CHAPTER THREE

How the hell had this gone so wrong so fast? Mir’s confidence with him had begun to climb, and Tav was a pussy cat compared to Telish, Langish, Natelle, or God-forbid, Zepish.

His delinquent alpha brother might not even show up despite the summons from the head of the family. His nearest in-age sibling was notoriously unreliable. The only thing Tav was grateful for was that Clay hadn’t mentioned Zepish’s name yet, and the longer Clay stayed, the more likely that would happen.

Zepish was impulsive and hormone-driven, but he’d always had the best interests of the family at heart. It was why he didn’t try to usurp Langish’s position as heir. Zepish wasn’t in Tav’s league of intelligence, but he could see that his twin was better suited to running the family. Yes, he could believe Zep losing his temper with a young, mouthy Mir, but the abuse Mir had suffered had been systematic and purposeful for years. The fallout from mentioning Zepish’s name could likely be spectacularly bad and utterly pointless as his flesh and blood couldn’t possibly have been involved in Mir’s abuse. Not Zep. It couldn’t be.

Even as Tav told himself this, with Clay looking on, doubt itched like a bug bite. He hadn’t thought his cheerful, artistic beta sibling would have casual, easy access to forgers of critical legal documents either.

The best way to prevent Mir from having a possibly catastrophic breakdown, would be for Mir to meet either blond alpha twin before Zepish’s name got mentioned. Although he hadn’t seen either Langish or Zepish for seven years, he imagined the blond pair remained identical apart from their eye color, and even that difference was subtle, with the older twin, Lang, having green eyes like Clay, while Zep’s were grey.

All the years that Tav had spent working to separate himself from most of his family was going to go up in smoke. A united front was needed to further the Grabar name, and Telish expected all his high-status offspring to stand up to be counted, no matter their opinions on the matter. He had no doubt that his father would turn up at his door if Dr. Taven Grabar didn’t acknowledge the invitation with a positive answer. If he declined or didn’t attend after saying he would, then he’d definitely get a visit.

If this had happened even three months ago, his choices would have been to attend this family function with all the consequences of his new reproductive status or moving home without informing Clayen and Sibiren of his new address. Back then, he probably would have faced the music, got it over and done with, and hopefully not spoken or seen most of them for another decade or two. Now he had Mir, and as their doctor and protector, his responsibility was to them.

His choices were to expose a fragile, fearful, and abused omega, one who had no idea about the level of society his family inhabited, or leaving them here alone. Judging from their reaction when he’d left them for two hours to pick up shopping from the store, two or three days would turn them into a nervous wreck. He didn’t even want to contemplate the possibility of those betas searching for them again or complications with the advanced pregnancy while Mir was alone. That wasn’t an option. He and Mir needed that paperwork so they and the triplets could live in peace.

Damn it all to hell; I”m going to have to do this.

“Look, it won’t be too bad.” Clayen’s bright smile wasn’t convincing. “You can have my room, it’s at the back, next to Daven’s. I can move into the beta dorm for a night or so. All you have to do is grit your teeth, show your face for the photos, shake a few hands, and then bugger off back up here all legal and proper. Easy.”

“Easy is one thing it won’t be,” Tav growled. “New balls, remember? It could be a blood bath, and you know it.” A glance at Mir’s wide eyes had him regretting his ill-thought words. Yet again, Mir surprised him by holding their position rather than running or saying they shouldn’t go.

Clay snorted. “They wouldn’t do anything in front of the guests. Appearances are everything, remember?”

Tavish had to admit Clay had a point, but he refused to give in without a fight. “Mir shouldn’t be alone, not when they’re carrying triplets.”

Clay obviously sensed his resolve weakening and went for the jugular. “Father will be so pleased that he’s produced three alphas, one of whom has sired a triplet pregnancy on his first try, that he’ll be too busy boasting and preening to do anything, especially in front of his friends.”

Tavish sat back down with a defeated sigh, and Clayen perched on the stool beside him.

“Now we’ve got that settled, can I ask why you never got your paperwork sorted out? By your height, you’ve had balls for a while. I’m not judging here, but most alphas can’t wait to get proved. Did you try and…” Clayen trailed off, but Tavish knew exactly what they was talking about.

“Firstly, I’m not most alphas. I manifested at twenty-seven, and I am, or was, a doctor specializing in omega medicine. For your information, no, I don’t need to go and get my nuts cut off due to infertility. I did the test myself before I left the hospital. I just have annoying morals that mean I didn’t want to get some poor nameless omega pregnant and have my offspring aborted for a piece of paper. It’s a bloody barbaric and completely unnecessary system.”

Clayen frowned in confusion and then started to laugh, holding their sides as if it hurt. “So, I know you didn’t fool around as a beta, and you… Oh my god, you’re still a virgin, aren’t you? A huge, alpha virgin.”

