Hours later, Wyatt woke to the scent of old sweat, musk, and teak. He pressed his nose to the source of warmth, burying closer. Then he realized he was touching bare skin, that he was naked, and in bed with an alpha.

He sucked down a lungful of air, jerking his head back.

Raph stared down at him, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “Morning?”

Wyatt’s heart thumped. Raph? What is he doing here? “I... wasn’t expecting you.”

“Should I be offended?” But Raph leaned in anyway, pressing a kiss to Wyatt’s forehead. “Hazel knocked a couple of times. I didn’t say anything. Thought I’d let you answer.”

Shit, he’d been sleeping deeply, if he’d missed Hazel. Wyatt scrambled up. The sheets tangled around his legs, and Raph’s bare thighs brushed against his own. It took another moment for him to remember last night, when Raph had tumbled with him in bed, his touch burning across Wyatt’s skin. “I... did not tell Hazel you were sleeping over.”

Raph winced. “Neither did I.”

“Oh, heavens.” Wyatt groaned. Hazel might give him a suspicious look. Or she might be really sweet about it, since she’d taken a liking to Raph yesterday. Wyatt didn’t know—he hadn’t explained a long-lost stepbrother before. Especially not one he was sleeping with.

He sniffed at his skin—magnolia, teak, musk. And a trace of honey. “I smell like sex. And baby. Damn it.”

Raph pressed his nose to Wyatt’s hair, breathing in. “You smell good. I should borrow your shower.”

Wyatt climbed off the bed. Over his shoulder, he found Raph admiring his ass—not the worst thing that could happen. He preened a little, and Raph followed him to the adjoining bathroom. Wyatt couldn’t help watching as Raph strode toward him, sunlight casting his skin in a golden hue.

“Do you have shirts in XL?” Raph asked. “And a toothbrush?”

“I have a spare toothbrush,” Wyatt said, riffling through his bathroom drawer. “Hazel and I went on a road trip up north—there were complimentary toiletries in that one hotel. Here.”

In silence, they brushed their teeth, their eyes meeting through the bathroom mirror. They’d done this a decade ago, too, back when they’d been children. Never naked, though, and never with a baby involved.

Wyatt glanced at his scent gland, wincing at the dried blood that had crusted over it. His belly might have been flat, but there was no way to hide the bonding mark. Not that he could from Hazel, not for long.

“Thought about what you’re gonna say yet?”

“I’m thinking!”

They took turns to wash up. Wyatt waited for Raph to pull on his day-old shirt and jeans; Raph’s shoulders were broader than Wyatt’s, and none of Wyatt’s clothes fit. When they were dressed, Wyatt took a deep breath. “Ready?”

“Whenever you are.” Raph squeezed his hand.

He’d never thought he’d feel trepidation in his own home. But as Wyatt cracked open his bedroom door, his heart thumped. If he thought this difficult with his own daughter, he wasn’t sure how he’d deal with his parents.

Hazel was in the kitchen alone, stirring a bowl of cereal. “Morning, hon.”

She beamed at him, kicking her legs against the kitchen stool. “Morning, Dad.”

He stopped by his daughter, bending to give her a hug. She smelled like soap and shampoo. “What’s new?”

“There’s no more cereal left.” Hazel pouted. “It was my favorite.”

“That’s fine—we’ll get more at the store.” Wyatt pulled out a second stool next to her, settling down. “I didn’t mention it, but Uncle Raph stayed over last night.”

“He did?” Hazel glanced around. “I didn’t see him.”

“I borrowed your dad’s bed.” Raph stepped into the kitchen, waving. “Hey.”

“Oh,” Hazel said. She stirred the cereal, glancing between Wyatt and Raph. “Did you do the sex thing? Aunt Penny said if two people share a room, they’re probably doing the sex thing, but it’s not polite to talk about it.”

Wyatt stared. And his face burned all the way to his hairline. “I...” He coughed. And coughed some more. “We, uh...”

Behind, Raph muttered, “That bitch Penny is such a loudmouth.”

