Page 105 of Dreamscape Therapies

“I’m really, very comfortable.”

“You've mentioned that.”

Jay settles his head against my shoulder, apparently satisfied that this particular argument has been won. Within seconds, his breathing begins to slow, and the weight of his head grows heavier against me.

I look down.

He’s asleep.

A tiny snore escapes him.

Shane stares at his brother for a moment, and something unexpectedly tender crosses his face. When he looks back at me, the teasing has disappeared.

“He’s really happy,” he says quietly.

I glance down at Jay, running my fingers absently through his hair. “Yeah. He is.”

“You’ve made him really happy.”

The sincerity in his voice catches me off guard. I look back at him and smile.

“That’s my goal in life at this point.”

Shane studies me for a few seconds, and then, almost casually, he asks, “And you don't care that he can't give you children?”

My smile disappears.

“What?”

“You heard me, Vincent Buster Klein.”

I stare at him, trying to decide whether I misheard him. I didn't. The question hangs between us, so absurdly out of place that for a second I genuinely don't know how to respond.

My anger sizzles beneath the surface, a growl forming in my chest just waiting to escape.

“You’re asking me if I care that your brother is a beta?”

Shane shrugs, seemingly unconcerned. “I’m just saying it’s a logical thought process. Alphas love reproducing with omegas. It isn't exactly a huge leap to assume you might have planned on having children someday.”

I stare at him in disbelief.

“First of all, that’s none of your business,” I say, keeping my voice low so I don’t wake Jay. “Second, even if I wanted children, which I don't, we could use a surrogate. And third, fuck you for thinking I would care about him any less because he’s a beta.”

Shane remains completely silent, his hard stare searching for something.

I glance down at Jay, asleep against my shoulder, and my anger only grows.

“If he could hear you right now, it would break his heart,” I continue. “You should count yourself lucky he's asleep, because if he weren't, I'd probably put that giant fucking head of yours through the wall for suggesting I don't love my mate just because he can't give me a biological child.”

For a moment, Shane just stares at me.

Then his mouth slowly curls into a grin. Not an amused grin. A fucking maniacal one.

“That’s all I needed to know.”

I narrow my eyes. “What?”

He starts laughing. “That was a test.”