CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE

RICHARD

Richard's excitement built with every mile he put behind him. When he finally reached Hartonford, he felt an overwhelming eagerness because the missing part of him—the hole in his center that had been empty since losing Justin—was about to be filled again.

But with the excitement came a pall of worry, a deepening anxiety that he would indeed find Justin at the address the reporter had given but that his mate would refuse to see him. Would, in fact, give Richard a taste of his own medicine and send him away.

Still, he felt a vast sense of relief when the GPS voice told him to take the next right off the winding, tree-lined rural road. He spotted a battered and rusty mailbox jutting upward next to an equally rusty metal gate. A small but cheery sign proclaimed: CHEDDAR WOLF FARM.

After hundreds of miles, he'd finally arrived. Justin was here.

Richard's stomach did a nervous flip and tumble. He pulled off the road and stopped in front of the gate. The engine's idle was a heavy rumble that could probably be heard by anyone on the farm. He couldn't see anything but trees and a driveway, but his wolf paced his mind in anticipation. No scent of Justin yet, but the feeling of being close to his mate was undeniable.

This wasn't an automatic gate, and he didn't see any call box. He put the car in park and climbed out, groaning at the stiffness in his body. The trip had been almost nineteen hours of road time, although speeding had shaved it down some.

He'd driven nearly straight through from Boston to Wisconsin, stopping only outside of Cleveland to rent a cheap motel room and crash before setting off again. The motel room smelled of mildew and feet. But instead of whining, he'd told himself to suck it up and get used to it. His days of palaces and royal luxury were in the past. His life was going to be very different from now on. Different enough that he could even say Prince Richard Hargreave was dead. This new man was someone else. A father. A wolf that could no longer be collared. A man who wanted to make things right and was willing to sacrifice everything except Justin and their child to do it.

A heavy chain looped around the metal of the gate and a sturdy-looking post, secured with one of those hardened steel locks that could take a bullet and not open. Even though werewolves were strong, he wasn't going to be getting that chain off without bolt cutters or tools he didn't have. Fine. He would leave the car here. Heath would forgive him. Richard hadn't come all this way to be thwarted by a gate.

He turned off the engine, locked the car, and returned to the gate. It was nothing to climb it and drop to the other side. His heart was beating fast as he walked up a gravel and dirt road. Brown grass and winter-dead weeds made a center stripe where the wheels wouldn't touch. His breath clouded around his face as the cold air stung his cheeks. He caught the scent of cows, manure, and, faintly, dogs.

His wolf tipped back its muzzle and howled its joy. He was close. Very close. The look of surprise on Justin's face would be something to remember forever. The only thing Richard dreaded was how Justin would react after the shock wore off. Joy or fury? Happiness or curses? He wanted to believe that everything would be all right again the instant Justin saw him. But he was not a complete fool. He'd hurt Justin deeply. The effects of that would reverberate through their relationship. Maybe for a long time.

But he would make it right again.

A few patches of icy snow clung to the road, to the skeletal trees, and dusted the underbrush. His footsteps crunched on gravel or squelched in damp earth. Through the barren trees, he caught a glimpse of a house.

Two dozen more steps down the road had the angle changing enough to give him a better view of a two-story farmhouse, painted yellow, facing at an odd angle on the property. The driveway diverged ahead, splitting like a Y. One part went to the front of the house with a lawn of dormant grass. The other went past a screened-in porch, a barn, and another outbuilding. Several cows in a meadow noticed him walk by. They chewed and watched him with bovine curiosity.

Justin had grown up here, hadn't he? He'd mentioned that his aunt raised him on a farm after his father passed away. This felt like a good place, rustic but unpretentious. Not that he was any kind of expert. Richard had only seen farms in human movies. If this place helped shape Justin into the kind, caring, down-to-earth person that he was, then maybe a farm was better than a palace.

Richard angled toward the farmhouse. He intended to knock on the front door, but a wildly barking pack of dogs shot out of a doggie door at the screened-in back porch like bullets fired from a gun. They bayed, barked, and howled as they charged toward him. He recognized a few of the breeds. A rat terrier, a mastiff, a boxer, and some kind of spaniel, among others.

They came at him aggressively, but he spoke one sharp word, flexing his alpha aura of dominance and command. "Stop."

En masse, the dogs skidded to a stop. They seemed stunned and uncertain what to do next. A few gave tentative tail wags and a handful of whines.

Richard smiled at them kindly. "Good dogs. You are guarding this place well, aren't you? I approve."

More enthusiastic tail wags greeted his words. He let his scent reflect his approval, which won over the big mastiff, the final holdout.

"I'm here to see Justin, my friends, but I wouldn't mind an honor guard to the door. Care to join me?"

The matter was left up in the air when a woman stepped out of the house and onto the porch. Her stare was fierce and fearless as she descended the steps, approaching across the wet earth and melting snow.

Her scent was one of a wolf shifter, but she carried a hunting rifle in her hands. It was a long and deadly-looking thing with a scope and shoulder strap. She carried it with the ease of someone very familiar with the weapon. Her hazel eyes regarded him intensely.

He slowly raised his hands, palms out. Royalty or not, alpha or no, Richard was the stranger here. He was on her territory. He needed to respect that.

"I apologize for showing up unannounced," he said, keeping his hands raised and his tone civil. "It is boorish of me, and trespassing uninvited upon your land is even more so. I ask your forgiveness."

The woman was middle-aged, in her late forties or early fifties. Handsome if not beautiful. She looked vaguely like Justin…and there was a broad similarity to her scent. This had to be Justin's aunt. He searched his memory for her name and finally had it. Katie Turner.

"You can put your hands down, Mr. Prince. I'm not going to shoot you." She seemed amused by his words, yet her scent remained sharp with worry and tension. "This long gun is for bears, but I've been bringing it along when strangers show up. Which seems to be a daily occurrence in these troubled times."

