening a new cafe, a bigger one than this, down the street.”

“Nice. Not too far away I hope? This is already almost a ten-minute walk for me.” He shrugs a little. “With a little kid, a ten-minute walk can be quite the task.”

I shake my head. “Just a couple of buildings down the street. But, I haven’t told anyone yet. I first want to make sure I can actually pull it off…”

I take a deep breath. “We just opened a new cafe late last year. So, it may be a little early to think of the next one yet.”

“But you’re a man who always thinks ahead, always finding the next challenge?” Aiden grins.

“I guess.” Fuck. That was a compliment, wasn’t it? That was flirting, right? Damnit. “I probably wouldn’t have opened a work cafe that’s child and kid-friendly if I wasn’t one to take on challenges.”

“I love the concept. ‘Take your kids to work, when you work from home, away from home.’ It’s smart and definitely interesting. How did you come up with it?” His genuine interest is so obvious.

“I had a couple of friends who were mated while they were in college, and one even got pregnant… But…” The frustration over their situation still doesn’t sit right with me.

“The house they were in was small, as all college housing is, and the library wouldn’t let them in with a little kid. They said it was too noisy and that their baby would distract the other students.”

I almost get angry again just thinking of it. “So few places allow young kids, even though they don’t have to be a bother to other people, just as long as their surroundings are right. I needed a final project to get my master’s degree, and I set this up.”

I feel a little awkward at how excited I am over telling him this. “This is the original cafe that I set up and it got pretty popular pretty quickly, first with other students and later also other parents who worked from home and wanted to get out a little. Even people without kids come here regularly.”

As I finish my story, Aiden looks at me like he’s seen a miracle.

“You’re such a good guy, doing that for your friends. Wow.” He smiles and I have to look away for a moment, because I think I may start to blush…

Damnit…

Not right.

Chapter Three

AIDEN

Coming home in the afternoon… Everything is exactly as it was when I left this morning.

Hailey hasn’t come back.

I push Seb into the living room and then take him out of his little seat and put him in the playpen, letting him entertain himself a little. As I walk into the kitchen, I find both my wallet and Seb’s pacifier on the table. Right where I left them this morning…

Damnit.

I hate when that happens. I hate when I forget things and am dependent on others…

Not that the Alpha, Clay, was bad company… He seemed really nice and very kind. To take it upon himself to look after me for the morning…

I know that I took time away from his work. That he had more interesting things to do than entertain me for the day, but the attention was nice. It doesn’t happen often that I get to have a normal conversation with others that doesn’t revolve around Seb or the situation with Hailey.

He was really kind and so was Zeke, the manager of that cafe. Of course, I’d seen the Alpha before, I know he’s always there, in the back, working. But, so many people come there every day. The coffee is good and the place is cheap.

One pass gets you ten half-days and a free coffee or tea for each of them. Since I only work there during the mornings, I get ten mornings of work for the same price as five cups of coffee at some of the other chains would cost me. And those usually require you to buy a drink every two hours…

And to hear Clay talk about why he opened the place… The story gives me butterflies in my stomach all over again.

Only, the butterflies in my stomach suddenly remind me of Hailey and Seb, and the fact that I’m now on my own with her baby.

I stand up, trying to stop the frustration that makes knots in my stomach. I walk over to her room and check inside, then I pick up the phone from her desk.

When I try to unlock the phone, the fact that it has no actual lock mechanism on it makes me suspicious. Then I click through some of the apps on the phone and they’re all wiped clean. There are still pictures of Seb and me on it, but even pictures of us where she was in too have been wiped.

“What’s been going through your head, Hailey? Why couldn’t you talk to me? Why couldn’t you trust me? Why did you have to leave?” Tears start sliding down my cheeks. Fuck.

Hailey… After everything, after I was there for you for nine months, and every moment since… Why?

I don’t get it. I really don’t get it. How will she get on? What will she be doing? She’s only eighteen…

What will she be doing with her life away from her family?

