Chapter 18

18

S tanding at the sink, Cav handed a plate to Wilder, who dried and laid it on the rack. The surreal moment wasn't lost on Cav, either. Somehow, the quiet domesticity of simply washing the dishes side-by-side with his son had an odd ring of intimacy to it. Families everywhere did it every single night, but they'd had that taken away from them, and so it felt almost precious to get the unexpected opportunity. He wondered if Wilder might be thinking along the same lines. He cast a glance over at the young man's familiar face, his chest rising with pride—but there was a hint of a frown there. He would've given all the money sitting in his bank account to know what was going on in Wilder's mind.

A matter of days before, neither of them had known one another. Still didn't, in truth. He had so much to learn and had already been left so far behind. Hopefully they'd get that chance.

"I never imagined the CEO of some big corporation would wash dishes like some plebeian."

Wilder snickered, placing the dried casserole dish onto the rack. "My very frugal and budget-conscious mate won't let me hire more than our housekeeper—and he'd have my hide if I ran the dishwasher for a couple of plates and a casserole dish."

"Good to know he runs a tight ship," Cav said, grinning at his son.

"That's what you get when you mate an accountant. And not just any accountant, but a forensic accountant who has the patience and focus to search for every last penny," Wilder murmured.

Cav smiled to himself. He liked Avery, and the pair seemed to fit. The fact Wilder would get to spend his life with his fated mate and not suffer what his parents had was all the better.

"Must be quite a change from how you grew up."

"True. We had more servants than family in our house," Wilder said. "But then, some of them almost felt like family. I spent more time with our manny than I did my parents."

Cav narrowed his eyes. "And you were the golden child?"

"Papa…" Wilder sighed. "I'd always been so harsh on him, but looking back, I'm suddenly seeing things a little differently. There were times when he could barely get out of bed for days on end. Others, I would find him sitting in the dark, staring out a window. I'd speak to him, and it was as if he never even heard me. Dad would eventually blow up when he had those spells—as they were called around the house. He called Papa lazy and worthless, and I suppose I hadn't looked any deeper. I was suffering my own feelings of abandonment and couldn't see past that pain. He was likely depressed and struggling with his mental health— and we just let him suffer."

"You were a kid," Cav murmured, his chest tight at the thought of Wynter existing like that. Not living. Existing.

He'd have done anything to be there for Wynter. Cav would've found him the help he needed, instead of allowing him to suffer for so long. He gripped the edge of the counter to control his rage. He'd always hated Warden for the things he'd known about. As the list grew, he wished he'd had the chance to face the alpha and shove a fist through the man's face. "How were you supposed to know that? Warden should've gotten him help."

"It seems my father should've done a lot of things. It pisses me off that I didn't see it when it was right in front of my face."

"Again… you were a kid."

"I'm not now," Wilder murmured, tossing the kitchen towel over one shoulder. "I should've seen it. Though, things did seem to improve as Papa got older. Honestly, I can't recall the last time he had one of his spells—but then I moved to my own place eight, nine years ago. Maybe I just didn't see it after that."

After turning off the water and drying the edge of the sink, Cav swung around and leaned back against the counter, his breath once again robbed. Across the wide expanse of the kitchen, he spied Wynter cuddling their grandson seated in the corner table where they'd eaten, oblivious to their conversation. Wynter smiled down at the babe, seemingly lost in the quiet moment. Cav reached up to massage an ache forming in the middle of his chest.

"Ah … you okay, Cav?"

Cav whipped his head to the side, still caressing his chest. "Yeah fine. Why?"

"My dad just died of a massive heart attack," Wilder said, frowning. "Don't do that."

Cav glanced down at his hand and immediately dropped it. He hated Warden being called dad, but it's all Wilder had known and he couldn't expect less in a matter of days. When Wynter had slipped on his way to the kitchen, it had brought a little joy to Cav's day, but then he'd seen Wilder struggling with it. "Sorry, just a little heartburn," he fibbed, his gaze once again drawn to Wynter.

