Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
“You’re probably hungry, right, little man?” Morgan whispered. As smoothly as he could, he scooted off the bed. “Let’s see what your daddy brought so we can put you in a clean diaper and then we’ll figure out what you eat.”
He looked at the foot of the bed, where Ricky had gone to pick up their son, and saw a duffle bag sitting beside a baby seat. Keeping his hand on Alex’s nape and the back of his head, he tucked his son against his chest, squatted down, and snagged the bag with his free hand.
“Here we go.” Kissing the top of Alex’s head, he padded into the adjoining bathroom, set the bag on the counter, and then clicked the door shut. “You don’t have to worry,” he said as he rustled through the bag. “We’re a growing pack so I’ve changed tons of diapers. I know what I’m doing.”
Lillian’s kids had been in his house nearly every day of their lives, and Morgan had done his part to help with them when Lillian and Ray were busy or tired. And with the Alpha house being open to the pack for gatherings and socializing, there had been many parents with large broods around who needed a helping hand. Morgan had always been glad to volunteer, taking the opportunity to bond with his newest pack members and learning skills he hoped to one day use with his own children. Now that day had finally come. He couldn’t remember being happier.
Within a few minutes, Alex was clean and dry and Morgan was darting his gaze around the bathroom. “I need to set you down to wash my hands.” He considered the counter, but although he was fairly certain Alex was too young to roll off, he wasn’t willing to take risk his son getting hurt. The floor was an option, but although the marble gleamed, he didn’t know whether harsh cleaners were used on it. Ultimately, he settled on the bathtub as the safest place for Alex to rest. He got a fresh towel from the closet, put it on the bottom of the tub, and then lay Alex on top of it.
“This won’t take long,” he promised.
In response, Alex wriggled and gurgled happily. Ricky hadn’t been kidding when he had said their son was an easy baby. Morgan wondered if that would motivate Ricky to have more children right away. As soon as he had the thought, he mentally chastised himself to slow down. A big family was his dream, but maybe Ricky didn’t feel the same way, which would be fine. He had his mate, he had a son, and that was more than he had thought possible only hours earlier.
After quickly scrubbing up, he scooped Alex against his chest, draped the duffle bag over his shoulder, and walked back into the bedroom. He was weighing Ricky’s need to sleep with Alex’s need to eat when he saw that he wouldn’t have to make that tough choice because his beautiful mate was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his clothes crumpled, hair disheveled, and the phone pressed to his ear. The sight of his Omega, safe and comfortably nestled on his bed, set off fireworks in Morgan’s chest.
“I'm sure Alpha Berger will put all of that behind him soon and then my mate and I will be able to come to you.” Ricky made eye contact with him and mouthed, “my father.”
Hearing himself referred to as a mate apparently had a direct link to Morgan’s libido, because his breath hitched and his groin tightened the moment he heard the word in Ricky’s soft voice. Suddenly desperate to touch his Omega, Morgan hurried to the bed, sat beside him, and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.
With a content sigh, Ricky leaned into him. “My mate said you’re welcome in Golden Valley. Will you come visit?”
Morgan had offered for Ricky’s parents to do more than just visit. His Omega was an only child, which meant Alex was the Marxes’ only grandchild. Purple Sky was the pack nearest to Golden Valley, but it was too far for drop-by dinners and last-minute get-togethers. To Morgan, the logical solution was for the new grandparents to move to Golden Valley. The Alpha house was plenty large enough for them to live there or Morgan could set them up in a home of their own. Ricky had sounded genuinely pleased at the suggestion, but maybe he wanted his parents to meet him and see Golden Valley before suggesting they uproot their lives to move there.
“I told you that was my fault.”
Sitting so close to Ricky meant Morgan couldn’t help but overhear both sides of the conversation. “Alpha Berger said you left home because of what the Golden Valley Alpha did to you during the pack visit. That isn’t your fault.”