CHAPTER EIGHT

RAIN

The trip back took us longer than the ride to the pharmaceutical company because we made plenty of stops to… enjoy some more physical pleasures. Kay also spent a lot of time on his phone, going through articles about True Mates and Tall Omega Syndrome. He read some parts out loud, since a good deal of it was new to us.

I sensed a further change in his energy, this time much more tangible than after our previous 'breakthrough' conversation. Kay had been very cautious before, but now his walls were beginning to crumble.

He seemed determined to remove everything that had previously stood in the way of our connection. Thanks to our Bond, I could feel his strong will to leave the past behind and fully open up to… me.

What was even more surprising was that it wasn't just because of our True Mate status, as he had suspected it before, but because he felt like he tested me and genuinely thought we could work. It was surprising, but he really didn't take the 'magic' of the TM Bond for granted.

Most people would just jump right into it, hoping it would do the work for them, but Kay obviously didn't expect anything for free. Being so closely connected with him, I realized that our conversation about my infertility, my willingness to step up and be a father was the starting point for his change—not his initial suspicion about our potential high mateship! After that conversation, I steadily grew in his eyes.

Although I knew we still had a long way to go to become a truly close couple—it wasn't love yet—but it was a decision to consciously work toward building it. Since I knew Kay was ready to take the first step in that direction, it was enough for me.

We didn't call Adam and Marco during the trip because we wanted to surprise them.

As soon as we walked into the house, both brothers approached us with rather uncertain expressions, looking pretty stressed.

They were in for some big news.

"So, how did it go? What did the people at the pharmaceutical company say?"

Kay collapsed onto the couch and spread his arms theatrically. His face was a mix of excitement, fatigue, and seriousness. "A day full of surprises and shocking twists and turns, to put it very euphemistically."

Adam rolled his eyes and handed him a glass of mineral water. "Come on, don't keep us in suspense. Tell us what happened."

Marco frowned, seeing the strange smirk on Kay's face.

"The first thing, which you can kinda suspect, is that more alphas tried to take advantage of me. Nothing new here, same ol' same ol'."

I didn't expect him to start with that, so I blinked in shock. He came out strong, his sarcastic tone seemed even vaguely inappropriate, but I guess it was kind of a defense mechanism to make the unpleasant reality easier to cope with?

Adam immediately sat next to Kay, his face expressing concern mixed with a strange pain, as if the fact that it happened again was a personal failure for him. "You're kidding? You can't even leave the house anymore?"

Marco furrowed his brows. "What's going on? It wasn't this bad before! For God's sake, these alphas have gone crazy."

Kay had a bitter, tired expression. Maybe he regretted bringing it up, but it was too late. "The pregnant omega scent makes alphas go nuts, we always knew it, guys! I just didn't go out that much to even notice how big of a deal it was."

Adam pressed his hands to his temples, but it was Marco who spoke, "Many omegas are pregnant, but not all of them have such shocking alpha-magnet side effects."

"Yes, but we need to put two and two together. First, I was already harassed on the street before, whether I had a pregnancy scent or not. It might be related to something called Tall Omega Syndrome, as a doctor from Malden informed us," he briefly explained what Dr. Darren had told us, and I could see it shocked both brothers.

"Now, with my pheromones signaling to alphas a threatened pregnancy on top of it, it's double trouble. It is what it is—just brutal facts."

Another bitter grimace. Both betas stared at him for a moment.

"What news! I'd never heard of that syndrome. And I guess I was just naively hoping it would really start to stabilize now that the pregnancy is not at risk. The waves, the scent," Adam murmured.

Kay lowered his head, his eyes looking weary, as if he didn't want to delve any deeper into the subject, but he knew he had to wrap it up somehow.

"It started to slow down, Adam. The waves are coming at larger intervals, and I don't need six fucking orgasms anymore; we're down to three. But my pregnancy had a rough start, and I waited quite a while before Rain showed up. The stabilization takes longer for that reason," Kay explained it patiently, speaking slowly, his voice showing even more weariness than his face. At the end, he winced slightly, as if talking about it was becoming more and more uncomfortable for him.

Adam and Marco stared at the carpet, their eyebrows furrowed. I suspected that they would now insist that Kay remain locked in the house until the immediate danger had passed.

