Page 3 of A Hal for my Heart

“Just wait until you get one,” Elias sighed dreamily. He had his own son and could finally be with his alpha guard without it being a secret. I loved that for my friend, but it also hurt knowing it would never be me.

“I won’t,” I reminded him, proud of myself for not bursting into tears right then and there.

Elias gave me a sympathetic smile. “If you want kids one day, you’ll get them. I know you don’t like people touching you, but perhaps that’ll change someday. Just never say never, okay?”

I nodded. Elias didn’t know about the curse, and it wasn’t as if I could tell him. I wanted nothing more than to have a family of my own. My own alpha, who would look at me like Gus was looking at Seb right now, with adoration and love. I wanted babies, wanted to cuddle them and kiss them. Shower them with my love and never let anything bad happen to them.

But it didn’t matter what I wanted. I was cursed, and there was no cure for me.

Chapter Two

Hal

“Gusss!” I whisper-yelled at my best friend as I struggled to pry Lumi off my nose. Damn, that kid was as hungry as his daddy. Gus looked up from the hammock where he was lounging, Ember sleeping on his chest.

“What?” Gus grinned back at me, his eyes spilling over with happiness. I’d never seen my friend this content before, and as annoying as Seb could sometimes be, I still had a soft spot for the little grumpy guy for making my bestie smile this big.

“Go get your man,” I gritted. “I need one of his pecs. Now!”

Gus nearly did a somersault out of the hammock, clutching a disgruntled Ember in his arms. “You what?!” He glared at me.

“Your monster baby is hungry and thinks my nose is a nipple,” I groaned. “At least get him off me before he devours my entire face!”

“Seb’s in a meeting with his advisors. Just pull him off.” Gus shook his head, his shaggy blond hair falling into his eyes.

“A meeting? How long do they usually last?” I guess this was why that little guy, Briar, hadn’t spied on me for the last hour or so. The way he followed me around was hilarious; his head of blond hair peeking around a corner or popping up behind a flower bush in the garden. I mean, I knew omegas were different from us alphas, but there was different, and then there was… weird. Although it was kind of cute, too, in a lost puppy kind of way.

“I don’t know,” Gus shrugged, then placed Ember carefully back into the hammock, rocking it quietly, before he moved toward me to commence Operation: Detach Boob Beast from Bestie’s Nose.

At first, Lumi just intensified his suction skills, but when Gus started wiggling him carefully from side to side, Lumi let go with a pop.

“Oh, thank the gods,” I sighed. “Is it intact, my nose, or shall I walk through life permanently deformed?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Gus snorted, then blew loud raspberries against Lumi’s thick baby cheeks. I had to admit that being a dad was a good look for my friend.

“I’m not kidding. If I want to snag an omega of my own, I can’t walk around all mutilated. I gotta look my best.” Now that alphas and omegas could actually be together outside of heats, I couldn’t wait to meet someone and start my own family. Growing up in an orphanage for unwanted alpha children had left me craving a family, so when I finally ran away at the age of twelve, and Lord Willoughby took me in, I’d found one. And a brother in Gus. Now that I knew I wouldn’t father children only to be sent away, I wanted an entire army of mini-mes, maybe one for each month of the year, so I had an excuse to throw a big birthday party every month.

“Don’t be so dramatic. You look the same as always,” Gus frowned, bouncing a now crying Lumi in his arms. “Gods, he really is hungry.”

“Well, duh!” I pointed at my slightly throbbing nose.

“Can you get Ember, and then we’ll go track down Seb? His royal duties are gonna have to wait.”

“Sure, Your Royal Consortness!” I jumped from the garden chair that was way too small for my large frame and felt more like a torture device. It seemed most furniture at the palace was made for omegas, and I swear, last night at dinner, I heard the chair creaking under me. That’s why I held back with the food, as delicious as it was.

Snagging Ember from the hammock, I trailed after Gus, Lumi’s ear-piercing cries alerting several servants, who kindly offered their help. Gus waved them off politely, then stalked up the stairs to the palace, two steps at a time, and I followed.

As soon as we reached Seb’s office, Gus threw the door open, and we barged in, met by three sets of astonished eyes. Seb and Elias both flew from their seats and hurried toward Gus, while Briar stayed in the background.

“What happened?” Seb rushed out, already fussing over Lumi, who was now purple in the face from screaming.

“He’s just hungry, my love,” Gus spoke softly, handing Seb the baby.

“Oh. What about Ember?” Seb looked at me, then narrowed his eyes. “What happened to your nose?”

“Oh, God! Is it deformed? It’s deformed, isn’t it? I knew it!” Glaring at Gus, I whined, “Why would you lie to me?”

“So dramatic,” Gus sighed, while Briar’s eyes were glued to my nose, his face pale, as he nibbled on his bottom lip. “I’m telling you, it’s nothing.”