“I don’t know. A lot what happens next depends on Wolfie’s pack if he has one. I’m not leaving you behind, so either they’d have to learn to deal with a human in their midst or…” My gaze strays to my still sleeping mate. “Or I’ll have to make some tough decisions.”
“Tough decisions?”
“The fated mate bond at this point is more biology than anything else. It would be uncomfortable to walk away from, and the odds of ever finding someone else would be slim, but… I’d do it for you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” she says softly, her cheek resting on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to.” I hug her tighter. “At the end of the day, you’re my family, and if other shifters have a problem with that, then fuck them. Shifters as a whole have never done anything for me, so I don’t feel any particular loyalty to them.”
“And how willhefeel about that?” she asks, tilting her head toward Wolfie.
“At the moment, that’s not my problem,” I reply. “Wolfie and I have thepotentialto be deliriously happy together, but just because we’re fated, that doesn’t mean our relationship would be effortless, that we wouldn’t disagree sometimes. We’re still two different people, each with our own ideas and values. Fated does not mean zero obstacles, no matter what your fanfics say.”
She lets out a tiny laugh, barely a huff. “You mean fanfics aren’t omegaverse cannon?”
“Considering they often have very different rules depending on the story, no.” I gently rock her from side to side. “Knots might be a thing, but I’ve never seen one. I’ve also had sex enough times to know I’m not self-lubricating, and I’m pretty sure the shifter thing would be out of the bag if there were cis-guys walking around pregnant.”
“But then… what’s the point of having male omegas?”
“Honestly? I have no idea. I’ve never even met another omega. Omegas are rare, male ones like me even more so. I’ve heard somevague rumors about omegas being good luck, but how would anyone prove that?”
She shrugs and lets out a small sigh. “I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“Probably not.”
Pulling away, she blinks rapidly and runs a finger under her eyes to clear away what I’m pretty sure are tears. She takes a deep breath, then meets my eyes and offers up a watery smile. “Okay, now that I’ve gotten my meltdown of the day out of the way, I’m going to see if there’s a vending machine somewhere with some ginger ale or crackers to settle my stomach.”
She drags her hair into a messy bun, slides her shoes on, and heads out the door. Once it closes behind her, I turn my attention to Wolfie. His eyes are still closed, chest slowly rising and falling, but there’s a tension in his body that gives away the act.
“You can stop pretending to sleep now,” I say.
Immediately, his eyes pop open and he stares up at me, a tiny smile curling at the corners of his lips. His eyes, the same deep hazel color that borders on green as in his wolf form, have a sharp awareness in them as his gaze runs over my face.
“How much did you hear?” I ask, raising my brows.
Holding my gaze, he slowly pushes himself up into a sitting position, the blanket pooling in his lap and leaving his ratherimpressive chest bare. He tilts his head toward the door and opens his mouth. No sound comes out and he scowls in frustration, then massages his throat with one hand. After a few seconds, he tries again.
“Sister?” His voice is a deep baritone, rumbling up from his chest.
I guess that means he heard most of it. I hold back a wince. I’m not grateful exactly, but happy enough that fate matched me with him, and I don’t want him to feel like Iwantto walk away from this.
Because I don’t.
“Uh, yeah.” I approach the bed, my steps slow and unsure, then sit on the edge near his legs. “Not by blood of course, but in every way that matters.”
He nods to himself, continuing to absentmindedly rub at his neck. “I have… I have…” His voice cracks and he coughs. “A brother.” He reaches out and takes my hand, wrapping his fingers around mine and squeezing gently. “I understand family.” He lifts my hand and places it against his chest, the skin warm under my palm. “Blake.”
It takes a second for the last word to process, but I finally get it and a choked half laugh escapes me, the sound rather awkward. Kind of like this entire situation now that I think about it. I’m in adingy roadside motel with a naked man I just met, who is supposed to be my forever, having a “me Tarzan, you Jane” moment. My expression must show some of my thoughts because Wolfie chuckles and breaks into a wide grin, amusement flickering in his eyes.
“Blake?” I repeat. “That’s your name?”
He nods eagerly, releasing my hand.
“Well, that’s good to know,” I say. “You probably already know my name is Neil, right?”
Another nod.
I gesture toward the door. “And she’s Raquel.”