I can’t… I can’t understand it.

In the living room, Seb starts to cry again and I want to just let him be, even if just for a second. But I’m the only one he has left, so I stand up, going over to him and taking him in my arms.

“We just have each other, little one. It’s just you and me now…” When I hold him I can smell why he’s a little unhappy right now. “Well, you, me and your changing table, it seems.”

Eating on my own again… It’s not like that didn’t happen when Hailey was around. She worked odd shifts. But it feels different this time. Cooking just for myself and sitting here on my own…

I search for Clay’s name in combination with the name of his company ‘Away From Home’ and I find a couple of articles about him.

All of them confirm what he said… He opened the cafes because he wanted to help his friends and people like them. He really is a good guy. It’s surprising that he doesn’t have an Omega yet. He didn’t wear a ring anyway…

Not that that says anything…

I know that not all Alphas and Omegas get married, even if they’re mated, but still… He seems like the type of guy who’d show a ring off. Like my friend Wilder does. He always seems so happy with it, so proud. It’s adorable, for a guy ten years older than me anyway…

But I guess that Seb is a great way to keep Alphas away. Just having him with me makes them think that he’s mine and that I must already have an Alpha. Makes them leave me alone, which is convenient.

I don’t think I’d want to even think about finding an Alpha, I want to make at least some sort of career before I settle down, and now definitely not with Seb still this small.

He’s more important, making sure that he grows up well is more important than anything in the world right now. He’s my responsibility now, no matter what.

I open a new message in my email program, selecting all of Hailey’s email addresses that I have, even ones that she used ten years ago or whenever. I just want to know that she’s okay and actually alive. Not knowing is the very worst.

Dear Heyhey,

Can you please email me and tell me that you’re okay.

That you’re safe and have a place to live and a way to support yourself?

Please? Just tell me you’re okay.

Just email me, please.

Aid

It’s not like I can do much more. And since she’s eighteen, I don’t even think that the police or whoever would pay much attention if she’s only been gone for at most twelve hours.

She’s got a kid. She’s technically an adult. And that means that I can’t really do much without getting my parents or someone else involved too. And I don’t want that right now.

I want to let her return on her own. I want to let her come back to us by herself instead of sending our parents after her. I want her to know that no matter what, I’m here for her. As I’ve always been.

After I clean off the table, I walk around the house. Seb’s already in bed and that leaves most of the evening for just me on my own. I sit down on the couch and turn on the TV, flipping through the channels until I find something that doesn’t make me want to turn it off immediately again.

I just stare at the screen, not really seeing what’s going on, but it’s at least distracting enough that I don’t constantly want to stand up and check if Hailey has emailed me back yet…

Somehow, without me even noticing, I’ve fallen asleep and only wake up when Seb’s crying in his room.

I check my phone and realise it’s time for his evening bottle.

“I’m coming, baby.”

I stretch and make my way over to him, picking him up and holding him as I’m able to make his bottle mostly one-handed.

Then, as he’s drinking, I look at him, at his adorable little face. He’s so cute and I can definitely recognise traits in him that Hailey and I had when we were younger, but Hailey never wanted to tell who his father is.

I’m even on some official paperwork and have some form of custody rights. It’s not really parental but something like guardian rights, something we set up just to make sure that Hailey could keep Seb and live on her own, sort of, without people interfering because she’s so young.

But, I guess it’s also convenient now that she’s gone, maybe it made the choice to leave easier for her knowing that I could care for him like a father, like a parent… Even though I’m not one, and I hadn’t even thought about becoming one already so soon out of college.

I walk Seb around the house after his bottle and then settle him in his bed in my room, since I can’t hear him properly from my room when he’s in his. I make sure all the doors and windows are closed and the lights are off before I retreat to my room too.

Like I’m used to eating on my own, Seb regularly sleeps in here, but it’s all different today, and that makes falling asleep so much harder.

Where is Hailey? Where could she be?

Is she safe?

