Page 3 of Omega Dragon Manny (Shifters For Hire #3)

BEAU

Being offered the job within the first ten minutes of meeting Clark and his three sweethearts was a bit of a shock.

I’d been on a few interviews that weren’t great fits, so my expectations were low when I arrived at his house.

But as soon as I held that sweet boy in my arms and he curled into me and settled, I knew I wanted the job.

Not just because of the babies but because of their handsome daddy.

I didn’t have the full story about how Clark became a single father of three infants, but the way he looked at me as a savior and baby whisperer made me feel a sense of pride I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Being in toxic situations for so long had broken me down to the point that I forgot how good I was with babies. They loved me, and I loved them.

Clark was still new to having newborns, so after we fed the babies and changed their diapers, I helped him make a list of things he needed to buy to make all of our lives more comfortable.

He handed me a credit card as he held back a yawn.

“Order whatever we need. I’ll get a card in your name, but for now, just use that.

There’s not a lot in the kitchen, so order whatever drinks and food you like.

I’ve been ordering a lot of takeout because I’m not much of a cook, but we could definitely use some fruit and veggies. I’ve been lazy about shopping.”

“No problem.” And it wasn’t. For some reason, when Clark asked me to shop for him and his family, I felt excited.

I didn’t feel like he was taking advantage of me.

And since he’d made it clear he wanted me to buy anything I needed as well, I was optimistic that this could work out.

“Let’s get the babies down and you can take a nap too.

You look like you’re about to topple over. ”

“Thanks.” He chuckled and ran his hand up his face and over his head as if he were smoothing out his rumpled hair. “I could definitely go for a quick rest. Come on. I’ll show you around.”

I followed the tired alpha down the hall to his "home office slash gym.

" Judging by the way everything non-baby related was shoved to one side and a portable crib with a changing station was on the other, it was clear he was still figuring out how to make his insta-family fit into his bachelor lifestyle.

But I liked it. The entire scene made me feel like I was needed, and that was enough to make my dragon all warm and gooey inside me.

And, let’s be real, I liked the guy, too. I wasn’t supposed to focus my attention on my employer when I was hired to focus on the babies…but damn, ignoring that man wasn’t possible. Clark was tall, and he had the kind of frame that I just wanted to climb up and snuggle with myself.

Most alphas I knew gave off aggressive vibes, especially when they were unmated. But Clark just seemed exhausted and maybe a little desperate. Seeing him so vulnerable made me want to help him even more. Not to mention the way his scent called to me and made my dragon get all fluttery.

I got down to business. "So, let me show you how I like to swaddle and we’ll see if we can get you a few hours of quiet time."

Clark nodded and reached for a stack of receiving blankets on the corner of his desk. “Will these work?”

“Yep, those are perfect.” I wrapped each baby like a burrito and lined them up inside the crib so they could feel and hear each other breathe. Cooing and humming was one of my tricks to calm babies, and it didn’t let me down. Within a few seconds of lightly tapping the crib, they were all asleep.

“Seriously, you’re amazing. I’ve been trying to do that for a week and never even came close.”

When I looked up at Clark, he was staring at me like the compliment was about more than my baby-soothing skills. “Sounds like I got here just in time.”

“Maybe a few days late.” He yawned again and rubbed at his eyes. “You got things covered here if I lie down for a bit?”

“Of course.” I pulled his credit card out of my pocket and walked toward the hallway. “I’ve got some shopping to do.”

“My room is at the end of the hall if you need me.” He glanced back into the room before closing the door most of the way shut. “But I think you have a better handle on them than I ever have, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I will be. Get some rest, Clark.”

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought he was going to reach for me. But that was just wishful thinking, because he quickly shook his head and turned down the hall. “If you get hungry, order something for me too, please. I’m not picky.”

My dragon and I just watched his ass until he was out of sight. Since when did humans smell so good?

Clark's scent wrapped around me like a hug and made me want to take a nap as his little spoon.

Back in the family room, I took a look around and let out a slow exhale.

There were various piles of things to be tidied, and the kitchen definitely needed to be stocked.

But none of that was a burden. I genuinely wanted to help out and make life easier for Clark.

I hadn’t felt that way before, and it was surprising.

After placing a grocery order that included a fresh rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, and a salad, I opened up my laptop and filled out the paperwork from the agency to make it official that I was accepting the job.

With all the immediate chores out of the way and our new family safely sleeping just a handful of feet away from us, my dragon finally simmered down. He hadn’t been content like this for a long time. Maybe not at all since I’d reached adulthood and the pressure to mate started to hit us.

The surprising thing for me was that it wasn’t only my dragon who was calm and settled. I felt lighter than I had before as I stretched out on the couch and dozed off almost instantly.

I might have slept through the night if not for the piercing wail coming from the baby monitor. A grin spread across my face as I swung my legs off the couch and hopped up. “I’m coming, kiddo.”

Today…and maybe for the rest of forever.