Wyatt glared over his shoulder. “Raph! That’s rude.”

“You shouldn’t let Aunt Penny hear you,” Hazel whispered loudly. “She gets pissy if you say bad things about her.”

Raph shrugged. “She’s my sister. I call her whatever I want.”

Wyatt didn’t know if he wanted to laugh, or cry. To Hazel, he said, “How did you even know that about Penny?”

Hazel crunched on some cornflakes. “Last week, I told her that her dress was ugly. She got kind of mad at me.”

Raph snorted, setting last night’s wine back in the cupboard. “I like you, kid. You speak your mind.”

Hazel beamed. “So is this like the movies where I get both of you together and we’ll have a happily-ever-after?”

Was a happily-ever-after even possible for people like them? Wyatt leaned into the table, his shoulders sagging. “It isn’t that simple, honey. We’ve discussed this before, haven’t we? You marry people outside your family. Uncle Raph is my stepbrother.”

Hazel slurped a spoonful of milk, watching Raph. And Raph returned to Wyatt’s side, his hand slipping over Wyatt’s shoulders. A touch that said, I’m here.

Wyatt’s heart kicked. He was grateful for Raph’s presence. Raph had been comfortable against him last night, his touch soothing as Wyatt slept. Raph didn’t even comment on the state of the kitchen—the taped photos on the walls, the chipped bowls that Wyatt had retired from the drive-in. At least the counters and stove top were clean.

“But you marry people you love, don’t you?” Hazel asked, her eyes bright and curious. “Why is it so wrong to marry my dad?”

Wyatt glanced at Raph. He hadn’t an answer to this question, either.

Raph dragged a third stool out, settling by Wyatt’s other side. He set his hand on Wyatt’s thigh, and held it there—he wanted to keep that connection between them. Max had never done that with Wyatt. None of the other alphas had.

“Because it’s been proven that children born between siblings may lead to birth defects. Wy and I aren’t related by blood, though.”

“So you can marry him?” Hazel peered at Raph.

“We haven’t even talked about marriage yet,” Raph said. “See, the thing is, your grandpa’s famous in Meadowfall. He’s the police chief, right? And people don’t care that Wy and I were born from different sets of parents. All they know is that we’re brothers.”

“Stepbrothers,” Hazel said.

Wyatt cracked a smile. Raph squeezed his thigh, grinning a little. “So if anyone learns that Wy and I like each other, they’ll get angry. They’ll think it’s wrong.”

“But they’re the ones who are wrong.” Hazel frowned. “You’re not related by blood. So your babies will be fine.”

Raph choked down a laugh. Wyatt touched his belly, wondering when they’d be ready for Hazel to hear that news. His cheeks prickled. “You’re okay with siblings, hon?”

Hazel chewed on her lip, brow furrowing. “Maybe.”

“Either way, it’s none of the town’s business,” Raph said. “They don’t know the truth. They may not accept the truth. They don’t need to judge Wy’s life when they don’t know the half of it.”

“Some people need to shut up,” Hazel said, nodding.

Raph’s grin widened. “Gods, I wouldn’t mind being your dad,” he said. “You’re cool.”

Hazel perked up. “So are you going to be my dad?”

Wyatt groaned. The conversation had spiraled out of his control, but in a good way. And maybe he wished he could have Raph around more, because Raph was incredibly good with children. Enough to make Wyatt’s heart ache for him.

“Hazel,” Wyatt said, to stop himself from mooning over his brother. “We’ll just be seeing more of Raph—that’s all. Raph and I haven’t talked about marriage, or him being your dad, or anything like that. It’ll take a while. We’ll have to get to know each other better first.”

Hazel nodded solemnly, digesting his words. “By doing the sex thing?”

Raph coughed. Wyatt wanted to kill Penny. “No, people don’t only like each other because of sex. We do things like talking, and spending lots of time together doing fun things. Such as cooking and going on picnics.”

“Oh.”