I take a deep breath as I push myself into the cafe. I’m exhausted and it’s only half past eight in the morning.

Seb’s been up all morning, well, I should say night, I guess. He’s been awake and crying ever since his bottle at four in the morning. I thought he may actually be sleeping through most of the night when he fell asleep easily again after his bottle last night, but apparently not.

He’s been crying after crying after crying.

I think he’s realised that his mother isn’t here. He’s pretty okay if I keep him close, if I keep carrying him, but every time I put him down for a moment, it’s that horrific wailing again. At this rate, I’m ready to cry myself… For the second day in a row.

Clay is sitting in the back and he nods at me as I make my way to the same spot as yesterday. I raise my hand for a moment, but am just too tired. I need to do this. I need to work for just two or three hours today, get my tasks for the day done as much as possible and then I can be out of here again.

Zeke comes over, looking at me. “You need a seat for Seb?”

I nod. “Thanks.”

“That’s okay.” He makes his way to the back and from the corner of my eyes I see Clay stop him for a moment before he lets him go. Then Clay looks in my direction and something inside me responds to that look he’s giving me.

Yeah… I’d love to be able to just go over there and have him hold me, just for a moment not having to be the responsible adult. Just for a moment breaking down and being cared for.

But I can’t. I can’t do that because I chose this. I knew what I was getting myself into when I started living with Hailey and when Seb was born and that means that I now need to be the adult, no matter what I want…

There is no ‘off’ button to being a parent.

I put my bag on the table, unpacking it as Zeke returns with a seat. “Thanks.”

“No problem. What would you like to drink?” He waits as I take Seb out of the carrier I’m wearing and put him in the little seat.

“Ah. I got my card with me today!” I did remember my wallet and the pacifier for Seb this time, though I don’t want to think about the things I’ve probably forgotten instead today… I take the card from my wallet so Zeke can stamp it off.

Clay appears behind Zeke. “Morning.” He smiles, but I can see that he’s looking at me carefully, watching me.

“Morning.” I finally sit down, then look at Zeke. “I…” I try to come up with something to drink, tea doesn’t sound appealing today, especially not since I’m so exhausted, but I also can’t stand coffee.

“Can you make him a strong black tea with condensed milk?” Clay looks up at Zeke. “And a cappuccino for me.” Then his eyes fall on me again.

“Tea with milk, condensed milk?” That sounds a whole lot like tea with milk and sugar. I’m not a small kid.

“Don’t diss it until you’ve tried it.” He winks, then he turns serious. “Had a bad night?”

I nod. “Been up since four. Seb’s been crying the whole time.”

And, right on cue, he starts fussing again. I take him from the seat and hold him close, slowly rocking side to side, and he quiets a little, but I’m at a loss here. I can’t find anything wrong with him, but I think the fact that Hailey’s gone may have finally registered for him. I don’t know.

Can babies this small realise when their mother leaves, or when only one person instead of two is caring for them? Is their world that big yet?

“Ah. Must be hard.” He looks… Sad. He opens his mouth, but then closes it, before opening it again. “Do you…” He stops, letting out a breath.

“Are you caring for him on your own?” There seems to be more to his words, but I don’t know what it is, what he wanted to ask the first time he opened his mouth. The sentence he didn’t dare to speak.

“Yeah. It’s just me.” At least, it is now.

“Hm.”

Just then, Zeke returns, putting the drinks in front of us and giving me back my card. I put it in my wallet and then look at the cup in front of me.

It looks… Well, it almost looks like coffee, though a little lighter.

“Right…”

“If you want something else, tell me, Clay’s taste is not everyone’s taste.” Zeke grins and makes his way to a different customer, leaving me alone again with the man who seems to want to say more than he’s actually saying.

“Clay?” I bounce Seb on my leg, trying to distract the little boy a little. “What did you want to ask?”

But he shakes his head, his stance relaxing. “Nothing important right now.”

