Chapter 14

14

Present Day

" I told myself I was going to clean up, but I ultimately spent the next two years in a drink-filled haze. Worse than it had ever been," Cav muttered, the memory of that period indistinct and shapeless. It was meant to be, the pain of finding—and once again losing—his mate had struck hard. Early on, he'd bounced violently between emotional states, one minute rage-filled, another despondent. Cav had sought solace at the bottom of a bottle once more, leaving whole weeks and months blank in his memory. Call it weakness, but an emotionless haze had felt like paradise comparatively.

"Eventually, I did clean myself up. Stopped drinking and returned to the remains of the cabin. I needed to face what had happened there so I could move on. I went to the courthouse and the Guard station, looking for the files so I could figure out how you did it—but all the records were either sealed or missing. I interviewed a few of the firefighters and a guy at the morgue and pieced a few things together when they said too much, either verbally or not, but never got enough to get a clear picture."

"Your guesses turned into your next bestseller," Wynter murmured. "I saw the parallels of our story there." Wynter pursed his lips and looked away. "From what I hear, your best bestseller."

"You read it?"

Wynter balked. "Of course I read it. I've read everything you've ever published."

Cav held his omega's stare, finding some small comfort in that knowledge.

"My best bestseller? Perhaps. A departure, they called it. If only they knew that it was all based on a true story. No one would've believed me." He'd started sketching out timelines, trying to determine how and why it had all happened. The writer in him hadn't been able to leave an outline blank, and as he'd filled it in with the memories of their time together, it had become a mixture of truth, his assumptions, and a fictional happy ending he never expected to see for himself. At least the fictional him would get one. It seemed better than nothing.

Yet, even his story hadn't worked out. He'd had to change bits and pieces of the truth to fit his narrative—the only one which had made any sense to him. After hearing Wynter's side, the pieces began to slide together in his mind, giving him a better picture.

"I heard you sold the rights to Omegawood, but I never saw a movie that was released."

As if there would've ever been anyone as ravishing as Wynter who could've ever filled that space on screen. "No. They flew me in, and several producers tried to woo me—but none had the right vision for it." He cringed, recalling their ideas. "They wanted to turn Arion into a villain. They said he was too morally gray for the screen."

"You mean me," Wynter whispered. "I know Arion was me."

Cav winced inwardly. As angry as he'd been, he'd been unable to cast the man into the role of a villain in his life, either. "For some reason I couldn't let that happen." He smiled sardonically. "My publisher wasn't happy I refused to approve any of the deals, that's for sure. I'm just glad my agent had negotiated my approval for film and television rights into my contracts. Otherwise, they would've sold the rights without my two cents… and the world would hate Arion, I'm sure."

Silence fell between them.

"How'd you do it? Get clean?" Wynter asked.

"On one of my grand adventures," Cav murmured. "I got so wasted in this little fishing village on the coast of the Darden Sea that I nearly died of alcohol poisoning. When I woke up, I was in this little monastery high up on the cliffs. There was nothing of the outside world there. Only betas, seeking enlightenment. There was no alcohol, either, so I tried to leave, but we were snowed in for winter. I detoxed waiting for the snow and ice to melt—and I found a measure of peace by the time it did. I thought I had finally moved on, but as soon as I left the monastery, the memories sank their claws into me once more. That's when I decided to return and unravel the mystery, hoping answers might allow me closure—but there was no unraveling to be done. Not enough to satisfy me, at least."

"Hopefully, I've given you that closure. I wish it could've come sooner, before you'd suffered so much as you have."

Cav held Wynter's gaze, wondering if it would be enough to bury the past once and for all. His mind replayed his omega's story again. There was no way Wynter had had time to plan that escape thirty years ago, that he'd always been sure. Cav had long assumed Wynter had help, but he'd never sussed out who. Wynter had come from money, so his parents having that kind of power wasn't completely out of plausibility.

Yet learning that they might both be the victims of Wynter's papa's machinations … he didn't know what to do with that. The body held onto trauma, and there was almost a form of muscle memory in the anger he'd directed at Wynter for so many years. Like a broken bone that had never been set correctly, his pain would need to be rebroken and forced back into place if he might ever see chances of healing.

