Page 36 of Omega's Heart

“Don’t start matchmaking, you,” Kaden told him, keeping his voice light and full of humor. “I’m still barely in one piece. You wouldn’t wish that on someone you liked.”

“The pieces that are left are still pretty nice. I’ve seen a few glances coming your way.” Holland laughed as if he could see the heat rise unbidden in Kaden’s cheeks, even through the dark. “You look like your brother, even more now that you’re wearing regular clothes. I have an appreciation for men of that style.” His scent was better now, more cheerful. “But if you want, I’ll spread the word that you’re not interested, see if I can keep some of the Mamas off your back. And their eligible offspring out of your bed. Unless you’d rather I didn’t?” There was a wealth of innuendo in the last question that both shocked Kaden and tickled his sense of humor. Were all omegas this…off-color? It was still miles less crude than the soldiers, but it triggered some memories of those Christmas video calls that left him feeling like this was just the tip of the iceberg.

I’d better put a tree across that path right now, before he gets the hare in his teeth. “Give me a bit of time to catch my breath here. I’ll let you know when I’m ready for you to unleash these imaginary hordes on my helpless body.”

Holland made a sound that might have been stifled laughter, but he didn’t argue, so Kaden let it drop.

They sat there in the dark together for a while longer, listening to the baby sleep and staring out the window at the stars. It almost seemed fitting, like this moment in time was just a snapshot of the pack’s own situation in the world at the moment. Cast into the outer darkness, seeing the stars they could never reach.

That omega money could help with that if they could find the right way to share it around. But first, he had one more question he needed to ask before he thought he could begin to order his thoughts again. “Does it frighten you?”

Holland was quiet for a long moment, until Kaden wondered if he was going to refuse to answer, then a soft sigh drifted into the darkness. “Terrifies me.”

Kaden nodded in pure relief. “I’d be worried if it didn’t. It’s only people who aren’t right in the head that could think about what you can do and not want to crawl into a hole and pull it in after them.”

“Thank you for that stunning evaluation of my mental health,” Holland said dryly.

“Ah, there’s the packbrother I remember. Good. I was worried I’d chased him away with my debonair charm and suave good looks.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll give the word to loose the hordes on you.”

“No, not that!” Kaden protested. “But I am going to give your son back to you.”

“Is he waking up?”

“No, but I think he just peed on me.” Kaden passed the pup over and as soon as the warm little body was peeled off his chest, he felt the chill of the air against the wet patch on his shirt. “Yep, got me good. At least he’s not using lethal weaponry.”

“No, he saves that for me and his sire,” Holland said on a laugh. “Quin can loan you a t-shirt if you want to change.”

“I think I’ll just go home. I’m tired. I might steal a beer from you, though, if that’s okay.”

“Of course.” Holland gathered the baby up and stood. “I’ll get it for you.”

“Naw, you change your little soldier. I’m gonna go give the big soldier a scuffling, then I’m off to bed with my beer. You have a good night, both of you.”

He was halfway through the door by the end of the last sentence and not at all surprised to find Quin leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway, just far enough away to give them privacy, close enough to intervene if needed. “Relax, Marine, we’re good. I’m gonna grab a beer and head for home. You need to go change your pup’s diaper. He has terrible aim.”

“He has perfect aim. You just haven’t pissed him off yet.” Quin pushed off from the wall and came toward them, his eyes focused behind Kaden. Probably on Holland, waiting for the omega’s verdict on how things had gone between them.

“Go find him a beer, love? I’m going to change Lonnie.”

Quin nodded and stepped out of the way to let Kaden roll on down the hallway.

Before he could get around the corner, he heard Holland say, “Thank you, Kaden, for not making that any more difficult than it already is.”

Kaden came to a stop in the opening to the living room and spun in place. “Seems you have enough difficult on your plate for right now.” He nodded at Quin. “If I’m meant to help around here and take some of the burden off, doesn’t seem fair that I only do it for the old dog there. Seems to me the young dog could use a hand too, sometimes. So long as he’s not asking me to change diapers.”

Holland smiled, a real one this time. “I’ll keep that in mind. Help yourself to two beers, if you want.”

Kaden threw them an off-hand salute and rolled on into the kitchen to gather his reward and leave them to the rest of their evening.

C H A P T E R 2 3

A fter a single trip back to Salma to visit his mother, Kaden knew that his decision to move to Mercy Hills had been the right one. It was good to see his mother and the rest of his extended family, but by the end of the two weeks there, he’d been fussed over until he almost wished the grenade had been successful. At the very least, Holland had held to his promise to fend off the matchmakers of the Mercy Hills pack and Kaden was able to start figuring out what the rest of his life would look like without having to smile and be pleasant to a never-ending string of ‘nice young alpha ladies’.

Which had been more than his mother had managed during the visit.

It had been a relief to get back to the dull routine and the quiet comfort of Felix at mealtime nagging him gently to look after himself.