Page 5 of The Omega's Fake Mate

Conner made a face but recovered quickly “We could eat the sandwiches away from the books.” He looked around the store. “By the box. We'll be careful.”

I chuckled. The kidreallywanted to stick around. It wasn't altogether a bad idea, but I never got around to considering it before someone else stormed into the store, completely ignoring theClosedsign.

Who else but my sister?

Now it was my turn to sigh, and I did it with all the disappointment I could muster. “Lissy, have you still not learned how to read?”

She ignored my words. Of course she did. “Mother and Father are furious!” she started. “How could you cancel dinner like that?”

“I didn't cancel dinner. Dinner is still happening.”

“But you're not coming.”

“Exactly.” And this was not the sort of conversation I wanted an audience for. I shot a glance at Conner, who took the hint and left. Good kid. I turned my attention back to my sister. “You realize what our parents are trying to do, don't you?”

Lissy was only a year younger than me, and while she was quite a bit more temperamental than I was, she wasn't stupid. She had to have noticed what was going on. “They're trying to help you reach the next stage of your life,” she said, arms crossed in front of her chest.

I snorted. The sound came out of me before I could stop it. “Help me reach the next stage of my life, right.” I scoffed. “They're trying to get me married, that's what they're doing.”

“Well,” my sister shrugged almost helplessly, “thatistheir job, is it not?”

I shook my head. My sister might have a point there. Arranging marriages wasliterallymy parents' job, but still. I was their son, not their customer. “You know you're next in line once they've got me set up.”

Lissy waved me off. “I'm not worried. I knew this was going to happen, and unlike you, I've made preparations.”

“Preparations? Do tell, dear sister.” What could she possibly have planned to get our parents off her back?

“I’ve found myself a mate, silly.” She flicked a lock of hair back from her face.

“Seriously?” I hadn't heard my sister talk about a potential mate and I hadn't seen her gallivanting around town with anyone either. “Who are they?”

“A male omega. Mother and Father are going to love him.”

“Do you?”

“Do I what?”

I leaned back against the table with the register, feeling a headache coming on. “Do you love him?” Why was this always such a difficult question for the members of my family?

Lissy looked at me is if she couldn't decide whether to be amused or affronted. “I get the feeling maybe you've read too many of the romance novels you're selling here.”

“Do you now?” I rubbed my temples. She hadno idea.“I get the feeling maybe you've read too few books altogether.”

“And yet I'm the one with a partner and you're the one with a problem.” She smirked, the way she always did when she thought she'd won in some childish competition against me.

“Oh, I'm not the only one here with a problem, believe me.”

She laughed as if I'd made a joke. “Doesn't matter anyway, does it? You've got to come to dinner and let our parents introduce you to whomever they want you to mate...” She looked around. “If you want to keep this shop, that is.”

I sighed. This house had been my grandmother's. My parents had allowed me to take over the store after her death, but they still owned the property. “I'll never give up this shop.”

“In that case, you'd better come to dinner.”

“What's it to you, anyway?”

“I like when my family gets along.”

I gave her a look. Lissy might have fooled anyone else, but not me.