Hadn't he been broken enough as it was?

Refocusing his pain and anger elsewhere wouldn't be easy, and that was if he believed the story Wynter shared. Down deep, he sensed he did, but allowing himself to fully trust again would be equally difficult.

If Wynter wasn't the villain… that opened himself to a glimmer of hope.

Hope was a dangerous thing, and he was terrified to allow it to grow one more time. He'd only end up shattered once more.

"What of Wilder? Your son," Cav clarified, clenching his jaw before continuing. "You never mentioned him in all this—other than there was a chance you walked away from me pregnant." Cav sensed he knew that answer, but he needed to know for certain. "Is he mine?"

"He is," Wynter murmured. "Wilder is your son."

Anger slammed into Cav. "You robbed me of that boy. Of a chance to be a father to him. How could you do that?"

"If you knew he was yours, there was no way you'd not be there in our lives—in one form or another. You'd want to know your son, as you should, but I also knew what that might mean for you. The rules had been clear. If you wouldn't leave us alone, my papa would ensure you did. Permanently." Wynter closed his eyes. "I told myself that it was better you have a chance for someday … than none at all. For Wilder, too. Warden was older than I. I assumed I'd outlive him and then… then I could tell you both. Then, you could know one another." He scoffed. "It happened sooner than I expected."

"I was at the funeral… someday had come… yet you sent me away," Cav said, struggling to contain his anger. "You demanded I leave. Again."

Wynter rubbed his upper arms. "I'd barely had time to think of how to proceed and there you were. In front of my boys, no less."

"Barely had time? You've had over thirty years to plan what happened after that man died."

"Trust me, I'd thought about it. But fantasizing about that day and having it thrust into your lap are two very different things. When I imagined it, it was through the rosy glasses of what I wanted to happen." He paused shaking his head. "The truth is going to hurt. Vaughn's going to learn his parents despised one another and hadn't wanted children together. Wilder's going to find out his father wasn't even his father, but a stranger is. This is a minefield and based off my history of fucking up everything I've ever touched, I wanted to do this right. But then you showed up, with that face, and I freaked out. You forced my hand. Days after my entire world was upended."

"Days after you finally got your freedom," Cav corrected.

"Freedom? That word means something completely different to you than it does me."

"How so?" Cav asked.

"Freedom for you means you can go anywhere, do anything. Sure, things are changing for omegas here in Alexandria, but what does that mean for me? I'm old. I own nothing. We haven't seen Warden's will yet. Has he given my home of forty years away to one of my sons? If so, will I have to beg Wilder or Vaughn for a roof over my head? I have no employable skills, so what else do I do? I can't be a surrogate; my heats are over. Do I sell my body to the highest bidder—which, at my age, likely won't earn me much. Say I am given a home and a small stipend, how do I spend my days? I can't leave the province. I can't travel outside the walls alone as an omega. But even if I could, where would I go? I can't return to my family who disowned me."

Cav hadn't considered Wynter's position and how precarious it was. For a man who'd considered himself an enlightened alpha, he'd sure failed to see his omega's point of view.

Wynter scoffed. "I've always known I would one day find you and tell you the truth. But that wasn't going to be today, not the day I put Warden into the ground. I am reeling, trying to figure out what comes next. I went from my parents to Warden. I've never been alone before. I don't know how to be alone—because someone has always been in control of my life and my destiny. Now it's mine—and I have absolutely no idea what to do with it." He looked down at his lap. "And no one to spend it with."

Silence filled the hotel room.

Spend it with me. Cav met Wynter's gaze, forcing those words from his lips. "I didn't consider your predicament— but you're not the only one who's suffered all these years."

"I know you've been robbed of something precious, and you deserve the chance to know your son. I'd simply anticipated having a tiny bit of time to steady the ground under my feet before I sought you out. But there you were…"

"I was returning from a trip to Atlantis and had a layover at the helipad here. I was supposed to board a helicopter for Blacksburg. I grabbed a newspaper while I waited and saw the news… and knew I needed to see you before I left. The fact I was here, the day of his funeral… it felt like…"

"Fate," Wynter whispered.