“Okay. Anyway, I need to get to work.” I turn the laptop on and start to put Seb in his little chair, but as soon as I move him, he starts to cry.

I pull him back against me. “Please, little man, can you just let me work for a few hours? I’ll entertain you the whole rest of the day. I just need these hours.” I plead with him, because, right now, today, pleading is the only thing I can still do. I don’t have energy for anything else.

“You want me to hold him for a while?” Clay looks at me and he shrugs as he catches my look.

“Don’t you need to do work yourself?” I can’t keep him off his work too.

Clay flashes me a wolfish grin. “Let’s make a deal.”

“Do I want to?” Because looks like that never end well, I’ve seen it often enough.

“I don’t know.” He leans over to me a little. “I have a wedding to attend this weekend. But, I have no date. You look like you could use a day of fun. Will you be my date?”

What?!

Chapter Four

CLAY

I’m not sure if the look he’s giving me is good.

I know it’s a ridiculous proposal, especially since I barely know him. But it is true. I do have a wedding to attend, and I would like to not attend it on my own, for a change. Having an Omega, and especially an Omega with a baby, at my side may improve this wedding over all the others.

I’m the oldest of four kids. I have one Alpha sister and an Omega brother and sister. We were all kind of perfectly balanced in the family. Only, this wedding is my youngest sister’s wedding, the Alpha sister, and now I’m the only one unwed.

Alpha, twenty-eight, and without an Omega or a kid… Weddings and those looks of pity are no fun.

A little white lie doesn’t hurt anyone, right?

“What would I get in return?” Aiden looks at me curiously, but at least he hasn’t turned me down immediately.

“I’ll take care of Seb for the morning. That allows you to get some work done and have him out of your hair for a few hours.” I reach for the kid and Aiden hands him to me carefully, still thinking this over.

“And what will I have to do? Show up in a suit? Say that I’m your boyfriend? Your husband?” He looks me over.

“Potentially, yes. I will, of course, provide a suit for you and Seb, and I will make all the arrangements. But you will get to spend a day eating cake, be at a beautiful location, and not worry about much else.” To me it sounded like a good plan when I came up with it, but maybe just for me.

“So, I have to pretend to be your husband, listen to people ask me questions I won’t know how to answer and have to walk around in a suit, all while handling a baby… In exchange for you holding Seb for a few hours?”

Hmm, he doesn’t sound fully convinced. And if you put it that way…

“I can add a lovely dinner to the deal?” Hey, sweetening the deal is what I do for a job.

But Aiden laughs, it makes him look a lot better than when he came in just now, then he calms down a little. “Three dinners.”

“Three dinners?”

“And I get to choose the places where we eat and when to use them.”

“Deal.” Three dinners I can do. Well, three dinners and looking after this little man.

“Deal.” He looks at the cup of tea in front of him sceptically.

“If you don’t like it, you can just leave it and ask Zeke to get you something new.” I shrug. It seemed like a good idea and I think he’ll like it, but there are bigger fights to fight.

“I’ll try it first.” He lifts the cup, putting it to his lips, blowing on it for a moment before he takes a sip. Then he takes another sip, looking up at me, his eyes shining. “This is good.”

“Glad to know you’ve got good taste.” I take a few sips of the coffee. “Well, I guess I should leave you alone then, so you can get actual work done.” I stand up, holding Seb against me.

The little man has been quiet for a while now, but I’m pretty sure that if I put him down, he’ll start crying again.

Aiden looks at me, then nods. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” I slowly walk to the back, where Zeke looks at me amusedly.

“How did you end up like that?” He grins.

“I made a deal. I now have a date for the wedding.”

Zeke scoffs, then he shakes his head. “In exchange for what?”

“Looking after Seb for the morning and three dinners of his choice.”

“Well, at least he’s making you work for it.” Zeke laughs.

“Do you still have the baby wraps in the back?” I don’t want to actually have to carry Seb all morning, but there are more comfortable ways to do this.

“I think so. Want me to grab you one?”