“In the meantime, I’d really appreciate it if you can keep Uncle Raph and me a secret,” Wyatt said, slipping his hand into Raph’s. “Lots of people will be angry if they find out—I don’t want it to affect our dinners with Grandma and Grandpa, or the business at the drive-in. Okay?”

Hazel nodded. “Okay. Can Aunt Penny find out?”

“No, Raph and I will tell Penny when the time is right.” Which was to say, maybe never. From the look Raph gave him, he agreed.

“All right. I like Uncle Raph,” Hazel said, looking at Wyatt. “He’s fun.”

“You’ll be seeing a lot more of him, then.” Wyatt breathed a sigh, leaning into Raph. It had gone better than he’d expected. And Hazel returned to her cereal, kicking her legs like this wasn’t the biggest deal of Wyatt’s life.

“That went fine, didn’t it?” Raph murmured. He squeezed Wyatt’s hand, and Wyatt cracked a smile, looking at his daughter, then his brother. In his little kitchen, they were all family—the new and the old, and the baby growing in his belly.

“It sure did,” Wyatt breathed. When Hazel looked at him again, he smiled. “I haven’t really introduced Raph to you, have I? Raph and I became stepbrothers when I was three. Great-Grandma didn’t like when I got him into all the trouble—like that time when we smashed a whole carton of eggs in the kitchen. On top of her favorite birdhouse.”

“Fuck, that was a mess,” Raph said, his eyes gleaming. “She made us peel potatoes for two whole weeks.”

“She made you peel potatoes for two weeks,” Wyatt said. “She made me scrub all the toilets for three weeks.”

“I remember that.” Raph tucked Wyatt’s hair behind his ear. “She’s nasty.”

“I don’t like Great-Grandma,” Hazel said, wrinkling her nose. “She’s a mean old hag.”

“You’ve got that right.” Raph glanced at Wyatt, his eyes knowing. “You’ve been back with Hazel?”

“I try to schedule our visits so we’re there when she’s away.” Wyatt cringed. “But there’s been a couple times when we couldn’t avoid her.”

“She’s a damn bitch,” Raph muttered. “Honestly, I’d never forgive what she did, chasing you away.”

“Dad and I call her the Wicked Old Witch,” Hazel said, draining the last of her milk. “When we visit Grandpa and Grandma, we play Hiding From The Wicked Old Witch.”

Wyatt opened his mouth, about to answer when his phone vibrated. Hazel hummed along to the ringtone. “It’s Aunt Penny,” she told Raph. “Her ringtone is Let’s Explode Chemistry.”

Raph chuckled. Wyatt tugged his phone from his pocket. “Penny?”

“Hey,” she said, her voice tinny. “I tried calling Raph, but he isn’t answering. Did you catch the news?”

“Which channel?” Wyatt wandered into the living room, imagining Penny in her apartment, surrounded by stacks of journal articles. He turned on the TV, muting it. News updates were common from his sister—she followed the news like a hawk, and told Wyatt whenever their dad appeared on TV.

“Highton Breaking,” Penny said. “Dad’s on. It’s a replay interview about that award. Thought you’d want to catch it—it was live last night, but you both didn’t answer when I called.”

Wyatt had probably been busy at the diner. Raph might’ve been sending Hazel home. “Found it. Thanks.”

“Watch it until the end. That’s important. I think he wants a favor from us. Me, you, and Raph.”

Wyatt’s stomach dropped. Why does it involve both me and Raph? “I-I’ll watch it and call you back, okay?”

“See ya. Don’t hate Dad too much.”

Why? Dad, what did you do? His gut churning, Wyatt unmuted the TV. On the screen, Chief Fleming sat with the news anchor, both of them in starched suits, with crime scene photos in the background.

Wyatt’s dad looked relaxed, his salt-and-pepper hair combed back, his posture confident. Next to him, the blond news anchor smiled, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Probably an alpha, and probably the sort of person Wyatt should’ve been bonded to, instead of Raph.

Raph joined Wyatt on the couch. “What did she want?”

