Those wonderful moments of serendipity that help guide fated mates toward each other, removing obstacles or helping them see what they might not otherwise notice, those moments only make it so much more obvious that true mates are meant to be.
It’s exciting that we’ve already had one of those.
Shayne smiles at me. “It was a nice one, for sure.”
“And how was seeing your brother?” I ask.
It’s kind of crazy that Shadow ended up mated to Goldcrest’s head administrator. An Omega academy is the last place Shayne would have expected to run into him, considering he helped his brother escape that fate when he realized it was their parents’intention to send him to one without his knowledge way back when they both still lived at home.
“Shadow’s doing good. He hasn’t changed one little bit.”
“I can’t wait to meet him,” I admit.
I’ve had plenty of encounters with Alphas over the years, good and bad alike, but I’ve never met another Omega, other than my mom, I guess. It would be cool to have one as a friend.
“I’m sure he’ll want to meet all of you, too,” Shayne says, as he starts to mix up the pancake batter. “His pack run security at the academy so it might be tough to find the time to spend with all of them, but I’ll make sure we get the chance to spend some time with Shadow when we’re in the city.”
“Awesome,” I say, pulling out a chair at the table.
I take a seat while Shayne makes the pancakes.
Jay stays by the side of the counter, nursing his coffee until he’s drunk every last drop.
He sets the mug down when he’s done and sighs, still not moving from where he’s standing.
When the sound of the shower cuts off, he pushes away from the counter. “Finally.”
The bathroom door opens, and he leaves the kitchen.
Shayne finishes up with the pancakes and puts a plate in front of me, before he moves back to the counter and grabs his mug of coffee.
I douse my breakfast in syrup before I start eating, taking my time since rushing isn’t going to get me to Cressidan City any faster.
“Thanks for this,” I murmur around a mouthful of pancake.
Shayne laughs. “You’re welcome, but don’t talk when your mouth is full.”
I chew and swallow before I answer, “Sorry. I forget my manners when I’m over excited.”
“I get it. This is kind of a crazy situation.”
“It would be crazier if any of us had real jobs to think about.”
“You get paid to lead the orchestra …” he starts, as if he’s just realizing it’s kind of a job.
“Yeah, but it’s part-time and they can get by without me. I already texted the conductor. I told him I was sick, and I might be off for a few weeks.”
Shayne nods, but he’s wearing a frown now. “Are you sure that’ll be okay? We can …”
“We can figure something out if it’s not, but it is,” I cut in, reassuring him. “It hasn’t been as much fun lately anyway. I’m looking forward to taking a break. How do you feel about being in the city again?”
He pulls a face. “It’s going to be a little weird, but I’m sure I’ll be fine once we’re there. It’s not like I have plans to visit my parents.”
“Was it weird being in the academy building?”
“A little,” he admits. “But it’s not the same as it was years ago, so it wasn’t awful. Shadow’s mate has changed things for the better. She seems like a good person.”
“I’m glad. That should make it easier for us to see Robin, right?”
