And yet the thought of this omega having kids—and an alpha—was… strange.His brows furrowed, Devlin said, “In my defense, your naive views about marriage did make you seem like a child. Your brother’s pragmatic approach is what I would expect from an omega of your age and upbringing.”Julian chuckled. “You’re the naive one if you think Liam is pragmatic. He’s anything but. He’s just fooled by your face.”A slow smile stretched Devlin’s lips. “My face? What about my face?”“You know what I mean.” Julian glowered at him, his cheeks becoming pink again.Devlin’s fingers twitched, itching to pinch them. “No, I don’t. Do enlighten me, Julian.”“You know exactly what I mean, you arrogant ass!”Devlin grinned. “Are you saying you think I’m handsome?”“Everyone thinks that! But I don’t. It’s not my fault people have no taste.”Devlin wondered if it was too weird that he kind of wanted to rub his face against the brat’s flushed cheek. Probably.“Your Grace?”Devlin tore his gaze away from Juli

Sighing, Devlin followed Julian into the jungle. He consoled himself that it was a good thing that his alpha side already felt protective of his future mate’s family—it should help him bond with Liam.As soon as he entered the force field separating the habitat from the rest of the park, it was like he was in a different world. The noise of the crowd outside was cut off, leaving only the natural sounds of the jungle. Devlin found himself relaxing, the beast in him settling more comfortably under his skin.There were fewer visitors in this part of the park. It was a relief, because otherwise finding Julian here would have been more difficult. Devlin followed the shoe prints, his nostrils flaring in a futile attempt to catch a whiff of the omega’s scent. He still didn’t know why Julian suppressed his scent so much.He found him sitting by a small waterfall, watching a pair of doe-like creatures. Julian had his legs drawn up to his body, his arms wrapped around them, and he had his chin

But while many articles online really recommended increasing the dose of suppressants after losing one’s bondmate, they also advised caution and didn’t recommend that course of action for long. The articles said that an omega needed either to be around an alpha they trusted or to employ the services of alpha doctors who specialized in that kind of therapy.Frowning, Jules considered the latter option, but he knew it wasn’t viable for him: Uncle Wayne couldn’t find out that he had been bonded—it would be too easy for him to put two and two together and realize that Jules must have been bonded to the Xeus. The mere thought made him cringe. No, he couldn’t employ the services of a professional.That left only Westcliff.But should he really accept help from Westcliff, of all people?“Why not?” Liam said when Jules told him everything over breakfast.“I don’t like him,” Jules said, poking at the sausage on his plate moodily.“I don’t think you’re being fair to him. If he’s offering help,

Several weeks passed like that. Westcliff called on Liam and took him out on dates, putting on that disgustingly charming mask he wore in public. More often than not, Jules accompanied them, serving as a chaperone, for appearances’ sake—officially. Unofficially, he kind of… he went because he wanted to be around the duke. It freaked him out that he felt addicted to the way Westcliff made him feel, but he couldn’t help himself. It felt so good, especially when Westcliff allowed him to rub his face against his scent gland—the euphoria was beyond his ability to express properly. Afterward, Jules felt so embarrassed, but thankfully, Westcliff didn’t make fun of him and always acted as if there was nothing weird about his behavior. “Better?” he would say in a quiet murmur, and Jules would flush and nod and look anywhere but at him. Every time he told himself it was the last time, but his resolve melted into a mass of goo the next time he saw the duke. It was horrible. Horribly addictive.

Julian glared at him, his cheekbones a little pink. “That was a dick move,” he said, glancing back at Nasr, who was left standing in the middle of the dance floor.“He’s much too old for you,” Devlin said, stroking his thumb against Julian’s wrist.“Stop scent-marking me,” Julian gritted out, his color heightening. “And he isn’t too old. He’s half Korf’s age.”“That shouldn’t be your measuring stick,” Devlin said. “I told you I wouldn’t allow your uncle to give you to Korf. You deserve better.”Julian chuckled. “Better? Who?”Devlin’s lips thinned. “Someone better than Nasr.”“There’s nothing wrong with Viscount Nasr. He’s perfectly nice and pleasant, and he actually sees me for being me. I’ve known him forever—he has a neighboring estate. He was always nice to me when I was a child.”“That hardly says good things about him, does it? What a creep.”Julian stomped on his right foot. “You’re being an ass,” he said, his voice a mix of annoyed and bewildered. He blinked a few times. “I do