Page 5 of My Omega's Gift

“No, omega, it’s not because of that. It’s because I have a place you can stay, and it’s Christmastime. There’s no way I’m taking what little money you have. The only problem is, you’re going to have to go back outside again for a little bit because it’s in one of the cabins.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t even try to hide the emotions I was feeling. It wasn’t a weakness to be overwhelmed by the compassion shown by another.

We walked outside and down toward the cabin. He unlocked it, and it was small, clean, cozy, and—best of all—warm.

“A basket on the counter that has some basic foods. A few things in the cupboard and fridge. Nothing too fancy, but we can take care of getting you more tomorrow. There’s enough there for a starter pack. Towels are in the bathroom; toiletries are there too.”

“You do this for all your guests?” I couldn’t have managed to afford this place even on my wealthiest day, which wasn’t a ton of money, but a whole lot more than the less than fifty bucks I had now.

“The baskets, etc.? Yeah, that’s kind of what we do.” He shrugged it off as if it were commonplace and maybe in this industry it was. I had no idea. I’d never stayed in even a motel before I was kicked out of the pack, and then it was always places barely standing. “You met my husband, Elias—it was his idea.”

I loved the pride in his voice.

“I’ll pay you back when I can. I promise.”

“You can pay me back by not having me worry that you’re out in the middle of the night, having a baby in the cold.”

I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that even if I left right now, I wouldn’t be that omega. I couldn’t. He wasn’t far off on my dates. From my guess, I was ready to give birth any time now.

“Thank you.”

He made me promise to come get him if I ran out of food or needed anything. He also pointed out a folder on the desk with all the amenities, including laundry. It was such a big deal that he was even letting me stay here, and he was treating me like I was one of his top-dollar paying guests.

As soon as he finished explaining everything and went on his way, I headed straight into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken one. It had been weeks at least. I’d done some cleaning up in gas stations and coffee shop bathrooms, and I’d once attempted a river bath—that hadn’t gone well. But I hadn’t stayed anywhere with actual running water since a campsite, at least a full moon ago.

The hot water running down my skin felt amazing. I’d have stayed in there a lot longer had the water not cooled. I dried off, dreading the idea of putting on my dirty clothes. Then I saw the hook on the back of the door—on it was a bathrobe, one fit for a king.

I pulled it on just as I heard the cabin door open.

Chapter Four

Kurt

It had been well over five years since I’d left the pack lands for anything but business reasons. The last several years of my father’s life, he’d kept me by his side, training me to take over while I tried to tell myself I’d find a way to avoid it. His shoes were so big to fill, his leadership so amazing, how could anyone do it?

And I’d been too busy since the day he left and took part of my heart with him. Mother’s attempts to comfort me had only threatened to break down the wall I’d built against the grief of Father’s death. I had to step into those shoes that moment. I did not have weeks or months to embrace the pain. Keeping busy was the best shield, and as pack alpha for a group our size, there was never a lack of tasks needing my attention. I should delegate more, but then what would I do with my time? Driving along the road on the way to the resort where I would spend the holidays, I allowed my thoughts to wander. To consider my actions since becoming alpha.

At first, I told myself it was just to get organized, to make the job my own. Father was a wonderful alpha, but we were different people and as his betas retired and I raised others to leadership positions, there were natural culture changes, nothing huge, but shifts to suit modern times and the current members of the pack. For example, the number of people who wanted to learn technology so they could work from the lands without working on the lands. That led to more machinery purchased for the farms and timber business. Busy! I would settle back a little and do that delegation stuff when the mate my father was so convinced Fate had in mind for me showed up.

But the years passed, and other packs visited or we went to gatherings elsewhere, to no avail. If there was an omega out there for me, he was sure hiding well. Could Fate be so cruel as to place him somewhere on the surface of the planet where I wouldn’t ever find him?

Or maybe it was just a fancy of Father’s dying brain. How would he have known I had a fated? Not everyone did, and I had no shortage of omegas in my own and other packs who had let it be known they would welcome a mating with me. A pack alpha with no omega was not creating successors. While there was no rule that it had to be within the line, it always had been. And the pack omega had their own set of tasks and responsibilities, all of which were currently being assumed by other members. Which was unfair.

While working hard, I had managed to avoid the issue, but it was time to consider who among the candidates I should mate with. Surely, my fated, if he existed, would have shown up by now. Time to grow up and accept someone to share the harness of responsibility with me. Someone to have young with and sit by the fire on cold nights. To grow old with.

Why did that sound so unappealing?

I stopped to refill the tank at a gas station about six miles from the middle of nowhere. Snowy countryside stretched out all around me and my wolf shifted within, wanting out. Poor thing didn’t get nearly the free time he should. Most of our runs were only with the pack, and I was about to deny him, as I often did because duty called, when the realization came over me.

There was no duty. Not today. Not for days ahead.

The sign on the pump saidPay Inside, likely due to the fact the card reader was hanging off the side by a cord, so I did, buying a coffee while I was there. “It’s pretty quiet around here, huh?” I asked the young attendant who took my payment.

“Yep. Great place to run, if that’s what you’re asking.”

I couldn’t suppress the chuckle that emerged. “I guess it kind of was.” He was not a wolf but some kind of cat, which was probably why I hadn’t picked it up right away. “We’ve been on the road for a long time and someone wants to stretch all four legs.”

“Park behind the building and walk to the tree line. We don’t get a ton of traffic, but why freak out the mundanes who will probably call the news.”

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