Page 4 of My Omega's Gift

“And—”

Mirth sparked in his eyes, although he was too respectful, too good a beta to actually laugh at me. “And nothing, alpha. Enjoy your trip. We’ll take good care of everything. You’ve trained us well. Go.”

So, I went.

Chapter Three

Wade

The temperature kept dropping, and the wind kept roaring, so I kept walking. As long as I continued moving, I wouldn’t freeze to death—or at least that was my logic. Eventually, I’d find someplace to stay, even if it was just an area with enough brush to keep the wind at bay or someone’s unlocked car. Not that I’d seen a car in the past hour. I’d officially traveled to the middle of nowhere.

The wind howled, scents rushing past me—everything from car exhaust to animals to people, some possibly shifters, and the unmistakable scent that was impending snow. I couldn’t keep track all of them and had no idea their origin. Shit, if I was scenting exhaust and couldn’t see or hear any cars, it might be miles away—the wind was that strong and fast.

I wasn’t used to this kind of wind, at least not as a pedestrian. A couple of times, I nearly fell over, it was so strong. And the way it had the cold settling into me was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

Then the glow of electric lights came into view. At first, I thought I was reaching a neighborhood, but, as I got closer, I realized it was the resort the kid at the gas station had mentioned. There was a main building, but there were also cabins. It wasn’t huge, by any stretch, but it had room for a decent number of people.

As a rule, I try to be honest, to follow the law, to give back more than I take, but tonight? Tonight, I was crossing my fingers and toes that one of the cabins would be empty and I could break in for the night. I’d leave a little money for housekeeping—it wasn’t their fault—but I needed a place to stay. Outside justwasn’t going to cut it, and my money wasn’t going to get me farther than the clerk showing me the door.

At least breaking in and sleeping was the plan until I broke into the clearing where I immediately scented shifters. I wasn’t going to be able to hide in a cabin without being discovered. Not with shifters around. Had the weather not been getting progressively worse, I’d have turned my pregnant butt around. But it was and I needed this place.

The only thing keeping me from panic was that I hadn’t crossed a den or pack line. This wasn’t a marked territory, meaning, I wasn’t breaking the laws of my kind by being here. In that respect, this place was safe. All I could do was cross my fingers that whoever was running the resort was not only nice but also human—a very clueless human. If all went well, they’d just think I was horrifically scarred and not what I truly was: excommunicated from my kind.

I didn’t even get to the front door before someone came bounding toward me. “It’s too cold to be out here.”

He grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.

“Elias!” a rich voice boomed from inside. “You left the door open—it’s cold!”

“I had to. We have guests!” Apparently, the guy holding my hand and dragging me in was named Elias. When we got inside, he stopped walking, instead bouncing on his toes. “I didn’t know we had anybody coming in, Theo.”

“Neither did I, but it looks like we do.” Standing behind the front desk was a man who might as well have been Santa, minus the cool uniform. “How many days are you looking for?”

“How much is the rate?” I asked, putting my pack on the counter and taking out the money I had. It ended up being closer to forty-seven dollars when I pulled out the coins. There was no way that was enough.

“Is that all you have?” Theo whispered.

I nodded. “Yeah, but I can, you know, clean. Or maybe I could stay in the storeroom? I’m not picky—it’s just, I was going to sleep outside. I have a sleeping bag in here, but the wind is just so cold tonight.”

“Do you have another bag?” Elias was still for the first time since I arrived.

I shook my head.

“So, your sleeping bag is in there with all of your things?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re having a baby?”

As scrawny as I was, I was very clearly with child. I didn’t look quite as pregnant as I should and that did worry me, but I could hardly stop by at a random midwife on my quest to find us a place to put down some roots. And even if I could, I didn’t have any money to pay them.

As Elias asked the questions, my situation felt more and more dire.

“Yes. I’m pregnant.” I refused to sound at all embarrassed by my answer. Did I wish I had a better life lined up for my little one? Absolutely. Did I wish they were created out of love and not force? Also, yes. But I wasn’t embarrassed they existed, nor would I ever be. They were my cub, and I loved them more than I thought it possible to love anyone.

“Well, then, put that away.” Theo slid the cash back in my direction. “Your money is no good here.”

“Is it because—” My hand went to my face.

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