Page 6 of Omega's Breed

He tried not to ogle the wad of cash Finn took out at the check-out. The cashier had to consult with her manager to make sure they’d accept American dollars. Will’s education about the world outside the pack was limited, but even he knew about exchange rates and figured the store was giving Finn a crappy one. It didn’t seem to matter, however. Surely a beta understood such things far better than a lowly omega.

They trudged back to the truck, Will gathering Annie close given that the temperature had dropped. She was fairly warmly dressed in knitted clothing that he’d made himself. He still worried she’d get chilled. He silently chastised himself for forgetting to ask about the bathroom.

“Um, Beta?”

Having secured the portable crib box in the back of the truck, Finn was wrestling the car seat out of its container. He didn’t look at Will as he said, “What?”

“I need to change Annie before we get started. If that’s okay.”

“Of course. Caleb, lend him a hand. I’ve got this.”

“Sure.”

Laying Annie on the back seat, he gave her one of the strips of venison jerky he’d packed. She busied herself with sucking on it while he changed her. With Caleb’s help and the incredible ease of the disposable diaper, he was done in no time. Annie gave him a sloppy grin around her stick of meat when he lifted her back up. With a smile of his own, he pressed a kiss against her forehead. No matter his mood, she always managed to lift his spirits just by being so adorable.

A sort of strangled cough caught his attention. Finn stood by the open door on the other side of the back seat, watching him with sad eyes. Before Will could fathom what made the guy look that way, the expression changed to one of indifference. Gods, the beta was such a moody guy. Good thing Will was used to Magnus being the same way.

Finn jutted his chin toward the wet diaper Caleb so helpfully held. “That’s her diaper? It’s a rag.” He grimaced as he yanked on the belt securing the car seat.

Embarrassed, Will hid his gaze against Annie’s head. “It’s all I have.”

Finn swore. “Dump that thing in the trash can, Caleb. Then we’ll hit the road.”

“Yes, sir.” The gamma hustled over to the front of the store to toss his wet bundle.

“In you go.” Finn tugged Will back into the truck. Then he helped him strap Annie into her new seat.

She pulled the jerky out of her mouth and screwed up her face. Will knew that the next sound they’d hear would be a wail of epic proportions. His daughter was used to being tied to his chest, and she obviously wasn’t happy with the change in situation.

“Uh, uh,” the beta admonished gently. “No fussing, sweetheart. Your daddy is just keeping you safe.” Amazingly, Annie froze before sticking her treat back in her mouth and eyeing Finn. “Good girl.” Backing up, Finn shut the door without another word.

As soon as Caleb returned, they took off once more. The sun was setting by that time, and while the truck continued its journey down the highway, Will settled back against his seat. He put one hand on Annie’s thigh so that she’d feel his touch and stared out the window.

The next thing he knew, they were coming to a stop.

Chapter Three

Finn sat on the edge of the bed waiting for his turn in the bathroom and wondered how the hell he’d ended up in such an agonizing situation. He’d left the Rogue Pack lands with the intent of finding some footloose gamma who’d be willing to take a chance on making a move. He hadn’t ever in his wildest dreams expected to cart back an omega in the bargain, let alone one with a pup already.

Gods, it hurt—a deep, searing pain—when he watched Will with Annie. She was so beautiful and the omega’s love for his daughter so obvious that it was all Finn could do not to tear his clothing off, shift, and race into the woods the way he’d done years ago. As if he could run away from his feelings.

He needed to pull his shit together. Will’s fear of him and fear for Annie was also clearly on display. He owed it to them and his pack to make sure they arrived safely and happily. If Will could integrate into the pack, then he would breed many more pups, just what the pack needed. Besides, it didn’t make sense that he’d react strongly to this one shifter and pup. Living with the pups recently born into the pack hadn’t produced the same reaction in him. Why now? Finn shouldn’t be in such an emotionally fragile state. He was older, more mature, more in control of his emotions.

He made himself look at Annie, who slept in the portable crib already. Caleb and he had put it together as soon as they’d entered the one room they’d all be sharing to save money. Night had long fallen. Everyone, except Caleb, was tired, even more so after the large meal they’d consumed in the diner attached to the low-rent, yet clean, motel. With Finn’s permission, Caleb had taken off for a run in the nearby woods. A gamma being cooped up in a truck for hours needed a chance to work off energy. Finn hadn’t even been mildly tempted to go with him even if he’d been willing to leave Will and the pup alone.

Annie sucked occasionally on her bottle of water as she dreamed of who knew what. She’d happily stuffed her little cupid-bow mouth with everything her father had given her to eat at dinner. Just as important, to Finn’s way of thinking, the omega had eaten a hardy meal, as well. At first, Will had ordered a couple of scrambled eggs and one pancake. It had been obvious to Finn that the boy intended to share the scanty amount of food with his pup. Finn had put an end to that nonsense immediately. Apparently, Will’s former pack hadn’t provided well enough for all of its members. The notion infuriated Finn. From what he had seen, Magnus certainly hadn’t skipped any meals.

As sleepy as she’d been when they left the diner, her eyes droopy as she clutched her father’s braid, Annie hadn’t liked the crib at first. She was used to sleeping on a pallet with Will. The moment Will had put her down with a bottle of water, she’d screwed up her sweet face and had let out a scream loud enough to wake the dead. She wouldn’t respond to her father’s entreaties to stop, either. It had taken Finn placing his hand lightly on her chest and firmly telling her to settle down. Just like that, she’d turned off the waterworks, stuck the bottle’s nipple in her mouth and promptly dropped off.

“Whoa, you’re like the pup whisperer,” Caleb had remarked, although Finn had no idea what he’d been talking about.

Regardless, Will had been clearly impressed and grateful. It was obvious that the poor omega still worried about Annie’s fate in her new pack. Anything Finn could do to reassure him on that front mattered. He didn’t like the idea of a vulnerable shifter being afraid of him. He might not be a gamma, but his role in the pack included caring for the members’ well-being. Protecting and reassuring came under that heading, which in turn, included protecting Will from him.

As he sat there with his gaze locked on the bathroom door, he couldn’t keep certain visions out of his head. Will was finishing up his shower, meaning that Will was naked. Finn’s mind conjured up all kinds of pictures of what the omega looked like without his thread-bare, loose-hanging clothes. From what he’d been able to see, he knew that there must be a lot of pale, creamy skin, very little hair, slender limbs and what else? What kind of cock hid behind his fly? How pert was the ass? And, what was the matter with him to think of any of this at all?

The desire for Will had been growing steadily throughout the day. Finn didn’t want these feelings, considered them not only a betrayal of his past, but one of Will in the present. How much more frightened would the boy be if he knew Finn’s thoughts? Or, maybe he would welcome them. Magnus had said the boy had offered himself up to lots of shifters during his heat. If that were true, maybe he’d be amenable to recreational fucking. Except that seemed at odds with everything he could tell about the omega in the mere ten hours they’d known each other. Someone so sweet and shy and devoted to his pup didn’t jibe with the kind of shifter that played the field.

The bathroom door opened, immediately seizing Finn’s attention. His jaw dropped and his heartbeat began a rapid tattoo at the sight of a naked Will, his skin dry, yet flush from the hot shower. Even his pretty, little cock, totally proportionate to the rest of his body, shone pink. The omega ran his fingers through his wet hair, which was unbound for the first time since Finn had met him. The boy’s gaze immediately flew to the crib.

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