Cav held Wynter's gaze, affirmation in his eyes. "It sure fucked up the last time, hmm?"

Wynter held back comment.

"The protective instinct roared to life in me, I suppose. I guess I could've simply left, but I was worried about you. Even knowing you'd likely send me away again, I came."

Wynter bit back a sob. "I'm glad you did. I know it didn't seem like it in the moment, but seeing you there…" He offered a tremulous smile. "It meant so much to me that you'd come. To know someone out there cared about me."

"From the crowd around you at the funeral, I'd say there were a lot of men who cared."

"Performative grieving," Wynter replied. "They did what they thought they must."

"No," Cav said. "They were circling a widowed omega. A potentially rich, widowed omega."

Wynter's eyes widened. "At my alpha's funeral?"

"He's not your alpha," Cav growled.

Wynter shivered at the sound before his gaze lifted to Cav's. "No. He wasn't."

"As you said, you've not seen the will. With the Jaymes fortune potentially falling into your hands, they came to get a good look." Cav cracked his neck, as irritated by it as he'd been at the funeral. He'd watched the fools falling over themselves trying to get closer to Wynter.

But he'd also watched as Wynter had recoiled from each and every one.

He smiled to himself.

"I was so oblivious; I didn't notice them circling." He cringed. "That's… so tasteless. Vile vultures."

"There aren't many omegas in the world these days. Some alphas are getting desperate."

Wynter's gaze flicked to his. "Oh… they'd have to be desperate to want an old man like me?"

Cav groaned. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

He sensed his omega was fishing a bit. How much did he bite? "You're of a certain… age, yes… but I meant more that you're likely past the age to give them sons."

The corners of Wynter's lips curled up. "So, you meant, I'm old and expired goods? I might not be rich, either…"

"You're graceful and beguiling—and for that reason, some wouldn't care about the number of years you've lived or the inability to give them sons." He sighed. "Or if your bank account was zero." Cav fought the flare of jealousy the thought of another man touching his omega rent within. "That is what I meant. You're a rare beauty that many a man would still want on his arm. Even now, all these years later, you're still the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on."

Wynter's cheeks pinkened. "I think you're biased, but then, I am, too. You're still the most handsome man I've ever seen."

Cav struggled for his next breath.

Quiet fell between them, simmering with something Cav couldn't quite define.

"When you were standing there at the gate," Wynter murmured, shattering the silence. "I almost spilled it all. I hate the fact you didn't get to see Wilder grow into the man he is now."

"What stopped you?"

"Hurt feelings," Wynter said, shrugging.

"Explain?"

Wynter looked away, his expression souring. "You called me a whore," Wynter whispered. "Just like my papa did when he'd made those terrible accusations. He'd destroyed me with what he'd said, yet, somehow, it hurt even more when you said it."

"I was hurt, and I lashed out. You didn't deserve that."

Wynter nodded imperceptibly.

"Not that it excuses anything, but I was wasted. I'd been drinking all day to get through that signing without losing my mind. I saw you, and all I remember feeling is… agony. When I saw your belly full… with his child… it broke me."

"I didn't want to be with him. I had no choice."

"I realize that now. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"But then, I was cruel, too. Sending you away like that," Wynter murmured. "I told myself you didn't mean the things you said. That you were hurting—but it still stung, and I shut down. I couldn't tell you the truth after that."

"It's inexcusable. I'm your alpha. I'm supposed to protect you—not cause you pain."

Wynter met his stare. "We both made mistakes, Cav. I'm sorry I was too hurt to tell you the truth that day. You deserved to be a father to him. Hopefully it's not too late to know him now." Wynter smiled wanly. "He's only a little older than you were on that train." He sighed, a faraway look coming over his face. "He looks so much like you. Sometimes that terrified me, but most of the time, it brought me so much joy. I had a part of you with me all along. I could see you in his eyes. I know you're not supposed to have favorites amongst your children, but how could I not adore my alpha's son a little more? I looked at Jamie and Vaughn, and it reminded me I was imprisoned. I looked at Wilder, and I remembered that little moment where anything had been possible. I remembered being loved." Wynter dabbed at another tear. "He's the only thing that got me through the last thirty years without you."