Of course, we all knew that the waves wouldn't end right away, but the fact that his scent was doubly provocative for alphas wasn't something we had openly discussed before. The reason for it was—it seriously impinged on Kay's freedom and independence, and nobody wanted to bring it up, not to make him feel frustrated and powerless. Now, with the added information about Kay's possible, naturally stronger allure—it all might just be too overwhelming.

So, the topic was quickly dropped.

"So what exactly happened, since you started with such unpleasant news, tell us the rest." Marco sighed.

"Well, three alphas harassed me in the store and wanted to have fun with me. But Rain beat them. I was at the peak of a wave. My scent must have been really intense."

Marco shook his head in disapproval. "Rain, thank you again for being there for him! But Kay, for heaven's sake. You shouldn't roam around public places at the peak of a wave, it's irresponsible!"

Kay huffed angrily and pouted. "You don't have to tell me that, I know! But it happened because I was quite shaken by the news, we got at the Malden pharmaceuticals!"

"So, what did you find out?" Adam asked, visibly relieved that the subject had changed. The heaviness of the previous topic hung in the air like dense smoke.

There was a brief, dramatic pause—almost like theatrical suspense.

"For example, that we are True Mates."

A heavy silence fell. I must admit, I expected more… joy?

What was wrong with them? None of the brothers reacted with happiness when they first heard the news. Adam and Marco looked like Kay had delivered truly apocalyptic, yet eerily unsettling news. Adam's mouth fell open, and Marco stared at us as if he had seen a ghost.

"Say that again?" he mumbled.

"We're True Mates. Don't you think that explains a lot?" Kay lounged comfortably on the couch. "Let that sink in for a moment—" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Let it marinate!" He spread his hands as if enchanting some magic in the air, but Marco frowned at this comedic display.

"This isn't funny, it's huge news, a big… surprise!"

"All these strange things that have been such a mystery for the past two and a half weeks, and we blamed it all on those damn blockers! Meanwhile, surprise-surprise! The explanation was much simpler, though maybe more unbelievable."

Adam blinked stupidly, then stammered, "Kay… My God. I'm in shock, and in some ways, I'm not shocked at all. It was somewhere hanging on the fringe of my subconsciousness. Seeing you two together just made sense to me. It all fits perfectly! Like pieces of a damn puzzle coming together!"

Marco still seemed oddly agitated. He suddenly got up and went to the patio doors, looking outside. "This is truly a wonderful event. And by the way, it completely frees us from the problem with the Dawsons. They can't do anything to us now. True Mates are, in some ways, above the law."

He tapped his fingers on the glass, gazing at the garden.

"No congratulations?" Kay asked with a slightly pouty expression.

Adam reacted first. He immediately leaned in and hugged his younger brother, kissing his cheek, then glanced probingly at me as if to gauge my reaction. "Of course, Kay! I'm so happy for you. This solves so many problems, and it's wonderful news for you two, right? It's really amazing, but—" he hesitated, "how do you feel about it, Kay? You mentioned that you were upset."

Kay leaned back against the couch with a deep exhalation escaping his mouth.

"At first, I was shocked. It's not news you get every day, and it has such a heaviness to it that it literally rewires your whole life. Some things just fade into insignificance, which is sad. But looking at it calmly, I don't think anything better could have happened. If it were because of the blockers, we'd still be at an impasse with me and Rain. But now, everything's clear. We can look to the future with more optimism because I know we'll have each other, that we have a real chance to make it work."

As he spoke, I could see that part of the energy in his words came from his rational side. It was his conscious decision to feel this way, even if he might not be emotionally ready yet.

Slowly, Kay turned his head to look at me, a small shadow of sadness in his eyes.

"I… I didn't want to let go of Maurice, to give him up. I felt I'd be doing something wrong if I allowed someone else to take his place. But this information is freeing in a way. Fate gave me one wonderful person in place of another. Yes, it still hurts, but at least I don't feel like I'm betraying Maurice because you know what?"

A short pause—he looked at us quizzically, but neither of us spoke.

"If Rain and I had met while Maurice was alive, I would have left Maurice and chosen Rain anyway! Isn't that how it works? We were just meant to be, there's no point in fighting Fate."

Adam nodded slowly.

