Page 88 of Omega's Heart

Felix’s fingers closed around Kaden’s in a painful grip. “That isn’t what happened to you, is it?” he said in a sick voice.

Kaden looked up—his betrothed had gone pale, something Kaden had never seen before. He didn’t like that look. The question now was—did he lie?

He tried. He wanted to, to protect Felix from some of the worst things he’s had to do, but the words to tell the lie wouldn’t come.

Felix saw right through to the depths of his soul though, he was sure of it. The omega stood up, then leaned down to kiss him with a soft understanding that shook Kaden harder than anything else he’d ever experienced. Even the memories he was trying so hard not to share with his betrothed. “You don’t need to tell me anything,” Felix whispered against his lips. He stepped back and headed for the kitchen. “What do you want for lunch today?” he called over his shoulder, as if none of the previous minutes had actually happened.

Kaden watched him go in pure astonishment, then rolled along in his wake. Felix ignored him, puttering around in the kitchen getting out containers and setting them neatly on the counter, ready to be filled. Kaden locked the wheels of the chair and pushed himself up to balance on his one leg, using the wall and the handle of the refrigerator to steady himself until he’d hopped across the space to wrap his arms around his future mate, stilling the man in his frenetic motion.

“Once,” Kaden said softly, his cheek laid against the back of Felix’s neck, “They gathered a half-dozen of us shifters and transferred us to the same squad. We were packed into a helicopter and flown to the middle of nowhere, dropped off with a mission they couldn’t trust to humans.” He stopped there and just pressed his lips to the smooth skin before him.

Felix pulled Kaden’s arms tighter around himself and hugged them to him. “They sent you someplace they didn’t want to send humans.” It was a statement, not a question.

“To do something the humans couldn’t do.” It had been a bloodbath. They’d known what their job was, they’d gone in and done it. “We weren’t bomb dogs, Felix. Sometimes, we were monsters, meant to terrify and demoralize the enemy.” He’d had to kill a couple of the pack on the way to the extraction point after, gone moon mad from the stress. They’d sworn each other to secrecy and gone their separate ways after, as the army had bid. He wouldn’t lay that grief on Felix though. That wasn’t what this conversation was about. “What I’m trying to say is that we weren’t much of a step above the dogs when we were over there. Most of us anyway—brother Quin is always the exception to the rule.” Kaden let out a long breath and relaxed against Felix’s body. “Dogs aren’t human and neither are we.”

“And Hunter’s a reminder of that,” Felix said quietly. “I’m sorry. I can give him back.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” He was doing a shitty job of it. “Just an explanation, so you know if Quin and I or any of the other ex-soldiers are a little weird about him.”

Felix sighed, his shoulders sagging. “I’m screwing up this mate thing before we’ve even got the contract signed.”

Kaden bit him. Not hard, but a solid alpha’s bite on the back of his neck, the way he’d subdue a subordinate in wolf form. “Stop that. I’m perfectly happy with you and you have a right to your interests and your quirks. Just because I haven’t unleashed all my weirdness on you doesn’t mean there isn’t any.” Oh, boy, was there ever weirdness.

His betrothed huffed a laugh, then carefully squirmed about in Kaden’s embrace until he turned to face him. “I don’t think there’s anything weird about you. Except maybe wanting me.”

“That’s not weird. That’s genius.” Kaden took his mouth in a kiss that was harsher than Felix deserved, but it was also maybe what his omega needed to bring home the point that Kaden wanted him like no one else. Certainly, Felix gave himself up to it with an abandon that boded well for the mating night.

And now that Kaden had thought of that… “I have to go to work, and you have to figure out what we’re going to do with our step-pup over there on our mating night. I am not sharing our bed with him.” He grinned at Felix’s startled expression and nipped at his lips before turning to hop his way back to the chair. “Have fun,” he told his betrothed and spun across the apartment and out the door. Felix was smart, he’d figure out a solution.

It wasn’t until he was outside and headed for the garage that he realized he’d forgotten his lunch in all the excitement.

Ah, who cared? He’d grab something in one of the shops. The important thing was his mate was happy.

C H A P T E R 5 3

D espite Kaden’s reassurances, I was starting to regret my impulsive offer, at least until I came out of the kitchen and found Hunter hanging over the end of the couch, waiting for me. He really did remind me of a pup, a five-year-old, though I knew from movies and television that he’d never get any bigger, never grow beyond this stage. “Well, we’ve had breakfast. And Kaden went off without a lunch, the silly alpha. So I don’t have any dishes to wash. Why don’t we take a walk down to talk to Jason? He has pups too.” I headed for the door and he jumped down and followed me.

Hunter didn’t look much like a wolf, though he had something of the same basic shape. He was mostly brown with a large patch of black on his back, with pointed ears and a long muzzle that looked like someone had grabbed it and pulled to stretch his head out. I thought he was kind of an ugly duckling compared to a shifter, but that wasn’t his fault. The missing leg didn’t seem to be a problem for him, except for that tiny hitch in his step. I wondered where he’d gotten it, and how I could get one for Kaden because I wanted to run with my betrothed on full moon night. He hadn’t gone running with the pack yet since he’d come home. It was time.

Could I get one in time for our mating?

We met Holland, Quin, and Harris outside the elevator.

“Hey, buddy,” Harris said and crouched down to rough up Hunter’s coat and give him a hug. “He seems happy,” Harris said to me.

“We’re going to walk down to visit Jason. I think he’s off this morning,” I told him.

“Do you have a minute before you go?” Holland asked me.

“Sure.” I looked down at Hunter. “Do you want to stay with Quin and his friend or come with me?”

Hunter whined and looked between us. Harris shook his head. “It really looks like he understands you.”

I shrugged. I’d always been good with pups. “You can go with them,” I told Hunter. He glanced back and forth a couple of times, came over to stick his nose in my hand like a pup wanting a treat, then went back to Harris. I watched Quin out of the corner of my eye the entire time—he was wearing that stolid, emotionless expression that I used to think was just the way he was. Since I’d gotten to know the family better—since I’d gotten to know Kaden—I’d realized he did that to hide emotion he didn’t want anyone to see.

“We’ll bring him back to you at Jason’s after we’re done looking at the hospital,” Quin said.

“Thank you.” I eyed him carefully, then decided I’d talk to Holland first. Quin was a good Alpha, but he was the Alpha and I didn’t know him all that well, despite being betrothed to his brother. And after my conversation with Kaden this morning, I wondered if I’d trod on some toes I hadn’t been aware of.