Wynter's gaze flicked to his, a soft smile there, before turning back to Emory.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Wilder murmured.

"Hmm?"

Wilder crossed his arms over his chest and rested back against the counter. "My papa cuddling with my little one. He just never seemed very paternal to me… I was too young to really remember him with Vaughn at that age, so…" Wilder shrugged. "It's like I'm seeing another side to him."

"The weight of what he's carried around all those years has been lifted. Maybe not all of it, but enough to let the real him shine through a little," Cav said. "This is the man I remember that week in the cabin. Happy. Carefree." Cav grinned to himself. "Beautiful."

"Do you believe his story?" Wilder asked, his voice lower.

"I do." Cav cast a look to the side. "You don't?"

"I wasn't completely sure, but after hearing his brother on the phone, I'm starting to."

"That's why you've scheduled this helicopter to Blacksburg so quickly. Trust, but verify?"

Wilder nodded. "Clearly, Papa had suffered something—but to the extremes he claimed?" Wilder shrugged. "I wasn't sure. The mind has ways of stretching and warping memories with time and distance, and I wanted to make sure he wasn't misremembering. If he was misremembering that, perhaps he wasn't clear on all the things with my dad, either."

"You want Warden to be a better man than Wynter's making him out to be?"

"I know neither of them are perfect. Warden definitely wasn't, but he provided for us. He sent me to university. He taught me everything I know about business. Sure, there were moments he pissed me off and times he could be a bit callous, but I never saw that cruel side of him Papa's spoken of. His version and mine don't align—and I want to know for certain that the things he did are accurate before I lose all faith in the man he was," Wilder said. "But then some of Arthur's comments had me reeling. My grandpapa broke his seven-year-old alpha's arm for trying to protect Papa—from him. So, that story seems to be accurate… I guess that means the rest might be, too."

"Your brother already confirmed Warden kept Wynter from Jamie. That in itself seems to prove it to me," Cav said.

"Vaughn," Wilder chuckled mirthlessly. "Vaughn is a papa's boy. Always has been. He'd do just about anything to get Papa's love and attention, so I always take what he says with a grain of salt."

"Ah," Cav said.

"I felt the same as you did after hearing your papa's story, too. It was too easy. It let him off the hook for a lot," Cav murmured. "But then I went through the file of research I've collected over the years. I've always wanted to know what happened at the cabin but kept hitting wall after wall. All I can say is, between what I know and what I've been able to dig up—nothing he says contradicts any of it." Cav held his son's gaze. "And watching him tell you all the same story he told me, it rang true. At least, it did for me."

"Even so…he lied to me my entire life. I'm not sure I can let him off the hook for that one."

"To protect me," Cav said. "Threat or no, I do believe he thought there was one. Especially now."

"I meant to ask you yesterday. Before you came down, he mentioned you'd been shot in the head," Wilder said.

"Grazed," Cav corrected. "I still have the scar."

Wilder's eyes widened.

Cav reached up and brushed his fingers over, just as he'd done a million times before—whenever he thought of Wynter and their time together. "Right here, if you want to feel for yourself."

Wilder blinked a few times before lifting a hand to where Cav's was. He traced his fingers over the rough edge of skin before snatching his hand back as if he'd touched fire. "Did you see the body? The one that was supposed to be his."

Cav nodded. "Same hair color. Same length. Same body size. Or at least, close enough to fool me. As burned as it was, I wouldn't have been able to tell otherwise."

"So he knew someone there was capable of a murder."

Avery reappeared, yawning. "Why didn't anyone wake me up? It's been nearly two hours."

"Emory was good," Wilder said. "And you needed the sleep."

"Not a peep?" Avery asked.

"Not a one. He seems to like being in grandpapa's arms," Cav said, smiling.

"I can't believe he's not started wailing his little head off," Avery said before crossing the kitchen. He leaned over to press a gentle kiss to Emory's forehead. "He's been nursing every hour or so since birth. Two hours is amazing."

