Page 67 of Omega's Heart

“I can do it, you know. Not dead yet.”

“No, but you found it. That’s half the job.” Truthfully, I was a little worried about him being able to get back up comfortably—it was something we were working on, because the leg didn’t bend as readily or cooperatively as his uninjured one and he wasn’t even supposed to be walking around at the moment. I didn’t want to watch him struggle, not tonight. After his surgery, he could, because that was part of learning how to work with the leg. But tonight—I got down on one knee and dug under the couch for the phone. I had a missed call already from Dad, on top of the one from Kaden.

My heart up in my throat, I rounded the end of the couch and sat down. Kaden took the spot beside me and put an arm around my shoulders and I was never in my life so glad to have someone to hold me as I was in this moment.

I felt his lips brush gently against my temple in a tender gesture I’d never thought I’d ever feel, and then I called my Dad.

C H A P T E R 4 2

K aden walked Felix back across the hall after an emotional conversation between Felix and his father, and another one between Felix and him. The omega appeared a little stunned, but happy. Uncertain too, but Kaden understood that part. It was a transition he’d had to make himself only hours ago, changing his life path from solitary to rejoining that of the pack. He thought Felix was in the same state.

A squeal of excitement echoed out of the apartment and Julius’ cry of, “You sneaky wolf!” was cut off abruptly by a red-faced Felix closing the door with a snap in Kaden’s face. He was tempted to laugh, but not quite ready to and instead shifted restlessly back and forth from real foot to fake until he decided he wanted to talk to someone.

Quin’s apartment was silent when he pressed his good ear to the door, the hearing aid turned up higher than the doctor would have approved of. Maybe they were at the other end of the apartment, or already gone to bed, though it seemed early for the adults. Unless...

Well, wouldn’t it be fun to interrupt Quin? Lysoon knew they’d tried hard enough as young teenagers to spy on Quin and his stable of bedmates when he’d visit in Salma during his leaves.

Damn, he was going to have to make a decision about where to live, what name to wear. Except it wasn’t really a decision anymore; not with Felix in the picture. His mate wouldn’t want to live in Salma, with its slightly old-fashioned attitude toward omegas. Though it might be fun to watch Felix lounge around eating bonbons while he told the delta housekeeper what to do. Felix might even like it, for a day or two, and then he suspected his betrothed would quickly grow bored. And there was the matter of the pups, too, when they started coming. Felix was surprisingly traditional in his goals. Or maybe not—having been denied what other omegas took for granted, even considered their rights to have, Kaden realized he shouldn’t be surprised that Felix wanted a pup right away.

He was already looking forward to November.

Stop stalling. Was he stalling, or just enjoying the afterglow? Who cares? He knocked, then knocked again a few minutes later.

The door opened and a tight-lipped Holland stood in the doorway wearing clothing that definitely fell in the ‘time-to-seduce-the-mate’ category. His expression cleared as soon as he saw Kaden and he opened the door wider. “Hi, come in.”

“I’m interrupting,” Kaden gave his token apology.

His brother appeared in the background, shirtless and shoeless.

“Your zipper’s down,” Kaden said pointedly and grinned at his brother’s expression.

“Everything okay?” Quin asked, fixing the problem with his wardrobe.

“I’m fine.” Kaden moved out of the way to let Holland close the door behind him and leaned against the wall, choosing his words carefully. “I want to petition to join the Mercy Hills pack.”

“I thought you were going to court Felix for a while before you made that decision. Did you and he…” Holland’s voice trailed off and when Kaden nodded, he lunged for him and hugged Kaden hard. “That’s wonderful! He’s going to make an amazing partner for you.”

Quin shouldered his way into the huddle. “Congratulations.”

“No jokes to make?” Kaden asked wryly, but he accepted the heartfelt hug from his brother.

Quin shook his head. “This isn’t a joke. He’s a good shifter. We want to see him happy.”

“Yeah.” Was this the time to bring it up? Probably. “We’re going to need something larger than the apartment by next year. And we’re looking at September for the mating if you can manage a couple of days to go to White River for it.”

Quin gave him a hard look. “Kade, did you...?”

Kaden laughed at him. “I’m a good wolf. And he wants to wait until the mating night. Besides, when could I have gotten him pregnant? No, he wants to try for a pup this fall, and I’m okay with that.” He turned to Holland. “If I have to be away for things to do with this job, can I ask you to look out for him?”

“Of course. He’s going to be family.” Holland rubbed Kaden’s arm and regarded him thoughtfully. “September, huh? How do you feel about that?”

He’d been expecting this question after their earlier conversation. “I feel fine.” He glanced between his brother and his brother’s mate. “I nearly didn’t have a future to come home to. It’s like the Lord and Lady are handing me things now, to make up for what’s been taken. I’m finding I don’t want to wait on them.”

“But you do love him? It’s not just a case that he’s available…” Holland’s voice trailed off, his expression suddenly troubled. Behind him, Quin had gone blank-faced, except for that sharp-edged quality he got when he was paying attention, not just to the words, but the delivery.

“If that was all it took, there’s plenty I could have picked. You weren’t kidding about the matchmakers. Even with the face and the hand and the leg and—fuck it, all the rest of it. But we’re not like you and Quin,” Kaden said honestly. “He’s handsome, we deal well together. I’m not looking for a grand passion like yours. I don’t think he is either. But he wants things, I want to give them to him.” He paused for a second to order his thoughts, then added, “I don’t think it’s love the way you understand it, but it some version of it. I’d tear the hide off anyone who hurt him, and he’d fight me to keep me from doing it.” He grinned at Holland’s bemused expression. “I like that about him. He doesn’t throw tantrums about foolish things, but I can talk to him. And that’s worth a lot.”

Holland opened his mouth to say something, but whatever he’d intended was lost when Quin put an arm around him and pulled him close. “It is—it makes Holland worth his weight in gold to me. We’re very happy for you, and we’ll watch out for him when you can’t be here.” Then he grinned and his wolf danced in his eyes. “Now, get out. I want to get back to the evening’s originally scheduled entertainment.”