Page 138 of Omega's Heart

Cas strolled up, a heavy canvas shopping bag hanging over his shoulder. “Hey, you two. How’s mated life?”

“I’m enjoying it,” Kaden said. “You?”

“Not being mated, I really couldn’t say,” Cas replied sunnily, but in a voice pitched to carry past us to the table where Raleigh was putting some things on a plate for Henry, who bounced impatiently at his bearer’s side.

“You’re the one who said it was my responsibility,” Raleigh called back with a laugh. “Now you’re on my time, alpha.”

Cas shook his head and chuckled. “Welcome to the club, Kade. You’re not in charge anymore.”

Kaden laughed and started to chat with Cas, so I thought I was the only one who noticed Raleigh wink at me.

Before he wandered off to pester his not-mate again, Cas casually dropped the canvas bag at my feet. “That thing you asked for? Raleigh wrapped it for you.”

“Thank you,” I told him, grateful, and tucked the bag in between my feet.

Kaden glanced down at it and then raised his eyebrows at me.

I pointed at his plate. “Finish your breakfast first, you. It’s a little something I thought you could use.”

He scowled at me, but spoiled it when he started to laugh.

I speared my last sausage and stuck the end in my mouth, then waggled my eyebrows at him until he leaned in and kissed my cheek. I’d been very bold in bed last night and he obviously knew the lewdness I was referring to.

This was fun.

I caught him trying to sneak his mating gift out from between my feet twice before he finished eating. “Greedy alpha,” I scolded, then took his plate. “Wait until I get back to open it?”

“Will it make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll wait.” He insisted on a kiss before he let me go, though, to the cheers and happy laughter of those around us.

I brought Hunter with me when I came back, scooping him away from the pups after promising he could go play again after. “I just want him to see what Kaden’s getting from me,” I explained. They nodded and ran off to play again, having figured out the day after the mating that presents for adults weren’t nearly as fun as presents for puppies.

When I got back, I found Kaden leaning back in his chair with the shopping bag on his lap, chatting with Aleksander and Abel. “You didn’t peek, did you?”

“Nope. I know which side of the tree the good den is on.” He grinned and grabbed my hand to pull me down on his knee, deftly moving the gift out of the way.

“Kaden, we’ll break the chair!” I protested.

“Seems sturdy enough for me. Now, what’s this surprise?” He stretched out a hand to scratch Hunter behind the ears, then picked up the bag and held it out in front of us.

A few more of the adults started drifting in our direction, curiosity piqued by the sight of the bag. And probably by the sight of me on Kaden’s lap.

“Open it,” I said, and held my breath. Please, let him like it. Please, let it fit.

He reached inside the bag and pulled out a shallow, square box covered in pretty white paper with a pattern of pale silver trees on it. Lace ribbon wound around it, holding the paper in place without tape so that when he undid the bow tying it all together, the paper fell away to reveal the cover of the box inside. It was plain, and also white, with a blue logo and business name printed on it.

Kaden glanced up at me. “What it is?”

“Open it,” I told him again and tried not to let my uncertainty show in either my manner or my scent. Please, Lady.

It took him a long moment to work out how the box opened, then the lid flipped up and he froze. “Oh, Felix,” he breathed and lifted the silvery false leg, sized for his wolf form, out to glitter in the sun. “Is this what I think it is?”

I nodded and reached out to touch the cup that would fit over the stub of his leg. “It should fit correctly. We made a mold of Hunter’s leg and then Duke carved a model as close to your size as possible. If it doesn’t work, we can redo it with a mold made on your leg, but I wanted you to be able to try it out right away.”

Kaden stared at his new leg for so long that I began to worry that I’d somehow accidentally offended him. Then he handed it off to Cas, as careful as if it was fine porcelain and not surgical steel, and pulled me into a harsh and desperate hug. He hid his face against my neck and whispered, “Lysoon, what did I ever do to deserve a mate like you?”