"Wilder did that for the first couple of weeks. Sometimes it was more often than an hour," Wynter said. "I wasn't sure he'd ever get his fill. I was terrified I was doing something wrong, or my milk hadn't come in enough to keep him fed."

"I didn't know I was breastfed," Wilder said, sitting at the table.

"You were. You and Vaughn. I didn't with Jamie because of the depression, but my obstetrician thought it might help me bond with you and prevent another bout."

"That's all they did for you?" Avery asked, frowning.

"I couldn't take the depression medicines and nurse… and I wanted to try. Wilder was my alpha's child… and I suppose I wanted to do everything right, though I didn't do as great as I hoped, did I?"

"You know what?" Avery asked. "We're going to stop that, okay?"

Cav turned to Avery, frowning—as did Wynter and Wilder.

"You've been through hell, Wynter," Avery added. "Your mental health suffered, and you were left untreated. You were trapped in a prison of a mating with a man you didn't love for nearly four decades. Does that excuse every mistake or poor choice? No. But given the circumstances, I think you did the best you could in a terrible situation. How about offering yourself a little grace? You don't have to keep beating yourself up over every mistake. It's not going to make you feel any better—only worse."

Wynter's eyes filled with tears. "You're right. It's just hard to get out of bad habits."

"It's called negative self-talk," Avery said. "Every time I hear you doing it from now on, I'm going to tell you to stop it and be nicer to yourself, okay?"

Cav smiled to himself. "I think we all might need to get in on that action."

Wynter rolled his eyes Cav's way.

"Hey, I already told you to take better care of yourself or I'd do it for you," Cav murmured. "Add this to the list."

"I will try," Wynter murmured, his voice low. He turned to Avery. "Do you want Emory back to nurse?"

"If he's not fussing, then maybe not. The nurses told me to feed on demand. If he's not demanding, then I'll wait," Avery said. "I can take him if you need a break?"

"I don't need a break," Wynter snapped gleefully.

Cav sat down at the table. Avery sidled up to his mate and landed on Wilder's thigh. He wrapped both arms around his alpha's neck and sighed contentedly. "Hi."

Wilder smiled, the love he had for Avery clear in his eyes and expression. "Hi."

Cav grinned. His son was besotted.

They shared a brief kiss before Wilder brushed back Avery's wild shoulder-length hair. "I've scheduled us a helicopter for six tomorrow morning and texted Gray to let him and Rohan know. Gray said he'll likely stop in to check on you."

"Six?" Avery asked, scoffing. "I'm fine. I don't need a babysitter."

"You just had a baby a few days ago. A little company can't hurt," Wilder murmured. "I hate leaving you, even if it's just a day."

"I have Turner here tomorrow, and he's plenty of company," Avery said. It took Cav a moment to remember that was the name of their housekeeper. "I won't be alone."

"I know, but still. You're in recovery."

"And this is important, too. If there's a threat endangering your parents, you want to put a stop to it. Honestly, after the story we heard, I'm more concerned for you than me," Avery told Wilder. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course I will," Wilder smiled. "But from the sounds of a call we just made, the threat may well be ended."

"Good." Avery spun on Wilder's thigh. "That goes for you both, too. Be careful."

"I plan on it," Cav said. "Nobody's hurting either of them, Avery."

"Good," Avery said.

Emory let out a howl, and Avery was quick to jump into action. "There's that cry." He lifted Emory and smiled at Wynter. "Thanks for letting me get some rest. It's appreciated."

"Any time," Wynter murmured. "Please."

Avery nodded with a soft smile before turning to Wilder. "I think I'm going to take him up so I can get him ready for bed after I nurse him."

"I'll follow you in a minute," Wilder said. "Tomorrow's going to be an early one, but it's the only slot they had open given the late notice."

Avery stole a kiss, offered them a goodnight, and quickly disappeared with Emory.