“Thanks.”

Aiden carried Seb here in a more structural version, an actual baby carrier, which is a little clunky and impractical if you’re sitting down and all. But I know that we can make a very comfortable similar kind of thing with a wrap.

I think, even though I didn’t dare to ask Aiden, that Seb may be missing his mum, or at least realises she’s not there and now he wants to stay as close to other people as he can. I’m just really glad that he accepts me as a replacement for the time being, because babies can be very picky about the people they’ll allow near them.

Zeke comes back with one of the wraps. “You want me to help you?” He unfolds the wrap.

“Yeah, it’s been a while.” I actually did this for my friends a lot when their kid was still really small. But when the company grew, I just wasn’t as involved in the day-to-day stuff and started looking after fewer kids as a result.

Zeke helps me as we position the wrap around me and cradle Seb inside it, keeping him comfortable.

“So, you’re actually going to do it?” Zeke looks at the final result and then nods, before he looks up at me.

“What?”

“Take Aiden to the wedding? With Seb? Pretending that they’re your family?”

“I think so.” It could still change in the next couple of days, but it seems to be the plan.

“You’re an ass. You know that, right?” He shakes his head and walks off, obviously not as okay with this as he was with me trying to cheer Aiden up.

I know he doesn’t approve, even less than he approves of me having an interest in a mated Omega.

But I don’t know. It’s not that I see Aiden as just an easy way to get away from the questions, I actually wish he was mine.

I wish Aiden was mine.

Which is insane.

He has a mate.

So I can only get so close to him before I need to back off again.

But taking him with me and having a few dinners with him, that’s innocent enough. Right?

I look at Aiden as he stands in front of the mirror.

His eyes meet mine in the reflection. “Are you sure? It looks a little flashy.”

“It looks good.” It’s a simple suit, but the button up that he wears with it is beautiful and looks great on him.

He shakes his head. “Well, fine then. You’re the one who’s taking me, you will probably know best.” He smiles. “But can I now get back into my own clothes?”

“Sure.” I wish he wouldn’t, the suit looks very good on him, enhancing his best features, mainly his ass, but I know that a suit is probably not the most comfortable thing in the world to wear, especially when you’re not used to it.

Aiden walks back into the changing room and I look down at Seb. I’m carrying him again, he was very good this morning, but now we’re out and about, he’s a little unhappy again. But I’m mostly carrying him because you can’t really take a baby with you into the changing rooms.

Aiden comes out of the changing rooms again, the suit and button up in his hand. “So, I guess that’s done?”

“We still need something for Seb.” I still want to spend more time with you.

“I have nice clothes I can put him in. We don’t need to buy something for him.”

“He’ll need to match.” I stand up and guide Aiden to the front of the store, where I pay for his suit.

The guy behind the counter looks at us and then at Seb, a smile around his lips. “You have such a lovely kid, but that’s to be expected with such handsome parents.” He puts the items in the big suit bags and hands it to me. “Have a good day.”

I steer Aiden out of the store before he comes back to his senses because he looks a little shell shocked by the comment. “Aiden?”

He looks at me, then at Seb, then back at me. “Hmm.”

“What’s going through your mind?” Because something is happening and I don’t know if the end result will be good.

He shakes his head for a moment, then meets my eyes. “I guess that people really do just assume…” He lets out a breath. “Just… Nothing. No worries.” He takes the bags with the suit. “Where to go next then?”

I don’t know what it is, but whatever went through his mind seemed to have settled him a little. “Wedding clothes for Seb.”

“Are you sure? The guy goes through a lot of clothes and such.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I can’t just take you and not hold up my end of the deal.” I start walking to a baby and kids’ clothing store that I know is a little more upscale.

When we step inside, a female Beta working there greets us immediately. “Welcome. What do you require today?”

“A suit or other more formal clothing for a baby that matches his suit.” I point to Aiden.

