Page 28 of His Prodigal Alpha

“Well, I’m glad you give a shit,” she replied.

I couldn’t help but appreciate how direct she was. In that moment, despite the rocky start, I decided I liked her.

Having diffused the tension, Beck reached out and clasped my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Finish your dinner, then turn in for the night. Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about shifting.”

I nodded, even though I was still anxious about it.

But I guessed I couldn’t put it off forever. Especially notif I planned on settling in Shifters Sanctuary…and that was looking more inevitable with each passing minute.

Chapter Nine - Damon

Instead of going to work at Eric and Brandt’s clinic, I found myself spending the following morning watching Beck and his former foster sister, Sandy, trying to teach Rex how to shift. I was wearing the thickest winter jacket I’d ever come across in my life, clutching a thermos of hot cocoa while the others were standing naked in the clearing behind Beck’s house. They shivered in the cold winter air. Ollie was sitting beside me while his best friend, Brandi, and her girlfriend, Lena, minded his kids inside the house.

Rex had not been impressed with the idea of taking his clothes off in front of an audience, but when Beck and Sandy had stripped without even blinking, the sexy cowboy gave in and did the same.

It hit me that this was the first time I’d seen him naked. When we’d fucked in the bar, he’d been behind me, and the glimpses I’d caught through the grimy bathroom mirror had done the man a great disservice.

Now, I thought his expanse of tanned skin and work-tonedmuscle was a sight to behold. Seeing him in daylight made me feel way more self-conscious about my big belly, stretchmarks, and the extra flesh that had made its way to my ass and thighs. Sitting on the porch in a weathered, but sturdy, swinging chair, I wriggled in discomfort.

“He’s easy on the eyes,” Ollie said, having followed my gaze to the perfect, pert ass Rex had on display, “I’ll give him that.”

I snorted. Where I had decided to take Rex at his word and forgive him for his freak-outs, Ollie was holding on to his resentment. It was sweet that my friend was so protective of me, but unnecessary.

“We talked last night,” I said, keeping my voice low in the hopes that Rex’s shifter-enhanced hearing wouldn’t be able to follow our conversation. “He apologized. Said he wants to be a part of the baby’s life…that he wants to try dating.”

“Dating?!”

“Shh!” I glanced towards the others out in the clearing. There was a large gray wolf standing where Beck had been only a few moments earlier, but Rex was still in human form. He didn’t seem to be paying me and Ollie any attention, though. I relaxed again and rubbed over my belly, feeling the baby moving lazily under my palm. “Yes, dating,” I repeated quietly.

“And you’re considering it?”

I frowned at the surprise in Ollie’s voice. “Weren’t you the one who was all ‘ooh, it’s a Christmas miracle’ and ‘fate brought you back together’, or was that a different bonded omega?”

“That was before he was a dick to you in front of me.”

“He wasn’t a dick,” I was defending Rex before my brain could catch up to what my mouth was doing. “He thought he was human until six months ago, and he had no idea that knotting me could have knocked me up. Suddenly seeing melike this,” I waved my hand over my stomach, “would freak anyone in that situation out.”

“He still hurt your feelings.”

“I’m hormonal, dude. A toothpaste commercial hurt my feelings last week. I don’t see you boycotting Colgate.”

Ollie laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, point taken.” He let his gaze drift back over to where there were now two wolves and a naked, shivering cowboy. “I just remember how vulnerable I felt when I was pregnant, and I had Beck doting on me hand and foot, plus the bond.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve established that my experience with mating with an alpha has gone just a bit differently. And, no, before you ask, I don’t think it would help us to bond right now, not when I don’t know him from Adam.”

Ollie was quiet for a long moment and I wondered if I’d offended him, because he and Beck had bonded without knowing each other. Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case, because he just cocked his head and smirked, “So…dating, then?”

“Yeah. I figure it makes sense. We can get to know each other, see if we’re as compatible as biology seems to think we are, and get used to the idea of being together before Junior here makes his appearance.”

Ollie observed me shrewdly. “Do you want to be with him?”

What kind of question was that?

I thought back to the previous night, to how sweet and supportive and willing to help Rex had been, and I thought about how much I would like to have that kind of thing in my life. Not to mention how fun it was to banter with him. I just didn’t want to give him the capacity to hurt me. Growing up as an omega in an old-school pack, I’d let enough people hurtme over the years.

“I do,” I confessed quietly, feeling a lump of emotion lodge in my throat, “but I’m scared.”

Before Ollie could reply, Rex’s frustrated voice rang out. “It ain’t workin’!”

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