In the weeks that passed since Jason’s strange departure and the news of Steve’s betrayal, Jason became even more distant. The change seemed to perplex even Kade, and Clyde took it as a cue that it was time to move out like he’d originally planned. For the time being, he had reluctantly agreed that remaining in Silver Rapids was the best course of action. The case was far from over. Steve had shown his hand by lying about the evidence and helping Anthony with his witch hunt based on nothing other than the fact that Mrs. Harold was a convenient scapegoat.

Despite the stress the poor omega had to be under, caring for her grandchild seemed to be getting her through her grief over the loss of her daughter. Clyde found himself over at the Benningtons’s house frequently, checking in to make sure Mrs. Harold and Rae didn’t need anything. He still felt guilty for his role in the initial investigation, even though Mrs. Harold seemed to have forgiven him.

Now that Silver Rapids was his base of operations, until it was safe to return to the Tribunal, assuming Jason’s plan worked and Steve was ousted from his position, he had more than enough time on his hands. Time to think about the fact that his life for that short time he’d spent with Kade and Jason was so much more complicated and yet had felt so much simpler than the one he led now.

He’d lived alone for his entire adult life, so he wasn’t sure why the daily routine felt so empty now. He told himself it was just the fact that the case was at a standstill, but he knew there was more to it than that. That afternoon, he was sitting on the Benningtons’s sofa holding Rae in his arms while she drank from her bottle and Mrs. Harold made lunch. The visit was a welcome distraction. He told himself it was a good idea to at least get used to being around an infant without feeling completely lost.

It was still a bit early, and he knew the subtle changes he’d noticed in his body could just be his imagination, but he was all but certain that he was pregnant. He’d been sick every morning for the last week, and he knew male omegas tended to exhibit symptoms of pregnancy earlier than females. It was what he wanted, what the three of them had planned, but the sense of satisfaction that came with knowing he was doing something good couldn’t explain the joy in his heart whenever he thought of bringing a baby into the world for the Alphas who’d taken him into theirs.

Whenever he held Rae, he couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to hold his own child. Would it be a boy or a girl? Would they have Jason’s dark eyes, or the smile he only showed on such rare occasions that when it happened, it always took Clyde by surprise?

“She’s getting so much stronger,” said Clyde. “You wouldn’t think she was as small and sickly as she was just a month ago.”

“Babies are like that. They grow so fast,” the older omega said wistfully, carrying a couple of plates into the room. “You’ve got a knack for it, you know.”

“For what?”

“For caring. I can hardly get her to take her bottle without fussing,” she said with a chuckle.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been the type who’s good at nurturing,” Clyde admitted. “I guess she just likes me for whatever reason.”

“You sell yourself short. You know, it’s possible to be good at more than one thing,” she said gently, sitting across from him.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I know your type. You think just because there are some pigheaded Alphas who say a mated omega belongs at home forever means you have to choose one life or the other, but you don’t. Babies grow up. They’re not always so helpless and completely dependent on you. And Alphas these days are capable of changing a diaper or emptying a dishwasher without dying.” Her eyes danced mischievously. “Two of them should lighten the workload even more.”

Clyde blushed. “We’re not together, Mrs. Harold. I’m just their surrogate.”

“Kade imprinted on you.”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Come, now. You’re too clever to be that naive,” she scoffed. “I see the way you look at him. At both of them. And the way they look back makes it clear that all you’d have to do is say the word and this would not be just an ‘arrangement.’”

“Maybe,” Clyde admitted. “But things will change when the investigation is over and I head back to work.”

“They might, but it doesn’t have to be for the worse. I see the way you are with Rae. Are you really telling me you’re going to be alright with just being a tangential part of this child’s life?”

Clyde blinked. “I’m not pregnant yet.”

“Mhm. You know, I have a nose for these things. I’ve been able to tell when another omega is pregnant ever since I was a girl.” Her gaze grew sad. “That’s how I knew with Betty, even though she tried to keep it from me.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Harold,” Clyde said quietly. “I know it seems like it’s taking forever, but we’re close to proving your daughter’s innocence. I can feel it.” He also trusted Jason, even though the Alpha had been keeping things under wraps.

Mrs. Harold smiled. “I believe you are.” She looked up when a car door fell shut outside. “That must be Milton. That boy practically lives here,” she said with a chuckle.

The doctor walked in the door, his face lighting up as soon as he saw Rae. “There’s my favorite patient,” he said, grinning as he turned to Mrs. Harold. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s just fine. I told you, you didn’t need to come by on your lunch break.”

“I was in the neighborhood. Besides, Clyde’s here as much as I am and our Alphas have asked me to keep an eye on him,” he said, rolling his eyes.

Clyde sighed. “They’re trying to be subtle, I guess.”

“You can’t really blame them, can you? It’s weird enough for an Alpha to live apart from his mate, let alone when you might be pregnant.”

Clyde’s face grew warm again. There was no such thing as a secret in Silver Rapids, and while he was starting to realize that the sense of community they shared was more than a decent tradeoff, it was still hard to get used to.

“Speaking of which,” said Mrs. Harold. “I trust my senses more than those fancy pregnancy tests, but something tells me Clyde here won’t believe it until he’s had the blood work.”

Milton looked over in surprise. “Really?”

Clyde hesitated. “I have been feeling a little under the weather.”

“Well, I’ve got most of my stuff with me. I’d be happy to take a quick sample, if you like.”

Clyde nodded, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. He passed Rae back to her grandmother and followed Milton over to the table while the omega set up everything he needed to run a blood test.

Why was he so nervous? Getting pregnant was the whole idea, the only way he could justify how desperately he’d behaved in an attempt to satisfy the desire to be with both Kade and Jason. A desire that sleeping with them had only fanned into a flame.

“Make a fist,” Milton said as Clyde rolled up his sleeve. He wrapped a cloth band around the other omega’s arm and pressed around the crook of his arm to find a vein before popping the needle in. It barely stung, but Clyde was far warier of the test results and he had the sinking feeling he knew why.

As much as he wanted to give Kade and Jason the family they longed for, he had also let his heart run away with him. He didn’t just want to give them that family, he wanted to be part of it. Even if his own reservations had long since ceased to be convincing in the face of knowing how right it felt to be part of that life, he could never go back on his word to Jason. He had promised that he wouldn’t interfere, and while he had shared a night of passion unlike any other with both Alphas, he knew that Jason didn’t feel the same way.

How could he? He already had perfection in Kade. How could either of them have room for someone like Clyde when they already had each other?

No matter how many directions his heart was pulling him in, Clyde promised himself that no matter what those test results showed, he wasn’t going to interfere in their relationship more than he already had. In the beginning, the idea of living within the Silver Rapids territory had seemed like a great concession. Now, the apartment he lived in across town felt like an eternity away from the house the Alphas shared.

“All set,” said Milton, untying the tourniquet from around Clyde’s arm. “I’ll take this to the lab. It shouldn’t be long before we have the results.”

Clyde smiled weakly. “Thanks. I’ll be at home. I’m going to take a nap, so just leave a voicemail if I don’t hear the phone.”

Milton looked him over worriedly. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“It’s probably just morning sickness, right?”

“It’s a bit early for that, even for a male omega,” he mused. “Just try to get some rest and drink plenty of water. Come see me if you don’t feel better in a day or two.”

“I will,” Clyde promised. He said his goodbyes to Rae and Mrs. Harold before heading back across town. The fresh air felt good, but the moment he was inside his apartment, he succumbed to exhaustion.

This pregnancy thing was more draining than he’d imagined.