Grayson sat on the couch in the living room, reading a book. Lars was working out in the gym, but Sven—who usually accompanied him for that—had said he was tired and wanted to stay with Grayson. So he’d found a spot at Grayson’s feet, content to lean against his legs and rest while Grayson scratched his neck and stroked his hair. 

Usually, this was a time of intense relaxation for Sven where he’d drop into subspace or something close to it, but tonight, he was restless. He’d been off the last few days, in fact. Something was wrong with Sven, something Grayson couldn’t put his finger on, and he was worried. 

The kid was distracted, for starters. Where his sweet eyes were usually focused on Grayson—a habit the alpha loved—Sven was now all over the place with his attention. Grayson had found him staring into the distance the last couple days, biting his lips or playing with his hands. He’d done his job, had done everything Grayson had asked of him, and he’d provided all the right answers and reactions, but his mind had been elsewhere.

But it was more. He wasn’t just distracted; he was also…different. Grayson studied the omega at his feet, trying to pinpoint what it was. What was different about him? It was subtle, but it almost seemed like he… Grayson’s heart skipped a beat. 

Like he glowed.

Sven’s skin was subtly glowing, radiant. 

He was pregnant. 

Just then, the omega looked up and Grayson wasn’t fast enough to change the expression on his face. Sven froze. 

“I didn’t mean to…” he said, his whole body rigid with shock and fear. “I wasn’t ready to tell yet.”

Grayson did what his instinct told him to. He bent over and picked him up, cuddling him on his lap. His boy needed him right now, needed to be assured that whatever it was, it would be okay. “Shush, honey. No need to explain or apologize.”

Sven put his head against Grayson’s shoulder in sweet surrender. “I’m scared,” he whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”

Grayson held him tight, a storm of emotions whirling through his head. “I’m here for whatever you need, honey. You’re not alone…”

Sven sat quiet on his lap for a long time, his body relaxed and his breathing even. “I tested positive,” he finally spoke. 

Grayson fought hard to stay calm when the omega confirmed his suspicions. His boy was pregnant. There were a million things going through his mind, but they'd have to wait. Sven needed him. “Are you okay with this news?”

“Are you? I figured you’d freak out, since you already have three kids.”

He’d been worried about Grayson? God, the kid was such a sweetheart. “This isn’t about me, honey. What I think or feel doesn’t matter. How do you feel? Did you tell Lars?”

“But…but you’re the father. That gives you a say, every say, according to the law.”

Grayson kissed his head. “This is a pack, honey. Pack law comes first, and Lidon has made it clear omegas have equal say. But aside from that, I would never overrule you, and you know that, deep down. You get to make all the decisions here.”

“Oh.” The word was loaded with meaning. “I’m scared to tell Lars,” Sven whispered.

“Why? Do you think he’d be upset?” Grayson knew the answer as soon as he’d asked the question. It wasn’t about Lars being upset. The beta would be reminded all over again of what he couldn’t give Sven. It wasn’t as much of a pain-point for Lars as it once had been, but there were still times when he struggled with what Sven could get from Grayson but not from him. 

“I hate hurting him,” Sven said. 

“It’s not your fault, honey. Don’t take this on yourself. You can’t help this.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

The question broke Grayson’s heart just a little, and his arms tightened around the omega. “Of course not. How could I be angry with you for something you didn’t do? The birth control didn’t work. It happens.”

“Do you want me to get an abortion?”

Grayson should’ve known this question would come up, what with Enar being Sven’s brother. It was clear he could and would deliver anything Sven needed. On one hand, it would solve the unexpected problem of an inconvenient pregnancy, and yet… The image of Sven, swollen with child, popped into Grayson’s head. Then another picture of Sven, cradling a newborn baby, so easy to picture since Grayson had seen him snugging with Hakon. Grayson’s alpha stirred, wanted. 

