Chapter 11: Whispers in the Hallway
The milkshake place had been everything Jaxson promised. A little retro diner with red vinyl booths and a jukebox that played actual records, and a fountain out front that glittered under the afternoon sun like something out of a movie. Cole had watched Jaxson take a picture of it on his phone, and when the alpha caught him looking, his ears had gone pink in a way that made Cole's heart ache.
They'd talked about names for the pups over thick vanilla shakes, and Jaxson had stared at him with those dark, intense eyes and said, "What about Margot, if it's a girl? And Elias, if it's a boy?" And Cole, mouth full of whipped cream, had nearly choked because Jaxson had obviously been thinking about this. Planning this. Dreaming about this. The thought had unlocked something warm and molten in his chest.
That was three days ago.
Today, the warmth was gone, replaced by a cold dread that had settled into Cole's bones the moment he'd stepped through the glass doors of the office building. He'd tried to shake it off, telling himself it was just nerves about being back after a few days of working from home. But the feeling persisted, a tightness in his chest that he couldn't quite name.
The office hummed with its usual morning energy—keyboards clacking, phones ringing, the distant hiss of the espresso machine. Cole kept his head down as he moved toward his desk, trying not to meet anyone's eyes. He told himself it was just the pregnancy hormones making him paranoid. That the whisperers he could sense gathered around the water cooler were just discussing a project or a deadline.
But then he caught Sarah's voice, sharp and hard, cutting through the white noise like glass beneath a heel.
"Did you see the way he was clinging to him at the ultrasound place? I had a friend who works in that clinic. Said Cole was practically sobbing when they came out. And Jaxson had his arm around him like he was made of gold."
Cole's steps faltered. The name. The place. His stomach dropped.
"I heard he trapped him," someone else said. A voice he didn't recognize. "Got knocked up on purpose so he could get a cut of the company. You know how omegas like that are. They'll do anything to secure a paycheck."
The words hit him like a physical blow. Cole stood frozen, halfway between the elevator bank and his desk, his knuckles white around the strap of his briefcase. The voices continued, unaware of his presence.
"Poor Jaxson. Probably doesn't even know it's not his."
"Are you kidding? I saw them together last week. He's completely wrapped around that omega's finger. It's honestly pathetic—"
"Sarah. Megan. That's enough." Kate's voice cut through the conversation, sharp as a blade. Cole heard the shuffle of feet, the sound of someone clearing their throat awkwardly.
"Kate, we were just—"
"I don't care what you were doing. Those are your coworkers you're talking about. And Cole is carrying his mate's pups. That's not gossip, that's their lives. Show some respect."
Cole's vision blurred. He blinked, hard, forcing the tears back. He couldn't cry here. Couldn't give them the satisfaction.
The whispers started again the moment Kate walked away, but Cole tuned them out. He forced his legs to move, made it to his desk, and collapsed into his chair. His hands were shaking as he unlocked his computer, and he pressed his palms flat against the desk, trying to steady himself.
They thought he'd trapped Jaxson. They thought he was some kind of gold-digging whore who'd deliberately gotten pregnant to secure his financial future.
The worst part was, he couldn't deny their reasoning. He was an omega. His secondary gender had always been a mark against him in this alpha-dominated world. And Jaxson—Jaxson was worth billions. It looked suspicious. It looked calculated.
But it wasn't. It was fate and desperation and the shocking, unexpected realization that the man he'd wanted for months actually wanted him back.
Cole closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. He remembered the two tiny heartbeats, so strong and sure. He remembered Jaxson's hand on his stomach, the tremble in his voice when he'd said "our pups." He remembered the milkshakes and the names and the way Jaxson had laughed, actually laughed, bright and unguarded, when Cole had suggested they get matching tattoos.
That was real. That was theirs.
The sharp sound of a door opening made him look up. Jaxson had stepped out of his office, his gaze landing on Cole immediately. But instead of approaching, he went rigid, his eyes darkening. Cole felt it a second later—the spike of protective fury that slammed through their bond like a freight train.
Jaxson's head turned toward the water cooler, and Cole watched his jaw tighten. His hands curled into fists at his sides, and Cole knew he'd heard everything.
"Kate," Jaxson said, his voice carrying across the floor. "My office. Now."
Kate appeared from the breakroom, her expression carefully neutral. She was already moving toward the CEO's office, but Jaxson wasn't done. He stood, scanning his employees with an intensity that made people shrink back into their chairs.
"Anyone else have something to say?" His voice was steel wrapped in silk. "About my mate. My pups. Anyone?"
Silence. Absolute, deafening silence.
"Good." Jaxson turned, striding into his office without another word.
Cole watched him go, and through their bond he felt the alpha's fury simmering beneath the surface. And beneath that, something darker. Something almost dangerous.
The thoughts came through, raw and unfiltered:
I'll burn this entire building to the ground with them inside. Every single one who opened their filthy mouths. Rip out their tongues and feed them to the— no. No, control. Maintain control. Cole doesn't need a monster. Cole needs me to be steady. Steady and strong. But God help me if I hear another word. I'll make them regret ever breathing.
Cole's blood ran cold.
---
Kate found Jaxson pacing in his office, his hands raking through his dark hair. The glass walls offered no privacy from the rest of the floor, but Jaxson's anger was a tangible presence, thick enough to suffocate.
"Jaxson." Kate closed the door behind her, her voice calm and measured. "You need to breathe."
"Don't tell me to breathe." His voice was a growl. "Did you hear them? Calling him a whore. Suggesting he trapped me. My Cole. My mate. My pups."
"I heard." Kate's jaw was tight with her own frustration. "And I already told them off before you got involved. But you need to be careful here. You can't just fire everyone who speaks without proof of who started it."
"Watch me."