"Yes, indeed. You are right. You would have had to part ways anyway. To think we almost invited Rain to your wedding! If Rain hadn't been going through a divorce with Brian at that time, he would've shown up at the ceremony, and things would've gotten really awkward."

"Yes, it would've been weird," Marco agreed. "I would've felt sorry for Maurice."

Kay hesitated. "But on the other hand, maybe Maurice would still be alive today because his life would have turned out differently. We wouldn't have been together, and Maurice had plans to move to the city. So maybe he'd be living somewhere else now with another omega by his side? He would never have driven along those cliffs."

A heavy silence fell.

Looking at Kay, I realized that his mourning wasn't fully completed; our TM status couldn't do all the work. And I also realized I was fine with that! Accepting that this was the path my mate still needed to walk for a while was, in a way, healing for me too, alleviating some of the pain and hurt I felt from his initial reaction. I wanted to let him mourn without pressure because I valued that he wasn't a shallow person who would just forget a loved one in such a short period of time; his love ran deep. Kay was truly the 'relationship-type' of guy, emotionally investing in the other person. I could only hope that one day he would gift me with his love and devotion. I was determined to wait for however long he needed.

Adam stood up and took the empty glass from Kay's hand.

"We have a lot to discuss, but it's late. I think you two are tired and should get some rest. We all need to let this information sink in, to… digest it," Marco said, still standing by the window, staring into the garden.

I could see that between the two of them, Marco was more shocked than Adam. Maybe he even felt a bit foolish for initially opposing my coming here, thus opposing the union of two True Mates.

Adam seemed to sense this and looked at me very intently. "Well, do you remember our first conversation after you arrived here? You scolded me for suggesting that there might be more between the two of you. And I had a feeling! So… welcome to the family, Rain."

As he reached his hand, I snorted with laughter. "Thank you, and perhaps you did indeed have a premonition when you insisted on inviting me here."

Adam giggled, somewhat embarrassed but also quietly pleased. "Yep. As you can see, Fate worked in its own mysterious ways to bring us to this point. I just helped a little," he added, preening a bit.

Then he hesitated and added, making a bit of a puppy-dog face, a typical expression for him when he felt he had done something wrong. "And I apologize if I was so much in your face lately. My nerves were off the scale, and I took it out on you. I'm truly sorry, Rain. I was a jackass!"

When I made a dismissive wave of my hand, not wanting to go back to this topic, he quickly added, "Have you called your parents yet? This is big news; they'll all want to know. And with all the not-so-great things happening in your family lately, this might lift their spirits."

I furrowed my brow. "I haven't called them yet. I drove the whole way back, and I'm not sure everyone in my family will be happy. My dad will, but some of my brothers might get really jealous. You know, we've always had a bit of sibling rivalry over everything."

Adam shrugged. "You're talking about Storm? 'A bit' is an understatement. But that's not your problem, Rain. Call them. And then get some rest. It's late, and you deserve a good night's sleep!"

Kay stood up and said, "That's a good idea. Rain, I'm going to take a shower and then lie down. I'll be waiting for you in bed."

"I'll bring you a snack," Adam said, and Kay nodded.

I walked out onto the terrace and then decided to go down to the lakefront, wanting to make sure no one would eavesdrop on my conversation.

Dad answered the phone almost immediately.

"What's up, son? Did something happen? I've been on edge all day, literally getting nervous shivers. I thought it might be about you!"

"You could say something happened. I have a document proving without a doubt that Kay and I are True Mates."

For a moment, there was silence on the phone, and then I heard his happy squeal, as if he wasn't a man over sixty but a teenager!

The rest of the conversation was very emotional. I could hear the tears in my dad's voice—tears of immense joy and excitement. No one understood what this news meant for us better than he did.

"This means, sweetheart, that something else will be possible for you," Dad said at one point.

"What's that?"

"You'll be able to have your own children. True Mates heal each other; your relationship with Kay will heal your body."

I blinked, realizing I hadn't thought about that yet. In those past years, I had already come to terms with never having my own children, and now suddenly, this opened up a new perspective for me.

"Yes, you're right. But of course, this is something I'll need to discuss with Kay, and I'm not sure it's the right time. You know how fresh and intense everything is."

