Page 93 of The Omega

“Can I ask you a serious question?”

He nodded.

“Why do you hate Bailey Pack so much?”

Atlas stared at our conjoined hands. “I don’t hate them, but I don’t like what they stand for. The exploitation of others, especially less dominant shifters. We had a teenage girl run off from here once and joined up with a team like Bailey’s circus. Haven’t heard from her since.”

“And you think Bailey Pack had something to do with it?” I asked.

“Not that I’m aware of.” Atlas shrugged. “But that’s not all there is to it. Shifters who live that kind of life attract others we don’t want around here and bring about a lot of unwanted attention. Attention we don’t need on our pack when so many are trying to live their lives in peace. Heck, I didn’t even want to go to the show or be on camera, but the pack voted on it because it was the only way to keep an eye on Dorian to make sure he did the right thing.”

“I’m glad you decided to go to the show.” I squeezed his hand, offering peace in that touch even as it felt like my heart was breaking.

How was I supposed to wade through this mud and get all three of us to the other side?

“Me too.” Atlas looked at my lips. A primal hunger filled that gaze.

“Lunch is ready!” Someone called from downstairs.

“Damn.” He stood and offered his hand like the gentle-wolf he was. “And here I thought we’d at least get to stain these sheets.”

I laughed as I took his offered hand, patting his large chest with tenderness. “It looks like I’m wearing off on you.”

*

“For six months, he refused to be a little boy again. So I told him that if he didn’t shift back, I’d shave him bald,” Jeannette regaled us with a story about Atlas that had me and the surrounding pups bursting into laughter.

“I’m assuming he shifted after that.” I bit down on my smile as I stole a glance of my mate.

“He did not,” Jeannette said proudly. “And I still have the pictures to prove it.”

“Can we see?”

“Yeah, show us!”

“No,” Atlas growled at the pups. “And if I ever find those photos, I’m burning the evidence.”

“Not without letting me see them first, I hope.” I winked at him.

Concern crossed his face like he was weighing whether he’d rather upset me or save his dignity, and it seemed to be heading in my favor.

I couldn’t love him any more if I tried.

“Alpha Atlas, can you come help us with this fence?” one of the females asked.

“Excuse me a second.” Atlas kissed my cheek, barely hiding the look of relief. “Don’t do any snooping when I’m gone and I’ll bring you back a piece of pie.”

I’d already been planning on obeying, but he’d gone and sweetened the deal, so I sat my butt down on a picnic bench to wait. The sun was warming the afternoon and pushing back the chill of the morning as it softened the soil under our feet.

Soon there’d be a lot more mud, but it was easy to see where the blooms would break through and how pretty this little town would be. The scenery was more open than what I was used to without the wooded hills in this valley.

But things moved slowly, like I liked. And the pack…

I stole glances without being too obvious, looking for the ones who kept to themselves, who still wore their scars a little too fresh.

Who would I have been if my mom had gotten help?

I watched the kids running around and laughing, playing together like any other pack.