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“I’m already happy.”
He tweaked her chin. “I’m the luckiest bear on the planet to have such a sexy, giving wolf for my mate. I hope you didn’t plan to get any sleep tonight.”
“Bring it on, my mate.”
He kissed her swiftly and got out of the truck before he could turn the engine back on and drive them back to her house as fast as possible. He opened her door and held out his hand. “Eat fast.”
She laughed. “I’m glad your mom’s not staying with us tonight.”
“Me too, love.”
A young wolf male led them to a table in the center of the restaurant and Row pulled the chair out for Kammie as the others joined them. Kammie pulled off her jacket and set it over the back of her chair. The blouse she wore was green and looked lovely against her skin. The few buttons left undone showed off her cleavage and one of her scars. He was proud of her. As he’d been helping her pack up her clothes, he noticed that she had a lot of turtlenecks and clothes meant to entirely cover her. She’d gone shopping with his mom before they left Oakville, and the clothes she wore now, while still modest in their own way, were more revealing. He was looking forward to warmer weather because the clothes she wore wouldn’t be as confining. That she had bought lingerie for him that day just told him how far she’d come in her opinion of herself.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked as she picked up a menu.
“You in shorts.”
Her brow arched. “Shorts?”
He slid his arm over the back of her chair and leaned close, letting his lips brush her ear. “I love your body. I can’t wait to see you in less confining clothes. Warm weather means shorts, so I can stare at your gorgeous legs.”
She blushed and chuckled. “You’re insatiable.”
“I’m honest.”
“That, too.”
He kissed her ear and whispered, “Fucking love you.”
She turned to look at him, and the love in her eyes made him want to fall to the ground and worship her forever. It was powerful and honest. He’d never felt so lucky. “I love you, too.”
A waiter appeared and Row straightened, but didn’t take his arm off the back of Kammie’s chair. After placing their orders, he listened to Kammie, Dani, and his mom talk about the future. Dani was content to stay in Wilde Creek. She and Adam apparently made a great team when it came to being omegas. Row didn’t think much of the omega position in the pack because of the way that Kammie had been treated, but Dani was happy and that was all that really mattered. Adam, despite his burn scars, was well-muscled and fierce, and Row knew that he'd make sure that no one treated Dani badly.
“Tell me about being a steward,” Row’s mom said.
“They tend to the retired wolves exclusively. There’s a development in town where most of the retirees live. Dade, Jeremiah, and Honey assign duties to young pack members for those retirees—everything from shoveling the walk to helping with cleaning and home repairs,” Adam said.
Row’s mom smiled. “That sounds like an excellent job.”
“It’s been so much fun. The retirees are awesome. They’re friendly and so thankful to have someone care about them. Jeremiah and Honey are sweethearts. Honey and I have been handling the widowed females. There’s one female who hasn’t thrown out a newspaper since 1990. Her house looks like a newsstand threw up in it,” Dani said, laughing.
“I’m glad you found a place,” Row said, and he honestly meant it. Row knew that he would’ve been happy to be with Kammie anywhere, but he was thankful that she’d been ready to throw off the shackles of the pack and embrace a less restricted life.
When their food arrived, the conversation ceased. Row enjoyed a thick cheeseburger, while Kammie raved about her chicken ravioli in cream sauce. When their meal was over, the females excused themselves to the restroom and Adam leaned back in his chair.
“I’m glad you and Kammie aren’t staying. It’s hard to be a female omega like her.”
“Because of her scars?”
Adam nodded. “I’ve known her my whole life. She was a vibrant young girl, and then she was withdrawn. I never knew what had been going on with her uncle until she shifted for the first time as a teenager and I saw her scars. Unfortunately, everyone in the pack saw them, too. The alpha and many males knew what had happened, but they’d kept it quiet. The females our age, who’d considered Kammie to be a threat, began to treat her badly. She was ridiculed and ostracized for something she had no control over. It was the same for me, but my omega status came because my scars prevent me from running fast in my shift. The muscles are injured from the burns, and for the males in my pack, that makes me less than whole and unable to function fully as a wolf.”
“Why would the females think that Kammie was a threat?”
“Because she’s pretty and she’s kind. Females tend to see any beautifulfemale as a threat. I think it’s an ancient, in-born thing. Every female wants the biggest, baddest male to be her mate, and anyone who might take that male from her is a threat. Females don’t physically fight as much as males do with rivals, so they resort to undermining their confidence and shunning them.”
Row shook his head. “It’s still the biggest bunch of bullshit I’ve ever heard.”
“I don’t disagree. But you’re talking to a guy who’s been shunned as well. Someone told me once that Acksel would never trust me to guard Brynn because I can’t run fast.” He glanced at his hand, where light scars were visible. “I would’ve protected her if they’d asked me to. Dani’s the first person who didn’t see my scars as a liability.”