"Of course, sweetheart, everything in its time. I can imagine how he must be feeling now, widowed just three months ago and suddenly finding his fated mate. I know firsthand how overwhelming that news can be, it was a huge shock for me, the denial started, the refusal to accept it. Everything changes—your priorities, your plans for the future have to be rebuilt. Give Kay time, be there for him, hold him in your arms, and be extremely patient. Even if it seems like Kay is happy about this news and trying to open up to build a relationship with you, there's still a long way to go, son. Meeting a True Mate doesn't ensure love at first sight. It's a guarantee of instant attraction, but love is something else."

I sighed heavily. "I understand that. I myself only have very fresh feelings for Kay, something like infatuation—a start toward love. I don't intend to push for any confessions or declarations. In the coming months, I'll be much more patient… I promise."

Dad sighed.

"I can imagine that this isn't the start you dreamed of for your relationship. People fantasize about romantic love, confessions, crazy passion, and being like teenagers, crazy in love! It's not like that for you, but it can still grow into something powerful, all-encompassing, and beautiful. Give it time, and one day it will be there—real, sweet, and… perfect!"

"I had that kind of start with Larry and Brian already, Dad. I don't expect fireworks and rose petals flying around us. I'm a grown man, I'll wait. Don't worry, I know he's worth it."

After we finished talking, I decided to do even more, feeling very energized.

I took a snapshot of the document verifying my and Kay's status as True Mates and sent it to Storm.

Yep. I even added a message: "No news here. I already know," so he didn't feel like it was his 'amazing' discovery, although… in a way it was.

Did Storm really know? Did he have some unexplainable talent or intuition to see high mateship between people?

The topic was definitely interesting, but I also had this deep need to see Kay, to interact with him in this new setting—now that we knew our future was, in a way, set in stone. There was something exciting and terrifying about it, final in a way, and I just needed to run to him.

After taking a shower, I went to his room, my heart beating with anticipation. As I opened the door, I froze.

Kay was sitting on the bed naked, with his hair loose.

The ink-black waves flowed down to his hips, his head slightly bowed as he observed me from under his eyelashes. He looked like a magical creature, too perfect to touch, only to admire from afar. His body was pristine white, unblemished skin, slim, lean muscles, smooth surfaces. And his gorgeous face.

"Kay…"

"You wanted to sleep with me while I had loose hair. Now you can," he said, his voice carrying slightly seductive tones.

Slowly, I approached the bed. "You are so breathtaking, I can't even describe it. Like not from this world."

Kay looked at me intensely. "Sometimes I hate my beauty, when it brings me fear," he whispered, with some vulnerability. "But knowing that you like it makes it… just easier to bear."

I slowly fell to my knees beside the bed, in front of him, then I took his hand and kissed the top of it, feeling in a mood to do something crazy.

"Let me… serve you, my prince."

He chuckled slightly, probably thinking it was cringy, but I stayed serious. I decided to make a very ancient sound, one that alpha soldiers and guards would make for their sovereigns. It was to declare loyalty and willingness to protect and serve. I made the call, and I didn't have to explain it; all alphas and omegas instinctively understood its true meaning.

Kay's eyes widened in surprise, and he made a bit of a shy response that meant: "Accepting the pledge."

Bowing my neck, I pressed his hand to my forehead and stayed like that for a moment. We both knew the gesture was creating an even stronger and firmer energetic bond between us, tying us tightly together. In this way, I would be bound to serve him, not as a hardship, but as an honor.

Despite few people doing this in modern relationships, I knew my father had pledged to my dad like that, and their relationship was absolutely thriving, so I wanted to follow that path.

Kay's hand was now on the top of my head, like in a gesture of a 'fatherly' blessing or knighting done by a king. Suddenly, I felt it sliding down and gently stroking my neck.

I raised my eyes to him. He seemed touched, almost uplifted, celebrating this moment, his eyes shining with elation. We stared at each other for a while.

"Come to bed, my champion…" he said quietly. "The reward awaits you," he added with a tiny mischievous smile at the corner of his lips.

With a matching roguish smile, I nodded, and he moved back to make room for me.

This time our sex was a bit different. From the beginning—he actually hugged my back while I was thrusting inside him, which added to the feeling of closeness and intimacy, and when he climaxed, he even… moaned out my name! That was optimistic, I have to say.