Cav struggled to breathe. He felt the sincerity in those words.

Wynter wiped another tear slipping down his cheeks. "I wish I'd been stronger. Smarter. Found some way to thwart my papa, but I was afraid. I've spent my entire life afraid. Even now, I fear you might still be in danger. I don't know if my papa still lives."

"If he is, I doubt he's in any condition to fulfill his threat." Cav eyed the French doors, the sky growing lighter outside. They'd stayed up all night talking and wading through the pain of the past. Did he feel better for it? His head was a jumble. Rising, he dusted off his pants, thoughts of the file back at Wilder's house on his mind. "I think I need time to process all this. And we both need some sleep."

Wynter remained silent.

"I don't think you should be alone," Cav said. "Not after all this."

Wynter stood uneasily and rushed into his arms, clinging tight.

Cav closed his eyes. He hugged his omega, but it hurt too much. He backed away from Wynter after a few seconds.

Wynter's expression caved, and his shoulders curled forward. "I thought… when you said I shouldn't be alone…" Another tear slipped down his cheek, and he wiped it away. "Of course, you didn't mean that."

"Wynter, it can't be me. Not right now. I need to sit with this and allow my brain time to wrap around it. To sort through the feelings I've harbored all these years. Let me do that and see how I feel after."

"I'm sorry. Please forget I did that. I'm exhausted and not thinking straight."

He was thinking straight. He'd reached out to his alpha for support, as an omega does. "I still love you, Wynter."

Wynter met his stare.

"But I've also hated what you did for nearly three decades," Cav added. "I want to believe this story of yours and say all can be forgiven, but it's not that easy. The fact you've lied to me before doesn't' help either."

Wynter lifted his eyes to the ceiling before lowering again. "I only lied to protect you. Whatever I had to so you'd leave us alone—and keep breathing."

Cav saw honesty in Wynter's eyes, and he wanted it to be true with all his heart, but he had to lead with his head, not the part of him that desperately wanted the man back in his arms. "Let me call Wilder to come over."

"I can't face him right now," Wynter said. "He's going to have some of the same questions you had, and I can't relive that pain again."

"You are going to tell him the truth, aren't you?" Cav asked.

"Of course I'm going to tell him. Just… not tonight. I don't have the strength tonight."

"It's tomorrow," Cav whispered.

Wynter glanced at the French doors. "So, it is."

"I won't leave you here alone," Cav said. "Is there someone other than Wilder I can call?"

"I have no one," Wynter whispered. "My sons are angry, and I have no real friends—only acquaintances who don't really know me. No one I can count on." He brushed his hands over his face. "I can return home. My servants are there. Will that be good enough?"

Cav's heart ached for his mate. "I'm calling Wilder."

Wynter sighed, shaking his head. It was clear he had no energy to fight. "Fine."

Cav shot Wilder a text, asking him to come up to the room and be with his papa. He shoved the phone back in his pocket. "Have you eaten anything recently?"

"You don't have to take care of me. I'll be fine."

Cav stepped closer. "Have you eaten?"

Wynter met his gaze. He frowned. "Before the funeral, I think."

"You need food." Cav crossed to the desk gracing the posh hotel room and sought a room service menu. When he found one, he realized the thought of food made his stomach ache—all while being famished at the same time. He'd not eaten since before the funeral, either. "Let's both order something. I'll sit and eat with you until Wilder arrives."

"I'm not hungry."

"You need something on your stomach," Cav said.

"Just stop," Wynter pleaded.

Cav slammed the menu on the desk. "Godsdamn it, just…" He turned to eye Wynter. "For me. Please? I might be twisted in a million knots, but the protective instinct still roars within. You haven't eaten in twenty-four hours, and something tells me you've barely eaten for days before that. You have to take care of yourself, ba—" Cav stopped himself before he said something stupid. Really stupid.

Wynter eyed him a few seconds before nodding. He wandered closer and took the binder from Cav—standing too close for comfort as he examined it. Cav backed away as his omega searched the menu. The man's scent alone was tormenting him and once again, his hands curled into fists at his side. The hug had been hell… and paradise all rolled into one.