He slowly lowered his arms. "So you know who I am."

"Your pretty face is on the television from time to time. I might be getting old, but I'm not blind." She turned her eye to the dogs who were gathered around him with wagging tails and happy tongues out. "You lot are the worst guard dogs I've ever seen. Honestly, I'm at my wit"s end."

The dogs sheepishly left his side and went to her. She glared at them but reached down to give each some petting.

"Don't think too badly of them," he said. "I pulled an old alpha wolf trick."

"I figured as much." She gave him a critical once-over. "Your clothes are more wrinkled than I expected."

His mouth curved in a smile. "I've been driving hard from Boston. I put a lot of hours on the road and miles on the tires." He gave a curt shake of his head, dismissing the details because they didn't matter right now. Only one thing mattered. "Is Justin here?"

When he spoke those words, his heart began to beat faster, and his stomach felt all twisted up inside him with eagerness and anxiety. Anxiety wasn't something he was familiar with, but he'd never wanted something this badly before.

"Justin's here," she said to his vast relief. "He's making cheese. Probably can't hear us or the dogs because he's listening to music with headphones. It's god-awful music, so he uses headphones to spare my ears."

"Justin's making…cheese?"

"That's what we do here on Cheddar Wolf Farm. Make gourmet cheese. Is there a problem with that? You lactose intolerant or just snooty?"

"Neither, my lady. Who doesn't love cheese?"

"Plenty of folk, Goddess love 'em. But we can't all be perfect." She still eyed him, but she did seem thoroughly amused now. "And there are no ladies on this farm. I work for a living."

He bowed. "I stand corrected." He straightened to his full height, struggling with the insistent, almost frantic need to see his mate again. His wolf began to pace inside his mind, its frustration barely held in check. "I'd like to see Justin."

"Did that reporter publish his story?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't miss the fact that she still hadn't given him permission to see Justin. "That's why you're here, ain't it? You know Justin's prego with your kid."

Hearing her confirm that Justin was pregnant with his child hit him with surprising power. He felt a surge of bright, clear joy that he would be a father. He felt a dark fear that he would never be good enough to raise a child in this savage world. The mix of love and fear, hope and worry, had him reeling.

"I know," he finally managed to say.

"You didn't answer me about the reporter." Her eyes stayed fierce. The dogs all looked at her, then looked back at him, sensing the sudden tension.

"The reporter hasn't published his story. He came to see me at the palace first. He told me that Justin's pregnant. But he will be publishing it. He simply gave me a head start."

She grunted. "How many other people know?"

"My best friend knows, but I'd trust him with my life. By now, his mate knows as well." He decided not to tell her that Sara was in the intelligence service. The details were too complicated and easily misunderstood, especially by someone who had no reason to trust him yet. "And whoever else the reporter has told. His editor, perhaps. I can't speak to that. When I learned Justin was here, I came as fast as I could."

"Others will come, too."

"I know. Justin can't remain hidden here. I'm sorry."

Reporters would flock to him, at the very least. This farm was not a secret, even if it was isolated. His father hadn't hunted Justin down only because he'd used Justin's freedom as blackmail against Richard. That would all change when the truth came out about the child Justin carried in his womb. Or that Richard had defied his command, abandoned the palace, and turned his back on his birthright.

Justin's aunt closed her eyes as if letting Richard's warning sink in. She nodded slowly, calm and unsurprised. She still held the rifle, but her scent wasn't aggressive, merely resigned.

"Figured as much the moment that reporter showed up. We had a warning that danger was headed our way."

He frowned. "A warning?"

"Edwards, I think her name was. The majinette from your pack. The one all you crazy city wolves claimed was some kind of wolf-devil worshiper. She swore left, right, and sideways that you two were still mates, despite it all. That she'd been framed for bullshit wolf-pack politics. I couldn't help but believe her, knowing what I do of packs. She wouldn't stay, though. Warned us danger was coming and wanted Justin to leave as if he weren't pregnant with nowhere else to go. Then she headed off again, running as a wolf."

"I see…" The news staggered him. Brin Edwards had come here. And she still swore that Justin Turner was Richard's mate, a truth he embraced once again. He only prayed he wasn't too late.

"I won't lie," she continued, eyeing him knowingly and with a touch of cynicism. "I hate them both for showing up—at least a little, anyway. We were boxed in from the beginning." She cocked her hip and stared at him with an intensity that easily matched Richard's father. "Didn't expect you to come here alone. That means something. You're not supposed to be here, isn't that right, prince?"

"No. But I couldn't stay away."

"Because he's your mate."

"Because Justin is my mate. Because I love him. Because he is carrying my child."

He held her gaze, submitting to her judgment. He'd defied his father, the king of Altaden, but he wanted this woman on his side. Not only did she clearly love her nephew, but she'd done all she could to keep Justin safe when Richard hadn't been there for him.

He owed her more than he could ever repay.

Finally, she nodded, a slight smile appearing on her thin lips. She pointed at an outbuilding a short distance from the barn. "He's in there. It's not locked. Walk in and find your mate. Don't give him a heart attack, although I suppose the surprise can't be helped. At least it will be a good surprise instead of bad. We've had our fill of those."

"Thank you."

"Thank me by convincing my nephew that you love him. Thank me by taking care of your child. I don't give two damns if you're a prince or an alpha wolf or any of that business. You be a good father to that child. That's worth far more."

He nodded solemnly. She grunted and called the dogs to follow. She headed back up the porch steps and into the house with her little pack crowding around her while she chided them for getting in the way.

He let out a long breath but felt a vast sense of relief. Another hurdle down. Many more to go. The biggest one, in fact. Getting Justin to forgive him. After all the hurt and harm, that wasn't going to be easy.

The outbuilding was a single-story high and built of cinderblock. Whereas the barn was as rustic as he could expect from a barn, this building was clean, painted off-white, and had a metal door but no windows—at least not on this side. It had an oddly industrial look to it. He supposed that made sense if they made their cheese inside. It would have to be kept clean and sterile.