Wilder eyed the pair of them. "I know you both slept in, but we've got an early morning. You might not want to stay up all night again." He rose from his chair with a grin. "Do you want me to walk you out to the guest house before I go up, Papa?"

"I can walk him out," Cav replied before Wynter could.

Wilder looked between them before his gaze landed on Wynter. When Wynter nodded his silent approval, Wilder nodded. "Okay then. Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight, son," Wynter murmured.

"Night," Cav added. He didn't add the second part he wanted to use.

Once they were alone, Cav eyed his omega, suddenly nervous to be alone for some reason. Could it be that bed was in their future? Did he invite Wynter upstairs? Was it too soon? They'd already waited thirty plus years—and he didn't want to wait another second. But Wynter had been through the wringer in the past two days. He couldn't make demands that might make things worse. "Hi," he said, parroting Avery and Wilder's sweet little tender moment.

Wynter chuckled. "Hi."

Cav slowly moved his hand across the table toward Wynter and laced his fingers through his omega's.

Wynter's hand trembled slightly.

"What's the matter?"

"We haven't been alone in a long time," Wynter whispered.

"We were alone last night. And earlier in the den while Wilder was in the kitchen."

Wynter chuckled. "True, but you can hardly count those. I was a mess last night… and Wilder was in the very next room earlier. Now…" He released a breath. "We're really alone."

Cav lifted their joined hands toward his lips and pressed a kiss on the back of Wynter's. "You can relax. We don't have to put pressure on ourselves. You've been through a lot." He scooted his chair a bit closer and turned Wynter's askew to better face him. He brushed back his omega's bangs and smiled, leaning in. "You lead the way."

"What are we doing, Cavanaugh?"

"I don't know. What are we doing?"

"After last night, you said you weren't sure you could believe it all and couldn't be with me—and I understood that. What I told you was a lot. But then tonight you say you do believe me and offer to take me on a trip around the world with you. The swing was wide. Maybe too wide. I know I've wronged you. I allowed all this to happen. I kept Wilder from you. I don't understand how you're okay with this."

"I'm not okay with what happened. Not at all."

"A poor choice of words," Wynter said. "I… how are you not still angry with me? Or are you? I just…" Wynter trembled. "I deserve to be punished, and I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"I think you've been punished enough."

Wynter held his gaze, silent.

Cav leaned closer. "Your papa is the one to blame, not you. You did what you thought was best for me, and while I wish you'd told me and trusted that I could find us a way out—you were afraid. After a lifetime of being abused by that man, I can see why you would be afraid of him and what he might be capable of."

Wynter lowered his head.

Cav lifted Wynter's chin. "Before I knew the truth, I still loved you. There were moments when I hated myself for it, but I couldn't turn it off. No matter how hard I tried. Now I know. Did you make choices I wish you hadn't? Yes. But I think I understand why you made them. You made them because you loved me."

"Love. Not loved. I've never stopped."

"Then we either take hold of this chance now and finally find a little piece of happiness for ourselves—or we drag it out longer and continue to suffer the loss even longer. I don't know about you, but I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to waste another minute that I don't have to." Cav cupped Wynter's cheek. "Do you?"

Wynter shook his head, smiling tremulously. "No. Not another second."

Cav leaned even closer and pressed his lips to Wynter's. Nearly thirty-five years separated one kiss from another, but it felt as if no time had passed at all. Somehow, Wynter ended up in his lap, hungrily drinking from his lips, their bodies not forgetting just how well they fit together. He slid one hand to the back of Wynter's neck, locking his fingers in the silver threads and urging the kiss deeper.

Wynter moaned against his lips, writhing over his growing cock. Cav growled, the need to reclaim his mate pulsing in his blood. Warden had taken what was his not one, but twice. He needed to lay with his omega again and leave his mark for all to see.

Suddenly, Wynter jumped from his lap. His face darkened.

"What's wrong?" Cav asked.

"I'm supposed to be in mourning. I just buried my…" Wynter chuckled. "My husband."