"Jaxson." Kate stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I know you're furious. I am too. But if you act rashly, you'll give them ammunition. They'll say it's true, that you're a possessive alpha who can't control his temper, and they'll use that against Cole. Do you want that?"
Jaxson stopped pacing, his eyes fixed on a point above Kate's head. His chest heaved with the effort of containing his anger.
"Two of them," he said finally. "The ones I heard. Sarah and Megan. They're the ringleaders. I want them out of this office."
"On what grounds?"
"Hostile work environment. Defamation of a colleague. Pick a reason."
"Jaxson—"
"They're gone, Kate. Today. Before end of business." His voice was hard, final. The CEO had spoken.
Kate studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "I'll talk to HR. File the proper paperwork. But Jaxson, this isn't going to be the end of it. This kind of gossip spreads. And if there's a leak somewhere else—"
"Then we find it. We hire private investigators if we have to. We trace every whisper back to its source." Jaxson's fingers drummed on his desk. "No one gets to hurt him. Not while I'm breathing."
Kate softened, just slightly. "I know. I know you want to protect him. But that's not a sustainable way to live. Cole needs your support, not your vengeance. He needs to be able to come to work without feeling like he's under attack."
Jaxson flinched at the word "vengeance." As if she'd hit a nerve.
"What do you suggest?"
Kate moved to the window, gazing out at the city skyline. "I'll take care of the internal stuff. Gather evidence, talk to HR, make sure the right people get fired and the wrong people get reassigned. But you need to talk to Cole. Let him know he's safe. Let him know you're on his side. And Jaxson, please—don't lose your temper in front of him. He's scared. I can see it. He's trying to pretend he isn't, but he is."
Jaxson closed his eyes, the anger slowly ebbing into something more fragile. Guilt. Shame.
"I didn't even know," he murmured. "I've been so wrapped up in my own head, my own fears about being a good father, that I forgot to protect him from the world. That's not what an alpha should do."
"Jaxson."
"I know, I know. I can't blame myself. But God, Kate. He was crying. He was sitting at his desk, crying, and I didn't even notice until I felt it through the bond. What other signals am I missing?"
"You're new at this," Kate said gently. "All of it. Bond, pups, mating. Give yourself some grace. But also give Cole what he actually needs. He's not fragile. He's stronger than both of us combined. He just needs to know that you're in this with him."
Jaxson's hand came up to rub his sternum, right over the spot where the bond ached. "I'm not sure I know how to be in this with someone. I've spent my whole life keeping people at arm's length."
"I know." Kate smiled, soft and knowing. "That's why you need to start learning."
---
Cole was at his desk when Jaxson emerged from his office. The alpha moved toward him with purpose, his steps eating up the distance, and Cole felt his heart stutter.
"Hey." Jaxson's voice was low, pitched for Cole alone. "Can we talk in my office?"
Cole nodded, his mouth too dry to form words. He stood on unsteady legs and followed Jaxson into the private sanctuary of the CEO's office. When the door closed behind them with a soft click, Jaxson turned and pulled Cole into his arms.
The embrace was crushing, possessive, all-consuming. Cole practically melted into it, his face pressed against the warmth of Jaxson's chest, his hands clutching at his tailored shirt. For a long moment, they just stood there, breathing together.
"I'm sorry," Jaxson murmured against his hair. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that. I should have been faster."
"It's not your fault." Cole's voice was muffled. "You can't control what people say."
"No. But I can control how they face consequences."
Cole pulled back, his eyes meeting Jaxson's. "Don't fire them all. That's not the answer."
"I'm not going to fire them all." A corner of Jaxson's mouth twitched. "Just the two I heard. And possibly anyone who gives me attitude in a meeting for the next six months."
Despite everything, Cole laughed. It was watery and cracked, but it was real.
"Kate's handling HR," Jaxson continued. "She's going to track down the source, make sure this doesn't spread further. And if it does, we'll deal with it. Together."
"What if it never stops?" Cole's voice was small. "What if people always see me as the omega who trapped you?"
"Then they're idiots, and we don't need them in our lives. We've got each other, and we've got our pups. That's all that matters."
Cole's eyes drifted down to his stomach, and he felt a fresh wave of hope crack through the fear. Two tiny lives, growing inside him. Two heartbeats that were stronger than any rumor.
"Okay," he said softly. "Okay."
Jaxson reached up, cupping Cole's face in his hands and tilting it up. His thumb traced the line of Cole's cheekbone, wiping away a tear that had escaped.
"I love you," Jaxson said, the words heavy with conviction. "I love you more than I know how to say. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you're not just some omega I got trapped by. You're the one I chose. The one I want. The one I'll fight for. Always."
Cole's breath hitched. The words settled over him like a blanket, warm and whole. He leaned in, pressing his forehead to Jaxson's, and let the alpha's certainty wash over him.
"I love you too," he whispered. "Even when you're a possessive, overprotective nightmare."
"I'm going to remind you of that when I have to change your eleventh diaper in a row at three in the morning."
Cole snorted. "You won't even still be awake at three in the morning."
"Try me. I've got contractor-level stamina."
"Contractor-level stubbornness, maybe."
Jaxson's laugh was low and warm, his body shaking against Cole's. He pressed a kiss to Cole's brow, gentle and reverent.
"Come on, mate. Let's get through this day. The sooner it's done, the sooner I can take you home and worship you the way you deserve."
Cole felt the heat creep up his cheeks, but he couldn't help the smile that followed. "You're going to exhaust yourself being a father, you know."
"Worth it. Every minute."
As they walked out of the office, Cole felt the weight on his shoulders begin to lift. The gossip still stung, still lingered in the air like residual smoke. But he had Jaxson. He had Kate. He had his pups.
And he had something he'd never had before: a place where he truly belonged.