Page 9 of Fur-Ever Home

"Oh, sorry," I said. "You made a nice armrest. I was supposed to be in first class, but something happened with my ticket."

"I don't care." She turned up the music in her headphones to what had to be an uncomfortable decibel level for her human ears.

I turned toward the aisle and froze. Ben glared at me from the seat directly across. "How did I still get stuck with you?"

"Want your stuff back?" I stood up and untied both coats from around my waist. He held my suit coat and fanny pack over the aisle like they were the most disgusting trash he'd ever seen. I knew that look. I'd seen it often enough from my pack before they'd finally had enough of me and sent me on my own.

We exchanged, and I tucked my suit jacket and fanny pack under the seat with my new bulky coat and wolf toy. The dark gray of the jacket caught my attention. It would clash with my brown corduroys, but that was the least of my worries. Ben was pissed, and at me for some reason.

"Thanks," I said, not sure how we'd gotten so far off track. I thought we were clicking in the restroom, but now …

"I grabbed it from first class when they kicked me out."

"I really appreciate you letting me borrow your coat?—"

"Where did you get that wolf?" He pointed.

"Wolf Brothers. They didn't have pants that would fit me at the lost and found."

"You weren't kidding? You walked all the way to the lost and found?"

"I did." I'd gone all the way to Terminal E, but that was beside the point.

"You didn't lose that coat," he said. "What makes you think you should claim it?"

"They gave it to me when I asked. It was one of the few things that would fit me. It's not like people really come back for their lost items."

"So, you just raid the lost and found whenever you feel like it?"

"Only when I need to."

Now was not the time to remind him I had been naked before, including no underwear. The shorts beneath these pants were a little tight, but at least I wasn't going commando.

"I contribute to them, too," I said.

He turned his attention to a small reading tablet in his lap, ignoring me.

After we took off, he sniffled a few times. He had a full-on sneezing fit when the flight attendant stopped by our row to ask if we wanted something to drink.

I had some liquid Benadryl in my pack. I poured a few drops into his lemon-lime soda when he wasn't looking. Too easy, since he did everything in his power to avoid looking in my general direction. His drink sat unattended in the cup holder on his tray until he finally drained it in one gulp.

I might have felt a teensy bit bad about it when his head fell back against his seat and he started snoring a few minutes later.

5

BENJAMIN

Just when Istarted to like the ridiculous alpha, he vanished on me. Yes, I'd told him to run from the security guard, but he didn't have to look so damn happy about getting away from me and my stinky sweater. After all Connor's hard work, I almost threw it in the garbage.

I didn't know if I believed his story at all. The thief story, coupled with the unlikely tale about shifting into an animal, all seemed too far-fetched. Nothing like this ever happened to me.

The alleged thief changed his version quickly when the security guard heard my side. I'd avoided the words, "shift," and "wolf," completely, but she sniffed my disgusting sweater and turned on the thief. "If I see you in here again trying to steal omegas' clothes, I will have the police haul you out of here in handcuffs."

She tossed my shirt in the sink and ran cold water over it again. "Someone shifted to save this shirt?" She turned to me. "I'll find you a plastic bag. You're going to want to keep this."

I disagreed, but I followed her to the security kiosk anyway. She put my cashmere sweater in a resealable bag and handed it back to me as though it were precious. "You're so lucky," she said. "I've worked here fifteen years, waiting and hoping myfated mate would fly through the busiest airport in the United States so we can finally meet and be together."

More fated mates talk? Who was this lady? "Good luck," I stammered as I shoved the bagged sweater into my carry-on.

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