It had been a few days since Charles had learned the truth about himself. Or at least, since he’d learned what wasn’t true. He’d never seen himself as attached to the idea of being an Alpha, but now he realized it had given him a semblance of identity to make up for the fact that he knew nothing of his past.

Myron insisted it didn’t matter, and Charles believed him. Fate had thrown them together, after all, and neither of them were anything close to typical. If his mate didn’t care, he told himself he shouldn’t either, but he knew what the press would say when they got ahold of the truth.

And they would. The bastards got ahold of everything he did eventually. If he’d been the type prone to scandal, his career would have ended before it began. The fact that he kept his nose clean wouldn’t matter when it was revealed that the head of the Futurus Initiative wasn’t even a real Alpha.

When the phone rang, Charles assumed it was for Avery or one of the other members of the Myer family. No one knew where he was, only that he’d gone on a hiatus and wasn’t to be disturbed. “Do you want me to get that?” he asked, looking over at Avery, who was feeding Jade at the kitchen table.

“Please,” said the harried omega.

Charles finished drying the dish in his hands and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“This is Dr. Brandly’s office calling for Charles Metcalf?”

“Oh. This is he,” he said nervously. Had they found something else?

“Your lab results are back, Mr. Metcalf. Now, the only abnormality we found in your bloodwork was that you’re very anemic, so the doctor has prescribed an iron supplement you can pick up at the pharmacy in town.”

“That’s all?” he asked hopefully. “I’m not sick?”

“Well, it can lead to some of the unpleasant symptoms you’re experiencing, but the doctor thinks it’s only exacerbating the primary issue,” she answered.

Charles gulped. “And that would be?”

“You’re pregnant. About six weeks, in fact.”

“I’m… what?” he croaked.

“I’m sure the doctor mentioned that it was a possibility, given your condition.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“He would like you to come in to discuss the matter at some point in the next couple of days,” the nurse continued. Charles could hear her flipping through her appointment book. “You’re going to need regular observation. These pregnancies are very high risk for both the parent and the baby, so he’ll want to see you for the full hour and start you on a thorough care regimen.”

Charles head was spinning from all the information. Pregnant. That wasn’t something he’d even seriously considered, possible or not. He was too shocked to even consider how he felt about it.

“These?” he asked suddenly, latching onto her strange words. “You mean this is common?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. But there are others like you. It’s usually only discovered when they become pregnant unexpectedly. The doctor’s been doing research and so have I. Not often we get an interesting case around here,” she said with a chuckle. “I suppose it’s more common in the Alliance lands, and they’re calling it… oh, I forget what the word is, but they’re saying it might be a new class altogether.”

“That’s…” Charles trailed off when he realized he wasn’t sure what it was. As a scientist, he was fascinated, but as someone it was happening to, not so much.

“Would two o’clock Thursday evening work for you?”

“Y-yes. That would be fine. Thank you.” His voice was thick, but he was surprised he was managing to speak at all. He could feel Avery watching him worriedly from across the room, and Jade gurgled to get her father’s attention.

“Is everything alright?” asked Avery.

Charles’ wasn’t planning on answering before he could tell Myron, but in his shock, he blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Avery’s eyes widened. “But… you’re an Alpha.”

“Evidently not,” Charles whispered, collapsing against the counter.

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I,” he admitted. “I just know I’m…different. I’m not an Alpha or an omega. And I’m pregnant.”

Avery blinked, but he seemed to process the information faster than Charles. “What did the doctor say? Are you going to be alright?”

“He said it’s dangerous, I think. I don’t really remember,” Charles admitted.

“Here, sit down.” Avery pulled out a chair and forced him into it. “It’s going to be alright. We’ll just take this one thing at a time, alright?”

Charles nodded, but he was already panicking on the inside. Avery offered him a cup of tea and he drank it, wishing it was something stronger even though he rarely ever drank.

“So… you really had no idea?” asked Avery.

“I knew I wasn’t a typical Alpha, but I didn’t realize just how atypical I was until…” He trailed off, realizing he didn’t want to admit that he’d only learned how unusual he was when he’d first slept with Myron.

The other omega’s eyes were full of knowing. He gave Charles a reassuring smile and took his hand. “You know, Myron isn’t exactly typical either.”

“You have no idea,” Charles muttered.

Before he could try to dismiss Avery’s confusion, Nicholas came into the room. The Alpha gave him the same stern look he’d had from the moment they met and set his briefcase aside. “Good, you’re here. I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you.”