You're stalling, he told himself. You didn't come all this way to stand in the driveway like a coward.

He crossed the clearing. His anticipation and apprehension grew with every step. He pulled the door open and stepped into a little foyer area. There were aprons and smock coats hanging on pegs, hairnets, disposable booties, and disposable gloves on shelves. A big covered bin had the spray-painted stencil words Outside Shoes Must Go Here on the lid. Beyond the foyer, he heard machinery, something that sounded like it was churning, and the hum of refrigeration units. The air was filled with a dizzying array of scents, everything from stainless steel to wax to cheese, milk, cream, and curds.

He moved farther inside. He wanted to call out, but Justin's aunt had said he worked with headphones on. Besides, Richard wasn't certain his voice would work with his heart firmly lodged in his throat. His wolf was nearly frantic, knowing their mate was so close.

When he'd been on the road, speeding here as fast as he dared, he hadn't been able to imagine this moment. He'd feared it but yearned for it with everything that he was. Now he was finally here. Justin was here.

He stepped into a wide, open room dominated by stainless steel and filled with equipment, much of it strange to his eye. There were things that looked like skimmers, all kinds of measuring implements, curd knives, colanders, cheesecloth, and more. Justin sat on a stool at the far end of the room. He was dipping cheese mounted on some kind of rack into red wax. He partially faced away from Richard and didn't immediately see him.

Richard was aware that it was a cliché, but perhaps it still held a kernel of truth because time seemed to slow for him the instant he laid eyes on his mate. He felt as if his perception had been thrown wide, all blinders off, and his eyes drank in every beloved detail.

Justin was wearing one of the smocks, a hairnet, and had Bluetooth earpieces in his ears that Richard recognized from their time together at the palace. Justin nodded his head to a music beat that Richard could only faintly hear.

And he was very much pregnant.

The image of his mate across the room, so different but so familiar, shook him to the core, filling him with a joy so intense it was humbling. Richard found himself grinning broadly, unable to contain his happiness or how much this moment meant to him. The sight of his slender Justin now curving out at the waist delighted him. Justin's once-slim symmetry—so well known to Richard's eyes and touch—was gone, replaced by the heavy belly that was beautiful nonetheless. The quirky clothes Justin loved had been replaced by maternity wear under the big smock. Or perhaps Richard had spoken too soon. The maternity pants had a black-and-white cow pattern with cowbell designs over the pockets.

Goddess, he'd missed this man so much. He felt the burn and pressure of tears behind his eyes and ruthlessly held them back, although it caused him physical discomfort. Richard didn't want the first thing for his mate to see was a supposed alpha wolf blubbering right in front of him. No, he needed to keep himself under control. At least until he could win Justin back. After that, any tears he allowed himself to shed would be of joy or relief. Probably both.

Justin had never appeared more beautiful to him. It was a simple truth. His skin glowed. His high, delicate cheekbones and smooth face—that perfect mouth and strong chin—presented the perfect profile that Richard had always loved. It was a mix of male handsomeness and feminine beauty that had endlessly intrigued Richard. It was so unique, and unique had its own beauty.

Seeing Justin again, smelling his scent once more, didn't revitalize Richard's love. He realized now that his love had never completely faded, not through the empty times, not through his betrothal to Peter, not during the dreams or after his now-broken vow to his father. Again in the presence of his mate, that love blazed as brightly as the noon-day sun. That love would never be eclipsed again. He could not say it enough. Justin Turner was his mate. Justin was the man that Richard loved.

He drew in a breath to say Justin's name, to gain his attention, but it wasn't necessary. Justin sensed he wasn't alone or caught Richard's scent and looked his way.

Justin's eyes went wide with shock, and his face paled. His scent went from focused but placid to stunned, even afraid. He froze in place, looking for all the world like a terrified rabbit cornered by a predator.

That panic just about shattered Richard. The need to rush across the room and pull Justin into his arms again, where his mate belonged, was overwhelming. He ached to put his hands on the roundness of that belly and speak his first words to their child. He wanted to know if that child was a girl or a boy. He wanted to know if Justin had picked out a name yet. He wanted to kiss his mate and see love back in those pretty eyes. Not fear. Not panic. Love.

"You…" Justin whispered, no strength in his voice.

Richard kept his distance, even though the overpowering need to embrace his mate and shelter him in his arms caused him physical pain to hold in check. Justin was already stunned to see him here. Richard couldn't afford to screw this up again with recklessness. Far too much was on the line. He might only have one chance to make this right.

"Justin…" he began, struggling for the right words. He took a deep breath, and despite warning himself to be cautious, he ended up saying the first thing that came to mind. "You look beautiful."

* * *

JUSTIN

At first, Justin believed he was dreaming. True, the dream had started off as one of those annoying and tedious work dreams instead of something exciting. He was sealing cheese in wax and listening to chill music on the old mp3 player he'd had for ten years. Nothing special. Same old, same old. Uncomplicated and somehow Zen.

So it made complete sense when his work dream was derailed by Richard's sudden appearance, as he always appeared in Justin's dreams of late. And it had to be a dream because Richard called him beautiful, and the last thing Justin felt was beautiful. He was third-trimester round. He was wearing a hairnet. He was blushing and looked like an exhausted zombie because of his restless, vividly dream-laden sleep.

Richard looked amazing, as always. His dark overcoat covered a dark suit, still stylish despite appearing rumpled. The prince was so tall, so fit and handsome. His cheeks held a slight flush from the cold, and his scent was all Richard. Maleness mixed with a flurry of emotion smells—joy, relief, worry, determination—and that unique, impossible-to-describe scent that belonged only to Justin's one-time mate.

Justin stared at him, the back of his neck blazing hot, his heart thudding dully, and a thousand moths trapped in his stomach.