"You weren't his. Never were," Cav murmured. He carefully adjusted himself in the chair to help offer some relief to his aching cock.

"I know that. And I owe him nothing," Wynter said. "But he is Vaughn's father… and Wilder grew up assuming the same. I don't want to alienate them right now. While I don't have alpha senses, I suspect they might be able to figure it out if we spent tonight together?"

"It's possible," Cav answered, disappointment filling him. When would the waiting end?

"I don't want to alienate my boys. Everything is so precarious right now—a minefield I'm terrified to set off with a misstep. Wilder seems to be taking everything in relative stride, but who knows what might be the straw that breaks the camel's back?" Wynter moved closer, wrapping his arms around Cav's neck again. "You don't know how much I want you right now… but even so, I think we should wait."

Cav caressed Wynter's cheek. "You've been through a lot the last few days. You're feeling vulnerable. I won't lie. I feel it, too. Maybe we should wait and make sure we're ready before we take things farther. Once our minds and bodies have had time to catch up."

A hint of disappointment washed over Wynter's face. "True. I don't want you to regret being with me later."

"I would never," Cav whispered. He rose and Wynter's hands around his neck slid down his chest. "At least let me escort you to the guest house." He chuckled. "My father was a Wildling and now my son has a guest house. The Cavanaughs have moved up in the world."

"Money doesn't mean anything," Wynter said. "I was happier with the son of the Wildling than I ever was with the son of a rich man."

Cav's chest puffed with pride. He offered his arm, and Wynter tucked his hand through it. They walked out into the warm evening, the stars above twinkling across a sky of velvet. He cast a look to the side, his heart beating harder seeing his omega on his arm again. The trip was too short though. He sidled up to the front door and turned to face Wynter.

"These doors lock?" Cav asked. He glanced around in the low light. "It's kind of dark back here."

"I don't know. I didn't really notice when I came out," Wynter murmured. He opened the door and checked. "Yes. There's a lock."

"But it's been sitting open all night. Anyone could be inside," Cav said. He brushed past Wynter and flipped on the light. "I'd best check it for you."

"I'm sure it's fine. It's safe out here in the F Quad."

Cav looked over his shoulder. "And we don't know if we're being watched by your family. Likely not, but the chance isn't zero, right?" He moved toward the bedroom and peeked in before moving in and checking the other doors. Everything appeared fine, yet he hated the idea of leaving Wynter alone there all night.

Especially with them not under the same roof. His protective instincts roared to life. He turned to Wynter, the offer to spend the night in his room on his tongue.

"The bed's pretty big. It would easily fit us both," Wynter murmured, sidling up beside him in the bedroom. "In case of trouble, you'd be right here."

The faintest hint of Wynter's slick hit his nose. He captured his omega's gaze, hunger growing. Deep down, he knew they played with fire, but he couldn't stop himself. "I would."

Wynter shrugged. "And we don't have to do anything. Just sleep. I mean, we were in a hotel room all of last night alone and we didn't jump one another's bones."

"Right, right," Cav murmured, his cock thickening. "You've got good points there. We can control ourselves."

Wynter fought a smile. Cav returned to the entry door, shut, and locked it. As soon as he reentered the bedroom, he smiled.

"All locked up for the night."

The corners of Wynter's lips curled up. "Okay."

Cav kicked off his shoes and unbuckled his jeans, watching Wynter closely. Wynter drew a pair of pajama pants from the luggage in the corner and removed his shirt. "You could go grab your pajamas, if you needed to. I'd be okay alone for a few minutes."

"I don't sleep in pajamas. Just briefs."

Wynter hid a smile before he slid his pants down his hips. "Okay."

"You don't have to wear those pajamas on my account," Cav said. "Not like I haven't seen you in less."

"Right, true," Wynter said, tossing the pajama bottoms aside and kicking out of his pants. He turned to face Cav in only his briefs, his body mostly unchanged, all but his slightly swollen pecs. It was then he remembered Wynter had nursed his later two sons.

