Page 196 of Omega's Heart

“This is nice.” Felix shot him a suspicious, sidelong glance. “The house seems to be a lot more finished than someone led me to believe.”

“I might have put a burr under Quin’s tail,” Kaden said modestly. He opened the door that led into his office, flicked on the lights in there, and whistled. “That’s gotta be Duke’s work.”

“What? Oh, that’s gorgeous.” Felix brushed past him to crouch in front of the desk. “I wonder where the wood came from?”

“I heard they were trying to use any trees they had to cut down. I wouldn’t put it past Quin to have done that.” There’d been an old walnut tree on the plot when they’d first decided on it, and Kaden hadn’t noticed whether it was still there or not when they’d walked down. Maybe they’d used it?

“It’s beautiful.” Felix ran his hands over the carved front, tracing the faceless hooded human figures and wolves gathered around their feet. A full moon shone down over them, and the trees at either side had been carved with such care it almost appeared as if they were cradling the tiny pack, protective as a parent with their pups.

Kaden had to look away for a moment, fighting the emotion rising within him. He hadn’t done anything to deserve this, except to have been lucky enough to have the brothers he had.

“Hey.” Felix’s soft words got to him just before he felt his mate’s arms creep around his waist from behind. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He leaned back against his mate and waited for the inevitable thump of the baby protesting having to share Felix with anyone. Right on time. “Just thinking, is all.”

“Good thoughts, I hope.”

Kaden nodded. “I’m pretty damn lucky, you know? I mean, I knew that already.” He patted Felix’s arms with his damaged hand. “I guess I had a moment to realize how lucky.”

“We’re both pretty lucky, I think. Hard to imagine that I got the fairy tale that all omegas daydream about, but I did.” Felix nosed in behind Kaden’s ear and breathed deep. “What do you say to exploring the rest of the house and maybe, uh, christening a room or two?”

Lysoon, none of his brothers had properly prepared him for a pregnant omega’s sex drive. He was going to be sore by the time this pup came.

Too bad he wouldn’t be sore tomorrow. “I like the way you think,” he said and started to lead his mate toward the door that connected his office to the house’s living room. Bidding a wistful farewell to images of his gorgeous mate in nothing but what the Lady had given him, Kaden opened the door and hit the switch for the light in the living room.

“Surprise!” yelled his entire Barrens-damned family, starting the party.

“You’re a sneaky bastard,” Kaden casually muttered to Quin, about three hours after they’d first opened the door into the kitchen. “How long were you talking to them in order to convince them to come up here for this?” A good half the staff at the senator’s local office had shown up, though most of them had already left at this point. Even the senator had dropped by for about twenty minutes—he had a plane to catch, trying to make it back to Washington in time for some more wheeling and dealing before flying out again to start the ball rolling on his campaign.

“Don’t look at me. Blame the stealth omegas.” Quin looked too damn smug, but there really wasn’t much of anything that Kaden could do except throw him another dirty look and then smile cheerfully as he accepted some more congratulations from the last of the humans who had come to this mashed-up housewarming party and baby shower.

Felix was in the living room on the couch, surrounded by gifts and family and glowing like the sun in July. He caught Kaden’s eye where he was hiding out with the alphas in the kitchen and beamed at him.

Julius bounced through the room on the way to drop off another empty plate, his cell phone stuck to his ear. Kaden heard the words, “White River,” as the tiny blond whizzed by.

Kaden nudged his brother. “Who’s he talking to?”

Quin shrugged. “I think he made some friends over there during your mating. I’m expecting a transfer request at some point, whenever the alpha he’s got panting at his heels decides to make the jump.”

“Better you than me. One omega’s enough, I don’t need a harem to keep track of.”

“You better hope Mom’s curses don’t come true, or every pup of yours will be an omega.”

Kaden made a disgusted noise. “I’m not bothered. By the time we have four or five, hopefully omega or alpha won’t matter a possum’s piss.”

Quin chuckled and took a sip of his beer. “Haven’t heard that one in a while.”

“Just trying to keep things exciting.” He looked down at his own beer, with the pack designed label and professional looking bottle. Things were changing, at least for Mercy Hills. “Felix wants to give Mom another chance.” There, he’d said it.

Quin sighed. “I don’t know where I’d put her. Unless you want to have her here. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“No, I won’t have her here. I think if Felix’s campaign is to have any chance of success, we’re going to need a little space.”

“I don’t really want her on my floor, either.”

“Yeah.”

Quin pinched the bridge of his nose like Kaden had just given him a headache. “Let me see how the construction is going. We’re behind now elsewhere, but maybe we can shuffle people around and put Mom temporarily into one of the newer apartments. Not the bachelor ones, but something about that size. There might be a one-bedroom somewhere we can free up if we have a young family we can shuffle into the larger of the guest apartments.” He glanced out into the living room, his gaze resting on his mate, perched on the arm of the couch and hanging over Felix’s shoulder as they looked at some of the baby clothes again. “I’ll need to come up with something to cool his jets.”