Omega Teacher’s Secret

found out he was Gwen’s other dad.
Ian stepped out of the lab, his chest squeezing. Maybe Brad had faked the station emergency so he didn’t have to see Ian again. Gods knew he’d been pissed when he found out.
Ian’s stomach twisted. He remembered the fury in Brad’s eyes, remembered the way he’d looked at Ian, his expression incredulous. Fuck you, he’d said.
Brad had hugged Ian after, but who knew if he’d been holding back his disgust? Or if he’d done that out of guilt, and then proceeded to leave?
With each day that passed, Ian grew a little more uncertain. He probably thinks I’m a headcase.
It wasn’t as though there was anything between them. They barely even knew each other. Ian was trying hard not to look forward to seeing Brad, because he didn’t want his hopes to crash. It would hurt, with how much he wanted everything Brad offered.
Brad’s arms had felt good around him.
Ian pushed aside his longing, pausing in front of Harold Saxon’s office. Light shone from beneath the door—Harold was in. Things would go okay this time, wouldn’t they?
Ian knocked. Behind the door, Harold said, “Come in.”
His heart thundering, Ian pushed the door open. He stepped into the office, trying not to touch his belly.
Harold Saxon was a severe man. He was older than Ian, with narrow eyes and graying hair, and his lips perpetually in a thin line. He was alpha, too, which meant anything he said automatically held more weight in matters of science and departmental logistics.
Ian met Harold’s eyes as best as he could. “Sir,” he said. “You wished to discuss something?”
Harold looked him over. “A couple of matters, yes. Have a seat.”
Ian closed the door, reluctantly sitting across from Harold at the desk. The office smelled like Harold’s boxwood scent, and it looked like any other office—ring folders in cabinets, framed certificates on the walls, pictures around a computer screen.
Except those photo frames contained pictures of Harold’s family, and Ian couldn’t help searching out Brad—Brad had been young when those pictures were taken, maybe nine, or ten.
He looked so innocent in those photos, cheerful, and he’d hugged his mother with a huge grin. There were other children in the pictures, too, but Ian only had eyes for Brad. Every single time he visited Harold’s office.
Harold cleared his throat. Ian yanked his gaze back up, focusing on his superior.
“I noticed that my son has enrolled in your Master’s class,” Harold said, his eyes narrowed. “You should have informed me the moment you knew. Why didn’t you?”
“I hadn’t taken over the classes until two weeks ago,” Ian said, wincing. “June Kindling had been teaching the classes before that.”
Harold raised his eyebrows. “So you’ve been delegating the classes to her? What have you been doing, in that case?”
Taking your granddaughter to the hospital. “I’ve been handling the undergraduate courses,” Ian said. “There’s been a surge in interest in the Level 4 classes.”
Harold nodded, but he didn’t seem satisfied. Then his nostrils flared, and Ian held his breath. Prayed Harold wouldn’t smell anything, aside from his own boxwood scent, and Ian’s rose.
But Harold’s eyes narrowed. “You’re with child?”
“Yes,” Ian said, his stomach clenching. No point lying. The pregnancy would only become more obvious as the weeks wore on.
“You have an alpha?”
“No.”
Harold studied him shrewdly. Then he asked, “Which alpha gave you that child?”
And Ian knew Harold meant, Was it my son?
Yeah, it was. Except the moment Ian admitted it, he would be fired, even if Gwen was Harold’s own granddaughter.
“June Kindling,” Ian blurted. He didn’t know any other alphas he could trust, couldn’t think of any other alphas offhand.
Harold curled his lip. “Isn’t she married?”
“She is.”
Then Ian’s face burned—in his panic, he’d forgotten June was married. And now Harold thought June had been cheating on Cher with Ian.
Where’s your alpha? Ian’s mother had asked when he’d brought Gwen to her, seeking shelter after he’d spent all his money on Gwen’s medical bills. If you don’t have an alpha, then you can forget about coming home.
“Is that all you wanted to discuss with me?” Ian asked, his skin too tight.
“No,” Harold said, glancing at Ian like Ian was scum on the bottom of his shoe. “From today onward, drop Brad Saxon from your classes. He will no longer be enrolled in the Master’s course.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s all. You may leave.”
Ian nodded, retreating from Harold’s office. He shuddered when he was out of Harold’s sight. He felt dirty. Like he could scrub his skin forever, and he’d still be contaminated. June’s going to kill me.
His face scorching, he hurried back to his lab, hesitating when he opened the door.
June glanced over, her eyebrows raised. “That was quick.”
Ian couldn’t meet her eyes. “Could I speak to you in private?” he squeaked.
June’s eyebrows crawled up her forehead. The moment she stepped out of the lab and the door closed, June asked, “What happened?”
“Brad’s dropped from the Master’s class,” Ian said in an undertone, glancing around to make sure the corridor was empty.
“That’s not all, is it?”
“Harold asked who, uh, gave me this baby.” Ian waved at his belly, and June’s eyes bulged out.
“I didn’t know—”
Ian grabbed her arm, dragging her down the hallways until they were safely locked inside his office. Just in case Harold somehow overheard. “Yeah, I’m pregnant. I can’t believe you didn’t know.”
“I wasn’t looking out for it.” June shrugged, glancing at Ian’s belly. “Too many undergrads in the lab. So is that also Brad’s…?”
“Yeah.” Ian grimaced. “But, uh, Harold wanted to know whose it was. I couldn’t tell him.”
“Who did you tell him your alpha is?”
Ian squirmed, glancing at her. “You.”
June stared at him. For a moment, Ian thought she might explode, like Brad had when he’d found out about Gwen. Ian shrank back, cradling his belly.
Instead, June threw her head back and guffawed. “Oh, that’s rich, Ian. Me?”
She cackled, and Ian stared, wondering if his assistant professor had lost her mind. “You’re… okay with it?”
June wiped the tears from her eyes, still laughing. “Yeah. You know, before