Tavish’s face heated, but he wasn’t going to let Clay get the better of him. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. My sexual history is not your business. Mention it again, and I can certainly recall some of the more interesting beatings alpha siblings can deliver.” He was gratified when Clayen dropped their gaze in submission.

“No need for anything like that, Tavish. I was only joking. Do you want me to call you sir, like…”

He interrupted his sibling quickly before Clay mentioned Zepish’s name. Both of their alpha brothers insisted that their beta siblings call them ‘sir’.

“No way. Balls do not make a person better than anyone else. Carry on using Tav when we’re alone, but I’m ok with Tavish in public. I’m not like them. I never was and never will be. I still have the same moral compass and opinions. Testicles and extra muscle mass haven’t changed that. Betas and omegas are not lesser people, no matter what the government and church preach.”

Silence reigned after his very ‘un-alpha-like’ outburst, and he wondered if he’d blown it with Mir. They didn’t need a failed beta, one who was balking at even facing his own family, let alone defending them and their children from the people who had abused them. Hell, Mir had even tried to save him from his own damn horse and had stood up to his sibling for him. Tav might have the physical balls, but Mir was more of an alpha than he’d ever be.

Mir walked toward him, stepped into his arms, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. The brief tender contact warmed his skin and soul. Heart galloping at a speed Cole would envy, Tav found himself grinning like an idiot.

“I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard, and I’ll come with you if you want me to,” Mir whispered against his stubbled chin before turning in his arms to face Clayen.

“You’re going to come then?” his sibling asked, snapping Tav out of his punch-drunk euphoria. For a moment, he’d forgotten Clay completely.

Face heating, Tavish cleared his throat and growled, “Wait outside for a moment?”

With an eyeroll, Clayen got up and left via the front door, but they shut it carefully.

Keeping an eye on his sibling through the front window, he waited until Clay moved out of any possible hearing range. With a little pressure on their shoulders, he encouraged Mir to face him again, heart in his mouth.

Mir’s hard, pregnant belly pressed up against his groin, and their cinnamon scent invaded every part of him. What if they say no? Merely the thought of being rejected made his breakfast an alien lump in his belly.

“Well, spit it out. You can’t let Clay wander about out there alone. They’ll scare the chickens or break a nail.”

Mir’s attempt at humor fell flat, and Tav gathered the courage to ask the most crucial question of his life.

“I know I said you and the babies could stay as long as you wanted, but claiming the triplets legally isn’t something I’ll do without your consent.” Fool that he was, he held his breath as Mir searched his eyes with their hazel ones. The green flecks were so clear in the spring sunlight streaming through the window.

Trepidation slid down his spine as the omega his alpha self had already claimed, remained silent. “So, do you?” he prompted.

“Do I what?” A small smile played around Mir’s lips. His knees buzzed with relief, and he leaned down to whisper against Mir’s temple. He just couldn’t get enough of their scent.

“Want me to be the legal sire of these three?” He cupped the side of Mir’s belly, wondering which triplet was under his hand. The skin under his palm poked at him. He smiled as the baby tried to reach out to him.

“Well, that one says yes,” Mir took his hand and moved it across their belly, “and this one says yes. What the other one thinks isn’t important because I vote yes too.”

He leaned back a touch so he could see Mir’s eyes and the affection, maybe even love, in them.

“It’s what I’ve dreamed of ever since I met you.”

Tavish smiled. “Liar. You were terrified of me.”

Mir huffed out a laugh. “True. Well, maybe I dreamed about it ever since you bought me those work boots.”

He blinked. “The boots were the deciding factor?”

“Hell, yes. It meant you accepted me as who I am. Now, can we tell your sibling so he can go away?”

“Good idea.” Tav let Mir go, opened the front door, and beckoned Clay back inside.

Clay walked in, rubbing their hands against the chill air. “If I’d known I’d be out there that long, I would”ve taken my jacket. So, what’s the decision? Are you coming or not?”

“Hold your horses. I know you can magic up a mating certificate with the correct date so I can claim the triplets, but how are we going to get around the proving certificate not being sent to Father? For these to be legally mine without the need for DNA test, the proving certificate would need to be dated at least eleven or more months ago.”

Clay smiled brightly. “You worry too much, Tavvy, especially for an alpha. Start using those new balls of yours. You were doing so well earlier. Father will be so knocked sideways by the fact you alphaed and have an omega who is expecting your triplets that he won’t investigate. He’ll want it to be true. Plus, I hate to say it, but dear old Pa isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Daven might wonder, but he won’t say anything. Turn up at the last minute, stay in your room most of the time, and you can be out of there before he can quiz you. And if you are asked, just frown, act cranky, and say, ‘Well, it must have been lost in the post. I was surprised you didn’t get in contact. Here’s my copy.’ Wave it under his nose, and hey presto, end of debate.”