Afterward, we kissed—I was just insatiable with kissing, so I indulged in this until our lips were sore. As the sex was over, I dozed off for a few minutes but was awakened by some movement around my feet.

Feeling exhausted, I opened my eyes just a bit, not wanting to be fully awake, but what I noticed struck me like lightning! Kay was sitting on the bed with his back to me and… was nesting! I blinked but stayed quiet.

Kay was slowly intertwining a scarf with a blanket, his moves not very sure, rather cautious, almost testing, but what shocked me even more was that he took my crumpled T-shirt and started to weave it into the nest's side to strengthen its structure.

Suddenly, he turned his head toward me, as if wanting to catch me in the act of spying on him, but I quickly closed my eyes.

"I can sense you, I know you're not sleeping," he muttered, his voice slightly amused.

"Sorry, I'll go back to sleep now," I assured him and rolled to the side so he could work undisturbed.

***

The next morning, I woke up pretty late, around 11:00 AM. The nest still wasn't perfect; it only had one side strengthened, but nevertheless—it was progress. Kay at least had started to make a shy attempt at nesting, and it made me happy. In a way, nesting was like our relationship and our future—it just needed more time to thrive and develop.

Was my dad right? Nature and instincts would win in the end?

As I stared at it, I realized that Kay woke up too and was watching me, probably noticing my gaze on the nest.

"What are you doing?" he asked, with a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

"Nothing," I muttered, knowing he still felt insecure about his nest and didn't want to talk about it—that much I was sure of, the Bond sending his reluctance to me.

So, I just leaned in and softly kissed his forehead. "I'll prepare breakfast for you."

But before I went out, I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder at Kay. My eyes caught sight of his tablet lying on the nightstand.

"Kay, I noticed something on your tablet's screen yesterday. A beautiful portrait. I don't deserve such a flattering depiction—my lashes aren't that long, and my lips aren't that perfectly shaped," I murmured with a subtle smile.

Kay's head snapped up, his cheeks flushing as if they were on fire. "Oh. You saw that."

"Yeah, you forgot to turn off the screen. It's a fantastic portrait."

Kay was silent for a moment, then suddenly picked up the tablet. "That's just one of many, Rain. Look, since you've already seen that one, why not see them all?"

Stunned, I sat beside him and focused on the screen as he showed me a series of portraits depicting me in various poses and activities.

Looking out the window. Sleeping. Sitting at my laptop.

Swallowing hard, I checked the date on the first one—it was from the second day after I arrived in White Cliffs!

"This… this portrait is the first," I stammered, staring at the sketch done with quick, light lines, showing me on the balcony, gazing at the lake.

Kay blushed even more. "Yeah. You caught my eye. I didn't know what to do with that… energy, so I channeled it into the drawing. I was staring at you whenever you couldn't see me."

That was a surprise.

"But you couldn't stand me, you didn't want to see me, talk to me—"

Kay pouted slightly, looking adorable. "Two things can be true at the same time. Besides, I never actually 'couldn't stand' you, Rain! I just… you know. I was mad at myself for being attracted to another man so soon after Maurice. I felt like I had to punish myself. The anger was part of that."

We were silent for a moment. Then I lowered my head, staring closely at the portrait. "Thank you. I'd love to print it. As a keepsake."

Kay chuckled. "Sure. Be my guest."

After a moment of silence, I murmured, "I'm glad I know this now, that you told me. It means a lot."

His face lit up with a soft smile.

With a barely noticeable, very slow movement, I leaned in and my lips brushed against his warm ones. For a moment, I allowed myself to sink into that sweet feeling, into his closeness.

Finally, I snapped out of the pleasant, rosy sweet haze I'd been enjoying for a moment and sighed as I got up. "And now it's time for breakfast. We're starving."

Kay nodded, and I left the room.

Adam and Marco were at work, as they had announced, so I felt relaxed enough to walk around the kitchen in just my boxers.

Standing next to the coffee machine, I mused over the portrait thing and its significance—what Kay truly felt, and how things could be—not as they seemed. His anger and bitterness appeared to fill him completely, and yet from the first day, I caught his attention. As I set my eyes on him, he… set his eyes on me!

