17. Try Again

Try Again

Dalton

M y feet were dragging as I neared my house, but faltered further as my fingers touched the door handle. Someone was inside.

"Your papa's home," an all too familiar voice said warmly as I entered.

Larken sat, perfectly at ease, on my sofa, Spice around his shoulders in his favorite place and Priscilla on his lap as if she belonged there. I could hear her vibrating purrs from where I stood, completely flabbergasted. His grin was wide as he clocked my confused expression. How could he be acting so normally as everything felt like it was falling apart?

"What are you doing here?" I wasn't really complaining, normally I'd have been happy to find him waiting for me when I got home. I'd just hoped for more time to come up with an explanation for Larken before I saw him. He was owed an apology. A massive one. I wasn't ready for this !

"Thought you might need someone after today." Larken said it so casually, so offhand, it stopped my advance towards the sofa.

My blood ran cold. Panic froze me in place. "What d'you mean?"

"Well, the testing is back on, right?" Larken was trying very hard to act as if none of this mattered. We both knew it was a lie. "So, you asked him?"

"It is. I did." My throat clicked, suddenly dry.

"And? He said no, right?" Was he truly okay with this all? He wasn't mad, at all?

"He did." I needed a drink, or five.

"Are you okay?"

His concern brought me up short. "What?" How could he be thinking about my feelings and not how horrible I'd been?

"Dimples, get your fine ass over here so I can hug you," he said with a glare. "I can see you've been crying. It pisses me off." He let out a breath. "The scent of your tears is working my lizard up." He closed his eyes briefly. "I knew you were going to ask him." He looked directly at me. "I'm not even mad about it."

Maybe not mad, but disappointed, possibly.

"You aren't? I stumbled the last few steps to the sofa, sitting close to Larken, missing my cat by inches. She didn't even flinch. Her purr ratcheted up .

Larken wrapped an arm around me, bringing me closer. Spice took that opportunity to crawl onto my shoulder and nuzzle his head against my jaw. Priscilla stretched, so she was on my lap, too. It felt right, like people who loved me surrounded me. Larken couldn't love me, could he? He liked me at the very least. That would have to do.

There's no way he'd be so chill about me asking my former crush to take me through becoming an omega if he had romantic feelings for me. We were friends with benefits, nothing more.

"No." He shook his head, emphasizing his answer. "I heard the same thing as you. Hiroshi wanted beta pairs first. We all knew you'd do whatever it took to get on the list first. Plus, you're not fully over Axel—you're getting there," he rushed to add when I tried to interject. "It just takes time."

"Like you and Roan?"

"Yeah, like with Roan. He was just an idea I was wrapped up in." His answer was so simple. Honest. I envied his surety.

"You really aren't mad or hurt?"

"Maybe a little hurt, but that's my thing. I understand why you did it." He was better than I deserved, yet he was still by my side .

Spice was done with us. He ran down my arm and jumped onto the floor before dashing away to cause mischief somewhere.

I rested my head on his shoulder. "Lark?"

"Yeah?" He stroked my hair.

"Would you be my alpha? I know I should have just asked you first. You'll never know how sorry I am that I didn't. I want it to be you."

"I'd be honored."

I may have freaked out a little when I was told there was going to be a temporary delay in the testing.

Teárlach was sick. He'd fallen into a deep sleep after healing Roan with Hiroshi and nothing the healers or elves tried would wake him.

With him in such a state, and potentially needing medical support if it went on for much longer than it actually did, they were hesitant to start the testing and take people away from him.

Made sense really, this was the Crown Prince of the elves. He was important to the elven people, so of course, we had to wait. It was just so hard!

By the time it was actually the day to register for testing where we would fill in the necessary forms and undergo the exams to check for health, I was ready to vomit from anxiety.

Larken had a shift on the main gate, so he wasn't there in the morning to keep me calm. Instead, he said he would meet me in the long line for the clinic. I'd bagged a spot near the front.

"He better not keep me waiting," I muttered.

"Who?" a voice came from just ahead of me.

"Larken," I answered.

Grady, Trey, and Mateo, one of the newest additions to the pack, turned to face me.

"Hey, Dalton, have you met Mateo yet?" Grady asked with a cat caught the canary smile. Close, since Grady was a wolf and Mateo some falcon-like bird.

"Not officially, but I'd heard about the search for your father and brother-in-law. How's that going? Any news? Are your mother and sister both recovered?" I peppered them with questions to hide how nervous I was.

Larken's lateness had me worried something was keeping him from testing. Either something at work or maybe this was his payback for me asking Axel.

"They are doing well, all things considered. We spoke with your Seer. She believes my father and Ricky are still alive, just trapped. Your Alpha —

"Our," Trey corrected. "You're one of us now."

The two betas book-ended their alpha. I'd heard they were going to ask to try a poly bond and had chosen the new bird shifter as the alpha they wanted. There was probably more to the story, but I didn't know any of them well enough to ask.