Wynter crossed his arms over his chest. "You need to stop looking at me like that."

Cav crossed the bedroom and sat down on the bed, facing Wynter. He unwound his omega's hands. "Why are you hiding from me?"

"My body's older. I'm not nineteen anymore."

Cav gripped Wynter's hip, noticing the faint stretch marks imprinting both sides. "A body lived in and used. I'm no young man myself."

"A little older, sure, but you look just as handsome as ever to me."

"I don't remember these last time," Cav asked, tracing the stretch marks.

Wynter tried to pull from his grip.

"I'm not judging you. You've given birth, and there's no shame in that." He traced them lovingly. "But you'd already had one child when we met, and I don't recall these."

"Jamie was tiny when he was born. I didn't get very big with him," Wynter said. "Maybe my age helped there, too. But Wilder and Vaughn were huge babies and they left their mark. Especially Wilder. He was my biggest."

Cav smiled, tracing the lines again. "Battle scars."

Wynter's lips twerked into a smile. "You could say that."

He allowed his hands to roam upward. After trailing up the silky skin along Wynter's belly, he cupped the puffy pecs, the remnants of his omega's body having fed his son. "I think this is sexy."

"Stop," Wynter whispered. "You don't have to lie on my account."

"I'm not lying. I'd love to have seen you full and swollen with our son… and then watched your body continue to sustain that life. It's a miracle." He pressed a kiss in the middle of Wynter's chest. "You're a miracle."

Wynter leaned closer, his body relaxing.

Cav laid a few more kisses, his hands gliding over Wynter's arms. He stopped at the scars on Wynter's wrists. It pained him to think of Wynter so lost that he'd given up hope. Even more than Warden had done the bare fucking minimum to help. He kissed each scar before lifting his gaze to Wynter, thankful the attempt hadn't been successful. While his omega's life hadn't been easy, he couldn't imagine a world without Wynter in it. "I love you—and we're going to make things right. No denying the help you need, baby. Okay?"

Wynter's eyes shone with tears. "I love you."

Cav lifted Wynter's hands to his lips again and pressed soft kisses there. The drive to claim his mate roared in his ears but he fought the urge. Wynter wanted to wait, so they would wait. "We should go to bed. Like Wilder said, we have an early morning. We're going to need to be up before the sun." He wished they could explore one another again. He wanted to relearn the curves and hollows of his omega and see what other new spots might've emerged.

Wynter held Cav's gaze, disappointment hinted in his expression. "Yeah. I suppose we should."

Cav rose and pulled back the bedding, urging Wynter under the thin coverlet and sheet. He crossed to the other side and slid in himself before flipping off the light on the nightstand. Lying on his back, he stared up at the ceiling, his body demanding he drag Wynter into his arms. Instead, he focused on the steady sound of Wynter's breathing, waiting to see when his omega drifted off. Maybe then, he'd be able to sleep. Yet he sensed Wynter lay awake at his side, silently pretending to rest.

"I can't sleep like this," Wynter finally complained. He rolled over and cuddled into the crook of Cav's arm.

They lay there like that in semi-awkward silence for a minute.

"If that's okay?" Wynter asked, his voice low.

Cav smiled down at his omega and pressed a kiss to the silken, silver hair shining in the moonlight the window allowed in. "Of course it is."

"Night, Cav," Wynter murmured.

"Night, baby."

He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, but he woke the following morning well before the sun had. Lying on his side, he found Wynter's soft ass in his crotch. Spooning was far too tempting, as his hard cock attested to. After checking the clock to see if he could linger another minute or two, he carefully slipped out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Wynter asked sleepily.

"I need a shower before we go—and all my stuff's in the main house."

"Oh. Okay," Wynter murmured before rising on his elbows and smiling. "Morning."

Cav grinned as he stepped back into his jeans. "Morning."

"I suppose I should shower, too."