"You're a dream," he accused Richard. At least his voice had regained a little strength, even though his legs felt rubber-wobbly as he pulled off the hairnet and slid off the stool. He clutched the metal rack with one hand to steady himself. The metal felt hard and cool and solid.

Richard's mouth curved in a familiar half-smile. "I'm real."

"No. You're not real. How could you be here?" His thoughts began to spiral into a frantic funnel of panic. "You…you can't be."

"I came for you." His gaze dropped to Justin's belly. There was joy in those green eyes. Real joy. Real pride. Real hope. "For the three of us."

Not a dream…

Yet, everything felt so strange. His brain was numb, while his body trembled, and a hole opened inside his stomach. His wolf was frantic, yipping with joy that his mate had returned. That everything would be fine. That they would finally be happy again.

But Justin believed none of that. He put his hands on the swell of his belly defensively. His chin lifted. He stared at Prince Richard Hargreave, his heart in his throat and his mouth dry as salt. "Why are you here? To take the baby from me?"

"Never." Richard's voice held a chord of pain that vibrated in Justin's head long after the word was spoken. The joy in Richard's eyes had vanished, swallowed down by desperation. "I would never hurt you. I would never harm our child."

"You already hurt me." He didn't want to sound weak and petulant. He made himself say the words dispassionately. Simply stating the facts and nothing more.

"I know." Richard slowly crossed the room toward him. He never took his eyes off Justin. Lines of strain marred his face. He might be as handsome as ever, and yet he looked older, grim, those piercing green eyes now shadowed. His Richard had always been regal, with a royal gravitas to him but also a wry sense of humor. He'd always been able to make Justin smile.

So why wasn't Justin able to smile now? The thing he'd wanted most in the world was right here with him, and all he wanted to do was weep.

Richard reached him, but Justin only stood there motionless with too many jagged thoughts and barbed-wire emotions twisting into his brain. His wolf was overjoyed, but the beast had always been raw emotion, powerful but simplistic. Life for his human side, his omega side, had never been clear cut. He had been hurt too often. And this prince he loved had hurt him the worst of all.

Then Prince Richard Hargreave completely shocked him by getting down on one knee before him. He reached out and gently took Justin's hand, holding it in both of his own while looking up into Justin's wide eyes.

"I intended to do this in front of a crowd," Richard began solemnly, "because I wanted the entire world to know how sorry I am for how I wronged you. I wanted the world to see me beg you for forgiveness on bended knee. I wanted them to see me declare you as my mate if you chose to forgive me. Such a thing was impossible to pull off, given the circumstances, so it is yet another failure I beg you to forgive me for."

"Richard—"

Richard squeezed his hand and shook his head, causing Justin to fall silent with the rest of his words unspoken. "Please let me speak, Justin. I've come a long way to lay myself bare. Let me speak, and then I will take to heart any words you choose to say."

Justin bit his lip and slowly nodded, shocked into silence more than anything. Richard could sound formal and regal when he chose, but he rarely spoke that way around Justin. That was one of the many things Justin loved. Richard might be royalty, he might be an alpha prince in line for the throne, but he talked to Justin like an equal, like a lover, like a friend.

Richard's grateful smile at Justin's nod had his emotions reeling once more, with a dazed part of him still wondering if this were really real. Was the crown prince of Altaden actually here with him in a room where he'd been making cheese moments ago? It all looked, smelled, and felt so real in so many ways, and in others, it seemed too impossible to be true.

"I am so sorry, Justin," Richard continued. "You are my mate. You are the man I love, and I turned you away. You deserved so much better. I failed you when I should've stood resolute by your side. I should have protected you against our enemies, against my father, and I failed. Will you forgive me?"

"I…" His words faltered. He felt as if he were trying to breathe underwater. "You don't have to—"

"I do. I must. I have missed you with every part of me. I love you. With all my heart, soul, and mind, I love you. Will you forgive me?"

"I… Yes. But…why? How are you here? What…?" He knew he was babbling, and the questions made little sense, but it was all so overwhelming. Joy, hope, and love set against his shock, pain, and confusion, and the whiplash left him reeling. He clamped his mouth shut to avoid sounding foolish and nearly bit the tip of his tongue.

Richard stood again, to Justin's vast relief. Having Richard on his knees before him was not something Justin would've ever demanded. The life of an omega wolf had plenty of humiliations in it. Justin had zero desire to make others humiliate themselves. In fact, he had secondhand embarrassment from seeing that kind of thing.

Maybe it was Justin's expression, or maybe it was his scent, but Richard seemed to understand. His eyes were soft, his smile was kind, and his scent was grateful. "Thank you."

Justin merely nodded, unable to talk with the lump stuck in his throat. He was not going to cry, damn it. He refused to play into omega wolf stereotypes. He sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly, counting to ten.

"You have every right to hate me," Richard said. "No person on this planet would blame you for that. I always told you that I loved you, then I put that love aside for what I believed were good reasons." He met and held Justin's gaze. "I've come to tell you they weren't good reasons."

Justin's heart skipped what felt like half a dozen beats and then lurched into pounding three times as fast. Love… That word was joy and sorrow all intertwined for him, hearing it twice now from the lips of a man he loved in return.

Now he was crying, damn it. But the things Richard was saying were too painful. He could see how saying them hurt Richard as if every word were a razorblade he spat from a bleeding mouth. "Please. Don't…"

"No. I won't stop. This needs to be said."

"It doesn't." Justin stood up straighter, glaring through blurry eyes at Richard. "You made a mistake. You believed what they told you. I'm not a fool. I know you're a prince. You have pressures on you, obligations that most people don't understand, much less appreciate. I told you I forgive you. So don't."

Richard stared at him for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever. Then he closed his eyes and slowly nodded his head. "It's good to see you again. I missed you. The moment I learned you were pregnant with my child, I could no longer continue to deny you are my mate. I had to find you. I had to make this right again."

