Page 19 of Fur-Ever Home

"LA," Connor and I said at the same time.

"There's no direct train from here to there. You're better off waiting for a bus to Vegas. It'll take you most of the day tomorrow, but it'll get you there." Burt carried on about thevarious schedule flyers they had in the office. "I can drive you to the station tomorrow, so no need to worry about a car."

"Thank you," Connor said. "We appreciate all this."

The Beaver Dam B&B was an adorable two-story log cabin with a huge second-story balcony that wrapped around the front and sides. If I had to guess from our spot in the parking lot, it probably wrapped around the back, too.

Inside, the fire was tamped back for the night, but the lobby was so warm, I instantly felt drowsy.

"Huh, I can't find my wallet." Connor patted down every pocket of his cargo pants. "I thought it was here." He slapped his ass, and my mouth watered. Why was that so fucking hot?

"Do you have Shen's number?" I asked. "It might have been in your other shorts."

He blinked, and then his eyes narrowed to slits. "Yes. I'll text him."

I handed Burt my card, instead, and tried not to pass out at the price he gave me. He insisted it was a discount since it was already after midnight, but it was more than I had paid per night in New York.

I was too tired to argue. Everywhere in the building was warm and cozy, including the honeymoon suite. Burt led us to a narrow stairway on the second floor and motioned to what I assumed was the attic. Instead, we found a door to a large loft in the peak of the wooden rafters.

"This is really nice, isn't it?" Connor asked as he set my carry-on on the luggage stand by the door and flipped on the light. The lampshades were pink, giving everything in the room a soft glow.

I swallowed hard, remembering my earlier fear of being overwhelmed by my alpha counterpart. I unzipped my bag, grabbed my toiletry pouch, and locked myself in the bathroom without another word.

"Hey." Connor knocked a moment later. "Are you almost done in there? I have to pee, and I could really use a shower."

"Out in a minute!"

"We should talk," Connor said. "Could you maybe open the door?"

"I can hear you fine from here," I said.

"Okay." He didn't sound so sure. Cloth whispered against the wall as he slid down to sit on the floor. "You're human, so you probably don't know what it means to be my fated mate."

He was right. I'd heard the term before, but only in fairytales. "What does it mean?"

"You're the reason my pack kicked me out," he said. "The reason I've been looking for home ever since. I wanted to find you, so I wouldn't be alone. You're all I've ever wanted."

I covered my toothbrush with toothpaste. "Do you own omegas in your pack?" I asked.

"Yes." He sighed. "I hated it. They wanted me to take an omega mate when I turned eighteen. I didn't want that. I didn't want to start a family with another wolf just to grow our pack. I wanted someone who understood me."

Wasn't that what I had been looking for, too? I wanted someone who loved me, not my family name or the shares of the bank that came with my hand in marriage.

I finished brushing my teeth and spat in the sink before asking, "What happens now? Do you just take what you want from me because I'm your omega?"

"No! I'm not like that." He tried the door handle again and then knocked when it didn't turn. "Ben, please, let me in?"

"No." The word was louder and harsher than I intended, but I needed to understand. "Explain."

"Consent matters to me. I won't touch you until you want me to. I won't force myself on you. Even if you were in heatand needed someone to help you with it, I would rather you had someone you trust. It doesn't have to be me."

"I've never gone into heat, so I think we're good there." Human omegas usually didn't. I'd always thought the ones who did were lucky. At least they knew when they were fertile. I could be fertile any time, which meant I'd used protection with all my partners, even when I was on top.

"I like to top," I said, since I was thinking about it. "Would you let me?"

"Gods, would I!" His enthusiasm surprised me. Every alpha I'd dated had refused to switch and then dumped me when I refused to sleep with them. My one beta boyfriend had been okay with switching, but then he'd cheated. Which led me to my next question.

"How long would you wait before I said I was ready for sex? Would you be off getting your dick wet elsewhere?"

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