“Might indeed,” Corvus added. Had he never been, then?
Chapter Seven
Corvus
“I can’t believe you ate all of that,” Joshua said. I’d learned so many things about him over the cheeseburgers, fries, and apple pie. Even the waitress made a comment about my large appetite but the truth was, I could’ve eaten another burger and might still be puckish. It took all my effort to retain this glimmer for so long, but if I was to be around this human, and I wanted to be around him as much as possible, then I had to keep it up.
He would likely take off screaming and running, yelling for someone to grab their torches and pitchforks, if I didn’t.
They all would.
“It was quite delicious. I haven’t been to this place in a while.”
Joshua smiled and picked at his half-eaten pie. “Do you eat at home?”
“I prefer it, yes.” And as my crow, mostly. Another thing he didn’t need to know.
The omega blew a breath out making some of the hair that fell across his forehead move a bit. “I will probably be on a strict budget while I get the property back to its glory, or something like its glory. I’ll be eating at home too.”
The waitress picked up our plates, and I took the check before he could even reach for it. My crow wanted to provide his food. Pluck the juiciest, sweetest berries for him. Bring him squirrels and mushrooms for him to cook up, but that wasn’t the way humans worked. Well, maybe the mushrooms and berries. Not so much the squirrel. But what I could do was pay for this meal for him.
“I suppose I should be going. I have a big day ahead of me.”
“I can help,” I blurted out before thinking twice. My brain scrambled for a way to make him stay. Either that or make up a way to see him the next day. “I am a handyman. I can fix a lot of things. I can work for you. Help you.”
Joshua’s fingers played with the trinket suspended from a leather string around his neck. It was like he was wearing a part of me right over his chest. Almost like a mark.
“That’s so nice of you, Corvus, but I can’t pay you. All of the money I have saved is going to be sunk into that property. There is so much to fix, and I haven’t even begun to research how to bring that orchard back to life.”
“I’ve lived next door to that orchard most of my life. I have some trees of my own. I know how to care for them and make them bloom again. And…”
The man across from me shrugged. “I would love that but no one works for free.”
They didn’t? In my day, people helped each other free of charge. No expectations. No exchange. No trade. Just doing for others and the community from the goodness of their hearts. Then again, I was the one who blessed their lands in exchange for shinies, so I was no example of giving.
“How about jewelry? You said you keep none for yourself anyway. I have some things in my shed that could be made into jewelry.”
To my surprise, he reached over the table and pulled my sweater down and then inspected my wrists. “Corvus, you don’t even wear jewelry.”
Damn it. He was observant. I both loved that about him and was annoyed. He caught me so easily. “I have a niece. My brother’s daughter. She loves jewelry of all kinds. I’ll give them to her and maybe, if there’s some things I like, I’ll wear them myself.”
I would be wearing all of them myself.
“That feels like taking advantage of you, Corvus.”
“I’m the one who offered. You didn’t ask me, Joshua.” Goddess, his name felt so right coming from my mouth. Like my tongue had waited centuries to mutter the right name. His name.
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t be taking you away from anything else? Any…one else?”
My body flushed with heat as prickles spread along my skin. He was worried about me being mated? Is that what caused him to blush so beautifully?
“I am free. My time is free. I have no family or mate. Moreover, I want to help you, Joshua. I remember how beautiful that orchard once was. Please…allow me.”
I didn’t beg anyone for anything. Not in my prime. Not after my pride had been taken from me. Not when I was a lone Crow King in this world that no longer offered their treasures to me. And here I was, pleading for this omega to let me be a part of his life, even if it was under the pretense of a lie.
I was no handyman but over the years, I’d learned to take care of things for myself. Repairs. Caring for my land. My home. Anything else, I supposed I could get online and learn. I would do all of that for him.
“Okay. But if it’s too much or you get tired or overworked, please let me know.”
