Page 46 of Omega's Heart

The press secretary’s assistant bustled along the row, lining them up in front of and to one side of a few rows of chairs. “Wait here until your name is called, then come up to that spot there,” he pointed to a pale patch of chalk dust on the grass. “Stay there until you’ve been presented with your medal, then the president will come over personally to thank you.”

Kaden fidgeted, then forced himself back to stillness and looked out over the assembled crowd. He spotted Quin first, half a head taller than everyone around him, even seated. Holland sat in the chair beside him, looking gorgeous and laughing with his wide smile and seeming not at all the most dangerous one of the bunch. Bax sat next to him, quieter, one hand stretched over to rest on some part of Abel’s anatomy—Kaden hoped desperately that it was Abel’s knee, but a recent family dinner had woken him up to the fact that omegas in their own territory could be more frighteningly raunchy than a pack of alphas.

He stood out like a sore thumb in this group. The only one without a leg to stand on. Have to share that one with Felix. The omega would laugh, then scold him. It would be fun.

He hoped this wouldn’t be a long ceremony.

Holland saw him and waved, then nudged Bax and pointed. Bax smiled in his direction, then his eyes grew big and his smile widened. He leaned over to say something to Abel, but before Kaden could figure out what had caught Bax’s attention, the ceremony had started.

The general handing out the medals read a short biography of each soldier, then called them up to have the ribbons pinned to the chests of their jackets, their hands shaken, their pictures taken. Then they were moved on to get a picture with the president, after which their part in the whole thing was done and they could go sit down in the chairs set out for them. Or in Kaden’s place, roll into the clear spot they’d left for him.

Kaden eyed the seated soldiers jealously. Hurry up and call my name!

He thought he was going to be last, it took so long to get to him. He was, in fact, third last, and listened to the recitation of his service and the story of his injuries with growing impatience.

The Purple Heart clashed with the dusty green of his dress uniform. The bronze star with its V for valor made him look like a Christmas tree.

He hated medals.

Like a good soldier, Kaden nodded and saluted the general, then moved off to shake the president’s hand and get his picture taken again, most of his mind focused on the seemingly neverending wait to get out of the limelight.

Until the President bent his head and whispered, “I’m glad you came. We have some things to talk about.”

Kaden came alert and stared the man in the eyes, nostrils flared to catch a warning in his scent. But all he could smell was cologne, strong enough to almost entirely cover up the fatigue and the contradictory excitement in the human’s scent.

And then he was released to find a place with the rest of the broken heroes and chew on his curiosity.

C H A P T E R 2 9

T he president disappeared about ten minutes into the small reception, his place taken by the press secretary and one of his speech writers. Kaden didn’t recognize either of them, but Holland did and made sure they all knew who they were, just in case.

Kaden found a spot at the edge of the crowd and for once had no compunction about letting his packbrothers wait on him hand and foot. They brought him coffee and pastries and people to talk to and sat with him to make sure he didn’t get overwhelmed with curious humans.

Holland was at his best, in an outfit that bore all the earmarks of something that came straight from the runway and looking like he belonged in this old house with its layers of power and historical beauty. He circulated through the crowd, charming the humans with his smile and dark good looks and, Kaden was amused to see, making sure they got the message that shifters were no different from them.

Bax was laughing in the background, hanging off Abel and talking pup-rearing with the humans, bemoaning the approaching teenage years of his two oldest.

The chair beside Kaden creaked and he glanced over to find Quin by his side.

“The stealth omegas are hard at work,” Quin said with quiet humor. “Spreading their sedition.” He sipped at his coffee and made a face. “Should have got the tea.”

“Lack of foresight. Damn Marines,” Kaden deadpanned and heard his brother snort in amusement.

They watched the crowd for a few minutes, then Quin took another sip of his coffee. “What do you think?”

“The big man told me to stick around to the end. Sounds like something’s up.” Kaden tried one of the cookies and decided after the second bite they weren’t as good as Felix’s.

“Yeah, that’s the impression I got too.” Quin leaned forward, his forearms braced on his knees. His eyes followed Holland at least as often as they watched the circulating humans, his expression softening visibly whenever it fell upon his mate. He even cracked a smile when Holland posed for a photo with a couple of the soldiers’ wives, but it faded instantly the moment a tall human man with an air of authority approached the omega. Holland smiled up at the human and said something with his head tilted slightly to the side as if sizing the man up.

The human stared at Holland while they talked like he was trying to read down to the bottom of Holland’s soul. Kaden could smell the rising tension in Quin’s scent and he had just begun to wonder if he was going to have to run interference when it suddenly disappeared and Quin sat back, setting his coffee aside.

“I know him. Know who he is, anyway.”

“Who is he?” Kaden prodded, setting his cup and plate beside Quin’s.

Quin rose beside him. “That’s our local senator.”

Oh. Interesting. “Let’s go meet him.” He began to roll in Holland’s direction, Quin flanking his left like they were on patrol together.