Mateo inclined his head. "True. Our Alpha is working with the pride in Northarbor to search. He believes having his own people looking will incite violence."

"He's right," Larken agreed.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts and the conversation I didn't hear him arrive. He stood close enough it was clear we were a pair, but not close enough to touch. My brain was looking for problems, still on edge with Larken after what I'd done. I knew it was my guilt talking and not his feelings. He had spent the night with me! Throughout the night, I'd slept wrapped up in him completely. It was the best sleep I'd had for a long time without an orgasm involved.

"We've tried it. I swear." He gave Mateo a commiserating glance. "Every time we send some of our own out, they end up attacked. As much as we want to find your family, the people here have families of their own."

"You misunderstand," Mateo argued, "I don't mean it as a criticism of Alpha Blake, just how careful we have to be. I can't go myself. The aviary would kill me on sight." His shoulders sagged. "I hope they are together and keeping strong. Janet assures me they will return to us."

"Then they will," I said, certain our Seer, the elderly shifter, Janet, had never been wrong. "The pride shifters have a better chance of finding them because they share territory with the aviary. Their Alpha is committed to our alliance working. Jason will be doing his best to find your lost family."

Larken reached for my hand, squeezing it lightly before threading our fingers together.

"Okay?" he asked, mouthing the words so others didn't overhear.

"Nervous." Understatement of the year.

"Understandable. This is a big deal." He pulled me a little closer. "I hope we're picked for the first round." His excitement felt genuine.

Relief slammed through me. Larken wanted this as much as I did!

"Hey, Lark!" Deke called out for him. He motioned Lark over.

"Back in a sec."

"So," Trey said, fishing for gossip as he sidled closer. "This thing with Larken, is it a mating of convenience, or do you have feelings for the man?"

"Trey, behave," Mateo chided. "It's obvious Dalton has feelings for Larken. "

"Right?" Grady added with a grin. "Who wouldn't? Lark's gorgeous. You stole him before we had a chance."

I knew they were teasing me, but I couldn't help my growl. I wasn't alone. Mateo growled at the betas too, as they laughed.

"Brats! You'll pay for that later," Mateo warned, a sliver of darkness in his tone.

"Promises, promises," Trey sang. He danced out of the way of the swat Mateo tried to land on his ass, though he went pliant when Mateo grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. Trey was clearly ready for Mateo to make good on whatever punishment he wanted.

"I see you aren't denying it," Grady said from his place tucked under Mateo's other arm.

"What's the point? I do," I said simply. "He's just helping me out."

"No," Grady argued. "That man is—"

"Who?" Larken interrupted with his return. "Sorry, Deke wanted to ask me about taking a shift. I promised I'd go in later, after we're done here."

"But you worked this morning!" I protested. Larken was exhausted. He needed a decent night's sleep.

"I'll be fine. Either I'll get a nap in if I have time, or an energy potion."

"You shouldn't be relying on them." I knew I was nagging at him. My concern for him wouldn't let me stay silent.

He hugged me. "I'll be fine. Look, we're up next."

We watched Grady, Trey and Mateo go through the paperwork, then they were escorted into the clinic.

"Okay," Teagan said with a smile, "you are now both on the list for the testing. We just have to take you through the health checks. Do we have your consent to take samples for DNA analysis?"

"Yes." We both agreed.

My hand was clammy in Larken's larger one. Nerves were getting the better of me. After so long, this was finally it! I'd made it to the front of the line. I was going to get my blood taken! Instead of fearing the process, I was excited. Needles didn't bother me, anyway. Especially not when they had a purpose. They were going to check that I was healthy enough for the program!

"Follow me through here, please."

They took us to a clean and bright room. The space had been well equipped, and they had clearly prepared for all the betas they were going to meet, as everyone in the pack wanted to register. They had painted the walls a pale blue, making the room very soothing. The staff were all wearing eager smiles. It just felt good to me. I hoped the others doing the tests would feel the same.

Over the next hour or so, they measured what felt like every inch of our bodies. Took samples of blood, saliva, and even urine. They conducted such thorough measurements of us that it could have felt invasive if it wasn't for the regular reminders that they were as invested in this as we were.

The elves wanted an answer to their own fertility issues, and unlocking all the willing betas was the key to that.

Once we were done, we had a brief session with ívarr where he discussed how he thought the testing would go and when it would take place. We had to wait until all our results were in before we could try, which was frustrating. I was impatient to start, though I understood the reasoning. We wanted nothing to stop this from working. This was my future, and theirs, on the line.

"Wow, I feel like I need a shower and a nap now," Larken said, as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, that was a lot," I agreed. We stopped just outside the clinic, a flash of awkwardness between us .

"Come home with me? We can share that shower, then stretch out for a nap with Spice and Priscilla."

Larken took my hand. I'd never noticed how perfectly our hands fit together.

"Sounds like the perfect afternoon. Lead the way."