Justin stared back, his mouth dry, his heart pounding. Here it came. Recriminations. Richard would hold it against him that he'd kept their child a secret. Shame and defiance swept through him, and he didn't know which was right to feel.

"Did you…read that I was pregnant in the newspaper?"

Richard shook his head. "The reporter came to the palace, wanting an interview with me. He told me you were pregnant. He told me where to find you."

"He…he wasn't hurt, was he?"

"The reporter?" Richard asked with a frown. "No, he's fine as far as I know. But when his story comes out, it's going to shake the kingdom hard."

Justin rested a hand on his belly again and gave Richard a pained smile. "The commoner omega is pregnant with the bastard of the crown prince."

"I hate when you say such things."

"It's true, isn't it?" Justin shook his head curtly. "This isn't the time for half-truths because you're afraid you'll hurt my feelings. I know your father hates me. I left Altaden. I had no choice. I…couldn't stay."

"I understand."

"Do you?" The words came out sharper than he intended, filled with prickly hurt and the memory of all his wounds.

"I do, Justin. You were pregnant. You were alone. If I were in your shoes, I would've been terrified that someone from the palace would take my child from me. Maybe even the crown prince who had denied you as his mate."

Justin couldn't help it. He broke down into tears again, only this time, it was worse because they were ugly sobs. Simply hearing those words—his bitterest of fears—spoken by Richard, acknowledged by him, felt like vindication. Or maybe absolution for a sin he had reason to commit but which had stained him anyway.

Without a word, Richard pulled him into his arms. He hugged Justin tightly, resting his head gently against Justin's head. Justin buried his face against his mate's chest and wept.

Eventually, he drew back, finally cried-out enough to be left with an ache behind his eyes and the headachy feeling that always plagued him after crying. He must look like an absolute wreck. Not that he'd been looking all snazzy and tricked out to begin in his cheese-making gear.

He gently moved out of Richard's embrace, needing to collect himself, and Richard let him go. "I told myself I wasn't going to start crying, and I couldn't stop it."

"You have every right to cry." Richard gently wiped away a tear track.

"Stop being so understanding." Justin weakly pounded his fist on Richard's chest once. Not too hard, though. He didn't want to injure his hand. Richard's chest was as hard as he remembered.

"No, Justin," Richard replied solemnly. "That I won't do. You deserve someone to understand you. I can't promise I'll always get it right, but I will damn well try."

Justin had to close his eyes or he might start bawling again. "Fine. I guess I won't protest too hard." He took a shuddering breath, knowing there was something that still haunted him. Even if Richard claimed to understand why Justin had kept their daughter a secret, he needed to hear more to heal the wound, self-inflicted or not. "Do you hate me for not telling you about our daughter?"

"A daughter?"

A note of awe and delight sounded in Richard's voice and made Justin's heart clench. He forced his eyes open to tell whether his ears were betraying him and he was only hearing what he ached to hear.

Richard was watching him intently. His scent was one of pride, determination, and anxiety, all intermixed, and Justin understood that completely.

"Yes, our daughter," he whispered, still fearing the answer to his question. A question that Richard hadn't yet answered.

Richard gently touched Justin's face again as if he couldn't help himself, trailing his fingertips ever so softly along Justin's tear-lined cheek.

"Hate you? Never. I was upset at first, true. It hurt that you no longer trusted me, that you might even fear me, but I understood."

"Did you?" He didn't dare believe it, even as badly as he wanted to.

"Yes. I want you to believe me, Justin. I understood. You had lost me. You lost your pack and everything in Altaden. You didn't want to lose your child. No one could blame you for that."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't want to believe the worst. But I didn't dare take the chance… I needed to protect my child."

"And that's why you'll make a fine parent," Richard said fiercely, his eyes shining. "Wolf packs are not always the most egalitarian places to live. I say that knowing full well I was a wolf at the top of the pyramid. You don't need to explain anything more to me. And if you feel the least bit of guilt, let it go."

Justin sagged with relief, undone by how badly the impossible choice had haunted him. Wonder of wonders, he felt like crying again. He loved Richard so desperately that it sometimes made him afraid his heart would burst. He didn't need any apology. His love had never belonged to another.

"I dream of you all the time," Justin admitted quietly.

Richard's laugh was a deep rumble. "So do I. I've never had dreams that intense. Almost visions."

"Yes, exactly. Almost visions. Brin did something to me. The Goddess connected us or something. I don't know how to describe it."

"I don't doubt it. Your aunt told me that Brin Edwards found you here. That seems like a miracle itself, doesn't it?"

"She swore up and down that we are mates. Brin said the Goddess had it right, but that she was framed to get rid of her…and to get rid of me. She warned me danger was coming."

Richard's eyes narrowed, but he didn't seem surprised. "We can't stay here for long. It's not safe anymore. When that reporter's story goes live, all hell will break loose."

"Your father will know about our child…"

Richard nodded, his expression grim.

"Would he hurt us?"

"I want to believe my father would never stoop so low, but he's not the man he was. Or perhaps he never was the man I thought he was. But he will not take away the best thing that has ever happened to me." The love in his mate's voice made Justin's heart soar. Richard rested a hand on the curve of Justin's big belly. "Tied only with our daughter."

Goddess, he could stand here and listen to Richard talk lovingly about him and their unborn child for the rest of his life and never be bored. At last, he was reassured that no matter how much his life changed from this moment on, Richard would stay by his side.

Then it finally hit him what Richard had to be sacrificing to be here with him, alone and reaffirming his love. He stared into Richard's eyes, fearing whatever else Richard hadn't told him yet. "Where does this leave you? You're the heir to the pack. You're supposed to take over as the alpha."

