Page 18 of Such a Sweet Omega (His Alpha Desires #5)

Beale

I woke up to the smells of eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon. My body was luxuriously sore in all the right places, and I felt each one as I stretched in Jabez’s bed.

Jabez. My alpha. My mate. My fated one.

I reached up and touched the mark on my shoulder, the bite that meant we belonged to each other. Not for a time but forever. The bite was still tender but no longer an open wound. Instead, it felt like a scar I’d had forever.

“Good morning,” the object of my thoughts spoke. I rose up to sit in the bed and saw him standing in the doorway, only wearing a pair of low-slung lounge pants. He had a spatula in his hand and a smile on his face.

“Good morning,” I replied with a yawn.

“I didn’t wear you out, did I?” He put the spatula on the dresser and came over to get onto the bed with me.

“Yes. But in the best way. I slept so deeply. It’s been a while since I had that kind of rest.”

He kissed my lips but I pulled back quickly. Morning breath was the opposite of sexy. “What’s the matter, omega? Are you shy all of a sudden?”

I shook my head. “No, but I need to brush my teeth.”

Jabez shook his head and laughed. “Good thing I bought a toothbrush for you a few days ago.”

I got out of bed but looked back at him. “A few days ago?”

He nodded. “I’ve wanted you in my bed for a while now. Thought I’d prep. A man can dream, right?”

“I’m glad I wasn’t the only one. Do you want to join me for a shower, or are you still cooking? French toast?”

“I finished cooking for you, mate. I was hoping to wake you up myself, but I’ll settle for a nice long, hot shower.”

Those words alone had me harder than steel.

“Sounds good to me.”

We had a long shower that was both dirty and clean. Afterward, we put on shorts and went down to the kitchen.

“Please tell me there’s coffee.”

“There is coffee, but I’m afraid it’s substandard compared to what you serve at the shop.”

I snorted. “Do you want to know a secret?”

He came over and pulled me close. “I want to know all your secrets.”

“I don’t really like the coffee from my job except when it’s doused in all kinds of syrups and creamers. On its own, it’s overly roasted and just tastes bitter.” Immediately I hung my head in shame. My name tag said barista, but I hated what I served people.

It was just a job to me—something to pay the bills.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one. I hate that stuff, too. And let’s face it, the cold ones are just caffeinated milkshakes.”

I threw my head back, laughing. “That’s so true.”

Jabez wouldn’t let me get my own coffee. Instead, he insisted that I stand next to him while he learned how to make it the way I liked it. Two sugars, lots of cream, for the record. We ate stacks of French toast with bacon and blueberry syrup.

“How big is your backyard?” I asked as I finished up my second cup of coffee.

“It’s a good size, why?”

“I thought we might shift. Our wolves are wanting to see each other.”

“Sure. Both of my neighbors are shifters so we won’t have any human prying eyes. What a great idea.”

We went outside, and he was right. His yard was big enough for us to play together as our animals. In the far right corner was a hammock and a firepit. I imagined one day, we would enjoy some of those things together.

“Wanna go first?” my alpha asked.

“Sure.”

I took off my pants, and although he had seen all of me the night before and then again in the shower, he licked his lips. I submitted to my wolf, letting him take over our shared form. One second, I was on two legs, and the next, I stood on four. Fur emerged from my skin. My human teeth were replaced with wolf ones, including fangs.

“Oh, omega. Look at you. How beautiful you are, little wolf.” Jabez got down on one knee and ran his fingers through my fur. My wolf soaked up his praise and his touch, but he wanted to see his counterpart, his mate’s wolf. We let out a yelp, a gentle nudge, and our alpha got the message right away.

“All right, impatient mate.”

In seconds, Jabez shifted into his wolf. His wolf was not gray like mine but a black so dark that the sun made some of his fur seem to shimmer in dark purples. He was gorgeous and all mine.

While we couldn’t run together in the confined space, we lay in the sun for a while and played. Bouncing and nipping at each other. It was almost noon by the time we shifted back. Our animals had bonded now.

“I have to go.” I broke the news to him as I gathered my clothes from the night before. It felt weird to put my club clothes on if I was only going home, but I didn’t plan to spend the night.

“Here.” He reached into a dresser drawer and pulled out a shirt and tossed it to me. “Do you have to go? You don’t even like the coffee there.”

I laughed, and it warmed my heart to hear that he wanted me to stay. “I do. I have bills to pay, Jabez. I’m sure you have patients and club business as well.”

Nodding, he came over, wrapping me up in a hug and kissed the top of my head. “I kind of miss you already.”

“Kind of?” I teased.

“No, omega. Not kind of. I already really miss you.”