Cav leaned over the bed and kissed Wynter on the lips before snatching his shoes, socks, and shirt from the floor. "Meet you in the kitchen for coffee in thirty."

"Okay," Wynter said, grinning and watching Cav go as he piled his hair into a knot on the top of his head.

Cav hated to leave, but he didn't want their son to make any assumptions, either. Wynter didn't want to hurt his sons, and he'd respect that. He crossed the lawn in the early hours and quietly opened the back door. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he found Wilder, Avery, and Emory at the kitchen table.

"Have a nice night?" Avery asked with a grin.

"Nothing happened," Cav said, eyeing their son. He glanced down, realizing the majority of his clothing was in his hand. "Since there is a potential threat still out there, I thought it prudent to watch over your papa. We slept—and that's it. I promise you."

"Yes. So prudent of you," Avery said, grinning wider.

"I swear," Cav said. "Wynter just buried Warden. It would be… wrong…" He sighed. "Your papa doesn't want to upset you boys and told me he wouldn't disrespect your father. We didn't do anything."

"Okay," Wilder murmured, not smiling.

"We slept. That's it," Cav repeated. "I'm going to grab a quick shower and change. I'll be back down in a few minutes."

"They're fated mates," Cav heard Avery whisper as he left the kitchen.

Wilder sighed. "I know he's biologically my father—but Warden was my dad my whole life. I can't help but feel like… I don't know. This is just happening way too fast."

"I think they've lost enough time," Avery said. "But your feelings are valid and I get it. You just lost the man you knew as your father. If I was in your shoes, I don't know how I'd feel about seeing my papa with another alpha."

"Thank you," Wilder murmured.

"Even if he was my papa's fated mate and they'd been viciously forced apart for thirty years."

"Avery…"

"What?" Avery asked sweetly.

Cav could see the silly smile on Avery's face simply from the tone. He shook his head and headed up the back stairs, glad for once that he and Wynter hadn't gone further. No way was he pissing off his newfound son when things were aimed in a positive direction. After a quick shower and shave, Cav changed into fresh clothes and headed downstairs. Not two seconds after pouring himself a cup of coffee, the back door opened and Wynter appeared, freshly showered.

"Morning," Wynter said, his gaze going straight to Cav's. He smiled.

Cav handed over his coffee cup before pouring himself another. In silence, they fixed their cups and drank, then leaned their hips against the counter and stared into one another's eyes over the rims.

Wilder rose, clearing his throat. He didn't seem capable of looking at either of them. "Are you ready to go? We should get on the road."

"Yes, of course," Wynter said, draining the rest of his cup before eyeing Cav with a frown.

Wilder kissed his omega and babe before turning back to them. "I'll meet you out in the car."

Wynter kissed Emory's forehead before leaning in close to do the same to Avery—yet he froze midway and backed off. "Sorry. I don't know why I did that."

"Go with your gut," Avery murmured. "I don't mind."

Wynter chuckled before leaning in to press a kiss to Avery's head. "Thank you. For yesterday. Your kindness was… it…" Wynter chuckled uncomfortably. "Thank you."

Avery squeezed his hand. "You're welcome. Good luck today. I hope it all goes well."

"Thanks," Cav said, leading Wynter away from their grandson.

Wynter clearly didn't want to go, but he moved all the same. Cav paused for a second to snag another sip from his cup, and sensed Wynter's desire to return for the babe. After depositing his cup in the sink, Cav dragged his omega into step beside him.

Midway to the door, Cav murmured, "Wilder's uncomfortable. I overheard him and Avery after they caught me sneaking in. You were right. He just lost the only father he's known, and he's not pleased. Even though all we did was sleep in the same bed—which I assured him that's all it was—it was clearly too much for him. We need to keep our distance today."

"Oh. Okay." Wynter sighed. "And we wait until he's comfortable." He lifted his gaze to Cav. "Are you okay with that?"

"I've waited this long. I'll try to survive a little longer."