“A talk?” Charles asked, still trying to collect himself.

“Yeah. Since you and my brother are mates, there are some things we need to discuss, Alpha to Alpha.”

Avery cleared his throat. “You might want to hold off on that conversation, dear.”

Nicholas frowned. “What do you mean?”

Avery looked to Charles for permission and he nodded absently. The cat was out of the bag now.

“Charles is pregnant,” Avery said, lowering his voice.

“Pregnant?” Nicholas echoed, looking at Charles like he thought it was a joke. When their mutual silence told him otherwise, his face went blank. “But he’s an Alpha.”

“Not quite,” Charles mumbled.

“Well, if you’re not an Alpha and you’re not a beta or an omega, what the hell else is there?”

“I’ll tell you when I know,” said Charles.

Avery put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him and gave his mate a scolding look. “He just found out himself, Nicholas.”

“I’m sorry,” the Alpha said quickly. Nicholas was the head of the pack, but it was clear that Avery called the shots when it came to family matters. “Does Myron know?” He hesitated. “It is Myron’s, right?”

“Yes,” Charles murmured, touching his stomach. “It’s his.”

“He’s not going to be upset, Charles,” Avery promised. “He loves you. I can tell. And he’s always wanted a family. This is going to be good news.”

Charles managed a weak smile. “I hope so.”

He just didn’t feel it. He wasn’t even sure why and told himself it was just the shock. Hopefully Avery was right and when the shock wore off, both he and Myron would see it as something to celebrate. A miracle rather than a catastrophe, even if that’s what the effect would be on his career.

The CEO of the Futurus Initiative. Pregnant. Now that would give the investors something to complain about.

“I guess the ‘you’d better not hurt my brother or I’ll kill you’ talk needs a bit of revision,” Nicholas muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Charles tried to laugh, but the sound died out in his chest. Myron had already begun the mark, assuming he was as capable of placing a mating bite as he was of other functions typically associated with Alphas. What if this news made him change his mind? Charles could already feel the deepening of their bond, but what if Myron didn’t feel it as strongly?

“You should go find Myron,” Avery told his mate.

“He left early this morning. Some meeting with the Tribunal.”

“The Tribunal?” Avery frowned.

“He’s probably investigating the shooting on his own,” said Charles, shaking his head. “He’s decided my security forces aren’t doing their job.”

“He’s not wrong about that,” Nicholas remarked. “I’ll go see if I can find him.”

“That’s alright,” Charles said, standing. “I could use the fresh air.”

Avery watched him worriedly. “Just try to take it easy until you see the doctor, please.”

Charles smiled and nodded. He’d only been in the Myer household for a short time, but Avery and Hayley were already kinder to him than the people he’d spent years working alongside. Even Nicholas was kind, if understandably protective. Charles certainly couldn’t fault him for that.

The fresh air wasn’t quite as helpful as he’d hoped, but the walking took his mind off things. Southbend was lovely, filled with happy families and their young children. He found himself wondering what it would be like to live that kind of life. The kind he’d never known, not even as a child.

It was certainly a better and safer life than any he could offer his child in London. If Myron truly did want to be a family the way Avery seemed to think he would, it would change everything, but maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Charles had been more at ease in this place than he ever had, and he could see himself coming to grips with rural life eventually. It was nice to be surrounded by people who knew who he was and didn’t care. People who weren’t interested in his money or power and had, in fact, turned them down on more than one occasion.

The Myers loved Myron, even if they didn’t always get along, and Charles had no doubt that they would love the baby as well. Maybe these last few months had turned his world upside down, but he was actually starting to have hope that it might not be such a bad thing. His world was empty. His world with Myron in it was fuller and better than he’d ever imagined.

He caught sight of the omega through the window of a small restaurant up ahead and his heart quickened. As nervous as he was, he tried to remind himself of what they’d shared the night before. Myron had changed him, and according to the Myers, Charles had changed him as well. Maybe this baby would change them both.

When he drew closer, Charles realized that Myron was far from alone in that booth. He was leaning over, holding a small woman in his arms and stroking her raven hair as she sobbed. Charles’ heart broke when he saw the tenderness with which Myron stroked the curve of her jaw, gazing down at her as he whispered some intimate words.

He stepped away from the sidewalk when he realized it was only a matter of time before they realized he was being watched. He turned and ran back to the house. He’d seen enough.