"My father threatened you," Richard said, his voice cold and uncompromising. "After you left the city, he gave me an ultimatum. Either I forgot about you forever or he would drag you back to Altaden and punish you for your defiance. I told myself I was protecting you by putting you out of my life completely. But the dreams never left me alone. In those dreams, I was connected to you. I was with my mate. It was after I woke that I had to convince myself that I hadn't made a terrible mistake. Everything changed when I learned you were pregnant. How could it not? From that moment on, I knew I had to defy my father no matter what it cost."

"It must have been hard for you," Justin said softly, putting a hand on Richard's chest, his gaze tracing over that beloved face. "Being betrothed to someone else…"

Richard took his hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed Justin's palm. "You shame me with how kind and forgiving a person you are, Justin."

He laughed self-consciously. "Don't put me on a pedestal. I'll just fall off. I'm very front-heavy these days."

"You jest, but no one would blame you for holding that other betrothal against me when you were the one meant to be at my side. That's why I'm not certain I'm worthy of you."

Justin closed his eyes and smiled slightly. "Enough of that nonsense, Prince Richard. I get to choose who is worthy of me. But I am sorry for your betrothed. I know how that feels."

Richard nodded grimly. "I think you two would be friends had you met. I know your kindness would touch him."

Justin accepted the compliment with grace. "Tell me about him."

"He was a prince from a Seattle pack. He was a good person. Funny, kind, and pragmatic…but he was not my mate."

"I guess that makes me lucky," Justin teased.

"No, it makes me the luckiest wolf in the world," Richard said, pulling him in for a sweet kiss, then leaning back to stare deep into his eyes with a fierceness and conviction that could not be denied. "I knew from the moment I learned I was to become a father exactly what I wanted. Not to be a king. To have a family. With you."

"Richard…" He was breathing too fast after that kiss and those words, feeling divine, overjoyed, but also feeling frazzled, almost panicky. "You're giving up everything you've lived for your entire life. How am I supposed to live with that guilt?"

"Don't you dare feel guilty, my little mate," Richard said with surprising sternness. "This is my choice to make. I take all the responsibility for it, the same as I take responsibility for driving you away when I should have defied my father. I know what I want. Let me say it until you accept it. I want you. I want our daughter. I want a life together. The palace and the crown do not fit into the life I choose, so they are behind me."

Justin was simultaneously filled with dread and elation, and the warring emotions left him feeling torn and exhausted. He couldn't believe Richard would give up his birthright, give up everything he'd been raised to do, everything he was. And yet, Justin was humbled by his mate and his love. The doubt, the guilt, the fear, and the heartbreak all began to fade and happiness replaced them.

Richard pulled him close again, Justin's big belly between them providing a constant, warm reminder of what they'd made together. A bond as deep as their love.

"Enough words," Richard said in a no-nonsense voice. "I need to show you how much I love you."

The passion in his mate's kiss rocked Justin on his heels and left him breathless. It felt as if fireworks were going off in his head. His body flooded with happy hormones and arousal. There was no denying that Richard was turned on as well. His cock stiffened and pressed insistently against Justin's body, making him groan with an aching need. That sound only inspired Richard to deepen the kiss.

And the kiss was even better than the dreams.

Finally, Richard managed to pull himself back from Justin's lips. He still held Justin close, speaking low and fervently, his deep voice vibrating its way across Justin's skin.

"I want you," Richard growled. "I'll take you here if I have to, but I can't wait any longer. I need to back up my words. I need to show you that you're mine and I am yours."

A noise halfway between a moan and a laugh escaped Justin's wet lips. "I want that. I want that so badly. But not in here." He leaned back enough to look up into Richard's eyes, and he could see the desire blazing in them, hot as shimmering coals. "Not where we make cheese. My aunt would skin me alive."

Richard laughed. "You're right. I don't want to get on her bad side. But I need to get you alone."

"Then come on, big guy," he murmured to Richard, flashing him a coy look. "I'll show you my room. We can break in the bed." He paused, his body feeling warm, and decided to go for it. "It's the bed where I have my sexy dreams of you."

Richard grinned from ear to ear. "You too? I thought that was only my brain tormenting me because I couldn't have you. I guess we have Brin to thank." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Or the Goddess."

"Maybe the Goddess got annoyed that it was taking so long for two thick-headed wolves to remember they are mates." Justin laughed. "We should hurry up and show her that we've learned our lesson."

Richard gave him another kiss. It started out tender and grew more passionate until Justin's head was spinning. Little Ashley was excited, too, turning and kicking. Richard felt the kicks as they embraced.

A look of wonder came over Richard's face as he stared down at Justin's big belly. Justin took his hand and placed it on his stomach. Sure enough, Ashley kicked again. Richard's eyes widened almost comically. The smile that spread on his face was one of purest joy.

"Your daughter is happy to meet you," Justin told him.

"My daughter…" Richard whispered. Then, more loudly, "Pleased to meet you, little girl."

They left the building, Richard's arm wrapped protectively around Justin's shoulder. It was cold out but warm in his mate's arms.

Aunt Katie glanced up from drying the dishes when they entered the kitchen through the back door. She tossed aside the towel and crossed her arms, eyeing them.

"So, apparently, everybody kissed and made up."

Justin felt strangely shy under her scrutiny, but Richard only smiled.

"He didn't make it easy," Richard said, putting an arm around Justin's shoulders. "I had to get down on my knees and grovel, but he took pity on me."

Justin shot him an amused look and bumped him with his hip, which did nothing because Richard was taller, stronger, and heavier.

"Can't say it doesn't tickle me some to hear about a prince down on his knees," Aunt Katie said wryly. She flapped a hand at the stairs. "I'm sure I know what you two intend to get up to now. Same thing that started all this trouble, most likely. Well, go on. I'll finish up with the cheese and shoo the dogs outside. Otherwise, your bed will end up fuller than I'm guessing you'd like."

"Thank you," Richard said with a solemn nod.

