Page 30 of Claiming Their Omega

“One Mississippi…”

I huff a laugh, shaking my head. “I mean it. I know you guys are really going out of your way for me and I promise, I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I can. I don’t want to be around you all any longer than you want me underfoot. I’ll get out, and you can get a real Omega to complete your pack.”

Hendrix frowns at me. “You are a real Omega, Grace.”

“That’s not what I mean. You know it. I mean an Omega who wants to be an Omega. Who will give you want you need and be good for you. An Omega that deserves you.”

The four Alphas all look at each other and shift their weight a little, but none of them says anything. If they’ve got a problem with how I don’t like my Omega status, then that’s their issue.

Easton opens the door to the pickup for me and I get in. This is going to be an interesting time, that’s for sure.

I just hope we can all survive it without incident, then, we can all be free.

Chapter 10

Grace

Being an Omega means that everyone’s scents are stronger, but I swear the scents of these four Alphas are the strongest of all.

I spend the entire drive in a cloud of their masculine, homey, calming scents that make me feel safe and hot at the same time. It’s like a low-grade arousal in the pit of my stomach. I feel certain that the others can tell, even though I know logically they can’t, and it takes everything in me not to climb out the window and fling myself out of the car in embarrassment.

It’s just the stupid Omega hormones, I remind myself. Take deep breaths and calm down.

I can’t help the way my throat gets a little tight as we roll up to the ranch. It’s absolutely beautiful out here, with the wide-open skies and broad swaths of green land in between the snow-capped mountains. Like a postcard.

I grew up around here, sure, but it really does take your breath away every time. It never gets old. And I’ve been away a while.

We drive under the tall wooden archway announcing the name of the ranch: Coyote Ridge. I stare at it. “When did this happen?”

I remember that Jesse grew up with his father on the ranch that his family owned, but the entry is different and so is the path to get up here. I don’t remember it being quite so big either. But maybe that’s just me misremembering. I wasn’t exactly here often. Usually the four friends would turn up at our house instead, so Aiden wouldn’t have to drive all the way out to a ranch.

“Few years ago,” Jesse says, his tone a bit gruff.

We drive up past the fields and a few horses and cows. I point out the window. “My cows.”

“Damn it,” Hendrix mutters under his breath.

It’s a silly game everyone played as kids. The first person to say “my cows” when passing cows won.

We park up out front of a large, beautiful ranch house. Now this place, I remember. It’s Jesse’s family home, and it’s been here for generations. It’s not the original home, the family has renovated it and redone it over the years, but there’s always been a house here ever since the Stone family claimed this land way back when.

“Everything feels bigger. I don’t remember all of this.”

“You wouldn’t.” Jesse is still a bit stiff. “We redid some things.”

I put my hands up. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Hendrix cuts in. “It’s about him, not you.”

“We combined his family ranch with mine,” Easton explains. “My grandparents retired and let me take over, so we put the two of them together. Made sense since we’re all a pack.”

“When did you officially become a pack?”

“When we combined the ranches.” Jesse’s tone is rough. He clears his throat. “When my dad died.”

My heart drops like a stone. “I’m so sorry, Jesse, I didn’t know.” Jesse’s father is—was—the same age as my parents. He wasn’t that old.

“It was a riding accident.”

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