“No, I don’t. I’d love for you to keep the baby, but I will support you no matter what you decide. If you decide to keep it, I’ll be here for you with whatever you need. And if you’re not ready yet, I’ll accept that, too. It’s your call, but Sven, I’d really advise you to talk to Lars. You can’t keep him out of this. He’d be so hurt if he found out that we didn’t tell him.”

“You want to keep the baby?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t want it?”

When Sven didn’t answer, Grayson pushed back his head so he could look at him. 

“I figured you’d be done with kids, since you already have three.”

Grayson smiled. “If you’d asked me beforehand, I probably would have hesitated. But now the idea of you having my baby is…” He stopped himself. “I don’t want to influence your decision, and I could do that if I go on. You’d feel obliged to me, and that’s not my intention.”

Sven shook his head. “No, Gray, I needed to hear you say this. I thought you wouldn’t want it, and that was a big reason for me to consider an abortion.”

Grayson’s heart stumbled at Sven’s abbreviation of his name. He’d never used it before and how cute was that? But even more important was what Sven was communicating. “You want this baby?”

“I do,” Sven said, his voice barely audible. “I wouldn’t have planned it like this, but I’ve always dreamed of having kids, even though that wouldn’t be possible with Lars.”

A little shard stabbed in Grayson’s heart. They’d grown so close over the last few months, the three of them, but sometimes, innocent remarks like this made him feel like an outsider again. There was no mention of him in there, no reference to Sven being happy it was Grayson’s baby. It made him feel like a sperm donor, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“This feels like a gift, like a once in a lifetime chance that I shouldn’t let go,” Sven continued.

Grayson pushed his pain down. This wasn’t about him, and once the emotion had settled, he’d know Sven hadn’t meant it as a dig at him. The boy was high on hormones, still confused and scared. He needed Grayson to be there for him. 

“Honey, I would love to for you to keep the baby, but only if that’s what you want.”

Sven met his eyes, then nodded. “I’m pretty sure that’s my decision. Will you help me?”

Grayson leaned in and kissed his forehead. “Always, with whatever you need. We’ll raise this baby together, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Sven whispered. 

A noise made Grayson look up and there stood a freshly showered Lars, his eyes wide open and his face pale. Oh god. 

“A baby?” the beta said, then louder. “A baby? You’re pregnant and didn’t tell me?”

“No, Lars, it’s not like that… You don’t understand…” Sven said, and Grayson could hear his voice choke up with tears. No wonder, Lars looked like he was about to breathe fire at them both. Grayson could handle it, though it stung to see the beta so hurt, but for Sven, this had to be heartbreaking. 

“And now you’re raising it together, the two of you. How could you do this to me? You know what? I hope you two have a happy life together,” Lars said, and his voice, too, sounded like it was about to break. 

He whipped around and was halfway to the door when Grayson rose and planted Sven on his feet. “No. Lars, you’re not walking away.”

“Watch me,” Lars bit back without facing him.

“No. You’re staying.” Grayson kept his alpha back who was champing at the bit to show who was boss. 

Lars turned around, and Grayson’s stomach turned when he saw the tears streaming down the beta’s face. “Or what? You’re gonna hurt me even more than you already did?”

Lars had always told himself that people who spoke of heartbreak were exaggerating a little. Sure, it would hurt when people you loved rejected you, but to compare it to a physical break seemed a tad dramatic. But right now, his heart shattered into a million pieces, obliterated by a rejection so profound he could barely breathe. His head was spinning, dark spots dancing before his eyes, even as he desperately tried to suck in air. 

Grayson said something, but Lars didn’t listen as he stumbled away, through the kitchen, into the hallway. He would never listen to him again. That lying, backstabbing alpha-asshole. He’d pretended to like Lars, to love him even, reeling him in with his daddy-care, when all that time, he’d been stealing Sven from him. 

His Sven. His sweet, sexy Sven. 

And his Daddy, the man he’d come to completely trust. And love. 

God, they’d betrayed him, both of them. Planning a baby together behind his back. It was unimaginable, and yet that was exactly what had happened.

