It was late afternoon now and the sun would soon begin to set. My heart raced. What if Morgan refused the offer? The wildlife reserve was safe enough, but I worried for a lone omega buck on his own. Natural wolves could hunt him, or an eagle could attack him from the sky, or he could trip and break a leg, or…
The un-logical thoughts were a whirlwind in my head. I was usually quite down-to-earth. Why was I so unusually worried about Morgan?
The answer hit me instantly, loud and clear: because I didn’t want him to leave.
My heart sank as Morgan slowly shook his head.
“I don’t think I should impose on your hospitality,” he murmured.
Every part of me screamed to reach for him and provide comfort but I managed to hold back. Physically attaching myself to him wasn’t going to make him like me more. I needed to appeal to whathewanted.
“We have plenty of land and food,” I said firmly. “You’re not draining any of our resources just by staying the night.”
He mulled this over for a second and apparently couldn’t find an argument. Before Morgan could speak up, Len smiled at him and said, “C’mon. One night isn’t gonna hurt. And besides, I think the kids want to play with your antlers some more.”
“Yeah!” they both cried at once.
That was the straw that broke the buck’s back. Morgan’s expression melted into a sweet smile. “All right. One night.”
The kids cheered and I cheered, too—internally, of course. My fleeting moment with Morgan was no longer fleeting. I had until tomorrow to convince him to stay with the pack for good. The idea sounded crazy as it ran through my head, but I was dead serious. The fierce magnetic pull I felt towards Morgan was undeniable, and I prayed that soon he’d feel the same way. The thought of finding my fated mate only for him not to reciprocate was terrifying.
As if demonstrating his intent to stay, Morgan shifted into his human form. Even though I’d seen it before, it sent a shiver through me. He was incredibly handsome and the sight of him made my heart race.
“Come on, you must be hungry,” Len said excitedly. “I’ll show you where the good grazing spots are!”
If his arms weren’t full of toddlers, he would have been pulling Morgan along. The sight of the two of them warmed my heart. Len was a small, slender omega standing at five-foot-five while Morgan towered over him with broad shoulders and noticeable muscles. At first glance one might’ve thought Morgan was an alpha, but the sweet floral scent of omega wafting off his body revealed the truth.
A flicker of possessiveness lit up my chest. He wasmyomega. If any other alphas tried to have him, they’d be sorely disappointed.
The ferocity of the thought surprised me because, apart from me and Hugo, therewereno other alphas in our pack. Remington and Sage were both omegas.
Gods, what is wrong with me? This sexy buck is breaking my brain…
I glanced over at Morgan, who was being led obediently into the grove by Len and the kids. But a magical moment seized my heart as Morgan glanced over his shoulder and made eye contact with me. It was brief, barely even a second, but it felt like a precious eternity. Those warm, dark eyes of his bore into my soul and the force of it made me breathless.
“Dax?”
Morgan was inside the ring of trees now while Len and the kids chatted up a storm. Now that he was out of sight and earshot, my senses came back to me. I shook off the odd sensation.
“Dax!”
I grunted and turned to see Hugo beside me. I hadn’t even noticed he was there. I was losing my sharp edge and I had a feeling it had something to do with Morgan.
“What?” I asked.
The way Hugo smiled made it clear he was trying to stifle a laugh. “You okay?”
I raised a brow. “Yes. Why?”
“No reason,” Hugo said. “Just that you look like a lovestruck duck.”
I cuffed him playfully over the head, barely grazing his hair. “I’m a wolf. Don’t make me remind you.”
He grinned. He wasn’t put-off by my scolding at all. “Does my older brother have a crush?” he asked. At least he had the decency to say it in a quiet voice.
I went tight-lipped. Admitting it to myself was one thing but saying it out loud to another person would make it more than a fantasy—it would become dangerously close to being real. I chewed the inside of my cheek, desperate to relieve the turmoil in my thoughts.
When I didn’t respond, Hugo’s voice was gentler. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m only asking because the look on your face is familiar.”
