“I’m sorry, Jason. I’m so sorry. I had no idea he was even coming until Jeff called me, and when I saw him…” Kade trailed off, but Jason’s mind could fill in the blanks. He’d never realized how active and vivid his imagination was until the omega in his living room had given him fodder.

The guilt in Kade’s voice and the pain on his face made Jason instinctively want to pull him into his arms and comfort him, but he was still reeling from the words the other Alpha had said right after he came in through the door. No sooner had he explained why there was an omega in the house than he’d uttered those words that had changed Jason’s life forever.

“I don’t know how to say this, but I… I think I imprinted on him, Jason.”

Anger was an irrational response. Jason knew it firsthand, because he knew what it had been like to imprint on Kade. He knew his mate hadn’t chosen this, and that in calling him home when he easily could have gone another several days if not weeks under the radar was an act of good faith. Of the trust they’d built between them over all the years and losses and struggle just to be who they were.

“Stop apologizing. Please.” Jason rubbed his forehead. God, his head hurt. So did his chest. It had been a long couple of weeks, but coming home was supposed to be the end of his troubles, even if it was only a temporary break, not the beginning of more. “I just need a minute to think.”

Kade sank down on the edge of their bed and Jason felt even worse for the scolded look on his face. After a few minutes, he said quietly, “I’ll tell him to leave.”

Yes. That’s exactly what Jason wanted him to do. The selfish, possessive nature that had been convinced he owned Kade from the moment he’d imprinted wanted him to take his mate up on that offer, send the Tribunal agent packing, and never speak of it again, but every other part of him knew better. He wanted better for Kade and he loved him too much to do to him what would have been a soul-crushing blow to Jason.

Imprinting was a one-way street. There was no doing a three-point turn and going back the other way. The thing Jason’s parents had always hoped would happen to him had finally happened to Kade, and while Jason had always hoped that this day would never come, he’d prepared for it.

Kade was only half shifter. Weird things happened when one Alpha imprinted on another. Sometimes it went both ways, sometimes they both ended up imprinting on an omega. Who knew what adding a human parent to the mix caused?

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The words came out harsher than he meant them to, but his frustration wasn’t directed at Kade. It was the fact that he knew it was ridiculous to expect this thing between his mate and a perfect stranger to just disappear. It would only get bigger until none of them could ignore it. “Are you sure he doesn’t know about Betty?”

“I warned her and the Benningtons,” Kade said in a somber tone. “They’re keeping a low profile while he’s here.”

The Benningtons were an older couple who had agreed to take Betty into their home, because Mrs. Bennington sure as hell knew a lot more about caring for pregnant omegas than either of them did.

Jason nodded. That would give them time, if only a little of it. “You haven’t said anything to him?”

“Of course not.” Kade seemed equally hurt and mystified. “I wanted to talk to you first.”

Jason swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded gain. It was easier than talking. After a few moments, he managed to find a glimmer of humor in the situation and he planned to hold onto it. “It had to be a Tribunal agent.”

Kade smiled apologetically. It didn’t meet his eyes. He looked as tired as Jason felt. “Guess your mom was right after all. I’m nothing but trouble.”

Jason walked across the room and threw his arms around his mate’s broad shoulders, holding him as tight as he dared. Kade’s arms wrapped around him and for a few minutes, neither of them said a word. Jason knew that everything was going to change come morning. It had to, one way or another. He just wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as he could. This moment where Kade was still his and only his, and where everything they’d fought for wasn’t in jeopardy of being lost because one omega had come by, daring to ask all the right question.

Hopefully he was prepared for the answers to the one he’d yet to think about asking.