Omegin wasn’t content to simply have Karter and Jax over for a quiet family meal. No, he insisted on throwing them a mating celebration party at the house, in three days, and told Karter to invite any friends he wanted. Karter couldn’t talk him out of it, and his only consolation was the fact that Jax seemed as uncertain about this party as he was.

Jax didn’t have any close friends in Sansbury Province from his previous life, only a few people who knew Eroch through work, and even though they knew which halfway house Jax had been sent to—however briefly—no one had kept in touch with Jax after Eroch’s death. Karter had acquaintances through the constabulary, people he’d go out for a beer with after work, but no actual close friends he’d invite to a mating celebration.

Except…kind of?

Jax thought it was only polite to invite their current landlords—food and wine in exchange for all their support. Serge and Dex’s eager agreement led to them also inviting Tarek, Braun, Kell and Ronin. Jax was fond of the Etting brothers, and Karter loved that this new group was rallying around his omega and, by extension, Karter too.

Omegin was excited by the number of guests, because he loved to cook for crowds, and he was incredibly respectful of Karter’s request to not invite any family beyond his brothers. He didn’t want Jax exposed to more outsiders until the damned fight ring was caught and put down. He could give Omegin this party, but he’d still do everything in his power to keep Jax safe.

Including a new place to live.

In between working days on mostly boring, routine cases, and spending his nights tending to Jax and Karson, Karter went house hunting, and by the morning of the party, he’d found the perfect place for their little family. Serge and Dex were both very polite about their houseguests, but a two-bedroom apartment was kind of cramped for four adults and an infant. And they must hear Karson when he fussed at night.

It was the weekend again, so after breakfast Serge and Dex left to spend the day together—apparently, a rare weekend treat with Serge’s erratic work schedule. Jax seemed to sense Karter was up to something, so after he put Karson down for a nap, he asked, “Okay, what’s going on?”

“I have good news about our current living situation,” Karter replied, unable to keep a huge smile off his face.

“Are we going back to your apartment?”

“No, I’m not comfortable doing that for a number of reasons.” In the three days since the break-in, there had been no developments and no suspects. No one could pinpoint the time frame, so even the exterior security cameras were useless in terms of the people coming and going from a very large apartment complex. “I found a house, and I have enough money in my account to put a down payment if they accept our offer.”

Jax blinked at him several times, his expression surprisingly blank, instead of excited as Karter expected. It took Jax a minute to respond, and that dimmed some of Karter’s own joy over his surprise. “You’re ready to buy a house without talking to me about it first? I haven’t even seen it.”

Karter went completely still, stunned by the reply. “I…I thought you’d be happy. We don’t have to keep accepting charity from the Freels. Karson can have his own room.”

“I like him in my room. Karter, you didn’t even ask me.”

Karter sank back in his chair, confused by his mate’s reaction to what should have been good news. The alpha’s job was to provide for his omega and part of that meant housing. They were mates now, and they needed their own home. Why was Jax upset that Karter was doing his job?

“You don’t want to live alone with me? We’re mates now, and I thought you’d want a place of our own, for our family.”

Jax hissed, clearly frustrated. “You. Did. Not. Ask. Me.” He stabbed at the air making those signals, and then stood and left the table. Stormed across the living room to stare out one of the large windows.

Karter studied his rigid back, trying to get inside of Jax’s head. Since when did an alpha have to ask his omega for permission? He hadn’t done the wrong thing by finding them a house. Had he?

This is Father talking. Father always made decisions without asking for family input. All Jax wants is to be included.

He could have kicked himself for being so stupid. Jax had been held captive, his agency taken from him, forced to do things he didn’t want to do. And here Karter was trying to control his life by giving him no say in big decisions. He hadn’t bought the house yet, thank goddess, so he could still fix this.

Karter stood and crossed the room to Jax. “I’m sorry. That was a very alphahole thing to do, and I’m sorry.”