Tavish shook his head in disbelief. “You really are a slippery little git, aren’t you?”

Clay grinned as if they’d been paid a huge compliment, then performed an elegant bow. “Why, thank you, kind alpha. It’s gracious of you to praise the talents of this lowly beta.”

“Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?” Mir asked.

“I try, my dear, I try.”

Tavish turned Mir back toward him. “Are you sure about this? My family aren’t an easy bunch to get on with.”

Mir’s mouth twitched into a smile. “I think I can handle some bitchy comments, that is, if you want to be seen with me. I’ll be fine here on my own.”

He didn’t believe that for one minute, but he appreciated their bravery. “I’d be proud to be seen with you anywhere and in any company,” he murmured before placing a soft, chaste kiss on Mir’s forehead.

Clay made a gagging noise. Tavish ignored him.

“Why would you do this for me? I’m not joking, it’ll be horrible. My father is a traditionalist nut, my stepmother’s a dragon in sequins, and don’t get me started on the rest of the family. Clay’s the best of the bunch, and you already know he’s a complete asshole.”

Mir gave him the most adorable lop-sided smile. “Because that’s what friends do for each other. This is the only way they are going to leave you alone, which is what you want, right? Plus, giving the triplets a legal father means they’ll be safe.”

It wasn’t the answer he’d wanted; he’d hoped Mir would say they was helping him because they loved him, that they couldn’t stand being apart, and wanted to be his mate in reality rather than just in his fantasy. He decided to take what he could get, and being the official father of these babies was a mammoth step in the right direction.

“Right,” he replied, then turned to his sibling before they said or did something that would change Mir’s mind.

“When is this glorious event supposed to take place?” Tavish asked.

“Next Saturday. That reminds me, I’d better go. Now I’ve got a rush paperwork job to arrange, I’d better catch the next train back down south. Thanks for letting me cook you both breakfast. I don’t suppose you’ve got a horse I can borrow with a less bony backside? The walking glue stick I rented will probably expire on the way if I make it go faster than a walk.”

Tavish went out with Clay to see if the tack the rented horse wore would fit any of his ponies. His stock was too small to carry an alpha comfortably, but most betas and omegas wouldn’t be a problem. Maybe the rental place in town would want to buy some well-schooled riding ponies. It was a market that hadn’t occurred to him before, but it was certainly worth considering, thanks to Clay. Whatever happened, the little shit always managed to come up smelling of roses.

The gray gelding was mid-range between Cole and the ponies, so the tack wouldn’t fit any of his stock, and he didn’t have any pony-sized saddles. The beast stood with a hip cocked and one rear hoof resting on its tip, eyes drooping and paying no attention to its surroundings.

“Sorry, you’re going to have to ride it back, but take your time.” Tav walked up and patted the horse’s neck. “It looks like this fella has been worked hard. Besides, I wouldn’t trust that girth strap at anything faster than a trot, even if this fella can go at that speed.”

Clay untied the horse. “Yep, everyone wants to get their money’s worth out of a rental, but as the sleeper train doesn’t leave until six-thirty, I’ve got time to let him amble.” They grabbed onto the saddle and looked over their shoulder at Tav. “Give me a boost?”

This was a now-or-never opportunity. “Is Zep going to be there?”

His sibling’s head drooped until it nearly touched the saddle flap. “No. Just like you, he avoids home. Seeing Father and Langish planning out the Grabar clan’s future, knowing it’ll never be his, is difficult.”

“My heart bleeds for him. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer alpha.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

Clay shot him a sharp look. “And I thought you medics were the forgiving types?”

“That’d be priests, not doctors. We just treat patients, no matter who they are. Although, if Zepish walked into my emergency room, I’d do my best to find someone else to treat him. Leopards do not change their spots. This trip will be hard enough on Mir without dealing with his bullshit.”

“Well, there’s no chance of him turning up. My last letter, the invite, came back not known at this address, just like the last half dozen. As far as I know, no one else at home has had any contact with him for at least three or four years.”

A few more strands that made up the ball of stress in Tav’s gut unwound. “You didn’t feel the need to go there and try to blackmail him like you’ve done me?”

Clay snorted and climbed up onto the horse. “Zep hasn’t changed that much. And the religious types he hangs around with now?” Clay shook his head. “No, thank you. I doubt you’ll hear his name mentioned, a bit like yours after you refused to affiliate. Father’s alpha and beta offspring not professing lifelong loyalty is a subject best avoided for the sake of the farm betas. Last time Zep got mentioned, he stalked out to the barn and wrecked Ramen’s ass.”

Tav blinked. “Zep never pledged?”

“Nope, and I don’t suppose you will either. Come on, Gluestick, time to go home.”

Tav watched as the horse carrying his scheming little sib plodded out of the farmyard. This might work after all.