Page 36 of Omega's Breed

Feeling wetness seeping into his shirt, Finn cuddled Will even closer. “I know what you mean.” It was an astounding turn of events for him, as well. When he’d joined the Rogue Pack, it had seemed like simply a good way to live the rest of his life in a meaningful way. He hadn’t expected to know true happiness again, let alone the overwhelming love and peace that he felt at that moment.

Joey grinned up at them from where he sat on the floor, playing with Annie when she deigned to come within touching distance. “Looks like we have one more reason to celebrate tonight. Good thing I already have the chocolate cakes in the oven.”

Will sniffed loudly. “Awesome! I haven’t had chocolate cake since I was a really young pup.”

“Oh, baby.” Like most everything he learned about his mate’s former life, this piece of information broke Finn’s heart. “From now on, you’ll have all the everything you want.”

Will giggled. “Thanks, but I have all I want right now—you, Annie, this new pup,” he said, placing his palm against his abdomen.

“You humble me,” Finn replied in a hushed tone because that’s all he could manage to get out.

“I don’t mean to.”

Finn laughed and gave in to the temptation to take his mate in a slow, deep kiss conveying all his love. When he let Will’s lips go, the boy sighed in contentment. Then, he groaned and pushed away from Finn’s embrace.

“I think this is getting a little out of hand. If dinner is going to get finished, we need to rein in Annie.”

“I got it, baby.” Finn waded in among the kitchen’s inhabitants and grabbed Annie as she flew by. Holding her up by her scruff, he gave her a stern look. “Settle down!”

As she did in human form, Annie instantly obeyed him. Giving an adorable puppy yawn, she went limp in his grasp and closed her eyes. Finn cuddled her in his arms and brought her over to her father.

“Let’s go spend the rest of the time before dinner in our room. We could all do with a nap.”

“Okay.” Will rubbed his face in Annie’s fur again. “I know it’s selfish, but I was hoping she’d stay awake in wolf form for a few hours. I guess like any pup, she’ll shift back to human before she wakes.”

“Yeah, that’s the deal. Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine. She is fine. She’s perfect. And, in twelve years or so, we’ll meet her wolf again.”

Thinking of the future didn’t depress him anymore, or scare him. For the first time in a long time, it gave him hope.

****

“Come to bed.” Finn gave the order quietly so as not to wake Annie, but sternly because Will simply couldn’t stop peering down at her. It was well past everyone’s bedtime, and Finn wanted some alone time with his mate.

Will did as told, dragging his feet with obvious reluctance. He gave one last look over his shoulder before sliding down beside Finn. “I’m worried about her.” With a deep sigh, he curled into Finn’s waiting embrace.

The fact that his mate sought comfort in his arms pleased Finn immensely. He wanted it to always be so. “Andrea said she’s fine.”

“Except Annie’s not normal.” There was the sound of tears in Will’s voice.

“It’s not that Annie’s abnormal. It’s just that she’s unusual.”

That was an understatement, and he was more concerned than he was letting on. He was also intrigued and a little excited over what was happening. Annie had changed back and forth between wolf and human form several times throughout the evening. She’d been human by the time she’d woken from her nap, yet had switched back to wolf as soon as they’d sat down for dinner. A shocked pack had watched her nip food from her father’s plate with her little canines. The fact that her dress had stayed on made her even more astounding. She’d looked like one of those tiny dogs that women put human clothing on and carried around in their purses.

After that, she’d shifted seemingly at will and obviously delighted by her ability to do so. A hasty exam by Andrea proclaimed her perfectly healthy, but a pup who could shift was an anomaly for sure. The healer couldn’t say if this ability would continue throughout childhood or phase out eventually until puberty hit. One thing was for certain—if this kept up, she’d be a real handful. For himself, Finn couldn’t say he’d be sorry if she was. He was so happy to have a family again, he would take anything that fate threw at him.

Will put his palm on Finn’s chest. “If she keeps being able to shift, she’s going to be a lot of work to raise.” Okay, so his mate was thinking along the same lines, except in a purely negative way.

Finn reached for Will’s braid and started unraveling it with the fingers from one hand. “I don’t want you to worry about that. I love Annie no matter what. You believe me, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

Finn heard the doubt laced in the words and decided it was time to explain his past fully to his mate. “When I was your age and for a few years afterward, I told anyone and everyone that I wasn’t much interested in mating and siring pups. I wanted to work my way up the chain of command to become top beta someday. Family life seemed dull to me. Then, I was asked to go with my alpha and a few other males to a meeting with a nearby pack, and that’s when I saw her.”

He paused for a second, lost in the memory. “Ashley was the most beautiful female I’d ever seen. So sweet, although she could be stubborn when something mattered to her. I wanted her more than anything. Just like that, my vision of life changed.”

Will’s fingers curled against Finn’s skin. “She was killed, I assume, with the rest of your pack. I mean, I’ve heard some stories.”

Guilt ate at Finn. “Yeah, you shouldn’t have had to learn about my past from others. I should have told you myself. You deserved to know the same way I wish you’d told me about Magnus and Annie.”

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