I recalled the first day after I came here, not knowing that I was about to meet my True Mate. But thinking about it made me suddenly remember something else. I quickly went back to my room to retrieve my phone and, of course, there was a response from Storm:

"I'm the best matchmaker there is. I knew you were True Mates without seeing any tests."

Snorting, I sent him, "Arrogance walks before a fall."

He answered, "It's not arrogance if I can back it up."

Yeah, he was just so annoying with his purple-alpha-magic.

Soon after, I returned with breakfast on a tray and sat next to Kay.

"Looks delicious, as always." Kay smiled, eyeing the tray.

I knew it was well past the time for his wave, but it still didn't look like it was starting. Did it mean that the effect of our Bond was showing even more? Over the last week, the cravings had been a bit less intense and less frequent, but the first morning wave was usually a sure thing.

Pondering over it, I watched him eat. He was making small 'mmm' sounds, and I enjoyed it so much, seeing his appreciation. But also, looking at his gorgeous face, the sweet bow of his upper lip, the white line of his neck, and his thick, lush braid, I felt captivated. And… my dick was throbbing slightly. I wanted him, I craved him, I desired him! Wave or no wave!

Not being able to bear this any longer, I turned my gaze aside and fixed it on the wall.

I had heard that True Mates had super high libido directed toward each other. Some even had sex regularly every three hours, but for some reason, I felt it would be foolish to ask for it… like overstepping?

"You are aroused," Kay stated in a quiet voice.

"You can feel it? Well, the Bond is so strong already."

"Yes, I can feel it very intensely. Do you want…?"

"No, the wave still hasn't started. It could be a sign the cravings are starting to subside even more. I don't want to disturb you between your waves anymore."

He put the tray aside as he had already finished eating. Then he pulled his T-shirt over his head and moved a little to the side.

"Come on, Rain. Wave or not, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't take much to interest me in sex. And we are in a relationship now." He smiled softly. "Being in a relationship means we can have sex just because we want to."

"But you wanted it to calm down, slow down even more. It was annoying—you said it yesterday!" I protested, however weakly, my eyes already roaming over his chest.

"Mind, I said it during our road trip. It was inconvenient, but now we are at home. And you're not my… pregnancy wave maintenance man, Rain. You're my boyfriend."

Something serious in his tone made my heart speed up.

"Are we really together?" I whispered, not even sure why, since we had already established that. I guess I liked the sound of it.

"Yes, we are, and if you want something—you will have it. No more one-sided duty. I'm here for you too," he said in a more gentle and sweet tone.

His eyes were on my face. I hesitated, but one look at his pink, swollen nipples and unblemished skin was all I needed to get into bed.

Slowly I lay between his legs. Kay lowered his gaze to my lips and his hands pulled me to him. The kiss was sensual, but also tender, then it became exploratory, before we made it more intense, passionate. When our lips were sore again, I began kissing his neck and sucking on his glands. Kay put one hand on my hip and the other… wrapped around my dick, causing me to lift my head and search his eyes. It was the first time he had touched it that way, beyond our nightly half-awake quickies. His fingers stroked it a few times before pulling me closer, so I could slide into his hot passage, keeping my eyes on him as I began to thrust leisurely. But Kay slowly tilted his head in a welcoming manner, showing me his neck, and I accepted the invitation. He was obviously still enjoying the sucking glands part immenselybecause about three minutes later he orgasmed. But when he did, I literally felt it in my body and… came too, although I didn't think I was that close to my own climax! I even groaned in disbelief at how fast it went.

"Wow… that was new, I came the moment you did," I murmured, hiding my head in the crook of his neck. He panted for a moment.

"I think it's another part of further strengthening our True Mates Bond. I've read that Trues can climax together, even if not with full power, but every time one partner has an orgasm, the other has it to some extent, it's even jokingly called Twin Peaks."

"I noticed it before, little waves, like mini orgasms, but now it's even stronger, it was almost like full power!"

"Yes, our Bond is growing," Kay whispered with a shy smile.

I was still on top of him, my dick inside him, not completely flaccid. I relish in being in contact with his skin, smelling his neck, and making tiny pecks on the side of it. Now that I could enjoy the full extent of his allure, the whole experience was more multilayered, I was immersed in him, in three ways; in his scent, in his body, and… in his mind, feeling his emotions. Floating in all these pleasant sensations was my new favorite way of making love.

