Page 112 of Chosen Beta

I can’t put my finger on why. I’m probably being paranoid.

Sure, Shadow slipped out of Platinum Valley with Pete, without Owen noticing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t trust Owen to look after our Omega anymore.

Shadow came out here because he was fated to.

It’s how things had to happen. I understand that.

“I don’t know,” Pete mutters, his mood still sour. “He was pretty bored yesterday. Lana does most of her work behind her desk. We’re not going to be wandering around all over the campus like Owen is. You know Shadow needs to be active.”

That’s all true, yet I can’t say I like the idea of Shadow staying with Owen today.

“Let’s just wait and see how Owen’s doing after I talk to him.”

Pete shrugs. He eats his breakfast in silence.

I eat mine by the side of the stove while I cook for Shadow and Lana.

I know it’s not fair to ask Pete to keep our Omega by his side all day, especially when Shadow might not want to be cooped up like that for another day, but I can’t shake the weird feeling I’m having that it would be better if he stayed with Pete.

“How busy are you at work?” Pete asks, as he puts his silverware down on his empty plate.

“Um, what?”

It takes me a second to register his question, so I guess I was a little distracted when he asked.

He clears his throat. “Can I tell Owen to come speak to you when I go take over from him, or will that be impossible?”

“He can wait for me in the staff break room. If he sends me a text, I’ll see it and meet him there to speak to him.”

“Great,” he murmurs.

I bite back the urge to warn him that it won’t be enough.

If it makes him feel a little better to know I’ve spoken to Owen at the start of the day rather than the end, I can do that. I just can’t promise it’ll make any difference to how our mate feels about the idea of moving out to the city because it’s clearly where Lana needs to be.

Shadow appears again when I’m putting food on a plate for him.

His hair is slicked back now, clearly still wet from being washed.

He’s wearing one of my T-shirts, the plain navy one, and a pair of my stonewashed jeans which are at least two sizes too big for his slender frame. His right hand is clutching the top of the jeans, keeping them up.

“I think I might need a belt,” he confesses.

Pete shakes his head. “Just wear yesterday’s clothes.”

“Ew, no,” Shadow complains, screwing up his nose. “That’s gross.”

Pete rolls his eyes. “I’ll remember that when you’re begging me for my cock later.”

Shadow looks him up and down. “You know I like yesterday’s clothes on you. I just can’t stand them on me.”

“There are belts in the bottom drawer of the dresser,” I tell them, before they can start something that might make me very late for work.

Shadow’s already looking at Pete like he’s getting some ideas.

I put Shadow’s plate down on the table across from Pete and I start to make toast for Lana.

“Cool …” Shadow starts, before his eyes light up. “Oh, wait. You know what would be even cooler?”

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