He stumbled, surprised when his legs gave out and he fell, more tears forming in his eyes as his kneecaps bruised on impact. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

The voice pierced through the brain fog and he looked up to find his brother looking at him with concern. His older brother, the one who betrayed him once as well. If he thought about that now, it seemed laughable, what Enar had done. 

“He’s pregnant,” he heard himself say, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something. “You knew. Did everyone know but me?” He let out a bitter laugh. “God, the glee you guys must have had when you all knew and kept it from me.”

Enar stepped back as if he’d slapped him. “Lars, I can’t discuss any patients with you or anyone else. I may operate in some definite gray areas, but I never break patient confidentiality.”

For some reason, that got through to him and managed to overrule his emotions. Enar was right. No matter what you could say about his brother, no one could ever deny how serious he took his job. He would have never told anyone else about Sven’s pregnancy, and he wouldn’t have plotted against Lars behind his back. That meant it was just Grayson and Sven, which still hurt him like a knife, but at least his brother wasn’t involved.

“No, you wouldn’t,” he admitted. “I’m just…hurting.”

Lars sagged with his back against the wall, cradling his head in his hands. “Sven is pregnant,” he said again, his tone much milder now. “And Grayson knew, and they’re planning to raise it together, and they didn’t bother to tell me.”

“Oh, Lars,” Enar sighed with a profound sadness, and he sat down on the floor right next to Lars. 

Lars’s heart softened as his brother offered him a shoulder, and he allowed himself to lean against him. Enar didn’t say anything else, which Lars appreciated. No empty words here, no clichés that would fall on deaf ears.

“I walked in on them talking about it,” he said after a while. “Sven was all beaming with happiness and Grayson was saying how they would raise the baby together.” His throat choked up at the memory. “Why would they do this to me?” he whispered. “I thought we were happy together. Am I that much of a brat they don’t want me anymore?”

“How the hell can you think that, let alone say it?” Grayson’s voice exploded, and it made Lars freeze in shock. How long had he stood there, listening in? He tensed up, gearing up for a fight, when Enar squeezed his shoulder, then rose.

“I think you need to leave, Grayson,” he said, his voice calm. “Lars needs time to cool off, and you do as well.”

Grayson crossed his arms, looking pissed as hell. And hot as fuck, Lars thought, cursing himself for the reaction. “He’s my mate. You gonna tell me to stay away from my own mate?”

Lars felt incredibly grateful Enar was standing up for him. It was the first time his brother had been there for him, or at least the first time he remembered. And for Enar it might be a small thing, but to Lars it meant everything.

Then Grayson’s words registered. They were mates. Lars hadn’t even thought of that, hadn’t even let the worrying implications sink in. If they cast him out, he’d be lost, bound as he was to Grayson. He’d wither away, and as awful as that sounded, he still preferred it over watching Grayson and Sven be happy together without him. 

Grayson’s eyes narrowed and the look he gave Enar was anything but friendly. “Stay out of this,” he told Enar in a tone that left little room for discussion. “This has nothing to do with you. This is between me and my mates.”

Enar would have to back off now. There was no way the guy would stand up to Grayson, right? Not when he was in full alpha mode. Hell, even Lars himself felt compelled to obey him, and he was used to Grayson going all alpha male dominant on him. But it seemed he had pegged his brother wrong. Instead, Enar rose to his full height, and his voice was more commanding than Lars had ever heard it. 

“No, Grayson, that’s where you’re wrong. This has everything to do with me. First of all, your omega mate is my patient, and if I feel you are in any way curbing his freedom to make his own choices, I will be so far up your ass you won’t know what hit you. Second, both of your mates are my brothers. That makes it my business. And third and not least, this is a pack. I am the pack alpha’s mate, and we both know damn well I outrank you. I have never, ever used my position, but I will if you keep up this ridiculous alpha posturing. Back the fuck down, Grayson. Cool off. Lars will come to you when he’s good and ready.”

Lars wanted to cheer, but realized in time that would not be good form. He would’ve loved to see Grayson's face as he did, though, but he'd better not push his luck. Grayson was beyond pissed off, so not the best time to push his buttons.

