Page 14 of A Home for His Omega

Henry covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at the flustered alpha.

“If you think that’s bad, look at this.” Tomás opened a closet next to the front door. It was full of knitted scarves, sweaters, and caps. Some were done beautifully, but others were complete disasters. “My cousin Ernie is a knitter and is pretty good, but my brother-in-law, Grey, is a mess. They have this whole knitting war going on, so if one of them gifts me something, the other thinks he has to outdo him.”

Henry couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore.

“Laugh all you want, but remember, all I have to do is mention you to Papa, and the Wilsons will be all over you. You’ll have more plants, baked goods, and scarves than you can handle.”

Henry snickered. “They just love you.”

“They do.” Tomás shook his head. “I’m still not used to it. One moment, I’m living in a homeless shelter, trying to find enough to eat, and the next, I have a family and home.”

“That had to be a big change.”

“It was.” Tomás led him to the kitchen. A pot bubbled on the oven, the scent of tomato pasta filling the air. “Have a seat while I finish cooking. There’s some wine on the table.”

Henry sat down and studied the bottle of wine. It was locally made on an apple orchard. From another of his Wilson cousins, Henry thought, smiling.

“Things are better now,” Tomás continued. “I think I could have survived on my own, but Dad and Papa have taught me the difference between surviving and living. I have a good job and a home I own, but growing up the way I did gives me some perspective. I know what’s important in life. What will make me happy.”

“You’re ahead of me. I’m twenty-six and only now figuring out what actually makes me happy.”

Tomás pulled on oven mitts and took a pan from the oven. “Nothing wrong with that. Some lessons take longer to learn.”

“I like that thought.” Henry propped his chin on his fist and enjoyed the sight of Tomás moving around the kitchen. “Do you like where you are, working with Carter and Juan?”

“Oh yeah.” Tomás looked over his shoulder, grinning. “They’re good friends, and they’ve taught me a lot. I enjoy helping people and this way I can get paid to do it.”

Henry nodded. “I can see the draw of that.”

“What about you?” Tomás asked. “Did you always want to work at an animal sanctuary?”

“God no,” Henry said, snorting a laugh. He closed his eyes, embarrassed at the sound. Hopefully, Tomás hadn’t noticed. “My omega father, we call him papa too, he raised us with certain expectations.”

“What were they?”

“To be a Powell is to be perfect.” Henry closed his eyes. “Stay composed, don’t complain, don’t cause a scene. That wasn’t enough though. We needed to be more than everyone else too. More attractive, more successful. Wear the most fashionable clothing, have all the right hobbies, and socialize with the right people. People from an approved family. Then, we needed to go to the most prestigious university, have the best grades, and work to make the family company even more successful. After we’ve accomplished all of that, we need to marry the spouse chosen for us from one of the other wealthy families in our social circle and carry on our family name.”

Tomás stared at him, amazed. “Wow. That’s a lot of expectations.”

Henry snorted again. “It really is. Audrey and I both failed horribly at it too. Papa gets so mad at us.” He shook his head. “I can’t complain, though. I’ve never struggled like you. Dad made millions at his company, and Grandfather left all of us trust funds.”

Tomás hummed and stirred the sauce. “Money is nice. It’s only easy to say you don’t need it when you have it.”

“People will do insane things to keep it too.” Henry shivered. “Money and power. Back in New York… No, never mind. It’s really not so horrible.”

Tomás moved to the table and leaned over Henry. “One thing I know for sure is that personal trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Having money doesn’t change that. Please don’t minimize your hurt just because you think you’ve had it easier. Pain isn’t a competition.”

Henry narrowed his eyes. “How did you get so wise?”

“Learned it from Mitzy.” Tomás grinned.

Henry couldn’t resist the alpha’s smile. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Tomás’s. The instant they touched, the world faded away until the only thing left was the warmth of the kiss, the unsteady thumping of his heartbeat, and Tomás’s sweet scent.

This wasn’t normal. Kissing never made Henry lose his mind. He could only hold the thought for a moment before it disappeared along with his reason.

The alpha’s hands cupped the back of Henry’s head, holding him still as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against Henry’s. Fire bubbled inside him, slowly building and spreading through his body.

It had been so long since someone touched him and it had never felt like this. Tomás’s touch was reverent, making Henry feel fragile and precious.

---