CHAPTER FIVE

RAIN

This morning, I woke up feeling oddly excited. I stood by Kay's bed and watched him closely for a while, massaging my glands, which felt slightly warmer than the rest of my skin. Kay was still sound asleep, his raspberry lips slightly parted, his body sprawled across the bed. I had so much energy that I decided to go for an early-morning jog to burn it off.

I took a longer route today, running not only around the lake but also along one of the streams that fed into it. The jog was pleasant. After about an hour and a half, I was close to the house with most of the run behind me when I noticed two people sitting on a large boulder near the water. We were maybe 300 yards from the beach where Kay liked to swim.

The strangers were two alpha males, quite large and well-built. They were both facing Adam's property. When they saw me, one of them tilted his head and called out, "Do you live in Adam Darnell's house?"

His eyes were narrowed and cold, making me hesitate before I answered, "And why do you ask?"

"No reason. How's Kay doing?"

Something in his voice just didn't sound right.

"Again, why do you ask?"

The alpha smirked. "Why not? He's a lonely and very pretty omega, without his alpha. I was a… friend of his husband. I have a right to know what's going on."

It wasn't any of his business, but I needed to assert my claim. "He's not lonely anymore."

They both looked at me with some strange intensity. They were in their thirties, older than me, but shorter and more robust. They also seemed tipsy.

"Oh. What a surprise." One of them huffed.

The other chuckled croakily. "Or not. He's a catch. But even so, I have to admit, it was super-fast!"

A low rumble came from my throat. "What exactly are you suggesting?!" I raised my voice, but they both laughed dismissively.

"Nothing, calm down, hothead. Good that he has someone to fuck him in these hard days."

They were really starting to get on my nerves, so I clenched my jaw. "A bit more respectful tone would be appreciated. He lost his husband. And none of this is your business."

"And yet, I can smell his sweet scent all over you." He tilted his head and fixed his eyes on my neck. "Did he mark you or something? So weird."

Having had enough, I turned around, too agitated to bear these rude remarks any longer. It could end badly, and I had no idea who those alphas were. Maybe they really were friends of Maurice genuinely concerned for Kay in this strange way? Perhaps it was a small-town thing, and I didn't want to mess with some vulgar, jovial drunkards. With a clenched jaw, I marched away, not looking back.

When I got back to the house, I was still in a bad mood. Kay was already awake and taking a shower, so I decided to do the same. After finishing, I went down to the kitchen, wanting to talk about the incident with Adam and Marco, but they weren't around. Adam was on a phone call on the terrace, and Marco's car was gone.

So, I prepared breakfast and took it up to Kay's room. I hesitated, unsure if I should mention those guys to him, worried it might upset him, but finally, I decided to say something.

"While I was jogging today, I saw two guys outside on the shore. They asked about you and claimed to be friends with your hu… with Maurice. One suggested that I smell like you. Two alphas in their thirties. Not a good vibe."

Kay raised an eyebrow, his face pensive. "I have no idea who they might be. What were they doing?"

"Just hanging out on some rock. Looking a bit drunk, maybe. Kinda insolent."

"Maybe Dawsons or Smiths? They have lots within a mile radius," he said more to himself than to me, and added, "Adam's land stretches about 50 yards in both directions of the shore, but beyond that, it's county land, so anyone can go there. Sometimes high school kids camp there."

"They weren't high schoolers."

"Dawsons have a few cabins to rent on their land, half a mile away. They're not of great quality! The Dawson family is in the local hotel business, but… I wouldn't say they're thriving."

"Anyway, they seemed really interested in your situation. That's why I mentioned it."

Kay turned toward the window. "Alphas are always interested in my situation, Rain. Nothing new here. You have no idea how often I'm catcalled or hassled. That's why I never go anywhere alone."

I stared at him, stunned by his words. Did he really never go anywhere alone? Seemed kinda stressful and depressing. But before I could respond, Adam knocked on the door and came in.

"Hey, the Sanders called. They want to come by today to apologize. Danny sounded super sorry over the phone."

Kay shrugged. "Let them. I need to talk to them about Maurice's cars anyway."

So, our conversation about those drunk guys was cut short.

When the Sanders arrived, I hung out on the terrace, not wanting to interfere like I did last time. I could hear their conversation, and as Adam said, they were pretty apologetic and very happy about Kay's improving health. Danny expressed something really close to heartfelt apologies, saying, "I'm sorry we doubted your judgment, it won't happen again, you have our support, I hope the pregnancy will stabilize now." The rest of the talk was about the house Kay shared with Maurice. From what I understood, John Sanders had added the property to his hotel offerings as a rental option. Kay received money without having to worry about booking or maintaining the house, as Sanders' hotel staff took care of it.

As they were leaving, I stood at the door and nodded at them, and they nodded back, so I guess we had a truce. I was glad it turned out that way. At least Kay could be calmer about his in-laws disapproving of his decisions and focus on enjoying his pregnancy a bit more.

After Kay's midday wave, I still felt kind of tired and my gland was bothering me, feeling spongy and sensitive, so I decided to take a nap. I dozed off pretty easily, but about an hour later, I was suddenly awakened by a feeling of fear and panic!

I looked around, but Kay was nowhere to be found. A wave of nervousness surged through me, and I leaped to my feet, rushing toward the window. There, in the distance, I saw Kay standing in the shallow water, only in his swimming shorts. And next to him were the two alphas I had seen earlier by the lakeshore. They were leaning over him.

Damn, they had followed me here!

I don't think I've ever run that fast in my life. Taking three steps at a time, I bolted out of the building like a racing greyhound. I was dressed only in sweatpants, bare-chested, my heart accelerating from a sleepy pace to a heart-attack speed.

I sprinted down the sandy path, closing the gap. From about a hundred feet away, I saw one of the alphas grab Kay's neck, attempting to pull him closer, maybe for a kiss or something. A wild roar erupted from my throat, unlike anything I had ever produced before. I could feel my glands painfully swelling in my neck, propelling me into fighting mode, my body priming for battle. Moving like a wildcat, I closed in on them.

They heard my growl, but it was too late. I charged with such force that the alpha who grabbed Kay bounced off my chest, both of us tumbling into the shallow water. My throat emitted deep, rumbling sounds reminiscent of a lion, or maybe a demon—an inhuman vibration, incredibly low, coming from deep within my diaphragm.

My movements were lightning-quick, my mind barely registering the scene before me as my hands unleashed a torrent of blurred blows. The first strike broke his nose with a sickening crunch, blood spraying around us. His friend grabbed my neck, but my fangs snapped out instinctively, sinking into his forearm. He howled in pain, yanking back as I spat out a piece of his flesh. I continued raining blows on the first alpha until he went limp, unconscious under me.

Growling, I turned my attention to the second alpha, now kneeling in the sand, blood pouring from his hand where a chunk of flesh was missing, but he wasn't a threat anymore. And then I glanced up at Kay.

I knew what I must have looked like—bloody face, hands, and thickened neck. An alpha in fighting mode doesn't resemble a human. Our animal instincts take over, our irises turn red, neck glands swell with fiery intensity, muscles engorge with adrenaline, becoming veiny and flushed, and our voices drop demonically low.

But what happened to me was even more bizarre. My fingertips tingled, and my fangs were extended. I had never heard of mating fangs coming out during a fight, but perhaps I was some strange exception?

My gaze focused on Kay. In this state, alphas communicate more through sounds than words.

And I made a sound—a low, vibrating noise that held meaning only in the primal language between alphas and omegas. It meant: "Claiming."

To my surprise, Kay responded. I knew that mating calls were partly involuntary, but it was still shocking.

He made a sound that meant: "Acceptance of the Claim" and right after that: "Sexual Offering"!

My dick became hard in a second. What happened next was probably the strangest thing I have ever experienced, almost straight out of the mating behaviors of our alien creators. Kay dropped to his knees and pulled down his pants, his ass rearing up toward me, his cheeks spread, his pucker opened and pulsating, so very inviting. It was called 'presenting', usually reserved for heats, as the typical breeding position!

God, it was so primitive, so wild!

Not caring that the second alpha was watching, I jumped up and with a low growl, thrust my rock-hard dick into Kay's wet passage, instantly orgasming, and… he did the same. We moaned loudly together (or was it a howl?).

Ten seconds later, I backed out and pulled up his trunks, then I turned to the bleeding alpha sitting on the sand, his mouth gaping in pure shock.

"Take him and get out!" I rumbled, my voice deep and gravelly, like that of a demon from the abyss.

"I can't! I'm hurt myself."

"Not my problem, fucking rapists! Call the cops or paramedics and get out!"

Then, I moved closer to Kay, bent down, and lifted him in my arms, cradling him. Like that, I strode back toward the house as quickly as possible, staying silent the entire time. He lay limp in my arms, panting quietly, letting me hold him close. His head rested on my shoulder, lips parted, reddened, wet.

As I approached the house, Adam and Marco must have seen us from the window. They rushed outside, their faces pale and shocked.

"What happened?!" Adam exclaimed, visibly shaken. Probably my bloody face had something to do with it.

Not wanting to scare the poor guy further with my voice, I didn't respond. But Kay spoke up instead, "I'm okay. Jorah and Harry Dawson are on the beach, both injured. They might need help." And he winced.

"But what happened, Kay? Are you okay?!" Adam pressed, looking increasingly worried.

"They tried to rape me. Rain fought them off in fighting mode."

Their eyes became as big as saucers.

"Rain, thank God for you! Are you all right?" Adam asked anxiously.

I only growled in response, as speaking in this state made me cringe. Ignoring their questions, I moved past them and headed for the stairs.

"Wait, where are you going?" Marco called after me.

Choosing not to answer, I climbed the stairs. Only Kay called to them:

"Go to the beach, explain everything to the deputies if necessary!"

With furrowed brows, I made my way to Kay's room. We didn't exchange words. He understood instinctively what was happening, and so did I. I kicked the door shut behind us and laid him gently on the bed.

Then I went into the bathroom for a second, quickly rinsed the blood off my face and hands, and immediately returned to Kay's room.

He lay there limp, his eyes wide open, his breathing accelerated. I pulled down his shorts and threw them on the floor, then did the same with my pants. He was watching me and there was something new in his eyes, something I had never seen before.

I was still in fighting mode and would remain so for about 45 minutes. Kay responded with submissiveness. A typical omega behavior in such a situation, signaling a readiness to have intercourse.