Much to his surprise, Grayson's expression softened. “You’re absolutely right, and I apologize, Enar. I was way out of line. I hope you’ll understand that this was my emotions speaking.”

“Grayson, I understand, believe me. But I’m glad you realize it too.”

Grayson nodded, then turned toward Lars. “I will leave you alone, and Enar was right that you deserve the time to cool off. I want you to know that I love you more than anything and so does Sven. This whole situation is not what you think. I hope you’ll come to that realization yourself, and when you do, or you want to talk, we will be there, waiting for you.”

Lars watched him walk away, and something in his heart shifted. What did Grayson mean that this situation wasn’t what he thought? Was it possible he had misunderstood something? He replayed the scene he had walked in on in his head. There was no other explanation than that Sven was pregnant. Enar hadn’t denied it either.

No, he hadn’t misunderstood. Not the pregnant part, at least. And he was sure he’d heard Grayson say it, that he and Sven would raise the baby together. Those had been his literal words, right? He went over them in his head, trying to look at them in a different way.

“Do you think he’s right?” he asked Enar, who had sat down next to him again. “Did I misunderstand them?”

Enar’s look at him was soft and kind. “I wasn’t in the room, so I don’t know what you overheard. But maybe the question is not what they said and whether you interpreted it correctly. Maybe you should ask yourself if the conclusion you came to fits what you have learned about their characters over the last few months. You’ve known Sven for such a long time, is this something he would do? You know he loves you. And so does Grayson. Lars, I see the way he looks at you, like you’re his sun, moon, everything. You and Sven, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you. He’s been such a good Daddy to the both of you, do you really think that what you accuse him of fits his character and behavior?”

Enar’s words hit him like a sledgehammer, breaking through his conflicted emotions and cutting straight to the core. One of the reasons why it had hurt so much was that he couldn’t believe they would do this to him. Enar was right, it didn’t fit their characters, neither of them.

Sven would never do something like this behind his back. They had made every decision together over the last few years, and even now when he struggled with something, it was often Lars he came to first, something that frustrated Grayson sometimes. And Grayson was far too honorable to go behind his back like this, he realized. Sure, they butted heads sometimes, especially when he needed something from him but wasn’t ready to admit it. Grayson had a way of getting under his skin, of pushing unrelentingly until Lars caved. But not once had he done anything that went against Lars’s will. He had always respected Lars’s “no.”

“It doesn’t fit their character,” he said to Enar. “It doesn’t make sense at all.”

“You should ask questions, then, instead of drawing conclusions,” his brother advised him, his tone understanding. “It’s hard when something hurts this much to keep your emotions at bay and allow yourself to rationally look at the situation, but that’s your best option right now. If you walk away in anger now, Lars, you may destroy something that can never be healed again.”

Lars bumped his shoulder against his brother’s. “You’re pretty smart, even for a doctor,” he joked.

Enar bumped him right back, a grin on his lips. “Wait till you get my bill for this psychiatric consult,” he teased, and Lars smiled.

They sat for a few minutes in silence, their shoulders companionably rubbing against each other, and Lars felt himself cool off. The whirlwind of emotions in his head and body slowed down, and he knew he had to talk to his mates right away. “Thank you,” he told Enar. “You said things I needed to hear. And thanks for getting Grayson off my back.”

“You’re welcome on both counts. And for what it’s worth, Lars, you guys will get through this. It may not be easy for a while, but the most valuable things in life never are. If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that. Everything beautiful and wonderful in my life has taken struggle and tears to achieve or acquire.”

Lars thought about that, the concept of his brother struggling in life. It didn’t take him long to realize that he was right. There was the obvious issue of him struggling with his alpha identity, but there was so much more than that. Being in a relationship with another alpha, constantly submitting to someone else, that couldn’t be easy for him, no matter if he identified as a beta or not. And then to see that other alpha conceive an alpha heir with their omega, that too had to hurt. Lars had never realized that he and Enar shared that hurt, of always being second choice, or in Enar’s case, even third.