Cav wanted another. One that wouldn't end until they did—but he couldn't have that until he sorted out the story and decided if he trusted Wynter with his heart again.

Once Wynter had picked something, Cav called down with both their orders. Soon after, he got a text from Wilder. Their son was on his way.

Their son.

While he'd known it bone deep Wilder Jaymes was his son, it was still stunning to think. He had a son, born from his omega. It was bittersweet. The family he'd always dreamed of having. He both had it and didn't all along. "Wilder's coming."

"Wonderful," Wynter whispered under his breath before wandering toward the French doors and staring out, his back to Cav.

Awkward silence hung between them as they awaited the meal neither of them really wanted to eat. It arrived quickly, given the early hour. They sat on opposite sides of the room, picking at their plates. When Wilder finally arrived, Cav couldn't wait to get the hell out of there and get a little air and space to stretch —and be alone with his thoughts. Away from the wants of their nature and the bond still as strong as the day they met.

Wilder eyed them both up and down, silent questions circling in his eyes.

Eyes that looked just like his.

"I'm going back to your place," Cav said. "I've been up all night talking with your papa, and I need some sleep." If he could manage it. A shower was definitely on that list, too, especially after hearing what Wynter's papa had said to him. It was utterly disgusting, if true. "So does he and he shouldn't be alone right now."

"You're staying with Wilder?" Wynter asked, rising from his breakfast, eyes wide.

"Avery invited him," Wilder murmured.

Wynter turned away, his back to them both, and wandered toward the French doors again.

Cav eyed his son, so many things he wanted to say—but Wynter deserved to tell their boy the truth. "I'll talk to you soon, Wynter." He nodded to their son before escaping into the hallway.

"Cav?"

Cav turned to see Wilder had followed him out. "Yeah?"

"You were here all night?"

"All we did was talk, I promise." He scrubbed his scraggly jaw. "Your papa… he shared his version of what happened between us. The gaps I didn't know about."

Wilder held his gaze. "And what did he say? Are you…"

My father?

The silent question hung between them, heavy and full of expectation. He even got a little sense that Wilder wanted to hear the affirmative, but perhaps that was his own hope coloring things.

Cav held back a bittersweet smile. "Talk to your papa."

Wilder sighed.

"Go easy on him. What he shared with me tonight—last night, I mean—it wasn't easy. He hasn't slept. Neither have I."

"You shouldn't be driving if you've been up all night."

"I'll get a rideshare."

"I have a car downstairs," Wilder said, digging for his phone. "He can drop you off and return for me later." He hit a few buttons. "I've sent him a message. He'll pick you up out front."

"Thanks," Cav murmured.

"Hey, I just got a new dad, it seems. I'm not quite ready to lose him just yet."

Cav tried to hide the swell of pride at being called a dad, but he wasn't sure how successful he was. The fact Wilder seemed willing to accept the truth also wasn't lost on him. It was better than the denial that could've come, but he tried to keep his hopes in check. Wilder could always reverse course at any point. "I'll check in once I get some sleep and see how he's doing."

"Okay," Wilder said before slipping back into Wynter's room.

Cav walked down the hallway toward the elevator. As soon as he hit the button, his body refused to take one more step. He spun and stalked back, banging on the door. Wilder opened it and Cav rushed past, dragging Wynter into his arms.

Wynter gasped.

And melted into his embrace.

Wynter rested his head against Cav's chest, his smaller body trembling. Cav squeezed tight, closing his eyes and hoping his omega wasn't leading him down a path that would break him again.

When he finally leaned back, he stared down into Wynter's tear-filled eyes and smiled faintly. While he knew it might be a lie, he had to offer his omega a lifeline of sorts. "It's going to get better."

Wynter's body was wracked by a sob, but he held the tears back. "I hope you're right."

Cav headed out, every cell in his body demanding he remain and protect his omega—only he needed time. He needed sleep, if it would come, and he needed time to untangle all the things he'd been told and see what shook out in the end.

Something Wynter had said question circled in his mind.

The end.

Was it too late for them—or was there a chance for a little slice of happiness? And if there was that chance, did he trust his heart in Wynter's hands a third time?