Jax turned, his expressive uncertain. “Sorry why?”

“For looking for a house without your input, or without even telling you. I grew up in a household where the alpha made all the big decisions and everyone else went along with it. I acted like my father would have, and that’s not what I want our relationship to be.” Karter put his hands on Jax’s hips. “And I’m sorry for taking away your ability to make a life choice for yourself.”

Finally, Jax smiled. “Good. Do better.”

Karter chuckled. “I’m working on it. And I’ll probably screw up again, a lot, but I am trying.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We can start the house search over together, if you want.”

“We can look at your house first. Maybe I’ll love it at first sight.”

“I hope you do. Want to go today?”

Jax tilted his head, then nodded. “Yes, we might as well.”

“Great. I’ll call the Realtor to set it up, and hopefully Karson will be up from his nap so we don’t have to wake him.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to look at a house.”

“I know, it’s a bit of a mind-fuck, considering we’ve only known each other for ten days, and we’re still in that getting-to-know-you phase of things. But I want to make you happy, Jax. Be patient with me as I screw things up?”

Jax laughed that adorable, wheezy sound of his. “I’m not perfect. We’ll both screw up. But we’re mates, now, so we talk. We fix things. Together.”

“Together.”

Jax was proud of how he’d handled this situation, and also a little surprised by his own reactions. Eroch had been an alpha like Karter’s father: direct, in control, no questions asked. He’d decided they were moving to Sansbury, he’d decided where they’d live, he’d said Jax could learn to drive in case of emergencies, but he wasn’t going to have a job outside the house.

And Jax had been okay with that, because Eroch had provided him with a good, if lonely, life. But Jax couldn’t give up that kind of control anymore. Not after being bought and used by other alphas. He refused to submit to that kind of treatment again. And when Karter announced he’d found them a house, something inside of Jax had exploded in rage.

Rage he’d hidden behind confusion and sadness, especially when Karter was so earnest about his announcement. And his genuine confusion over Jax’s reaction soothed some of Jax’s anger, but it didn’t completely go away. It still hadn’t, even after Karter’s sincere apology and promise to do better.

Jax deserved input into his own life going forward, damn it, and he’d thought Karter understood that. But Karter was still a young alpha, raised in a conservative home and trying to get used to a more liberal way of thinking. And of treating omegas. Jax believed Karter genuinely wanted to change, and he had to believe Karter would, given time and good role models.

He’d never admit it, but part of the reason he’d invited Tarek and Ronin to the party was so Karter could continue to interact with the older, more experienced alphas. To see what a true alpha/omega relationship could be, between equal partners who adored each other. Jax didn’t love Karter yet, not beyond the strong bond he felt for his mate, but there was growing affection that he hoped would turn into love one day soon.

Karter went into the kitchen to make his phone calls. Jax remained at the window. It didn’t have an inspiring view, but Jax wanted that warm sunshine on his face. After living in cramped, windowless rooms for six months, he’d never take the sun for granted again. Or the blue sky, or the twinkling stars.

He’d never take freedom for granted again. So yes, he wanted to see the damned house first.

They went after lunch. The house was in a nice neighborhood, with tended yards and space between each lot, instead of the rows of cramped city housing Jax was used to. The Realtor met them in front of a single-story house surrounded by trees and a fenced-in backyard. Big front windows reminded Jax of Tarek’s cottage, and he liked the blue with white trim exterior.

Their guide started talking about square footage and something about the water heater, but Jax tuned that out and simply absorbed the spirit of the place, while Karson napped in the sling. The front door opened into a spacious floor plan, with a big living room in front and a dining area tucked in the left corner. Simple white walls screamed for color, but so far, so good.

Around a short curve was an updated kitchen and an eat-in counter. Jax ran his hand over the appliances, which were sparkling clean and ready for use. A hallway behind the kitchen led to other doors. A bathroom, two small bedrooms, and the larger master bed/bath. Jax gazed around the master, liking the size and shape of it. They had a good view of the backyard, which had lots of trees…and a wooden swing set that looked handmade.

Jax pointed and laughed.

“The previous owner built it for his kids,” the Realtor said. “They’ve all grown and moved to other provinces, so it’s perfect for a young, growing family like yourselves.”

“It was why I liked this house best,” Karter said, his hesitation showing in his meek voice and stooped shoulders. “What do you think?”

A small part of Jax had wanted to hate this house, simply so they could search for a home together. But Jax truly liked the place, and he could see himself raising a family here with Karter. He could picture pushing Karson on that swing set. Toddling down the hallway while heavily pregnant with their second child. Lazy evenings on the front porch sipping tea.

“I love it.”

Karter translated his signals to the Realtor. “Thank goddess, I hoped you’d say that. How soon can we make this happen? We’re crashing with friends right now, and I’ve been pre-approved for a home loan.”

Jax startled. “You never told me that.”

“I did it months ago, because I’d started thinking more about finding a mate, and I realized I’d need a nicer place than my apartment. But work got in the way, so I never did buy anything.” Karter grinned. “Now I’m glad I waited, so we could do this together.”

The last of Jax’s irritation over this whole house hunting debacle melted away. “I’m glad, too.”

Instead of Jax trying to fit himself inside into Karter’s life and home, they were beginning this new journey together in a brand-new place that they could create as a couple.

“Being pre-approved does speed up our time table,” the Realtor said. “Depending on the bank, we might be able to get this done and have keys in your hands in a week.”

A week seemed like an eternity, and also too damned fast. They needed furniture and food and all kinds of things. Karter would probably have a lot of that in his apartment, but Jax liked the idea of them picking out new things.

“I want to paint the walls and create a design together.”

“We can do that,” Karter replied. “Definitely. A lot of my stuff got destroyed during the break-in, so we’ll need new furniture and a television anyway. Maybe we can go shopping tomorrow, look around and see what we both like. Hopefully our tastes are similar.”

Jax hadn’t even considered that. He’d never seen Karter’s apartment, so he had no sense of the man’s style. Hopefully, he wasn’t into monochromatic color schemes and beige furniture, because Jax wanted color. He wanted playful. He wanted a bright, happy life with his mate.

“Can Karson still sleep in our room? Not forever, but for a while longer?”

“Of course, he can. And we’ll install a security system.”

“Perfect.”

Jax would absolutely sleep better at night knowing they had that added level of protection in their home.

Our home.

He really liked the sound of that.

* * *

By the time Karter parked in the driveway of his parents’ house, Jax was a nervous wreck. He didn’t have a proper suit, but Karter ensured him it was a casual celebration, and the clothes he had were fine. He did give his beard a careful trim, though, keeping the length but making sure he didn’t look scruffy. His hair was tied back from his face in a small knot, and that helped too.

He still felt huge and awkward next to Karter, whose slimmer figure filled out a pair of black slacks and a white thermal shirt perfectly. Jax walked up the steps of a lovely, two-story home with a bottle of wine in his hand and a storm of butterflies in his stomach. Karter carried Karson in his arms, the diaper bag on one shoulder. Jax loved how easily the pair fit together and how naturally Karter had taken to being a parent.

An older man with blond hair and an impish smile greeted them at the door, and he gave a soft squeal at the sight of them. “Oh, what a beautiful boy,” he said. “This must be little Karson, and you’re Jax. I’m Argo Jenks, this one’s omegin. It’s lovely to meet you.”

Jax shook Argo’s hand, relieved at the enthusiastic greeting, and then signaled, “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.”

Karter translated. “Judging by the cars on the street, I’m assuming we’re the last to arrive.”

“You are, and your friends are just wonderful,” Argo replied. “Branson is the friendliest baby I’ve ever seen. He does love attention.”

“He’s at that age.”

Jax followed the omegin into a house that smelled like tomatoes and garlic, then handed off his coat to be hung. The living room was full of people—mostly familiar faces, but four new ones, too. Three young betas had to be Karter’s brothers, and he was introduced to them one by one.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Dain said way too loudly. “Welcome to the family!”

Sloan swatted him across the back of the head. “He’s mute, not deaf, you idiot. Stop shouting.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s okay, thank you.”

A tall, burly man with Karter’s coloring was standing by the dining room archway, arms crossed, watching them with an indecipherable expression. Alpha oozed off him like a dreary fog, and Jax hesitated in going near the man. But protocol required an introduction, and this was one of those rare times when Jax didn’t mind standing slightly behind Karter.

“Father,” Karter said in a firm, steady voice. “This is my mate, Jax Orris Jenks. And this is our son, Karson. Jax, my sire, Lem Jenks.”

The man didn’t reach out to shake, he simply studied Jax with hard eyes, and Jax forced himself not to cower in front of this unimpressed alpha. Lem sniffed. “Firstborn is an omega,” he said. “Doesn’t bode well for getting an alpha heir.”

Jax stiffened, anger bursting in his chest like fire. How dare that man reveal his son’s gender to the entire damned room?!

“Father,” Karter snapped. “That was private information.”

“Why?”

The challenge was clear in Lem’s tone, but Jax didn’t want a fight to break out on his behalf—especially not in front of his friends and new family.

A presence came up behind him, and Jax’s nose identified Argo before the man spoke up. “It’s time to eat,” Argo said in a gentling tone. “Let’s all head into the dining room, shall we?”

The long table was a bit crowded with thirteen people around it, but they managed with Lem captaining one end and Karter the other, with Jax and Karson on his right. Their friends were interspersed among Karter’s brothers. Kell, he did note, was opposite Jax in the seat farthest away from Lem.

Argo placed two large pans of lasagna and three baskets of steaming breadsticks on the table. Sloan helped him pour glasses of wine for the guests. Branson seemed content to play on a blanket on the floor, and Jax took a chance. He put Karson on the blanket with him. Karson blinked at the other baby, then blew bubbles at him.

When Jax returned to his seat, Kell was grinning at him from across the table.

Once everyone was served, Argo returned to his seat on his mate’s left. Lem stood and picked up his glass. “As is tradition, we are holding this dinner to celebrate the mating of my son Karter to his bondmate, Jax.” Lem sounded bored, and Jax tried not to let that irritate him. Lem didn’t like him, that was fine, but Jax wouldn’t put up with anymore outright disrespect from the man.

“Welcome to the family, Jax,” Lem continued. “May the goddess bless your union and bring you both a long, happy life.” Traditional statement he obviously didn’t mean, but Jax met Argo’s warm smile and that helped. Karter’s brothers were also all grinning, and it meant so much that they were happy to have him in the family.

Lem could go suck on a rotten apple.

Jax signaled the traditional, “Thank you for the kind welcome. I’m honored to be here,” which Karter translated.

Lem sneered, and Jax really wanted to stab him in the thigh with a fork. They all raised their glasses in a silent salute, and then drank. Jax gulped his down.

Thankfully, the food was delicious, and the assorted guests kept up entertaining chatter. Lem rarely included himself, and then it was only to directly address Ronin or Tarek. He completely ignored every omega in the room, including his own, and for some reason that pissed Jax off. If Braun or Kell noticed, they didn’t show it, and they chattered away with Sloan and Dain. Eron, the oldest of the betas, seemed a little standoffish, but he wasn’t outright rude.

Not like his alphahole of a sire.

“Can we learn that signal language, too?” Sloan asked. He was two seats down, on the other side of Ronin.

He’d asked Jax, but Karter said, “Of course, you can.”

“We’ve all been learning it,” Braun added. “We want to be able to talk to Jax more easily. I bet writing things down all the time makes his hand cramp.”

Jax grinned. “Yes, it does.”

Down the table, Lem said something that made Argo stiffen, but Jax hadn’t heard the man.

“Did you have a comment, Father?” Karter asked. “Perhaps you want to join in the signal language lessons so you can communicate with your new son?”

“I’ll be doing no such thing,” Lem replied coldly. “Men talk with their mouths, not their hands.”

The air in the room shifted at that statement, because not only did Karter’s anger hit Jax’s nose, but so did anger wafting from Ronin and Tarek. Even Sloan looked pissed off.

“Jax?” Tarek said. Jax turned his head, and Tarek perfectly signaled, “You’re a man. Same as me.”

Jax smiled. “Thank you.”

Ronin did the exact same thing, followed by Karter, Braun and Kell. Even Sloan managed a passable—if somewhat backward—rendition of the signals.

Shots fired.

Argo whispered something to Lem. Lem returned to his plate, and the air in the room shifted again as the showdown ended. Jax’s heart burned with gratitude for his friends who’d stuck up for him without pause. And he could see why Karter doted on Sloan. The boy had heart, and he deserved to live the life he wanted, not the one his sire thought he deserved.

Argo went into the kitchen, and a few minutes later was back with a tray of coffee mugs that he distributed by each plate. Then he went around offering coffee or tea to go with dessert. As he bent to pour tea for Jax, he whispered, “He’ll come around eventually. He isn’t a cruel man.”

Jax tilted his head, acknowledging the comments. He honestly didn’t care if Lem came around, or if this was the only time Jax ever interacted with the man. Men like Lem rarely changed their tune.

Dessert was a delicious fruit tart, and Jax was stuffed full by the time he’d eaten his.

“Oh, Sloan, I almost forgot,” Karter said. Jax suspected from his voice that he hadn’t forgotten, but had rather saved whatever he was about to say for the end of the meal on purpose. “I looked into university admissions, and it turns out the acceptance rule for betas is on the signature of a mated alpha. Not necessarily your alpha sire.”

Sloan snapped up straight in his chair, his eyes going wide.

“Nonsense,” Lem said.

“No, it’s true,” Serge said, addressing the alpha for the first time. “I was raised by a beta couple, and I attended university. Our neighbor signed my paperwork, so what Karter said is true.”

Lem glared at Serge, who trembled once. Dex put his arm across the back of Serge’s chair in a casually protective way.

“Point is,” Karter said, “I’ll sign you into university.”

“You will not,” Lem snarled. “As long as Sloan is living under my roof, he’ll obey my rules. As soon as he graduates, he’ll apprentice into a trade, like his brothers.”

Karter shrugged so casually that Jax saw his next words coming. “Then he can move in with me and Jax.”

Dex startled. “What?”

“Sorry, not into your apartment, I’d never presume to do that. Jax and I put in an offer on a house today, and if all goes well, we’ll be able to move in next weekend.”

A burst of excitement and congratulations went around the table, and by the time it had died down, Lem’s chair was empty. Jax honestly didn’t give a damn, because the alpha gave him the creeps. But as Karter described their new place to a captive audience, old doubts crept in. Doubts of Karter’s reasons for mating him. He’d clearly thrown this entire thing in his sire’s face, and now they were buying a house exactly when Karter needed to help his brother out of a jam?

Am I just some means to an end for my mate? Does he even really want me?

Except for soft kisses and casual touches, Karter hadn’t made a sexual move on him since his heat. They slept side by side, sometimes with Karson between them. Karter often woke with visible morning wood, but he never made a pass, and it kind of hurt. Shouldn’t an alpha find his omega desirable?

Jax hated thinking the worst of his mate, but it made more sense for Karter to completely change his life in order to benefit his family, rather than a man he’d only known for ten days. Jax was a means to an end, and that was okay, because so was Karter. He had an alpha mate to disguise his scent and keep himself and Karson safe.

Maybe this wasn’t meant to be a relationship full of love and passion, but if it gave Karson a secure and happy life? Jax could live with that.