He rose to his feet, then extended his hand to his brother and pulled him up. He hesitated for a second and then pulled him closer for a hug. “Thank you, bro.”

He found Grayson and Sven waiting for him in their room, as Grayson had indicated. Sven’s face was red and swollen with the evidence of a serious crying fit that had lasted for a while. Whereas Sven usually would’ve stormed right at him and hugged and kissed him till they both ran out of breath, there was now a hesitation that had never been there before. The truth of what Enar had said hit Lars. If he did this wrong, if they did this wrong, they could break something that couldn’t so easily be patched together again.

“Enar said I should ask questions instead of drawing conclusions,” he said softly. “So I’m here to ask questions.”

“We’ll answer them,” Grayson promised him, and even his voice was choked with emotion, Lars noted. 

“Are…are you pregnant?” Lars asked Sven.

The omega’s eyes filled up with tears again as he nodded. “Yes. I’m about seven weeks pregnant. Enar confirmed it.”

“And you’re okay? I mean, you and the baby are healthy?” Lars asked, suddenly worried there was something wrong.

It earned him a grateful look from Sven and one from Grayson that beamed approval. “Yes. I’m just tired, that’s it. We haven’t done an ultrasound yet because…” He bit his lip. 

“Because you needed to decide what you wanted to do first,” Lars said in realization.

“Yes. Enar said it was my choice.”

“It is,” Lars confirmed. “D-do you want to keep it?” He forced himself to keep asking questions rather than to listen to the voice in his head that insisted that he knew the truth already and had every right to lash out in anger.

Sven nodded. “I do. I know it’s soon and unexpected and that I’m young, but I want it, Lars. I want it so much.”

A single tear meandered down his cheek, and Lars pushed down the desire to kiss it away. “Is that why you talked to Grayson? And not to me?”

A quiet sob flew from Sven’s lips. “I didn’t talk to him. You have to believe me! I didn’t go behind your back. We wanted to tell you, but—”

“If you didn’t talk to him, then how come he knew and I didn’t? How come I walked in on you discussing raising a baby together I knew nothing about?” His anger bubbled up again, and he reined himself in when he saw the devastated look on Sven’s face. “Please, baby,” he pleaded, the sweet word falling off his lips. “Help me understand why.”

“Will you permit me to explain?” Grayson asked, and it was as much aimed at Lars as at Sven. 

Lars mentally braced himself, then nodded. 

“I recognized he was pregnant,” Grayson said quietly. “I have three kids, Lars, I know what a pregnant omega looks like. He was off the last few days, different, and it clicked for me. He didn’t tell me until I guessed it, and we both agreed to tell you right away.”

Some of the tightness in his chest released. “But you made the decision to keep the baby together, the two of you,” he said. “Why wasn’t I involved in that?”

“We didn’t make that decision,” Grayson said. “Sven did.”

Lars’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you seriously trying to tell me you didn’t weigh in on that?”

“I needed to know he wouldn’t be angry with me,” Sven said, and that stopped Lars in his thoughts. 

“Why would he be…? Oh.”

“He already has three kids. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a dad again. And I can’t do this without him…but not without you either. I want this baby more than anything, but I need both of you.”

His bottom lip quivered and Lars lost his last bit of willpower. He rushed over, pulling Sven into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I’m here, okay? I’m here.”

He felt his own eyes water as Sven sought shelter against his shoulder, his sobs turning into wails. “Don’t be angry with me, baby, please!”

“I’m not angry anymore. I’m so sorry, baby. I misunderstood. I thought you didn’t want me anymore, that you wanted to be with Grayson.”

Lars would have given everything right then and there to turn back time, to not jump to conclusions, because as much as he’d felt rejected and hurt, he was only now grasping how much he had wounded Sven. And Grayson. 

His eyes found the alpha’s over Sven’s head, expecting to see anger or disappointment, but there was something he didn’t expect. A profound sadness.