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“I most certainly do.”

“Graeme—”

“Welcome to being a grown-up. You’re going to love it.”

He was insufferable, and I would have roared at him and tried to rip his head off if the walk from the living room to the library hadn’t tired me out.

On Wednesday, Gigi suggested I put my money where my heart was and start a charity that took care of omegas who needed help. That would include arranging everything, from several large new apartment buildings that would house them, to protection, to career counseling and training. The protection would be the easiest place to start, as many omegas had bodyguards, but when the laws changed, those guardians had found themselves out of work, no longer employed by the families. While it was true that a large number had gone into private security, many had been unable to secure new positions, or had to find different employment altogether. Gigi thought I could immediately put many on my payroll, thus helping not only omegas, but betas and gammas as well. I had the resources to create a system to help.

“I’d need to build training centers as well,” I told her.

“Not necessarily. I’ve seen a few private colleges that have gone out of business lately, and you could scoop up their infrastructure right away.”

“That’s actually an excellent idea,” I told her. “I’ve been thinking of something similar, but wasn’t quite sure where to start.”

“With letters of incorporation, of course,” Stone said from where he was sitting on the couch reading something on his tablet.

“Is that something you would help me with?”

He looked up at me. “I would.”

In the past, he would have asked me if I was serious, not wanting to waste his time on something that might or might not come to fruition. But now he knew I’d been saving omegas for quite a while—for the last four years of my life, in fact—and my tenacity was evident. He would take me at my word.

“I’ll pay you, of course,” I told him.

“Of course you will. I don’t work for free.”

“No.” I smiled at Gigi as she nudged her mate with her elbow.

“Stop that,” he grumbled, going back to reading but unable not to smile.

From the start, she’d been smitten, and I finally understood what the big deal was. Stone was a doer; he got things done and he had a tenacious core.

“I’ll expect you in my office Monday at nine.”

“I’ll be there,” I assured him.

“Now all you need is someone who can put up buildings,” Gigi said, “as, because you’re housing omegas, you’d want them all close together to foster that feeling of community they need to thrive.”

“They’re not children,” I reminded her.

“No, but omegas specifically need family. They don’t do well alone.”

I felt a twinge then, thinking of Sasha, alone since his parents had relocated abroad. I, of course, kept up with all the news of the jarl, as it was important to know which omegas were being put out by their parents, and I had seen the notice that Mr. and Mrs. Norwood had moved.

“Building an omega village, or something like that, would be perfect.”

“It would,” Stone agreed. “You’d need a specific kind of builder that, sadly, neither Graeme nor Avery’s father is. I’m certain we can make inquiries and find someone reputable.”

I was sure we could.

Thursday, day six, I actually felt the best I had in days, but after shifting to my wolf and walking around in the garden, I fell asleep outside, and when I woke up, Lauren and Ellie had first brushed my fur and then covered me in barrettes, bows, and ribbons. Worst of all, every item was covered in pink glitter. No one was taking me seriously after that.

After a shower, though, I found that I was unable not to return downstairs, as I had gotten used to sharing a meal with everyone. I could have taken it alone, in my room, but the lure of family was hard for a wolf to resist.

Normally, after dinner, it was time for the children to take a bath. During the week, once that was finished, there was changing into night clothes, teeth brushing, then the reading of stories, and finally bed. On Friday and Saturday nights, there were showers, then changing, and the children came back out. The girls would draw and color, and Whit would normally either lie on the couch with Max, their cat, petting him as he purred, or want Graeme or Avery to rock him in the chair at the other end of the sectional. Yesterday, it was the allure of the feline, the white Maine coon who, at twenty-eight pounds, weighed only slightly less than Whit, that caught his attention.

Whit crawled up beside Max and gently petted him to start the purring. Once that began, Whit’s eyelids would start to droop. He would be asleep quickly and carried to his room by either Graeme or Avery with the other following. It was nice that they both put him down, returning with the baby monitor. Sometimes Max would follow them and sleep with the little boy. That was ridiculously adorable.