Justin felt his cheeks heating with embarrassment. He couldn't believe he was standing here in the arms of a prince who wanted to get him upstairs to his old bed, not to mention how he was horny as hell for Richard too, and his aunt was giving them privacy for it.

She flapped a hand at them, looking amused. "Go on with you. I'll go finish with the cheese since my best worker will be busy fooling around."

Justin felt his cheeks heat, but Richard only laughed. "Thanks, Aunt Katie."

As she walked past, Justin gave her a quick peck on the cheek. The kiss seemed to both amuse and charm her, even if she did warn him about sucking up to the boss.

His aunt disappeared out the back, taking the dogs with her, even Pepper, who shot Richard a jealous look. Justin led the way upstairs, still holding hands with Richard.

"I know it's not much," Justin said of his room, which didn't have any of his personality in it because he didn't own much anymore. The décor consisted of a quilt, landscape paintings of lakes and forests, and furniture that had escaped the 1940s. "But it's a roof and a bed, and I'm grateful."

"If you're here, then it's perfect," Richard said simply.

Justin expected clothes-tearing-off passion that verged on the desperate. It had been that long since they'd seen each other, and right now, his libido was revved up as high as it could go. It surprised him a little because a revved-up libido was how he got pregnant in the first place.

Richard didn't tumble him onto the bed. Richard didn't rip off his own clothes like a tear-away stripper outfit or an Incredible Hulk whose shirt collar was too tight. Instead, he drew Justin into his arms—a place where Justin had always felt safe and cherished—and kissed him tenderly. The kiss might have desire zigzagging through it like a lightning bolt, but its backbone was simply love. A loving kiss, sweet, tender, perfect.

What followed was oddly dreamlike and yet vividly intense, real and magical, because he'd believed this would never happen again. And here it was, happening, and he felt dazed by how badly he wanted it, how deeply he'd missed the man he loved.

Richard kissed him, caressed him, and began to undress him. Justin allowed himself to be made naked first, enjoying as Richard undressed him with such reverence it was as if he revealed some priceless work of art one piece at a time.

Soon, he stood there naked, feeling oddly exposed in a new way, suddenly bashful. He was very aware of the swell of his protruding belly. Even the weird way his belly button had changed from a cute innie to something more stretched and outie suddenly made him self-conscious. He had always been slender, svelte even. Now he looked anything but lithe, even if the rest of him remained slim, which made him appear ungainly and front-heavy. He didn't know if Richard would find him attractive like this. So…changed.

Richard noticed his sudden hesitation. He didn't say a word, only caressed his hands along the outside of Justin's thighs, higher along the outside swell of his belly. His hands were so warm on Justin's skin. They felt beyond wonderful. Richard leaned in and claimed his lips with soft kisses that only grew more forceful and passionate.

Justin was achingly hard by the time Richard paused from kissing him long enough for Justin to pounce. Well, he pounced as much as he could in this condition. But Justin delighted in returning the favor, undressing his mate with unsteady hands while Richard allowed him free rein. Justin stood on tiptoe and stole kisses. When he had Richard's shirt off, he swallowed a needy groan. Goddess above, the man's torso was divine, so broad and layered in muscles that it didn't seem fair for a prince to look this good.

He stole another kiss, grinning as he unbuckled Richard's belt and slowly undid his button, then drew down the zipper. Richard was very hard, his length trapped along the right side of his pants. But Justin kept his hand from reaching in and taking out that warm, hard cock, even though his fingers tingled with anticipation.

Why did he hold back from another part of Richard that he'd really missed holding? Because he needed to get Richard's shoes off before he dropped his mate's pants. Otherwise, undressing would become an awkward mess. Also, bending over was a challenge, and shoes were very low to the ground.

Again, Richard seemed to read his thoughts, much to Justin's delight. Richard had always been that way. Very intuitive, always protective and kind, not to mention one of the things that had helped win Justin's heart forever: Richard never made him feel stupid or useless or humiliated him. Justin might be an omega, and others might hold that against him, but Richard never had.

Richard only smiled that smile that always made Justin's little heart flutter as he considered the problem of Richard's shoes, wondering if his mate could maybe lift his leg like a horse lifting a hoof to be shoed. Instead, Richard toed off his shoes, then kicked them out of the way. His socks came next, and Justin sighed with relief because he could finally get to the good part.

He took hold of the waistband of Richard's unbuckled pants and hooked his thumbs in the boxers too. He dragged down both at once, a two-for-one prize that left Richard naked, his pants and underwear puddled around his ankles and his erect cock thrusting out from his perfect body.

With a soft sigh, Justin traced his fingertips along the shaft, loving the silk-over-steel feeling of Richard's fully aroused cock. He settled his hand more firmly around the long shaft, stroking slowly, teasingly. Richard watched as Justin played with him. A low, pleased sound escaped from deep in his throat.

How much had Justin missed those sounds of pleasure from his mate? They were like music. Sexy music. They turned him on even more.

Eagerly, Justin brought his other hand into play, cupping and caressing Richard's balls while slowly stroking him. He knew he was good at this. You could vary the pressure on a man's cock and really keep him guessing, but you had to be careful with the family jewels. They required a delicate touch and lots of trust.

Richard's growl of delight was all the encouragement he needed. But Richard had always preferred to be in the driver's seat, and most of the time, Justin liked that just fine. So when Richard took hold of his wrist and used it to drag him into another toe-curling kiss, Justin readily submitted, anticipation hot in his blood and his cock beginning to throb.

After the hot kiss, Richard stared at him fiercely. "It's been too long, my little mate. Your hands feel too good."

"Too long for me, too," he replied hoarsely.

Richard touched his face, his lips, still looking into his eyes. "There was never anyone after you, Justin. Just those dreams of you…"

Justin closed his eyes, somehow both surprised by Richard's admission and not surprised at all. He was surprised because Richard was so handsome and commanding and could probably have any gay male in his orbit. Although, Justin had to admit to being a little delighted that Richard hadn't slept with the other wolf he'd been betrothed to. It made Justin feel special and drove home how important he was to the prince.