My hand skimmed over his right arm, stroking it gently. Then I found the end of his braid under my fingers and started playing with it, wrapping it around my wrist.

We lay there for a long while when suddenly, Kay turned his head slightly and murmured, "Since today was all about showing off our talents, maybe you could play something for me on your banjo?"

I froze, surprised. I didn't expect him to bring it up now, while in a post-coital haze, but he looked at me with a slightly challenging gaze. "What? Talent show day! What do you think?" he murmured encouragingly.

Rubbing my chin, I hesitated. "But I tuned the banjo before the trip, it might not be ready right away."

"Take your time to tune it; I'll wait." And there it was again, that playful, provocative look.

Well, why not? I sighed in mock impatience and got up.

"Okay, but I've been rusty after weeks without practice, so it might not be great."

"Don't worry about it; just go for it."

An idea struck me. "Yeah, let's do this. But I'll play a cover, and you try to guess what it is, okay?"

Kay's face lit up with a jubilant smile. "Sure!"

With a dramatic sigh, I went to my room to get the banjo, which was still hidden in its case in the corner. I hadn't opened it since arriving here, preoccupied with a thousand other things. My life had moved forward a whole era since the day I arrived in White Cliffs.

When I returned, Kay had already put on a white, long, button-up silk shirt and was sitting on the edge of the bed. I sat next to him and checked the tuning; it was decent. I adjusted the G-string a bit and was ready.

"Okay, I wonder if you'll recognize this song. It's a somewhat unusual cover for the banjo. But… listen closely," I hesitated, feeling a slight blush, "it has beautiful lyrics."

Kay bit his lower lip slightly and tilted his head.

"Alright, go ahead."

I took a deep breath and started playing. The beginning wasn't easy to recognize, and Kay studiously stared at my fingers with their brightly colored picks on. But as I approached the chorus, a look of understanding appeared on his face, obviously an 'aha' moment.

He smiled mischievously and suddenly stood up! I looked up at him, as he began moving slowly and sensually across the carpet, step by step, to the rhythm of the delicate melody. He closed his eyes and swayed gently, feeling the tones of this timeless song.

I watched him in fascination as he raised his hands and let his hair down from the braid, spreading it over his back and hips, looking like a black-haired forest nymph.

My mouth dropped open in amazement (though something else went UP) as I watched his soft, almost erotic dance moves as he circled the room, swaying to the notes flowing from my fingers.

When the song ended, he opened his eyes, and our gazes locked.

"Well?" I murmured shyly, trying to gauge his reaction.

Kay snorted. "It's obvious! 'Can't Help Falling in Love', the timeless hit… with beautiful lyrics."

A long silence fell as we looked at each other.

"Yeah. With beautiful lyrics," I whispered tentatively.

My heart was beating faster than it should have, but Kay's heart also quickened, joining mine in an intense crescendo, he was blushing. I was on the verge of saying more, but suddenly, a new detail caught my eye.

As my gaze moved a bit lower over his body…

"Kay, I think you're starting to show."

Kay flinched slightly, and his hand instinctively went to his abdomen. There was a little bump—a shy beginning of a pregnant belly that I hadn't noticed before. He felt his stomach for a while, stroking it with a flustered expression, as if unsure what to make of it.

"The baby is growing, Kay," I said with a warm smile.

"Yes," he whispered so quietly I barely heard him.

I set the banjo aside and bent down to plant a small kiss on his smooth belly. Kay looked touched and gasped softly, his fingers threading through my hair. I nestled my head against his ribs, embracing him, and closed my eyes.

"You know," he whispered, "there are days when I feel like a mess—emotional and shaky, all over the place—and I'm afraid of parenthood. Sometimes I worry that I won't be a good dad."

I was surprised by his confession. "Do you think about it a lot? About giving birth and dealing with a newborn?" I murmured quietly, gently stroking his small belly.

For some reason, I knew that just saying 'don't worry' wasn't the best response. I preferred to ask something specific to help him focus on what he was really feeling, regarding these particular aspects of being a dad.

