Page 50 of His Omega Bear

“You’ll get no arguments from me on that,” I said.

We left the range and parted ways, promising to do this again soon. As I drove home, Hunter’s words about mates lingered in my mind. I wasn’t sure I’d ever thought of Rhys as my soul mate, but it was as good a word as any for the love of my life. He was the best thing to ever happen to me. Somehow, it resonated with me. I realized that Rhys was my mate in every sense of the word. He completed me, and together we were stronger.

When I walked through the front door, the familiar sounds of home greeted me. I followed the sound of Emilia’s baby language to the kitchen. Rhys was humming to himself as he prepared dinner. The sight of him, his movements graceful and his smile bright, filled me with a sense of peace and belonging.

“Hey, you’re back!” Rhys said, his eyes lighting up when he saw me. “How was the range?”

“Great,” I said, crossing the room to kiss him. “Hunter’s a good shot. And a great guy. I really enjoyed spending time with him.”

Rhys beamed. “I’m glad to hear that. I hoped you two would hit it off. I know you’re going to fit right in with all of my family.”

“Well, with no help from you,” I teased, as I always did. We’d had most of them over for dinner, and I knew his brothers and their husbands were great

Although I’d yet to meet his parents since they were apparently off on their extended trip celebrating their 40th anniversary. I could definitely see Rhys and me making it forty years together, and I was looking forward to it.

I leaned down and stole another kiss from Rhys. The sensation of his lips on mine grounded me like nothing ever had. There was no doubt in my mind I would fulfil Leanne and Jayson’s request. What I feared life here in Asheville, Montana, would look like was nothing like I’d imagined; it was so much better. My future had once looked bleak and lonely, but now I had a family of my own.

“How’s the party planning coming?”

Rhys spent the day coordinating things for his parents' anniversary party with Kian, Sage, and Cooper.

Rhys eagerly shared their plans for the big party with all their family and friends, which I learned meant the whole town, when they returned from their trip. “It’ll be a great way for you to meet everyone,” he adds, sensing my apprehension. His confidence in his family’s love for me eased my nerves.

As the kitchen filled with the mouthwatering aroma of herbs and spices, I glanced at Emilia in her high chair. Her chubby fingers gripped onto the frozen teething ring Rhys had ordered. She was drooling like no one's business. As I watched her, a wave of bittersweet emotion washed over me.

It made me happy knowing my daughter would never be alone now that she had so many of her cousins around her and a new sibling on the way. At the same time, it also reminded me that this life here in this small town was meant for Leanne and Jayson, not for me.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“How much my life has changed since moving here.”

At first, Rhys smiled, but then his brow pulls together with a look of concern on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. But I think I’m ready to tell you now,” he said, his voice gentle but resolute.

Even though I’ve wanted to know, a small panicked voice inside me screamed, “Don’t,” because right now, everything was perfect. But I also knew that perfection was so often an illusion, a fragile bubble that could burst with a single word.

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. “Okay,” I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper.

“After dinner,” he said, almost like he thought better of it too.

The whoosh of relief that hit me should have been my first warning, and the knot in my stomach the second.

A part of me wanted to tell him not to bother, because it was fine. We were fine. Everything was wonderful and I didn’t have to know.

But my mind had imagined all sorts of scenarios, none of them good. And maybe finding out wouldn't be as bad as I imagined. Maybe the not knowing was worse.

So why didn’t I believe any of that?

“Okay. After dinner,” I repeated.

Chapter 20

Rhys

That was possibly the longest dinner of my life. We’d put Emilia to bed after feeding her and giving her a bath, which we’d lingered over. It felt like both of us were doing our best to draw every minute out.

But now the moment had arrived. We had finished our meal, cleaned up the dishes, and there were no more excuses to delay any longer.

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