He spread his legs, grabbed them under his knees and pulled them up to his chest, his hole now open, still wet with my cum. I gasped in admiration; what an erotic sight! Granted, it wasn't the breeding position anymore, but it was the next best thing. It couldn't have been a more obvious invitation. I kneeled between his thighs and slid my shaft into his quivering, swollen pucker with one thrust. And I began to fuck him—intensely and passionately, eliciting long moans from him. My mating fangs were still out, and I placed my mouth over his glands, Kay tilted his head to the side to make it easier for me. Unable to stop myself, I let out a long, vibrating growl that signaled my instinctive need to mate with him. And he responded again with a high, sweet squeal that was an invitation to mark.

We were both doing what our instincts told us to do, and we couldn't stop. What was reassuring was that these natural reactions were also the most honest, revealing the truth about what we were really feeling and wanting inside. There was no room for lies, deflection, or pretense. What we had hidden—was now bared.

If he really didn't want me to bite him, his body would never emit the accepting sound.

But Kay did it—allowed it—he let me bite him. Not even a second of hesitation.

Eagerly, I plunged my fangs into his gland, which I had just noticed was strangely spongy and pink. A curious thing.

With my fangs lodged in him and my dick moving in and out, I felt it.

The powerful wave in my body that can only be experienced in full, ripe heat, the familiar tingling at the base of my dick.

"Oh, fuck, Kay!" I managed to mumble, retracting my fangs. "I think I'm gonna knot you!"

And it happened in seconds. I really wanted to back out, but my hips just wouldn't cooperate. My dick was swelling. I thought that was only possible during alpha ruts—as a result of the omega heat!

Something was off! Something was really not as it should be! Strange things kept happening one after another, and I needed to get to the bottom of it.

Kay moaned lustfully, arching his body as my knot grew inside him, stretching his ring, the head of my dick entering even deeper, pressing on his uterus, which was very sensitive and could evoke so-called 'breeding orgasms', powerful, full-body climaxes that omegas could experience during heat, at the peak moments of passion.

The entrance to the uterus wasn't easily accessible outside of heat, and especially during pregnancy, it was very high and tightly closed. But now, with the knot lengthening my cock, I could reach it.

Kay's body shook and strained like a bow as he orgasmed with such force that he almost lifted me up with his hips, my knot now firmly inside him, and I knew we would be connected for at least an hour, unable to go our separate ways, as was always the case with knots. Lovers sometimes stayed joined for a long time.

Panting with ragged breaths, I collapsed onto his body.

We lay there in silence for probably ten, maybe fifteen minutes, not commenting on this unusual situation, too deeply immersed in our animalistic nature to formulate coherent thoughts. Then we heard a knock at the door.

"Kay?" Adam's trembling voice broke the silence.

Kay opened his eyes, a hint of panic in them.

"Kay? Can I come in?" Adam repeated.

"Adam! We… we…" Kay hesitated, unable to finish.

Searching frantically around us, I grabbed a blanket and covered us both, leaving only our heads and shoulders visible.

"Adam, we're knotted," Kay finally rasped out, his voice so husky that Adam probably couldn't hear it.

"What are you saying?" Adam's confusion was almost palpable.

We exchanged glances, and I shrugged slightly; it wasn't like I was embarrassed to be seen in bed with him, so they might as well come in.

"Okay, come in!" Kay yelled.

Adam opened the door, but he wasn't alone.

A stranger—a tall alpha—stood beside him.

"Fuck," Kay cursed under his breath.

From the start, I figured it was the local sheriff or deputy. The man had gray hair at his temples and furrowed brows, and as he came closer, I could see a grimace of disdain on his face. It seemed the situation wasn't going to be resolved easily.

"Kay, can you… um… separate?" Adam stumbled over his words, clearly shocked by the scene of me lying over his brother in such a compromising position. "I'm here with Deputy Johnson."

Only then did I notice Marco standing in the shadow right behind the door.

"No, we can't. We're knotted," Kay replied, his tone resigned.

The room fell silent. Could this get any stranger?

"Knotted?" The policeman raised his eyebrows. "I thought you told me your brother was pregnant," he added, glancing at Adam quizzically.

"He is!"

"I'm pregnant, Deputy Johnson. It's just that in that situation, Rain went into fighting mode when the Dawsons tried to rape me. It's probably due to some primal instinct or something," Kay explained, his cheeks flushed.

The deputy looked down at Kay's chest, which was visible under my arm, and I quickly covered his swollen, dark pink nipples with my palms.

Kay noticed it, and so did the deputy. He made a strange grimace, but didn't say anything. However, Kay… his expression changed slightly when he realized what I did. He was grateful.

"What happened on the beach, Kay?" the deputy asked in an icy tone.

"The Dawsons came over to me. They were pretty vulgar and abusive. Jorah said, 'I heard you became a whore, Kay?' When I asked why, he said, 'You've already fucked a new stud while your husband is barely cold in his grave.'"

I couldn't help but growl as Kay kept going. "Then Harry added, 'You're looking for a new daddy for your bastard? Is Maurice even the father, you disgusting whore?'"

"Fuckers!" I let out another growl.

"Okay, enough." Johnson didn't seem eager to hear that. "I get it. What happened when Rain showed up?"

"Harry said, 'You give him your ass, you give us some, no problem, right?' He grabbed me by the neck and started sniffing me, and then Rain came. He knocked Harry down and Jorah tried to put him in a chokehold, but Rain bit him. He was in fighting mode, and I marked him before—"

"About that. How did you do that? Isn't he on suppressants? I can't smell his alpha pheromones, but I detect a bit of your scent on him, so he smells like an alpha marked in heat. It just doesn't add up, Kay."

The silence once again filled the room. I turned to look at Kay, who blushed deeply.

"I swear, I don't know how this is possible," he muttered.

"Sounds fishy, and you know it, Kay," the deputy murmured.

"I have no idea what's going on! It's all so weird. I've never heard of knotting or marking beyond heat. But he's on strong pheromone blockers! Maybe it's some strange side effect?" Kay continued, frustration rising in his voice.

The deputy turned his gaze to me. "What kind of blockers?"

Despite clearing my throat repeatedly, my voice still rumbled like a demonic growl from the bowels of hell. "Seprudin 500 Forte."

The deputy snorted and made a note on his pad. "Never heard of it."

"It's very new and strong, a level three suppressant," I added. "There was this big ad campaign going on, and I guess I went with the ad."

The alpha nodded thoughtfully. "I need to consult with someone else about whether it might actually increase some primitive reactions, like aggression and instincts. You may need to come up with a solid explanation. Harry is in bad shape. The ambulance just picked him up comatose, probably with a severe concussion and visible facial injuries."

"He deserved it! I won't let anyone touch Kay! I'll kill them all!" I growled, the words bursting out uncontrollably. Realizing what I had just shouted, I felt foolish. The fighting mode has turned me into a caveman, for sure.

They all started to stare at me with strange looks. Kay blushed even more.

Obviously, I couldn't control my body, including my mouth. With nervous excitement, I made small movements with my hips and my dickhead rubbed over Kay's uterine entrance. He moaned immediately, and then I rubbed some more and… he came!

With them in the same room! His long, perfect neck arched as his head tilted back. A deep moan came from his mouth, his body shaking, his hands clenching.

Adam and the deputy stared in shock, their eyes wide open. I was glad I couldn't see Marco's face that clearly, but Adam was flaming red. The deputy snorted.

"Yeah, if I didn't believe they were knotted, I believe it now. That looked like a breeding orgasm, all right."

"Sorry, fuck! I'm sorry," I mumbled, feeling the heaviness of the situation. "My body just takes over, and I can't control it."

My gaze turned pleadingly toward Kay; he also looked red and embarrassed. "It's okay, Rain. You don't have to apologize. This mess is just so strange." I rarely heard such a soft tone from him.

"What the fuck? He should apologize! He did it in front of us! I didn't want to see it!" Adam was clearly frenzied.

But Kay snapped, "You wouldn't understand, Adam, so shut up! He doesn't have to apologize for anything! If not for him, I would have been raped by those animals!" Kay's voice was almost as growly now as mine was.

Adam swallowed and averted his gaze; the deputy kept his eyes fixed on his notepad, unbothered by our exchange.

Kay let out a huff, clearly making an effort to sound calmer. "What we need to do instead is figure out more about this blocker."

"I suggest you do," the deputy interjected matter-of-factly. "It will be your strongest defense if this goes to court. Jorah was already rambling about it while being tended to by the paramedics. The Dawsons have a good lawyer."

Kay snorted in disbelief. "What? They tried to sexually assault me! How can they even have a case?"

"Not against you," the deputy clarified. "But against him. They can argue excessive use of force, even if it was in self-defense. You need a solid reason for reacting that way. Jorah described you as acting like a raging bull while they were just casually talking with you."

"Liars! And I was protecting my mate!" I snarled defensively.

"Your mate? Whoa! You've only known him for two weeks. That won't look believable in court," the deputy looked amused.

In the brief pause that followed, I decided to mention one additional fact. "I actually encountered those assholes earlier," I explained, lowering my voice.

"You did?" I was surprised by Marco's voice; I had almost forgotten he was even in the room. Now he emerged from the shadow of the door and fixed his gaze on me.

"Yeah, this morning. They were hanging around on the beach, watching Adam's house, and asking about Kay. They made suggestive, rude remarks."

"Oh, I see," the deputy nodded thoughtfully. "It may show premeditation. Are these all the details you remember?" he asked, folding his notepad.

"I think they might have been watching the house for a while. There's a spot in the woods where it looks like someone was standing and even sitting on a rock. It's not random," I added.

Adam chimed in, "The Sanders family has enemies. They basically run the hotel scene around here, taking over smaller places and pulling in the most guests, taking most of the revenue. A lot of the small guesthouse owners or even folks renting out rooms can't stand them. The Dawsons, in particular. At one of the local festivals where the Sanders were sponsors, during John's speech about donating money for a public pool, the Dawsons were heckling, whistling and booing the whole time."

Marco also added, "This might seem like a minor grudge, but those two own several vacation rentals, including some on the western side of the lake. Last year, they didn't even rent out half of their cottages or the campsite, while the Sanders had everything booked solid. They must have been really pissed."

Kay remained silent, only biting his lip nervously.

"Okay, stop. I don't see how that has anything to do with this situation. These are just your speculations, no specifics. I'm heading out now," the deputy announced, moving toward the door. "We need to meet you later for an official statement, but since you're… knotted now, we can sort out the details later."

Deputy Johnson left, but Marco and Adam stayed behind, looking concerned.