"Thankfully, not as much as before, especially since you came into my life. But there are still some things I feel I need to work on." I could sense he was looking toward the bed, even without raising my eyes to his face. Was he glancing at his nest? Did he regard nesting as part of his omega journey, including parenthood, that still wasn't fully resolved?

"I'll be there for you, Kay. We can manage this together, one day at a time; we'll be a team, I promise," I whispered, placing a soft kiss on his baby bump as his fingers slowly stroked my head.

Kay let out a sigh. "Thank you… it means a lot. You make a difference, you know? You really do."

I didn't answer, but the silence was unexpectedly soothing. I felt a wave of relief within him.

Kay lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on mine, and I was on cloud nine, just being in such intimate closeness with him, letting myself feel small, shy bubbles of happiness. Slowly, I glanced up at him, and Kay's eyes focused on my lips. This kiss was somehow different, and suddenly, I realized why he reserved kisses for relationships—it's because they really carried some extra energy beyond just having sex. The energy emanating from him was sweeter and more tender. My heart beat a bit faster again.

Maybe I couldn't repeat the lyrics of the song out loud, but I gathered enough courage to whisper,

"I… like you, Kay."

A momentary flicker of tension ran through his body, so I knew I probably shouldn't push the matter, but strangely enough, he let out a breath and said shyly, "I like you too, Rain."

Not much more was exchanged beyond that, but it was enough for me. Our future was shaping up today, marked by yet another small turning point.

***

From the next day on, I adopted a firm strategy of calm and patient support, creating space for Kay to get to know me, get used to me, and, even if unconsciously, finish mourning Maurice without my pressure or palpable expectation that he would transfer his feelings to me and suddenly things would be perfect between us, as they could be for first-time lovers.

The following week brought more news about Storm. His lawyer did everything he could to defend him. He presented an array of evidence and called witnesses that helped build Storm's trustworthy image in the eyes of the jury, enough to have hope for a positive outcome.

The next court session wasn't as optimistic.

Storm was found guilty on several charges, but fortunately not for the physical abuse allegation. The court ordered him to pay a very large amount in damages for Tom's emotional distress. Storm had to give up the downtown apartment he had worked so hard for. He also had to hand over all of his savings to his ex. Because the judge's verdict included a charge of emotional abuse, as a result, Storm's former employer, the owner of the matchmaking agency and marital contract auction house, didn't take him back.

After the verdict, some of my brothers decided to distance themselves from Storm. I knew they were shocked by the court's ruling and that he had been found guilty, even if not of the worst charges. Storm must have sensed their objections because he further isolated himself from the family, even though my parents kept trying to call him and offer financial support. The only contact we had with him was through Nathaniel, who soon brought us some very disturbing news.

According to my cousin, Storm had decided to take a job with a very shady company that specialized in fulfilling clients' 'dark secrets, desires, and fantasies'. This firm catered to individuals who wanted scripted and pre-planned scenarios involving consensual non-consensual sex, threats, kidnapping, stalking, humiliation, degradation, or simply the feeling of being a victim of a home invasion. As strange as it sounded, there seemed to be a market demand for these 'dark' services.

We were all shocked that Storm would accept such a strange job offer. Even though it was very well paid, it didn't explain everything. Was he that desperate? We were aware that Storm had debt, even though our parents offered him help, but he refused. He was always far too proud for his own good.

To be honest, I think the fact that our alpha father didn't fully accept his explanations about the situation with Tom influenced Storm's decision to distance himself from the family. My father had always been extremely strict about the negative treatment of omegas and raised us to show immense respect and impeccable behavior toward them. It must have been a shock for him to think that his own son was acting in this way. Even the slightest accusation against Storm was too much for my father. The information about trashing Tom's nest was likely the final straw. Although my father sympathized with Storm regarding the cheating, he couldn't understand how Storm could resort to attacking something so closely related to omega nature and well-being.

In my opinion, cheating was much more disrespectful than nest trashing, but oh well, everyone had their own approach.

There was one more thing. The fact that Storm accepted such a job involving daily violence was the biggest shock for my family. Many of my brothers, including myself, began to wonder if there was some truth to the other charges Storm faced in court. Maybe violence wasn't completely unappealing for him? Maybe he was capable of it if he was willing to make a living from it?

As a child and teen, he had no issues with brutality against us. Was this just another piece of the Storm puzzle?