Wyatt nodded at the screen. “She said Dad wants a favor. From you, me, and her.”

Hazel had drifted into the living room, too. She sat with Wyatt on the couch, pulling her phone out to film the interview. Wyatt didn’t bother to do the same.

”Honored to have you with us today on Highton Breaking, Chief Fleming,” the news anchor said. ”On behalf of Highton, we’d like to thank you and your team for solving the McArthur case.”

Wyatt’s heart squeezed. The McArthur name had never sat well with him—probably because that was Max’s last name, too.

Raph slanted a glance at him. Then he held Wyatt’s hand, and Wyatt relaxed.

”It’s disgraceful that omega trafficking has plagued our country for more than a decade.”

On the TV, Stan Fleming nodded, his gaze solemn. ”It would have been impossible without my team—much of the credit goes to the officers who have been working on this case for years.”

To Wyatt’s side, Hazel said, “I didn’t know you could traffic omegas. Isn’t that only with drugs?”

“It happens with all kinds of things,” Wyatt said. His dad had been quiet about that case, but he usually was with most cases until they’d been solved. “Shh. Aunt Penny said to listen.”

”I’m sure we’re on the same page, but what are your views on omega trafficking?” the news anchor asked. At the bottom of the screen, a line of words scrolled by. Meadowfall Police Chief Stan Fleming answers questions on the McArthur case. An exclusive interview by Cam Brown and Highton Breaking.

”Omegas are an important part of our society,” Chief Fleming said, looking into the camera. ”I have two omega children. It would break my heart if they were ever involved in the omega trade.”

Wyatt’s heart warmed. Stan Fleming had married his second wife, taking Wyatt and Penny into his own family. They were his stepchildren, but he’d always considered them his own flesh and blood. And it was bittersweet, watching the interview with Raph’s fingers stroking his neck.

In a lighter tone, the news anchor said, ”I hear that your children were in a band once. Is that true?”

Chief Fleming blinked, as though surprised. Then his chest swelled, and Wyatt groaned. “Dad, no,” he said. “Please don’t boast about us.”

Raph frowned. “Looks like he might.”

“We weren’t in a band,” Wyatt said.

“Shh! I’m recording,” Hazel hissed, glaring at them both.

On the TV, Chief Fleming beamed. ”My eldest, Raph, plays the violin. My second boy, Wyatt, plays the piano. And my youngest, Penny, she does amazing vocals. They’re incredible together—their music moves me to tears. It’s been such a long time since they’ve played together.”

The news anchor brightened. ”Do you think they might volunteer to play for the Highton Children’s Charity? The HCC has recently put out a call for musical auditions. They’ll be doing a fundraiser in a few months’ time.”

Chief Fleming beamed. ”I’m sure they would—watch out for them! They used to be called the Fleming Trio.”

Wyatt covered his face, groaning. “Dad, no. Really. Tell me he didn’t just say that.”

“It’s a repeat telecast,” Hazel whispered. “So Grandpa didn’t just say that. He did it hours ago.”

Wyatt turned, burying his face in Raph’s shoulder. Playing in front of not just his parents, but a crowd? “Save us all, Raph.”

Raph set a comforting hand on Wyatt’s back, rubbing his spine. “Not sure what I can do.”

“Convince him not to sign us up. Oh, gods—has he already?” Wyatt curled his fingers into Raph’s sides, shaking his head. Dad had been hinting that Wyatt should show up with Raph at their family dinners. “He’d totally do it, too. And say it’s for charity.”

Not only had Wyatt been avoiding Raph in front of them—his pregnancy would show as time went on. And he and Raph hadn’t planned to reveal that yet.

“What’s wrong with going to perform?” Hazel asked. Wyatt assumed she’d finished with the recording. “I’ve seen you play the piano, Dad, but I didn’t know you guys played together! I wanna watch Uncle Raph play the violin. I love violins.”

“I love your kid,” Raph said, laughing. “She’s great.”