"I hope the Dawsons won't push this into a civil lawsuit," Adam muttered, clenching his jaw.

"I'm sorry if I went overboard," I admitted, feeling the need to explain myself. "I had trouble controlling my reactions, the moment I saw one of them grabbing Kay's neck. It was just too much; I saw red."

Kay's lips pressed together, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I told you, don't apologize. Those assholes deserved what they got for what they said and tried to do. I appreciate what you did, Rain. Very much. I'll do whatever I can to support you through this police matter," Kay assured me.

Adam let out a nervous sigh. "I'm grateful too, Rain, but honestly, you went overboard. You could have just scared them away, not literally turned them into pulp and bitten off chunks of their bodies. The problem is, a situation like this might come between you and Kay!"

Kay growled. "Stop it, Adam, you weren't there!"

"Please, everybody, calm down. Don't panic, Adam. There's a law that protects omegas during pregnancy. Their partners, even with criminal charges, are essentially exempt until the due date. It's part of the Omega Protection Act," Marco explained in a reassuring tone. "So we have time to come up with a good defense."

Then he fixed his eyes on me.

"Today is already too late, but wouldn't it be good if you called the customer service line of the suppressant manufacturer tomorrow, Rain? Ask them about possible side effects."

"Yes, I'll do that," I agreed, avoiding Adam's grim gaze.

Both brothers looked as if they wanted to leave the room, but there was one more thing.

"Wait! If the knot subsides, are we going to the police station right away?" I asked.

"That's what I agreed upon with Deputy Johnson. But we might delay it by an hour or two, no one will check the knot," Adam grumbled, looking somewhere over my head.

Obviously very agitated by the whole situation, he slowly turned around and walked away, Marco followed him with a thoughtful face.

***

As Adam and Marco exited, I felt a wave of nervousness in my body. I was going to be alone with Kay after all this craziness.

Would he reinstate the "no talking" rule?

I didn't want to test it, at least not yet, so I kept quiet, but my hands still covered his nipples, and it gave me an idea. It could be a nice break from all the difficult conversations.

So I looked searchingly into Kay's eyes, and feeling his approving energy, I squeezed the nubs of his nipples with my fingers—he gasped softly. I lowered my head and engulfed one of his nipples, sucking it deep into my mouth. And then it happened again. Kay raised his arm and… touched me. This time, his hand slid slowly up my arm to my head, running through my hair in a gentle massaging motion. And he stayed there while I licked over his nubs.

After a few minutes of my caressing, he arched and came, splashing his warm cum all over my stomach.

I slowly ran my lips up to his collarbones, then to his neck, licking and sucking his slightly swollen glands along the way, noticing my very fresh bite mark, and continuing up to his jawline. I left a few kisses there and moved back to his Adam's apple, brushing my lips over it, gently, softly, with small, tender pecks.

Kay began to breathe a bit faster, but it wasn't excitement. It was something else.

"I would be lying there right now, stuffed with their hard cocks, begging them to stop," he said with a shaking voice. "Animals!"

My eyes widened, I hadn't expected him to show that kind of vulnerability, and it shook me to the core. It was true what Adam had said—Kay was indeed very guarded, but under his hostile shield, he was sensitive, and just… very human!

"Without you, I would have been brutally raped," he whispered.

"Don't think about it, please, baby."

My kisses became even lighter and more tender, my lips roaming over his jaw and cheek. Suddenly, I realized I had called him 'baby' again, and lifted my head to check if it bothered him.

"Sorry, I keep calling you that, it's because—"

"Don't sweat it. I get that some things just… happen."

Kay closed his eyes, giving himself over to my caresses, and sighed deeply. Then I heard him whisper, "We need to have this conversation. It's time."

For a moment, I couldn't figure out what he was referring to, but it quickly dawned on me: 'this conversation' meaning about us. Wow.

His eyes peered at me. "What do you want from me, Rain? I've been such a jerk to you from the beginning, and all you've done is be gentle and caring. I need to listen to you for a change. To hear what you have to say, what you… wish."

"Oh, Kay, you're not a jerk," I breathed out, my heart pounding. "I can feel how you have suffered, your pain and anger. You've experienced a tragedy, and you're literally forced to speed up your mourning, forced to deal with a stranger, all under the threat of losing your pregnancy. It's an unimaginably difficult situation."

My lips skimmed over his temples and forehead. A quiet sob escaped his lips, his hand rose up, and he pulled me closer.

"Thank you for your understanding. Yes, I don't have the luxury of mourning for years; my child will need me to be in a good mental place. Now that you are here, the whole scope has changed. I can feel that you want more… and you deserve it. But please understand—I don't know how much I can give you or how quickly I can open up to another person. It's just so early, and my love for Maurice was strong. But in order to even start moving on, I need to know what you expect from me. Please begin with small things. Give me time to adjust, to heal. Baby steps, okay?"

Amazed by what he said, I raised my eyes to his face. Here and now, there was a breakthrough in our relationship. A milestone, as they say—were we truly entering a new chapter?

Feeling almost drunk with his confession, I pondered his words for a while, listening to Kay's breaths. What should be said shouldn't be said lightly, so I gave myself a bit of time, carefully considering my words.

"I don't want to go into details about how I see us in the long run because it's just not the right moment for it. Too much is going on. Small steps? That sounds good to me too. For now, I just want to be allowed to take care of all your current needs and be officially named your protector. Would you agree to that?"

In the old days, being named the protector of an omega was a title that didn't have to include being a husband or a sexual partner. Some alphas were named protectors of widowed omegas, orphans, or omegas who were vulnerable for some reason. For example, in the case of one brother's death, his husband could name his alpha brother-in-law as a protector (even if he was married himself), which also extended to being a guardian of his children. So it was a safe arrangement that didn't require Kay to keep any relationship-specific promises or have obligations as the status of a boyfriend would come with.

Kay stared at me for a while, then slowly nodded. "That's gracious of you to think about it like that. Yes, I do accept it. Is this all you want from me now? Or is there more?" Kay slightly tilted his head, almost as if wanting me to say more.

Well, it was a good opportunity to touch on a very pressing subject. "I want to be able to talk with you. This chatting ban is killing me."

Kay closed his eyes. "Okay. To be honest, it was stupid from the start. I guess I just needed some safety zone. And I saw it as silence. But it became… a nuisance."

"I understand, believe me. I think in a way, it was a good decision on your part. In silence, things can be heard in a different way. Maybe even more clearly."

Kay gazed at me for a while before clearing his throat and mumbling, "Yeah. Something like that. So, any more wishes?"

Biting my lip, I stared at his face for a moment. "Well, I don't want to be overbearing, but I have these two small additional requests."

"Tell me."

"First thing. I would like to make love to you while your hair is loose and free."

"Okay, that's a pretty easy step," he whispered. "And the second?"

"After that, I want the right to carry you to the shower and, clean your whole body, dry and brush your hair."

After a short pause, he took a deeper breath and nodded.

"I didn't expect you would want that, but I see no problem with it. These are good small steps." He almost smiled—his lips just lightly twitched.

Silence fell, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was warm and even a little mushy.

"I feel the knot is slowly subsiding. Will you grant me the second wish when that happens?"

"I will."

So for the next couple of minutes, I could feel my dick going back to its normal size. Taking it out of his body was surprisingly unpleasant, like I'd lost something, some important connection. I sat up and tossed the blanket aside. He lay there naked now, his body smooth and slender. His pregnant belly still not visible, the pregnancy too young to show.

I stared at him for a moment, feeling like he could belong to me if I played my cards right. I wanted him; that much I was already sure of. Despite not knowing him well yet, I felt oddly certain.

Today, he showed me the first small window—a path leading to him.

"I'm glad the talking ban is off," I smiled softly.

"Yeah," he whispered, his voice sounding a bit shy.

Slowly, very slowly, I moved my hand over his hip and gently placed it on his abdomen. I could see him tense up suddenly, his eyes boring into my face with unease.

"Kay, I know it's crazy early to say something like this. I was friends with Adam, not with you. You only know my husband left me for his new mate. Maybe he had his reasons, beyond better mateship? I need to tell you the truth. One of the reasons Brian was on the lookout for a new partner was something I never told anybody, including Adam."

Tension was written all over Kay's face. I could almost feel him wanting to push my hand away from his belly. It clearly cost him a lot not to move.

"We were trying for a baby, Kay."

Something flickered in his eyes. "Oh."

"Yeah. But it just didn't work. We went to the doctor, and he said the sperm count was very low, due to a childhood injury. I had a bicycle accident as a kid, severely bruising my testicles. It damaged something there. So, I kinda gave up hope I would ever have the joy of raising a child."

Now I felt a slight change in him. His tension seemed a bit less intense, his eyes almost glued to my face.

"Continue, I know you want to say something important, Rain," he whispered.

My hand made a small stroke over his stomach, and this time he didn't tense up.

"It might sound crazy and premature."

"But say it anyway."

Sighing, I whispered, "I really wish we could work, you and me. Maybe, you would let me claim your child? Be a father to him. I know it's a lot to ask! I know, it's so early. But I want you to know where I stand. The child would never be a problem for me. It would be a blessing, if anything. A dream come true. So, that's it. I would be honored if you let me be there for the birth."

I could feel his tension, especially in his abdominal muscles, completely fade away. There was still some tension around his lips—a hint of bitterness, sadness.

"Thank you for everything you've said. Believe me, it has put me at ease in so many ways. There is, however, one problem. We've known each other for exactly two and a half weeks, Rain. Yes, they were intense and very revealing days. But for that reason, I'm a bit overwhelmed and probably can't think straight. I just want to be sure you are the right person for me. I want to know you better, which is why I lifted the ridiculous talking ban. Please be patient with me. I'm not saying 'no' to anything you've proposed. But I want to have the option to back out if something goes wrong between us."

I nodded with a serious face. "I understand, Kay. That's perfectly reasonable. It's a very fresh development for us."

He swallowed and suddenly placed his hand on top of mine, which was still resting on his stomach. I flinched a bit, almost startled by his unexpected gesture.

"But just so you know, it makes me happy to think that if things work out between us, you'd accept my child as your own. Maybe it's some small atonement from Fate? When Maurice died, I thought Fate was just cruel. But perhaps there's a small blessing hidden inside this tragedy. You've always dreamed of having a child, and now it might happen for you, in a way. So not everything is lost. There is new life where the old ends, and new hope even in… death."

A lone tear fell from his cheek. I took a deep breath and softly wiped it away with a tender gesture.

"So let's hope for the best between us," I smiled ruefully, lightly squeezing his fingers. "But for now, allow me to take care of you, Kay. I want to do this."

He responded with a sad smile and nodded. I leaned in and embraced him, then lifted him in my arms and carried him to the bathroom. After setting him carefully on his feet, I turned on the water, and took his hand, leading him into the shower cubicle. The tepid streams seemed to relax him even more, as I let the water flow over his slender body. Taking some shower gel, I gently started to clean him, rubbing it over his skin, arms, neck, chest, and back.

Unable to resist, I moved my hand down to his round buttocks and he moaned softly. I slid my fingers between his ass cheeks to wash there as well, but he moaned even louder, making my blood boil. I leaned over his shoulder and noticed that he had a full erection. Kay really wasn't much of a challenge in the 'getting him hard' department. So I wrapped my fingers around his shaft and began to slowly and sensually jerk him off. Two minutes and he came! Not a word of comment between us, it seemed almost natural at this point, the frequent sex part. With calm and gentle movements, I rinsed him thoroughly and began to wash his hair. He seemed to especially enjoy the massage of his scalp, making cute gasps and whimpers. Kay obviously just loved to be touched, massaged, stroked, like a cat in heat.

When I was done, I took his hand and led him out of the shower, then began to dry him off with a towel.

"Can I dry your hair?"

He looked at me from under his eyelashes and nodded, so I took out the hair dryer. Kay leaned slightly over the bathroom sink, fixing his eyes on the mirror, while I stood behind him and started to blow-dry his long strands. For the first time, I saw him with his hair loose. It came down to his hips in long, lush, thick waves. Like dense jet-black silk.

"You have… such gorgeous hair," I murmured, brushing it with a hairbrush. He had his eyes closed during this, which I could see in the mirror in front of us, and didn't answer me for a while, as if in a pleasant trance. Then he slowly opened his eyes, locking his dilated pupils on my face with a delicious mix of arrogance, seductiveness, and sweetness that made me want to wallow in the energy he sent me.

The ends of his hair were scattered across his hips and buttocks. I peered down. His pelvis was tilted back, his ass cheeks slightly protruding, almost provocative. I instantly heard my own pulse quicken. Fighting the temptation seemed doomed, so I lowered my hand to his crease and gently stroked his wet taint. I was so excited to see him like this, naked, his butt jutting out, his back covered in voluminous hair. Two white globes were springy and pert, very inviting, my fingers couldn't tear themselves away from the perfect roundness, and from his pink entrance, my breath hitched as I noticed he made a very slight movement with his hips, something like swaying a bit, almost encouraging, and then I murmured,

"You're too sexy, Kay, I want—can I?"

"Yes…"

That was what I was waiting for, I lowered myself a bit and aligned my dick with his entrance. I slid in smoothly, without any resistance, he was dripping wet.

"God, so good, feels so fucking good," I breathed a sigh of relief.

Kay gasped and threw his head back as I began to move inside him, instantly making him moan and groan. Unbelievable, he was hard again! It seemed incredible how the pregnancy hormones affected his sexual libido. Or was there more to this mystery? About four minutes later, we came together. Feeling drained, I hid my face in a thick coat of his hair and panted for a while. He was leaning over the sink with his head slightly bowed.

When my breathing evened out, I took the paper towels and gently cleaned his crease and dick. I also wiped the sink because it was covered with semen. Kay watched me in silence.

After I was done, I braided his hair. While I was doing it, he observed me in the mirror, his expression hard to decipher, his energy slightly tumultuous.

"Well, it's finished. Now we just need to get dressed, and then we can go to the police station."

Kay looked at me like he wanted to ask for something but changed his mind. He just went to the closet to find some clothes while I returned to my room to get some clean pants since mine were splashed with blood. Once we were ready, we headed downstairs.

KAY

My brothers' voices from the living room sounded worried. When we entered, their eyes fixed on us. Adam seemed a little uncomfortable, while Marco was just focused.

"Are we going now?" I asked, trying to keep my cool, preparing myself mentally.

Adam stood up, his lips curling. "Glad that knot went down, with Rain's blockers, you never know," he muttered, a bit sarcastic.

Neither Rain nor I commented on that.

"There's one more thing," Marco spoke up, hesitating slightly. "You mentioned Harry grabbed your neck. We were just talking, it would strengthen our case if you had bruises in that area when we go to the police station."

For a moment, I stared at him in surprise. But what he said actually made sense; visible proof of Dawson's brutality could work in our favor, especially in court. Rubbing my chin, I considered his plan. That would involve some pain, but the risk was worth it. Rain's gaze intensely bore into my face, but I ignored it for now.

"That's not a bad idea—" I started.

"Wait! But who's supposed to create those bruises?" Rain asked suspiciously.

Before I managed to suggest anything, Adam stepped toward us. They obviously thought this through. "Preferably you, Rain, since you have bigger hands—" he started to say, but Rain interrupted him immediately.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse! I won't hurt Kay."

Adam and Rain locked eyes in a strange stare-down. This tension between them was getting annoying, and I needed it to stop. Adam's usually cheerful demeanor had changed, and he had a deep frown on his face. Was he so shocked by the Dawsons' attack on me, or was it something else?

He even snorted in frustration. "It's for a good cause. Don't make it more difficult than it needs to be—"

"I won't do it. I can't." Rain clenched his jaw.

"Rain, you're being irrational!"

"No! The things I want to do to Kay are the complete opposite of causing him pain, Adam. You understand that, right?"

Adam pursed his lips and then barked, "Speaking of which, I've already seen too much of that stuff, thanks to you, and I really didn't need it! He's my brother, for fuck's sake! And now? The police mess? You caused this, Rain! I'm really pissed off at you. You couldn't stop yourself and had to do the stupid alpha power show, bringing this trouble on Kay! He has enough on his plate; can't you see?! Did you have to send those idiots to the hospital?!"

If he thought he was the only one pissed, he was very wrong. I'd had enough too. He was right in a way—I already had too much turmoil in my life and didn't need him going ballistic on my alpha (my alpha?!). Letting my omega instincts take over, I jumped toward him so quickly that he instinctively stepped back, forgetting about the sofa behind him, and fell onto it, staring at me with wide eyes.

"What the fuck, Adam! I'm done with you taking it out on Rain! Would you rather see me raped by those bastards?! You weren't there, you didn't hear their words! Stop attacking him; he's my protector now, I appointed him!"

The room fell into a deafening silence, everyone staring at me. Especially Marco seemed surprised to hear the word 'protector'.

Adam swallowed and looked away.

"How can you even say that, Kay?" he blurted out. "I want you safe, more than anything! That's why I'm frustrated. Instead of just scaring them off, he had to almost kill them! Now we have a case against us and a visit to the police station ahead! Do you know Johnson's cousin married into the Dawsons? These people are not on our side! It can be dangerous if they want to separate us from you!"

Suddenly, Rain spoke in a low, surprisingly calm voice. "Adam, I get it, I share your concerns. But for some reason, I couldn't stop. It was stronger than my will, I really tried. I would never put Kay through unnecessary trouble. But as Marco mentioned: Kay is pregnant, they can't separate him from me. We can call the Omega Red Line Agency."

Another moment of deep silence followed, and Adam averted his gaze.

Marco let out a breath. "Listen, we all need to calm down. It's a stressful situation, and we have no idea what's going to happen next. But we shouldn't be at each other's throats, blaming, arguing. We have to deal with what is. Can we go back to the topic of creating the bruising?"

"I don't get your sudden problem with Rain, Adam. You wanted him here, you had this whole… plan for us. Why are you flipping out like this?" I just wasn't done with it.

Adam swallowed, his eyes still fixed on the wall behind us. The silence was heavy. Finally, he snorted and shrugged. "Sorry, I'm just on edge. This day was horrible, and I'm super worried about the police thing. They will be on the Dawsons' side, and I'm frustrated we could have avoided the whole mess."

"But Rain didn't start it, the Dawsons did. He only intervened after they asked if I didn't mind giving them my ass. I bit him. There is a possibility of a strange quasi-mating thing going on from what we can tell, maybe the blockers messed up his glands? If that's the case, his reactions might have been more impulsive. Please, try to keep that in mind."

Adam didn't look one hundred percent convinced, but he let out a small huff.

"Yeah, I'll try. I guess I feel guilty for starting it in a way. It was me who suggested inviting an alpha here, and now it's just out of our hands."

"How can you say that?! If there had been no 'alpha' here, I would have been raped, Adam!" I raised my voice, clenching my fist. "You are really out of line."

The silence was palpable. Adam swallowed, looking almost like he was about to cry.

"Sorry you feel that way about me, Adam," Rain said stiffly. "That I'm a liability here. All I wanted was to save Kay; that was all that mattered to me."

Only then did Adam huff and shake his head. "I know, and believe me, I'm forever grateful, Rain! But you didn't have to send him into a coma. The Dawsons are very vengeful people!"

"Fair point. But I can't change it now."

Marco snorted. "Can you both talk it through later? The bruising thing, remember?"

Adam muttered gloomily, "Sure, we can go back to the bruising thing. If Rain doesn't want to do it, you should do it then. You have bigger hands than me."

Marco immediately winced.

"Kay, to make bruises, he'll have to use quite a bit of force. I'm worried. He could damage your trachea; he's not a doctor, he doesn't know how much pressure to use," Rain said softly, turning to me with worried eyes.

For some reason, his tone made me feel strangely mushy. I felt his genuine care. Rain's silver-gray eyes roamed over my face and down to my neck, as if to make a point.

Instinctively, I raised my hand and brushed across my Adam's apple. Rain was still peering at me, intense emotions in his gaze, his hand softly caressing my cheek and neck. Why was I so drawn to him, to his touch, so hypnotizing, dizzying? His fingers brushed my gland, and my pulse sped up. For a moment, I forgot where we were, and he seemed to forget too. But suddenly, we heard Marco clearing his throat, and the magic was gone.

"Guys, you can continue when we're done, but now we need to focus, okay?" he reminded us.

I quickly stepped back, biting my lip.

What the hell? Could this attack change me so much? Make me go from wanting to keep my distance to clinging to him? I felt needy—almost tipsy with this neediness! I just wanted to stay in Rain's comforting aura a little longer, even ignoring the presence of my own brothers.

They just didn't understand us—alphas and omegas—our tempers, our bonds, our chemistry, our primal sides. Our animal aspects were beyond them. They were frustrated with Rain's instinctive actions, but I wasn't, not in the slightest. In fact, for some reason, it made me trust Rain even more!

Adam raised his eyebrows, watching us intently, his mouth slightly agape as if something had struck him.

"Rain," he began hesitantly, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just really unnerving, and I can't think clearly. I am truly glad you and Kay are getting along so well now. But there's something I need to say. Kay has a point here. Some strange one-way mating bond could have started with Kay biting you—it really seems to be taking effect now. You're extra protective of him."

Heat flushed Rain's cheeks. "But everybody knows marking outside of heat doesn't work, although—" he hesitated, looking pensive, perhaps not wanting to downplay it? "I admit, I've never experienced anything like this, even before, with Brian. Maybe it's because of Seprudin 500? It could mess with my hormones. I hope we'll find out tomorrow after the phone call," he speculated.

"For now, we have more pressing things to do. Marco should do it as quickly as possible. If the bruise seemed too fresh, it may look suspicious," I interjected, realizing time was passing, and we were going nowhere.

An awkward silence settled in the room.

"All right," Marco murmured reluctantly. "Maybe sit down on the sofa?"

Was it a good idea to be sitting? I glanced back and scrutinized the sofa, but did as he said. Rain sat next to me right away, hugging me protectively by the shoulders. I leaned into his embrace, preparing myself for what was going to happen.

Marco looked indecisive, swaying from one leg to the other, and I snorted impatiently.

"Kneel on my other side," I instructed him. "Thumb on my Adam's apple, and the rest of the fingers on the back of my neck."

"Adam's apple? That's gonna hurt like hell." Marco hesitated.

"I'm ready. Just do it before I change my mind," I urged.

Rain fixed his eyes on my neck as Marco positioned his fingers as instructed. He did it quickly, just squeezed, and I hissed in pain. It was unexpectedly painful, and I had to cough a few times. But Rain's arms were tightly cradling me, which gave me some relief.

"Well… I hope that's enough," Marco muttered, straightening up.

"Me too!" I winced, rubbing my neck. "Damn, that was really unpleasant."

Adam stepped closer and leaned down to check it. His face was troubled as he flexed his fingers nervously. Rain also observed it with a concerned expression. His fingertips brushed my Adam's apple, and I shivered, not necessarily because the spot was sore.

"Can we go now?" I asked, clearing my poor throat. "I guess the bruise will be freshly red, so we have to count on cops taking pictures after our statements. Hopefully, enough time will pass for it to be more visible."

Then I coughed again, feeling quite crappy, and instinctively leaned my head on Rain's shoulder, searching for a safe and warm place. His arms wrapped around me, giving me a comforting embrace that brought me immediate relief.

The three of them gave me a minute to just compose myself. Sitting like that, my thoughts wandered. Rain's hands were slowly stroking my back, one move after another, putting me into a calming, trance-like state.

I glanced at him cautiously from under my half-closed eyelids.

Our previous conversation had taken a heavy burden off me, but at the same time, it created a different one. We were entering a new phase—unknown and terrifying. I'd never been with anyone other than Maurice, and I had no idea how to function in a relationship with someone else. How much intimacy, touch, tenderness, and affection was Rain accustomed to? I needed a lot of it! I was a crazy cuddler. Was his previous relationship similar to what I had with Maurice? Or should I learn about him even more before trying to progress our peculiar arrangement? He asked to be my protector, not my boyfriend, and I was grateful for the space he left so we could explore… us.

But maybe it would be easier if we just jumped into the deep water without prolonging and complicating it further? Because on some deep level, I already knew. I felt it in almost every cell of my body. Our relationship had a real chance.

The problem was— I just had to allow myself to accept it first.

RAIN

As the four of us headed toward the car, Marco and Adam took the front seats again, while Kay and I were in the back like before. This time, when I sat down first, Kay walked around the car, got in from the other side, and snuggled closer to me, our thighs touching. I glanced at him, but he was silent, deeply immersed in his thoughts. Slowly, I raised my arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. He let me keep it there for the entire ride, which made me feel… nice. From the moment of the attack, he was much more eager to touch me, to lean on me, than before, but I didn't want to overindulge.

Marco, who was driving, looked at us with a subtle smile, surely noticing the progress in our closeness.

Soon, we arrived at the parking lot near the police station. Not a word had been exchanged between us. Obviously, we all had a lot on our shoulders. We went inside, where two policemen, both alphas in their thirties, were standing near the entrance. They stared at us intensely—well, mostly at Kay. Their nostrils flared as they took in his pregnant scent, their eyes crazily focused on his face. His attractiveness definitely turned heads. It was as if only Kay existed, while we were just invisible ghosts walking into the building.

Marco engaged in a short conversation with an older policeman sitting behind a small window in the waiting room. Soon, we were directed to one of the side corridors to wait for Deputy Johnson. We sat on a bench in silence. Soon, the deputy showed up with another man, a big alpha, whom he introduced as Detective Moor.

"Detective Moor will be speaking with all of you to take your statements. I have some other pressing matters to attend to now," he said in an impassive voice.

"I'd like to speak first with Marco and Adam Darnell," Moor announced, eyeing us.

The man was as tall as me and even broader in the shoulders. He looked grumpy and standoffish. I felt a weird sense of unease being near him.

"Aren't there usually two officers speaking with witnesses?" Marco muttered questioningly. Johnson completely ignored him and simply walked away. Moor made a short, sharp hand gesture to urge us to follow him.

Only then did I realize that Adam's intense fear of the local police might have been justified; these people certainly weren't on our side. It was just hanging in the air.

First, Marco was invited into the small room with the detective. After some time, he came out, and Adam followed the detective in, nervously swallowing.

"What did he ask?" I murmured.

"Almost nothing, just what happened, as I saw it, not even what I heard from you, but my recollection of events after the moment I noticed you approaching, carrying Kay. And he said that would be all."

While Adam was questioned, Kay's shoulders were curled in, and his gaze was fixed on the floor.

For a moment, I hesitated if I should mention it. "I don't feel good about you being alone with him in the interrogation room. There should be a beta or omega as the second officer. It's usually like this when an omega is giving his statement."

Kay muttered, "Well, he is a policeman. If he doesn't protect a citizen, no one will."

As soon as Moor had finished with the two beta brothers, he stood in the doorway and scrutinized Kay. "And now you. Come with me."

"I'd like to be with him inside. He's in a fragile state, pregnant—" I insisted, but he immediately interrupted me.

"No, you can't. The presence of another person might influence his statement. Please, wait outside."

"I don't—"

"It's okay, Rain. I'll be fine," Kay said, standing up and heading toward the detective.

I clenched my jaw, watching his tall silhouette disappear behind the door. As soon as Moor closed it, I growled softly, having a hard time controlling my emotions. Adam and Marco glanced at me.

"It's okay, Rain, hopefully it won't take long. His questions were… very succinct," Marco muttered calmingly.

"No. It's not okay. I can feel Kay there. He doesn't feel safe."

Marco raised his eyebrows. "What? You can feel him? Inside the room? How is that possible?"

Only then did I realize what I had said, and surely, it could come off as strange. Biting my nails, I murmured, "I don't know. But I sense him."

Something was happening to me. I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. It was odd, but I really could feel Kay's emotions from that far—and pretty intensely. Before, I was able to tell what his mental state was while being with him in the same room, but now it seemingly intensified. As we sat there for several minutes, I started to tune in more and more to Kay's state of mind, the connection oddly strengthening.

At first, it was a hint of uncertainty, but it gradually evolved into anxiety. The waiting was killing me, as I knew how uncomfortable he was.

And soon—there was a sudden burst of fear! I couldn't pretend to ignore it, I leaped to my feet…

KAY

Waiting in the hallway didn't drag on for me, to be honest. I wasn't in the mood to discuss this awful situation, and I didn't want to leave Rain's comforting presence. From time to time, I glanced at him, almost in disbelief, pondering what had happened. I didn't recognize myself in all of this.

Up until now, I hadn't allowed myself to dive too deeply into my feelings about him. But after what happened today, something in me just… cracked. Pandora's box has been opened, and I was flooded with a stream of musings.

When I was with Maurice, certain things were super simple and obvious, like the matter of my safety. Maurice quietly ensured that by always being around and keeping an eye on me. I never even had to worry about whether it was safe to leave the house late at night or go to the beach—he took care of all the security issues!

Maurice and I were almost joined at the hip, inseparable. And funny thing, I didn't mind it one bit! I loved being close to another person. I loved cuddles, trips together, holidays together, everything together. I've always been the type made for relationships. I never had a 'Mr. Independent' personality.

Maybe my life was a bit spoiled? Maybe I was like some kind of pampered prince with his loyal bodyguard, always ready to step between me and potential danger. Now I realize that everything I had—I took for granted. I got used to that luxury and grew arrogant in a way. I never thought that simply going to the lake shore could hold any danger for me. I didn't have a heightened sense of natural awareness; Maurice was my awareness, my shield.

Was that wrong? Did I make a mistake, depending on his protectiveness? Maybe if I had been more independent, I would have been more cautious too. Avoiding potentially dangerous situations would have come naturally to me.

This thought bothered me for a while, but then I remembered a conversation I once had with one of my colleagues—also a model. Because he was stunningly attractive, he simply received a lot more attention than other omegas. When he walked down the street, he heard constant whistles. When he took public transportation, he had to deal with being touched inappropriately many times, also during modeling jobs. His looks were a gift and—a curse, just like mine. He confessed to me once that he had been sexually assaulted several times and eventually, he got himself a 'bodyguard'—a gun.

I knew that this whole thing was just the tip of the iceberg and clearly showed there was a deeper problem with our society—how alphas treated omegas, almost like game animals. A single omega, especially an attractive one, was like a moving target. And if he was pregnant or nearing heat, he had it really tough.

Would a lot have changed in my life if I didn't have Maurice and learned to take more responsibility for my own safety?

The problem was—society would still be the same!

In either alternative, I could never afford the luxury of living as freely as I wished, as I deserved, as all omegas deserved. It just wasn't that kind of reality we lived in, and no matter what I did, how much I secured myself, how careful I was, I would still encounter unpleasant situations. That was the world, and all I could do was come to terms with its harsh nature.

My thoughts returned to Rain. Was I so scared after what happened today that I clung to him only because I was desperate for a new bodyguard?

Was that the only reason?

Until now, I had only considered him in terms of his usefulness to me—his help with my pregnancy, his role in restoring my health, and relieving my cramps.

Had I just assigned him another role as my new protector, essentially turning him into a tool for yet another purpose? My new bodyguard, now that Maurice was gone?

Disgusted with myself, I shook my head lightly and glanced at Rain's classically handsome profile. He was such a good guy, he deserved more than just being a helper for me. I wanted so badly to give him hopebecause I knew if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't want to be just a commodity for someone else. And I felt, Rain wanted to offer me so much more than only his 'helpfulness'. I could feel his emotions and see them so clearly—he had been open to having more with me for some time now.

But it seemed everything he sent my way had to pass through a needle-thin filter, a tiny hole. My feelings for Maurice blocked out everything else, apparently leaving no room left for Rain. I wasn't faithful to Maurice's memory, but I wasn't fair to Rain either.

Could I change it somehow? What he told me today about his struggles with infertility meant so much to me. He was so vulnerable and honest, and it really touched me that he'd be willing to be a father to a stranger's child. Was it Fate smiling on us? Maybe I could give him something he couldn't have—was it a match made in heaven? Could we build a family together, could we build… us? He wanted more with me, and I realized I was starting to consider that 'more' too. It was a shy thought, but it was there and didn't want to disappear.

My deep brooding was finally interrupted.

Adam and Marco finished their one-on-one with the deputy, and after a brief conversation, I entered the interrogation room, leaving my brothers and Rain behind.

Detective Moor sank back into his chair and glanced at me with raised eyebrows, his eyes trailing over me in that inquisitive way I hated—because it meant more than just his professional assessment of the questioned witness. He looked at me like an alpha who liked what he saw. I cautiously perched on the edge of the chair, clasping my hands.

Yes, this was exactly what I had been seeing whenever I found myself alone with an alpha. His eyes would widen, his pupils dilate, and that interest would grow, intensify, escalate… I swallowed hard.

In the past, I tried a different approach—being cocky, arrogant. Unfortunately, that just worked like waving a red flag in front of a bull for any alpha really into the chase. "You're playing hard to get? I'll prove you're not!"—I'd heard that more than once.

I once read that alphas were like grizzly bears; when confronted, they escalated. Betas were like black bears; when aggressively confronted, they would retreat. Moor was definitely a grizzly, maybe even a polar bear type motherfucker?

He cleared his throat. "So, how does all this fit together, Kay?" he asked, tilting his head. "Are you really pregnant? Because what I heard from Deputy Johnson is truly extraordinary."

I gritted my teeth and opened the folder full of medical documents Adam had slipped under my arm on the way in. "These are my medical records and ultrasound scans. Yes, I'm pregnant. The pregnancy was endangered, but now it isn't. However, I don't quite understand what all this has to do with the rape attempt I'm asked to give a statement about?"

He said with a sigh, "I've heard some strange things about the knot thing and such; this all looks very unusual."

"I repeat, what does this have to do with what happened, with the attempted assault?" My voice remained calm.

"Where did the assumption even come from that it was an attempted assault? The Dawsons don't confirm anything like that; they say it was just a light conversation between friends, and your new lover got involved in a rather barbaric way."

I clenched my teeth, feeling a wave of disgust. Of course, that's how they would spin it; what else did I expect? They wouldn't admit guilt, for sure. "So it's basically their word against mine and Rain's?"

"That's always the case in such situations. I have to hear both sides; it's my job." Detective Moor narrowed his eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly. I was sure he was catching my scent, which now filled the room.

"No, this wasn't just a calm chat between friends. They were observing my house, sniffing around, much like you are now, detective."

Detective Moor cracked a gnarly grin and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "That doesn't prove anything either. Many people hang around Adam's house daily." He shrugged. "The lake shore is quite picturesque."

"Not that many. It's isolated. Rain saw them on the beach nearby, asking about me and making unpleasant remarks, watching the house from afar. They've planned this!"

"Kay, focus. This still doesn't prove anything. The beach is public; anyone can sit wherever they want."

Clenching my jaw, I fought off helpless frustration. This conversation was going nowhere. "Sure, you can dismiss every clue, even ten clues. But does that work both ways? When they gave their statements, did you also shrug off every suggestion?"

Detective Moor leaned slightly toward me; his eyes focused on my face, even drifting momentarily to my lips. "We're talking about your version of what happened, not how they saw it."

"It's a shame I didn't have a recorder with me because everything would be clear. They came up to me and immediately started hurling vulgar remarks, mentioning my late husband, suggesting the child wasn't his, calling me a whore for bringing Rain to help me—"

"Vulgar remarks still don't constitute attempted rape!"

"But grabbing my neck and pulling me toward them, along with the suggestion that I should give them my ass since I'm giving it to Rain? Is that enough for you?!" My voice quivered with nerves and anger.

"Those could've just been inappropriate jokes. The Dawsons aren't common thugs; they have no criminal records. No one has ever accused them of anything like that. And remember, they could smell your scent. Maybe some stupid thoughts crossed their minds."

"My scent is to blame, not them? They're not mindless animals!"

Moor struggled to suppress a smile creeping onto his face. I knew he was barely holding onto a facade of professionalism.

"Alphas are somewhat animalistic. So why don't you use deodorants that mask pheromones?"

"First, I just emerged from the water, so they would be useless anyway. Second, they contain substances that are not recommended for pregnant omegas, especially for at-risk pregnancies! Not to mention, they are simply ineffective against strong pheromone emissions like I have during waves."

"So, to the point. What exactly happened on the beach?"

"I told you. After they offended me, Harry grabbed my neck and sniffed me, demanding my ass, and only then Rain attacked him—"

"All alphas are loose cannons. This whole situation could have been easily de-escalated."

"De-escalated? By kindly suggesting they should leave while they were already sniffing me and reeking of arousal? Or should I let them have a taste of me?"

Moor sighed again, looking at me as if I were an insolent brat. "You're really riled up, overreacting; I wasn't implying anything like that."

"Riled up? What's with the patronizing tone?!" My anger was still rising.

"Emotions and exaggerated feelings—they're natural for pregnant omegas."

"They're also natural when someone was nearly assaulted."

Moor fell silent for a moment, his eyes drilling intensely into me. "These guys are hot-blooded, and you're very attractive. Two plus two equals trouble. We shouldn't make a big deal out of it."

"Oh, so it's my looks, my scent, and the nature of alphas at fault then?"

Moor was silent for a moment, just staring at me. "I knew Maurice a bit, you know? From a shooting range. I've also been to his family's hotels a few times when there were some disturbances, minor thefts. Nice kid. What a shame the brakes failed."

I remained silent, not knowing where he was going with that, but inside, I was trembling; my hands were clenched so tightly that my nails were digging into my skin, drawing blood. I felt something building up inside me.

"You deserve a new man; you're way too pretty to be alone. Guys like you attract alphas like honey; many would want to offer you protection."

Through gritted teeth, I managed, "That's a very inappropriate comment and almost sounds like you're making an offer yourself!"

A strange, crimson shadow appeared on Moor's cheeks. He twitched his nostrils, which widened as he took in my scent. "I'm happily married; it's just an observation. A suggestion, for your safety. As a concerned police officer."

Silence fell. I felt something twisting painfully inside me—anger, helplessness, despair. I wanted out of here so badly.

"Are you scared, Kay? You don't need to fear me; everything I said was with your good in mind." His voice had a raspy tone to it.

Still, I said nothing, just stared at himbecause continuing this conversation seemed dreadful, almost repulsive. I hated this man to the bone; he epitomized everything that was annoying about his kind.

Moor was silent too, ogling me. It seemed he leaned in even closer, his eyes shifting to my lips, his fingers twitching.

"Can I go now?" My voice was barely a whisper, but the deputy only tilted his head.

"We're not done here. I was serious, suggesting you should find somebody—"

"I'm not lonely anymore!" I shrieked.

"Oh, but you will be soon. When Rain ends up in prison, you'll need a real alpha."

His face reddened even more, and then it happened—a low, resonating sound emerged from his chest—it was the famous 'Appreciation', known to every alpha and omega in the world, a basic involuntary sound expressing sexual attraction.

"How dare you, pig!" I exclaimed, violently jerking back in my chair.

At that exact moment, we heard a loud knocking. Or rather banging!

I felt a massive wave of relief as Moor leapt to his feet and hurried to open the door. Over his shoulder, I saw Rain's worried face. To me, he was like a lifeline, a reassuring hand reaching out to me—so precious, symbolizing warmth and safety…

So I also sprang to my feet and ran toward him, pushing past Moor's elbow. As I fell into Rain's warm embrace, a feeling of peace and happiness washed over me. This was where I needed to be, with the man who was willing to protect me at any cost—Rain, my Rain. Could he really be mine? My heart clenched painfully in protest. Half of me still belonged to Maurice and objected to the idea vehemently, but the other half of me started to… rebel.

RAIN

The moment I sensed Kay's distress, I leapt to my feet and started banging on the door.

"Rain! What are you—" Adam began, trying to calm me down, but the door swung open violently.

Detective Moor's burly silhouette blocked my view, but I managed to glance over his shoulder, standing on my tiptoes, and saw Kay's pale face. He dashed toward the door and slipped under the detective's elbow, then he literally fell into my embrace, wrapping his hands around me. I was shocked to see how much he had changed; obviously fully trusting me now as his protector. A wave of intense happiness washed over me. Or was I reading too much into the situation?

Maybe it was just that, nothing more than his protector?

"What the hell is going on here?!" I snarled, as Moor winced angrily.

"Why are you interfering? I need to take his statement and—"

"You made a sound! You know what kind of sound!" Kay almost screamed.

"For God's sake! You're emitting pregnancy pheromones, and it's involuntary, you know that!" Moor huffed, shifting from anger to a hesitantly apologetic tone.

"Did you make a sexual sound toward my mate?" I asked in a low, growling voice.

The detective rolled his eyes, clearly not taking this seriously. "Oh, give me a break. Just a sound, nothing more. Involuntary! His pheromones are very strong—"

"Then bring in a beta to take his statement if you can't be one hundred percent professional around him. He shouldn't be stressed while pregnant. He needs to feel safe, and today he's had enough scary situations!" I growled even louder.

"And who are you to—"

"He mated me!" I pulled aside my collar to show him my fresh scar. "I'm his protector now." I raised my chin, opting for a dramatic tone, "And you'd have to kill me before I let you continue the questioning with him alone, stressed, and cornered!"

Moor stared at my scar for a moment, his jaw clenched, obviously considering his options. Kay's cheek was still pressed to my chest, his arms around me. I was soothingly stroking his hair and back with my left hand.

"Fine!" he growled. "You can stay. There's no beta available today to take over. It's Sunday, and we don't have enough officers!"

Marco and Adam were staring at us, mouths gaping open.

Very satisfied with the outcome of our exchange, I went inside the room with my arm wrapped still around Kay's shoulders. As I sat down, I pulled him onto my lap. He sat on my thighs, his hand resting on my neck. The progress we had made was almost overwhelming but so welcome.

Lowering myself, I kissed him on his gland. As I did, I noticed something strange. The scar from my bite today was the only one visible! I couldn't see his late husband's marking. I swallowed hard. How was that even possible? Had Maurice's mark just… vanished?

I recalled seeing his glands pink and spongy just before I bit him. Was it there then? Or did I somehow erase it? I'd never heard of anything like that before.

Puzzled, I glanced at Kay, but he obviously couldn't see his own neck. Could this have some unexpected effect on both of us? Was Kay's needy behavior the result of this peculiar mating bond we somehow created? Realizing it was a strong possibility, I felt almost disappointed.

"So, where were we—" Moor grunted, sitting down.

"You were making strange suggestions," Kay said sourly.

Moor almost shot him with his steel gaze.

"I wouldn't call them strange; they were just pieces of advice. And I meant—before that!"

"I described how Harry and Jorah offended me, and you were dismissive about it. After that, Harry grabbed my neck to sniff me, and then Rain came—"

"Yes, yes. That part you already told me. So, what happened after Rain beat Harry?" Moor looked like a dog with a bone.

Kay hesitated. His lips slightly trembled.

Was the detective trying to play on our nerves? I clenched my jaw and decided to insert myself into the conversation. "We can leave that aside. It's private. After that, I said to Jorah—"

"Excuse me! I'm conducting the interrogation!"

"Interrogation?! So that's what you call it? I thought this was just taking his statement! Kay isn't accused of anything, he's a victim here. And what you're trying to do is force him to share the most intimate things between an omega and an alpha—"

"I already know what happened from Jorah! He presented his ass, offering you—"

"You son of a bitch! What you're doing is completely unprofessional! We're leaving!"

I started to stand up, but Moor laughed in a chilling, cold tone.

"You sent this man to the hospital; he's in a coma. And Kay is perfectly fine! You're looking at excessive use of force and causing life-threatening bodily harm. Do you really think it's a good idea to refuse to give your statements? Do you want to end up in jail and not be able to see your new mate for a very long time?"

It was clear now, how these people viewed the situation. They felt they had the upper hand here, and I was the one in the wrong. They didn't take the rape attempt seriously. In their minds, I was 'the criminal'. This small-town police precinct didn't even pretend to do things professionally.

Kay squeezed my arm. "Rain, it's okay. We can talk about it. Thank you for… protecting me, but it needs to be done. Yes, I acted on instinct, and offered him the possibility of intercourse."

"Did he take it?"

He already knew the answer, and yet he asked. Asshole.

"Yes. After that, Rain asked Jorah to take Harry from the beach, and we left. Rain carried me, as I was still in shock because of the situation."

"How did Harry look then?"

"I didn't look too closely at him. I was very nervous and in pain. He squeezed my neck." Kay tilted his head to show the bruises. He also briefly glanced at me.

"Well, we need to take a picture of the bruising," Moor added bitterly, and suddenly stood up. Kay and I gaped as he took out his own phone and snapped a photo of Kay's neck, from the side where the bruises were. Just like that!

"Wait, shouldn't a police technician or medical staff do that, so it could be included as evidence?" I tried to object, but he ignored me and returned to his seat. The fucker.

Kay and I exchanged looks of frustration. It seemed the whole farce was for nothing. These people were so unprofessional that practically nothing we did could help us if they weren't willing to pay attention.

"And what was Jorah doing during that?"

Kay sighed. "Arguing, of course. Saying he was in bad shape and couldn't help Harry. But we walked away."

"What happened next?"

"We met my brothers and told them about the situation, urging them to check on the Dawsons. Then we went upstairs. And yes, we had sex again, in case you were going to ask. Soon after, Deputy Johnson came."

"So, you're telling me that after that horrible rape attempt, you just carried on like nothing happened and casually fucked?" he mocked, his voice sarcastic and amused.

"I initiated it, not Kay. I was in fighting mode, my instincts were activated, I was protecting my mate and claiming him as nature prompted me to do," I hissed.

Moor ignored me and addressed his next question to Kay. "Did he knot you?"

Kay clenched his jaw, and I did the same. "Yeah, in case anyone in the whole police station isn't aware yet, yes, he knotted me."

Moor crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. "That's bull. Not during pregnancy."

"We know it's strange. But Rain is on strong suppressants. He went into fighting mode with them in his bloodstream; we don't know what can happen in such cases. Maybe his system mixed signals from my pregnancy pheromones."

"I'll be calling the suppressant manufacturer tomorrow morning. They might have some additional information," I added, forcing my voice to stay calm. This whole 'interrogation' was so far removed from anything I would expect from a real police officer that I was in deep disbelief.

"Well, you better do that. Any unexpected side effects that can influence behavior could also be your defense argument in a potential trial."

"We're aware of that," Kay said tersely.

"So, is there anything else you need to ask him, or can we go?" I snarled.

Moor smirked. "He can go. You stay."

Kay stood up and said quietly, "I'll wait outside."

I felt relieved seeing him go out; Moor's reddened face and flaring nostrils were playing on my nerves.

As Kay stepped out, the detective rubbed his chin and unexpectedly said, "Well, I must say it's all very weird. Didn't it cross your mind that something else could be at play here? I doubt blockers can explain knotting and marking outside of heat."

"What do you mean by that?" I cautiously asked.

I could have told him it's none of his business, but for some reason, I hesitated. I could maybe use another person's opinion, even if he was a total asshole. And perhaps exactly because of that, he probably wouldn't sugarcoat it for my sake.

"You know who can knot beyond heat."

More silence followed. I looked down at my fists, my heart thundering loudly and alarmingly in my chest. This topic was dangerous, and nerve-wracking!

Moor rolled his eyes. "Did the cat get your tongue? And what's with the raging heartbeat? Let me ask differently, did anything strange happen during your first time?"

In fact, I was now biting my tongue quite painfully. But I stayed silent, afraid to say it out loud. But this time, the deputy waited with a stubborn grimace, staring at me expectantly, and I couldn't afford to spend another minute in his obnoxious presence.

"Fuck. Yes!" I burst out. The need to say it out loud won. "We both came simultaneously. But it can be easily explained; he's in a quasi-heat state because of the pregnancy, so it must have messed up our reaction."

"Pregnancy cravings are not a heat; that's a silly thing to say. And the knotting thing. It's impossible during pregnancy, Mr. Nolan."

"But the blockers… they could mess up my hormones."

"Well, the blockers surely didn't help you mate him."

I froze.

"What?"

"What 'what'? Kay is mated to you, and you are mated to him now."

"He? Mated to ME? But I thought it was only a one-way thing! That he somehow mated me, since my mark was very faded! Yes, I did bite him today, but it couldn't possibly work; he was freshly bitten by Maurice—only three months ago."

Moor burst into loud laughter. "Are you really so uneducated? It's common knowledge. Marking to mate outside of heat would never hold in normal circumstances. You would have to bite him maybe a hundred times to get a partial mating effect."

I swallowed. "What are you suggesting? And how do you even know he's mated to me, since I have no allure due to Seprudin 500?"

"I knew Maurice. We weren't very close, but I know his scent well enough. Kay doesn't smell like Maurice anymore."

"He doesn't? I wouldn't know; my sense of smell is blocked. I can only sense the pregnancy scent."

"I can't compare directly, but it looks like his scent is different—I bet it's your original allure, transferred to him via your mating fangs. The suppressants probably don't affect the small secretors above the fangs. I admit, the strangeness of it is mind-boggling. The blockers must have created this unusual situation, cutting out your allure completely on you, but now it can be smelled on Kay!"

"So we are really mated?" This news was a bit overwhelming. We barely met, and suddenly, we were both mated.

Moor nodded. "But let's go back to the original topic. Successful mating is impossible outside of heat. Knotting is impossible outside of heat. And Kay is not in heat—so the climaxing thing can't be easily explained. There is only one answer."

My body was trembling, the subtle feeling I had for some time now, but was too afraid to explore… Could it be true? Too beautiful to be real, just too incredible to happen.

"There's more. I extended my fangs while entering fighting mode. It's unheard of, and my fingertips were tingling too, as if the claws were about to emerge."

The silence crept into the room. Moor tapped his pen on his forearm, gazing up at the ceiling.

"The Dawsons would have no case against you if that's true," he said, sounding disappointed.

"If?" I interjected, pursing my lips.

I so wanted him to say it! That way it would sound less crazy.

"If you are what I suspect you are. True Mates."

And so he did. Those two short words. Words that can change people's lives forever.

The room fell so quiet that the faint whistling of the air conditioning became noticeable; neither of us spoke for a long while.

"The True Mate Government Agency would send its army of lawyers," Moor continued in a low, gloomy voice. "The law protects True Mates, and their reactions in fighting mode are deemed too instinctual to prosecute. It would be like prosecuting you for breathing; you can't help it. So there's no case against you. And the bite mark on Jorah's forearm is indeed that of mating fangs. Not only your canines and incisors. I've seen it, and it puzzled me right away."

Well, Detective Moor seemed to be quite perceptive, despite being a shitty person. He added all these circumstantial clues and came to this conclusion, while I struggled with it for two and a half weeks, failing to admit it, even to myself.

"You sound disappointed," I muttered.

"And you don't look that surprised."

For a moment, I struggled against the urge to lie. "Well, I had this flicker of thought."

Moor didn't answer; he stared at the wall above me, looking disgruntled.

So I added, "Wouldn't it be just a bit too wonderful? Too miraculous? Suddenly, I'm divorced, he's widowed, and this incredible thing happens, we are fated mates! That would… overshadow everything, and I hate to do that to Kay."

Moor snorted with an almost angry grimace. "Stop bullshitting. You should be overjoyed; you escaped way too easily the serious charges we were about to drop on you, but… you need to have it proven for the court. And there's also the other thing, the blockers. There's still a slight possibility these are all some strange side effects of them. You need to provide irrefutable proof, either that the blockers influenced your behavior or the… the other thing."

"Should I go off blockers and check if I could scent Kay's allure in full intensity?"

"I wouldn't recommend that. If it's the blockers that caused this, they would need to analyze your blood or run some tests on you."

I was deep in thought for a moment. It was all a bit too much for my head, my body started to feel the effects of the post-fight state, and I was getting tired. I lowered my eyes to the tips of my fingers. They were reddened and sore.

The whole situation was so fairy tale-ish. In any case, I really needed to get to the bottom of it. The only problem was—I would rather not impose my suspicions on Kay for now. He was in a fragile state, and saying to him, "Listen, I'm your True Mate, forget Maurice," would be a bit too much.

Moor mindlessly tapped his pen on the table, and I sighed. "Soooo, what else do you want to ask me?"

The detective seemed jarred by the TM conversation, his gaze rather absent. But finally, he said, "Just go through the events as you saw them yourself. And that would be all."

I repeated to him my recollection of what happened, but while finishing my statement, I felt a sudden wave of fear. I looked around, a bit confused.

"What's going on?" Moor raised his eyebrows.

"Something is off." I quickly realized what was happening. "Kay is distressed. I need to go!" I sprung to my feet and stormed out of the room, leaving Moor gaping.

As I opened the door, I saw the two alpha policemen we had met earlier standing over Kay, with Adam and Marco on either side of him.

I caught the last line of one of the alphas' sentences: "…you're welcome to join us at the pub."

"Please, gentlemen, do not disturb him. He is expecting," Marco tried to defuse the situation, while Adam stood up, attempting to position himself between Kay and the policemen.

But Marco and Adam were no match for the alphas and were, of course, completely ignored. Alphas have testosterone levels more than 1000% higher than betas. They have denser muscles, more fast-twitch fibers in muscle tissue, stronger joints, shorter reaction time, and so on. The alpha's strength is comparable to that of a male gorilla. I could see the fear on both betas' faces—the feeling of inadequacy, but it quickly dissipated when they noticed me.

"What's going on here?" I growled, approaching them.

"Nothing," the taller one shrugged. "We just asked if he wanted to join us at the Marvel Bar. There's a Beer Fest going on."

My eyes fixed on Kay. I couldn't stop him from going if he wanted to, but his face told me everything I needed to know. He didn't feel comfortable, not in the slightest.

"Kay, do you want them to go away?" I asked quietly.

"Yes."

Of course, the alphas couldn't ignore me as easily as they could dismiss the beta brothers. The moment I took another step toward them, I could see their pupils dilating.

"You heard him. Please leave," I said coldly, my voice with a hint of a rumbling undertone again.

One of them faced me, curling his upper lip as if about to growl, but suddenly Detective Moor appeared behind me, frowning.

"Go away, boys. Kay is mated to this gentleman already, and you should sense it. Leave him be," he said in a fake light tone, but his face held a sour grimace. I had a feeling he was very unhappy about how this all turned out.

Kay, Adam, and Marco stared at him, shocked. The news about Kay being mated was… yeah. Quite the news, for sure.

"I believe that's all. You're free to leave," the detective added. "Let's stay in contact in case the Dawson family decides to proceed with accusations. And you need to let us know what you find out about the… suppressants situation."

"Sure," Marco nodded.

As Kay stood up, I noticed both alphas standing close to the corridor wall, waiting for him to pass by.

So, I wrapped my arm around the omega's shoulders, positioning myself between him and the policemen, and we left the precinct that way.

Even in the parking lot, I kept my hand around his shoulder, and he let me.

"What did he mean by saying that Kay is mated? It's impossible, Rain," Adam stated, looking at me.

"He alleged that he smelled my allure scent on Kay, not his husband's. I don't know much more about it." I deliberately avoided mentioning what I thought I noticed on Kay's gland or the other part of my conversation with Moor. I needed to sort it all out in my head before addressing this topic.

Nobody commented on it, since betas couldn't smell who was mated and who wasn't anyway, and Kay wasn't very eager to talk at all. He headed straight toward the car. As I sat inside, I moved closer to him and embraced him, pulling him to me. He leaned his black-haired head on my shoulder.

I lowered myself slightly and kissed his temple; he didn't protest. I felt such a strong need to be near him, so close… it was a sweet and aching feeling.

Marco started the engine, and we merged into traffic. The omega stared out the window with a pensive expression, slightly pouting. The urge to kiss his mouth returned, as I gazed at his soft, dark pink lips. Suddenly, Kay tilted his head and met my eyes, noticing my stare but not commenting on it. Instead, he asked,

"Is it true? Were you successful in mating me?"

I looked deeply into his navy-blue eyes, hesitating about what to say. Those impossibly long eyelashes were so distracting that I could just stare stupidly forever, my mouth agape in admiration. I wasn't surprised that all those alphas went crazy over him—he was stunning.

Focus, Rain! You're stalling!

"I'm not sure, Kay. But it looks that way. He scented a different allure on you. I'm sorry, I didn't know it would work—" I hesitated. "Are you angry?"

His eyelashes fluttered a bit. "The last thing I had from him. The mating mark."

These words made me feel uneasy, but I managed to say in a hoarse voice, "Not the last, Kay. You're carrying his child."

He went silent for a moment. "Yes, you are right. But I really can't believe it worked so quickly, that we are mated now to each other. After two and a half weeks." His voice betrayed his uncertainty and slight confusion.

"Looks that way."

I needed to address it somehow. Brushing it aside could be almost disrespectful, since it was obviously a big deal for him.

So I asked in a quiet voice, "How do you feel about it? Does it upset you?"

"Rain, we've only known each other for seventeen days. I let the biting thing happen, never expecting it to have any effect. That's not how it's supposed to work."

"Yes, I remember that you wanted to wait before getting deeper into the relationship, and I was willing to respect that. The problem is—I truly didn't know it would turn out this way."

Kay shrugged lightly, like he was brushing it off, but I knew it wasn't an easy topic for him.

After a few seconds of hesitation, I added, "If nothing else, maybe you can at least be sure I'll protect you even more fiercely thanks to the mating bond."

He nodded slowly. "I felt it at the police station, your protection. Like a warm coat. Thank you for that. I don't feel comfortable being surrounded by aroused alphas."

Could I resist saying it? No.

"I actually felt your unease. I sensed it inside."

He flinched a bit, and I immediately regretted slipping it out like that.

"What? Inside? What do you mean? Like telepathy?"

"It's probably the mating bond," I said quickly, downplaying it. "I just felt that you were scared," I added slowly, emphasizing my words. For some reason, saying out loud what I suspected about our mateship still seemed wrong. I preferred to suggest it more subtly, hoping he might say it instead of me.

Kay fixed his eyes on my face and stared for a while. Then he said slowly, "There is only one situation where this is possible, Rain. This and other strange things that have happened before add up. It could only be the True Mate Bond starting to form."

Well, it worked—he said it. I swallowed hard, pausing for a moment before responding. The ball was now in his court.

"We don't know that, Kay," I muttered, averting my gaze. "It all could be influenced by suppressants." Downplaying it was starting to be a gut-wrenching habit of mine.

But Kay's eyes bore into my face with determination. "You need to get off blockers. It's the only way to be sure."

"Moor said I'd better not. The blockers might be my only chance to defend against excessive use of force charges if the other thing isn't the case."

Kay's pensive face looked strangely adorable, with a little frown and slightly protruding lower lip. He nodded slowly. "Yes, you're right. That's sensible. We have to wait and see what they say tomorrow. But if it's true—" Kay looked aside, his eyelashes quivering slightly.

I added quietly, "I know it's a lot to process. You just recently became widowed, and something big like this?"

"Yes. Pretty big." His voice seemed slightly miffed. "It would be almost sad if I let it overshadow what I had with Maurice."

Ouch, that hurt, but he had the right to feel that way. How did he perceive me during those seventeen days? A temporary helper he could disregard once his pregnancy was over. I remember how cautious he sounded when we spoke after the knotting episode. He wanted a way out; he wasn't sure.

So I whispered, "I don't want to compete with his memory. I don't want to take it away from you. I just—" I fought with all my strength, so my voice wouldn't get shaky, "I will take whatever you decide to give."

Gosh, it sounded so pathetic! Feeling embarrassed by my own sappiness, I quickly turned my head to the window.

I could feel his scrutinizing gaze on my face for a moment. Did he know what I really felt inside? Was he sensing my emotions, much like I was, more and more accurately?

"Rain, we really know each other so briefly. I was with Maurice for eight years! I can't just forget about him like that. Can't push the memories aside so quickly to accommodate new feelings."

So he said it. He couldn't accommodate new feelings.

Despite knowing how irrational and silly it was, I felt almost like he had punched me in the stomach. And again—I saw an odd wince on his face, as if he truly experienced my pain.

Was this happening? Had the famous True Mate Bond already formed between us over the past two weeks, without us even noticing? We hadn't even been able to explore it more in depth, since during the last two weeks, we had mostly been having sex.

But now, as I spent more time with him beyond waves, the connection seemed more vibrant and palpable. When I focused, his state of mind became almost obvious, as if I were reading an open book.

However, for a moment I strayed away from this connection because what I felt in him wasn't optimistic. So much apprehension, confusion, and bitterness. There really didn't seem to be much space for anything more, so why would I delve even deeper? To brood in vain over the difficulties of our situation?

Our 'breakthrough' conversation before hyped me up way too much, giving me overgrown hope, but now his words dampened my enthusiasm and put me back in line.

Thinking about it reasonably—his arguments were pretty valid. He was in love with his husband and was loved back. He had lost something so precious. How could I be so foolish as to hope for such a quick change of heart? It would be insolent.

I dared to dream, but I should slow down with it.

Staring at the road ahead, I forced myself to question my own feelings for him. Where had they even come from? Maybe it was just intense arousal or a fleeting infatuation with a beautiful stranger in need, whom I could save like a white knight. We had spent those days together almost without speaking, and I had no idea what kind of partner he might be for me or what his true character was outside of his grief. Was I deluding myself, caught up in a mind-fogging sex frenzy?

"I don't expect you to," I said, composing myself. "I'll do anything to accommodate all your current needs as much as you'll allow. That's all."

He looked at me again, slowly blinking, surprised by my terse response. He swallowed and muttered, "I appreciate that."

As I stared out the window, I reflected on my earlier idea—to kiss him—but I realized there was even less space for that than I had thought. He might have wanted my body, but he didn't love me, and love wasn't in the cards for us, perhaps for a long while.

I had to come to terms with it.