The Beta comes over and looks inside the bags. “Ah, beautiful colour. Eh, yeah, I think I have something that will match.” She starts walking to the back of the store and looks through a rack. “Three months?”

“Almost four,” Aiden answers as he follows her.

“Oh.” She takes another look in Seb’s direction. “Okay.” Then she picks out three outfits.

“The second one.” I reach out and take it, holding it next to Seb. “Yes. Definitely.”

Aiden looks at me and then nods, still obviously not sure about me spending money on Seb. “Yeah. That looks good.”

“Okay, well then. Anything else?” The Beta seems a little shocked at how quickly this went.

“Socks, booties?” I look at Aiden, who nods.

“And a second shirt.” Aiden starts wandering off into the direction of more shirts, simpler this time than the one I’m holding now.

“Socks and booties it is then.” I look around and from the shelf above the clothes the Beta just picked from she takes a pair of tiny booties and some socks.

“These will match.” She smiles politely.

“Thank you.” Then I go over to Aiden. “A second shirt?”

He holds up a shirt that matches close to the colour of the outfit I’m holding. “We’re not putting him into more expensive clothing if he pukes over his first set.” Aiden’s voice tells me that I won’t argue him out of this, but he’s also smiling a little.

“Well. You know best.” I step a little closer and I can see the way he responds to me being near. Fuck.

I want to reach out, but I don’t. Don’t want to spook the man, especially if we’re going to be spending a good amount of hours together in the next few days.

Aiden nods, swallowing hard, then he turns away a little. “Seb and I should be heading home. He needs his bottle and then some sleep in his own bed.”

“No request for dinner?” I joke, but I know it’s just me being selfish, I don’t want to let them go yet.

“Maybe some other time. When I’ve had more than four hours of sleep.” Aiden looks at me, then he helps me out of the baby carrier and puts it on himself.

“Okay, but at least let me walk you home then. So I’ll know where to pick you up on Saturday.” It’s a good excuse, right?

“Okay.” He follows me to the front and I pay for the clothes.

Then I take all the bags and we start walking in the direction of the cafe, since Aiden said that he lived somewhere around there.

I feel a little weird, the more time I spend with Aiden, the more time I want to keep spending with him. I know that it’s not right, but that doesn’t stop my brain apparently.

“This way.” Aiden turns around a corner and we walk down one of the big streets, then he turns again and now we’re in one of the neighbourhoods.

It’s a very family-friendly neighbourhood with spaces for kids to play between the big buildings and it’s clean. It’s very different from the neighbourhood I live in, which is all old traditional buildings and such. This is very modern, probably built in the last forty years.

We keep walking in silence, but that’s okay, I don’t know if I have anything useful to say to him anyway, at least not things that won’t make him think I’m insane.

“We’re here.” He stops in front of a big building, looking up. “Just one little apartment in this big block.” He shrugs a little. “But it’s good.”

“Good,” I parrot. Then I hand him the bags, pulling out my phone. “I feel silly asking this, but can I get your details?”

Aiden laughs a little. “Sure.” He takes the phone from me and puts his name, number and even address into it. “There you go.” Then he hands me his phone and I put my details into his.

“See you tomorrow at the cafe?” I look at Aiden, I’m standing a lot closer to him than I expected, who looks at me, but then pulls his eyes away and nods.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.” His voice is soft, then he looks at me again, his cheeks flushing a little. “And, thank you for everything.”

“My pleasure.” I reach out and touch Seb’s chubby cheek for a moment, the little man looking my way curiously, flashing me a smile. “See you tomorrow.” When I look up again, Aiden licks his lips and his eyes on mine are filled with something I don’t dare to put a name to.

It requires my full determination to step away now and not just put my lips to his, to try if they’re as soft and sweet as they look.

“Tomorrow.” My voice has lowered, gotten a little hoarse, before I turn around and start walking down the street.

When I’m halfway down the block I look back at him, Aiden is still staring at me, finally turning around and opening the door to the building.

I let out a groan.

Fuck.

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea…