Returning home was something Myron had dreaded every time he’d done it. When he’d left his Ph.D. program to come home and help care for his ailing father, Southbend had felt like the Purgatory he remembered growing up. His relationship with Inara had made it tolerable, but he’d dreaded this most recent homecoming even more because of her. With Charles at his side, it felt like less of a failure and more like a safe place to rest while they both recovered before getting back to their lives in London.

They just had to find a way to survive his family. At least the occupants of the Myer household were distracted by the new baby. Jade had the lungs of an opera singer and as soon as Myron saw his younger sister rush to the door to shush them, he knew she was getting her just desserts for the nightmare she’d once been to babysit. “Don’t wake her!”

“Good to see you, too, munchkin. Not like your big brother almost died or anything,” Myron taunted.

Hayley rolled her eyes, but she gave him a tight hug that made his stitches sting. “I’m sorry, but that baby never shuts up.”

“Should’ve named her Bev Junior, then,” Myron remarked. His mother had already gone off to unpack, so he wasn’t in any mortal danger.

“We’ll take care of everything from here,” Avery laughed as Nicholas helped him out of his coat. “Thank you for holding down the fort, Hayley.”

“Sure,” the younger omega said, eyeing Charles nervously. The Alpha was still standing beside the door, as still and silent as the coat rack. “Is that the Futurus guy? In our living room?”

Charles gave her a painfully stiff smile and waved. “Hello.”

Hayley blinked at him. “Hi.”

“Charles is going to be staying with us for a while,” Nicholas said, behaving himself since Myron had threatened him on the plane if he so much as breathed a word of the mate bond before Myron had a chance to talk to Charles. “Treat him like one of the family.”

“Why, are we trying to make him leave early?” Hayley quipped on her way up the stairs.

“That’s my baby sister,” Myron said proudly.

“I can see the resemblance,” Charles remarked.

Nicholas rolled his eyes. He waited until his mate left to address Charles and Myron. “Look, I still don’t know what’s going on between you two and I really don’t want to, but for the sake of appearances, Charles can have the guest room. The pack is secure and I’ve got three times the usual number of guards posted, but as long as you’re here, you’re both my responsibility, so stay within the territory. Charles, you’re kind of easy to recognize, so for the sake of keeping your presence here a secret, I would recommend disguising yourself if you go out.”

“I will,” said Charles. “I’ll try to stay out of your hair.”

“Don’t bother. You’re going to earn your keep by being something else for our mother to focus on than giving me unsolicited parenting advice,” he scoffed. “Enjoy your stay.”

Charles relaxed visibly as soon as Nicholas left the room. “Your family is very intense.”

“That’s probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever said after being exposed to the Myer clan,” Myron laughed, leading Charles down the hall. “Fortunately for you, I’m the only one on the ground floor, so you can hide out in my room if you get overwhelmed.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Charles muttered. “Nicholas is the only one who knows, isn’t he?”

“The only one who knows what, Charles?” Myron challenged, stopping him in the hall with a smug expression.

Charles frowned. “If you’re trying to trap me into defining our relationship, it’s not going to work.”

Myron snorted. “Worth a shot. I know what I want it to be, and as far as I’m concerned, everyone else can know, too. I’m just keeping it on the down-low for your sake.”

The omega’s words seemed to take Charles by surprise. Myron was equally shocked by his own confession. Maybe he was the one in command in the bedroom, but to the rest of the world, they were still just an Alpha and omega. People would make assumptions, as his own family already had, but as much as it bothered him, it didn’t matter enough to change his mind. He wanted Charles. It didn’t matter that he was an Alpha and everyone would assume that Myron belonged to him in ways he’d never wanted to belong to anyone. It was worth it.

“I don’t know what I want,” Charles finally whispered.

Myron’s smirk softened. “I can live with that. Just not with you shutting me out.”

“I won’t,” Charles said guiltily. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at handling this kind of thing.”

“Me either,” Myron admitted. “Everything I thought I knew turned out to be wrong, and my only serious relationship went down in flames. Now, I’m in love with an Alpha of all things.”

Charles stared at him in shock. “You… love me?”

“Did I say that out loud?” Myron grimaced. How easily that had slipped out.

“I’m afraid so.” Charles hesitated. “Did you mean it?”

“I uh… guess I wouldn’t have taken a bullet for you if I didn’t.”

Charles fell silent and Myron was sure he’d scared him off. So much for taking things slow. Instead, Charles leaned in and kissed him the way Myron had longed to all month. Myron returned the kiss and took control as he always did, sliding his fingers through Charles’. “Come on,” he said gently, nudging the door open with his foot. “We could both use some rest.”

Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind as he led Charles into his bedroom, which someone—probably Avery—had cleaned in his absence. He owed his brother-in-law a favor, but he was going to have a hard time looking him in the eye if he’d found his dirty magazines.

Not that he’d be needing them anymore. He already found himself comparing everyone he usually would have found attractive to Charles. As tired as Myron was, he wound up watching Charles as he slept. With his long, messy hair falling over his shoulder as he lay curled on his side and that peaceful expression on his face, he was more beautiful than any omega Myron had been with. And the way he’d moaned that night… Myron’s mind might have still been confused, but his instincts weren’t.

For the first time in his life, Myron found himself wishing he was the thing he hated. If Charles was the omega and he was the Alpha, everything would make sense. Instead, they were both outliers, and all Myron knew was that their strangeness became something perfect when they were together.