And he wasn't surprised at all because the two of them were mates. And maybe that had been part of what the Goddess intended by sending them those dreams over and over again. To hammer that point home and keep their desire burning for each other and no one else.

If so, he definitely owed Her a lot of thanks.

They kissed again, edging closer to the bed. Justin broke from the kisses when the back of his legs bumped into the bed frame. He turned to the bed and paused, suddenly unsure of the mechanics of this. He felt ungainly enough as it was, and it wasn't comfortable lying directly on his back when he was this pregnant. He could do from behind, but he wanted something comfortable and intimate and…to feel secure. They had gotten plenty wild at the palace on a great many occasions, but right now, he didn't want to be swinging from the chandeliers.

Richard leaned in and placed a tender kiss on the bare skin of Justin's neck, which gave him a delightful shiver.

"Don't worry," Richard murmured against his skin, causing yet another tremor to run through Justin. "I'll be gentle."

"Mmm. Yeah. We can go back to the rough and passionate stuff once I have this kid." He smiled and closed his eyes as Richard continued to kiss his way along his neck. "I promise to make it up to you."

"Hush. Just having you here with me is all I need. Now, lie down on your side. Let me make you feel good."

He obeyed, anticipation sweeping through him. He climbed onto the bed, which was only barely going to fit the both of them. He curled up, and Richard used one of the two pillows to support him and make him comfortable.

Richard bent to pull something from his pants. When he found Justin watching him—admiring that powerful, aroused male body, actually—he smiled. "I suppose condoms won't be needed."

Justin snorted and shot a brief but significant look at his belly and then raised an eyebrow at Richard.

Richard had the good graces to look chagrined—not a common expression on the prince of Altaden. He did, however, pull out a packet of lubricant from his wallet. Which was good because Justin certainly didn't have any here. He'd expected them to have to go raw-style with spittle or raid the bathroom for Vaseline or something. And he was too comfortable here to drag himself off the bed and search.

Richard took care of everything, and it was wonderful. His mate had always been an attentive, unselfish lover. Justin felt as if that was an underrated characteristic. He would even go as far as to rate it higher than a huge dong. Not that Richard's bait and tackle was small by any means. Justin wasn't big, so maybe this was all his way of making up for that fact by believing himself to also be a generous lover.

Whatever. He was thinking too much. There was definitely not enough kissing going on right now. Even as that thought crossed his mind, Richard gently prepared Justin to take him in, penetrating him with a lubed-up finger, then two, then teasing and cajoling that tight ring of muscle to relax. Justin closed his eyes and lay there, simply letting Richard have his way. He didn't feel the least bit guilty this time, either.

Richard kissed him up and down his back, running his big hands along Justin's naked body, exploring him as if this were the first time they'd ever done this. He moved up to spoon behind Justin, his cock pressing against Justin's ass. Justin turned his head so that Richard could kiss his lips, which Richard did eagerly, propping himself up effortlessly.

Justin's arousal was soon spiking fast after falling to a low roar as they got all the setup out of the way. He'd always been responsive to Richard's touches, his kisses, and that had not changed. Richard spread Justin's ass cheeks, teasing his lubed-up cock around Justin's hole until Justin arched his hips back, telling him without words that he wanted the teasing done and a cock inside him. Now.

Richard bit him firmly but not painfully on the sensitive flesh of his neck as he pushed forward, the head of his cock slipping into Justin's hole and sinking deeper until Richard was all the way inside him. The bite made Justin moan and twitch, his cock jerking, his body caught in pleasure that far overshadowed any pain from being penetrated by a thick cock.

Their lovemaking was slow, languid, smoldering passion. Easy, almost lazy, except there was nothing lazy about the waves of pleasure rolling through Justin's body.

Richard kissed him and thrust deeply into him from behind with slow, steady, but deep strokes. As Richard drove into Justin's ass, his mate's body was so much larger that it was easy for him to reach around and grip Justin's throbbing, aching cock. He timed his strokes down Justin's shaft to match his thrusts. The dual sensations had Justin's eyes rolling back in his head and helpless sounds of pleasure escaping his lips.

He wasn't going to last. It had been too long and this felt too good, too perfect. Being penetrated and stroked by his mate at the same time had his head reeling, his sense of self fading only into an ocean of incredible, thought-blanking sensation.

Richard began to thrust faster, his balls brushing against the bottom curves of Justin's ass with every deep penetration. Justin's pleasure escaped his half-hearted attempt to control it, to draw it out, and shot to climax. He cried out wordlessly as his cock began to jerk and spurt in Richard's firm grip.

Richard continued his thrusts and strokes until Justin's orgasm peaked, then began to ebb. Then the prince began to fuck him harder and faster, chasing his own happy ending.

It was music to Justin's ears when Richard finally growled "Mine," as his pleasure tipped the breaking point into orgasm. His thick cock began to pump his cum into Justin, that seed so hot that Justin gasped.

Richard caught his chin and turned his head for another fierce kiss. One that started out with ferocious passion and transformed into something gentle and tender, the way their pleasure had gone from a raging fire to the gentle warmth of the coals.

Afterward, they lay together, breathing hard. His pleasure slowly receded like a wave that had broken high upon the shore and was pulling back again, leaving in its place an incredible feeling of being loved, of being cherished and safe. The feeling that things were finally right again.

Richard kissed him on the back of the neck, his lips so blessedly warm. "I love you, my little omega."

Justin closed his eyes, smiled, and snuggled in. "I love you too, my prince."

It was the second time he'd said those words today, but they were undeniably true. All the pain and rejection and heartache hadn't changed that simple fact. He loved Richard. And Richard loved him.

After so much doubt, fear, and loneliness, things were finally right. He was where he needed to be—with the mate who loved him, the father of his child.