Page 49 of His Omega Bear
Kian nodded, his eyes meeting mine briefly, before flicking away. He understood the risks. I bet Gabe had told him stories of those who couldn’t handle the revelation, who handled things very badly. And they were not just cautionary tales. They were real, and they were terrifying.
“But even so,” I murmured, more to myself than to him, “this can’t go on forever.”I blew out a breath. “Jaxson deserves to know the truth. If anyone can handle it, it’s him. Right?”
Kian squeezed me again. “It will all work out.”
As the sun began to dip lower in the afternoon sky, casting a golden glow over the area, we packed up our things and prepared to head home. The kids were starting to tire, their earlier exuberance giving way to sleepy eyes and gentle yawns.
Kian called Beau and Rhett, who were reluctant to leave but too sleepy to protest much. “Thanks for the play date,” he said, giving us a tired smile. “We’ll have to do this again soon.”
“Definitely,” I replied, hoisting Emilia into my arms. “It’s been great.”
We said our goodbyes and made our way to the car, Emilia already dozing off. As I buckled her into her car seat, I glanced over at Kian, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for these moments. Growing up with alpha brothers, I loved having more brothers by marriage.
Today had been perfect. I loved seeing Emilia with her new family. And I really prayed it wouldn’t be the last time.
As I drove home, the peaceful silence in the car was filled with the soft sounds of Emilia’s breathing. I glanced back at her, her tiny form snuggled in her car seat, and felt my heart swell with love.
Please don’t let me lose my daughter and mate.
Chapter 19
Jaxson
Hunter adjusted his stance and squeezed the trigger again as his eyes focused on the target downrange. I watched him for a moment, admiring his skill and precision.
The gunshots echoed in the shooting range, followed by the familiar smell of gunpowder. The sound of empty shells clattered on the concrete floor.
“Nice shot,” I said, raising my voice to be heard over the noise.
Hunter lowered his weapon and turned to me with a grin. “Thanks, Jaxson. You’re up.”
I stepped forward, joining the line of other shooters. With my pistol in hand, I took a calming breath and focused on the target ahead. Hunter stood next to me, his steady presence giving me a sense of camaraderie I hadn’t expected.
Despite only recently meeting Rhys’ brother, I had already formed a bond with him. Our shared love for sports and similar taste in music made it easy to connect. And as he was in law enforcement, there was a mutual understanding between us that added to our growing friendship.
As we fired off our rounds, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for this unexpected connection with Hunter. Moving away from my team to live in Asheville—not that I regretted it for a second—was more difficult than I realized.
After a few more rounds, we decided to take a break. We walked over to the benches and sat down, sipping water and wiping the sweat from our brows.
“I have to say, Hunter, I never thought I’d enjoy coming to the shooting range so much. It’s a great way to blow off steam.”
The shooting range had never been my idea of a way to relax. It was more like work. But as it turned out, it wasn’t bad, actually.
Hunter nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Yeah, it is. And it’s nice to have someone to do it with. Gabe tags along sometimes, and even Rhys. But a new brother is always a bonus.”
Being included made me smile. “Thanks. I feel the same way. It’s funny how quickly everything changes. I went from being alone to having, well, all of you. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“Good, because my baby brother has never been so happy.” Hunter’s expression grew serious. “Speaking of changes, how are you handling everything? Rhys, Emilia, and the little one on the way? That’s a lot to take on.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s overwhelming sometimes, but I love them all so much. More than ever, I feel this need to protect them, to make sure they’re secure. I never imagined this would be my life, and I’m grateful.”
Hunter smiled, clapping me on the shoulder. “You’re doing great, Jaxson. And you’ve got us. We’re family now.”
As we gathered our things to leave, Hunter mentioned something that stuck with me. “Finding your mate just makes everything slot right into place. Trust me. I know.”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Mate, huh? That’s an interesting way to put it.”
Hunter chuckled. There was something in his eyes, but was there and gone before I could really pin it down. “Yeah, I guess it is. It just means partner. Maybe it’s fanciful, but when you meet that person, it’s like finding the other half of your soul. It just makes sense.”