Wyatt’s heart fluttered. Not only had Raph accepted him so readily into his life, but he’d accepted Wyatt’s daughter, too. And Wyatt had never heard Raph say he loved anyone, not this easily.

“You love her, huh?” he murmured into Raph’s shoulder. “You’ve only known her a day.”

“Yeah. I love you, too.”

And all of Wyatt’s thoughts fled his mind, leaving those little words echoing in his head. He couldn’t possibly deserve Raph’s love.

“You shouldn’t.” His pulse thudded. He’d gotten into so much trouble with Max, just by wanting affection. Max had shoved him away, had said You’re just some shitty omega. Beg me if you want me to touch you.

And Wyatt had begged, ashamed by how much he’d wanted his stepbrother. Max never found out about Raph. For that, Wyatt was grateful.

“I don’t care if I should or shouldn’t,” Raph said. He slipped his fingers through Wyatt’s hair, pressing a kiss to his neck. “You’re my omega. You deserve my love.”

My omega. Wyatt’s cheeks prickled. That was intimate, too. And maybe he could get used to it.

“Oh,” Hazel said.

Wyatt groaned. She heard that?

Face burning, he lifted his head, almost afraid to look at his daughter. “What is it, Hazel?”

“You’re a lot better than those alphas Dad goes on dates with,” Hazel said to Raph, her face deadpan. “You’re really sappy, but that’s fine. Those guys are full of themselves.”

Wyatt wanted to burrow into a hole. Next to him, Raph snorted. But his hand tightened in Wyatt’s hair, almost possessive. “Other alphas?”

“Yeah. Aunt Penny says she doesn’t trust Dad to go on dates. So we tag along and sit at another table.”

“The fuck,” Raph said. “Penny chaperones your dates? Seriously?”

“Not all the time.” Wyatt grimaced. He didn’t know which was more embarrassing—Penny spying, or Raph finding out about this. “On the bright side, I lose interest in them by the end of the date. Penny and Hazel come up and rescue me, and we go home.”

Raph chuckled, his fingers trailing along Wyatt’s scalp, a slow massage. “You gonna go on any more dates after this?”

Wyatt couldn’t help smiling then, leaning into Raph’s warm chest. “You think?”

“I don’t know,” Raph murmured in his ear, his breath warm. “Tell me.”

“I’m not.” Wyatt slipped his arms around Raph’s waist, pulling himself close. “I have you.”

“Good,” Raph whispered, kissing his neck. Then he tipped Wyatt’s head up, and kissed the other side of his throat, where the scent gland was. Hazel watched. Raph eyed her for a moment, before asking, “Your dad told you about bondmates?”

Wyatt held his breath.

She nodded. “Mates for life. Kind of like getting married, but more important.”

“Your dad’s my bondmate,” Raph said, tracing his fingers just along the raw bite mark. Wyatt shivered. “That okay with you?”

“Is it true?” Hazel asked Wyatt.

Maybe they shouldn’t be telling Hazel this. Maybe Wyatt should break the bond. But Raph brushed his thumb along Wyatt’s skin, soothing, and Wyatt realized that he wanted to be Raph’s mate. So he nodded, slipping his fingers around Raph’s hand. “Yes. We’re bondmates.”

Raph drew a quick, sharp breath, his mouth curling into a little smile. He wanted this too, then. They weren’t lovers, not really. But what they had... it was precious. Not something Wyatt wanted to let go of anytime soon.

Hazel scrutinized Wyatt for a moment, then Raph. Then she settled back onto the couch, nodding. “Dad likes you,” she told Raph. “I like you, too.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong about that. Wyatt relaxed. Maybe things would be okay, between the three of them.

Raph smiled, reaching over to ruffle her hair. Wyatt beckoned to her. “C’mon, give us a hug.”

She clambered over the couch, flopping between them in a whiff of shampoo. And as Wyatt hugged Hazel, so did Raph, his strong arms wrapping around them both.

In that moment, they all felt like family, and Wyatt hoped it would always be this way.