Page 22 of Claiming the Omega (The Wolves of Sparrow Ridge)

D aniel and Shane stayed at the cabin for nearly a week, enjoying the time they had alone to smooth out their relationship and get their lives back on track together. They returned to the Sparrow Ridge Pack with the understanding that they would remain there and Shane would accept membership.

They'd been back for about a day, and things were starting to settle into normalcy.

Daniel noticed Cole giving him and Shane an extra wide berth.

Cole knew he had been wrong. He had apologized to Shane and vowed to make amends.

Daniel hadn't yet decided what that would be, but he enjoyed leaving Cole hanging in the wind a bit.

After all, payback is a bitch. Daniel smiled to himself.

So far, though, Shane hadn't been ready to meet with his brother. The brothers seemed to be purposefully avoiding each other, and both Daniel and Victor knew that they wouldn't be able to go on for much longer. For the sake of the brothers and the Pack, they must make amends.

"I want to be prepared in case he starts more shit," Shane said to Daniel after Daniel had pressed him on talking to his brother.

"He won't," Daniel assured him. He and Benjy had already talked, and they agreed to accept one another.

Benjy was still undecided about Daniel, but he was willing to give him a chance.

Daniel was okay with that; he knew he had Shane, so anything else was a bonus.

He had Benjy's acceptance if not his approval.

But he knew for a fact that Benjy ached, truly ached to fix his relationship with Shane.

"Talk to him. Listen to what he has to say. "

Shane knew he needed to bury the hatchet with Benjy.

He didn't want to have to avoid him for the rest of his life.

Shane was seated in his and Daniel's quarters when he heard a hesitant knock at the door.

He and Daniel were given one of the larger rooms near the front of the Pack House, and they were just settling in.

Daniel had gone to meet with the Alpha, so Shane knew he would have to answer the door himself.

"Hi," Benjy said as Shane swung the door wide. "May I come in?" Shane stepped back and indicated for his brother to enter. He closed the door behind him and led him into the living area of their quarters. Shane took a seat on the sofa, and Benjy sat in the chair opposite.

They remained silent for a few moments before Benjy began to grovel. "I'm sorry, Shane. My mean, short-sighted, self-serving behavior nearly ruined your life, and I want to make it up to you. Please say you'll forgive me. I am so sorry. I was wrong." Benjy got it all out there and then waited.

"You tortured me for a solid month." Shane wanted to forgive, but he needed Benjy to truly understand what he had done.

"I ached to be with my mate, and you deliberately made it impossible.

" He noticed that Benjy said nothing in his own defense, just kept nodding, accepting responsibility for his actions.

"I will do anything you ask to make this right between us. I need you, Shane." Benjy implored.

"I want you to be nice to Daniel. I want you to pay him a compliment every day for a solid month. Thirty days, thirty compliments for Daniel, and I don't want him to know that I'm making you do it." Shane stated his conditions, and Benjy agreed immediately.

"You got it. A compliment a day and he will never know you set it up, and I promise always to be nice to him, I promise." Benjy crossed his heart and smiled, knowing that his brother was coming around.

“Okay, we’re square, I forgive you.” Shane relented with a grin. Benjy jumped to his feet and pulled Shane from the sofa for a huge hug.

"Thank you, Shane. I'll never screw with you again." Benjy swore.

Shane was relieved to finally be back on track with his brother. They'd been through so much together and had only each other to depend on for so many years; he hated to be on the outs with him. "I love you, Benjy, I always will."

"I love you too, Shane, always."

Daniel returned later that afternoon, and Shane was shocked to see a huge smile on the man's face as he entered their rooms. Daniel tended to be a bit dour, not that he didn't smile; it just wasn't often.

“What’s got you smiling, handsome?” Shane teased.

“Benjy just told me that I was the most impressive Beta he has ever met. Just like that, out of the blue, a nice compliment. It was quite a surprise.” Shane smiled back and ticked off one compliment down and twenty-nine to go.

“You are an impressive Beta, baby, and an impressive lover, impressive mate. I could go on for days.” Shane squealed when Daniel grabbed him around the waist and tossed him over his shoulder.

"I'll show you just how impressive I can be, sweetheart," Daniel announced as he swatted his mate's luscious ass on their way to the bedroom.

THE END