Page 22 of One Wild Omega

“In moments like this, I suppose so. But honestly, I’ve never really thought about it before. I have a time-consuming job employing hundreds of people. We help open new businesses and industries with our investments, which offer livelihoods for thousands upon thousands of others who wouldn’t benefit if I wasn’t focusingallof my attentions where they matter. So I can’t make toast. I won’t have much trouble sleeping tonight, trust me.”

“Oh, give me a break. You, Beau, and grandfather work hard to make a profit. You’re not in it to offer charity to the community.”

“Offering someone a job isnotcharity. Yes, we want to make profit on our investments, but you can’t ignore the fact what we do helps many people support families. It puts a roof over their heads. Food on their table. Taxes into the province, which then help pay for many services, as well.”

“You have an answer for everything,” Tanner said before tossing the eggs into the hot pan. “You sound like a politician.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Itis.”

“I know you scorn the family business, but you can’t ignore the fact our investments impact this province and others in positive ways. Business and industry make the world go round. Nothing is perfect. I won’t lie and say it is. But the good we do far outweighs the bad.”

Tanner looked up at his eldest brother. “You really think that, don’t you?”

“I do. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t.”

“You’re about to become a father. You should be able to take care of basic things, Quinn.”

Quinn smiled. “Maybe I’ll have my omega teach me.”

Tanner shook his head, chuckling under his breath. Both of his brothers were so useless, it wasn’t funny.

“Find me a plate, will ya?” Tanner stirred up the eggs and flipped them, ensuring they were done—thinking about his brother’s words. And then thinking of the look on Fitz’s face last night when he’d all but insinuated that he didn’t like Tanner because of that money.

Money he’d done everything to distance himself from.

Once he slid the cooked eggs on the plate Quinn had finally found, he helped ensure everything was right on the tray—even including a single bloom from the many flowers he’d used to decorate the party the night before. “There you go. Impress your omega and make him think you’re capable of something other than being a titan of industry.”

Quinn gave him a quick squeeze. “I owe you one.”

“You owe me more than one,” Tanner replied before watching Quinn disappear upstairs.

When he was alone—his mind hummed and went to the exact damned place he didn’t want it to go. He wondered if Fitz had shown up at his apartment the night before. Had he banged the door down and woken all his neighbors? Maybe the police had been called and Fitz was sitting in the drunk tank downtown. A playful smile crossed his lips, but it soon fled.

He couldn’t ignore this shift in the way Fitz reacted to him. He also couldn’t ignore the love in Fitz’s eyes… a love for Bellamy. The two things didn’t jive, and it made no sense.

Tanner refused to be second best. He refused to take Bellamy’s scraps, even if Fitz had been his first.

What am I saying?

He was never mine.

Chapter Five

Three years before…

Tanner swiped the brush over the surface of the canvas, the oil paints spreading smoothly. He tilted his head, watching as each brush stroke brought the portrait to life. Portraits weren’t his normal style, but in the last three years he’d toyed around with them at least two dozen times. Naturally, they always ended up being of the same man… a man that still haunted his dreams some nights.

A man he told himself countless times that he didn’t want.

When his brush emptied of paint, he stood back a moment and eyed his piece, thoughtfully considering his next stroke. Once he thought he knew what to add, he dabbed the brush into one thick swab of burnt sienna and added a bit of cadmium yellow medium—which made the perfect shade for his alpha’s hair and beard. He had to guess some. The lights of the bar had been very low, but he’d spent the last few years filling in the gaps. He envisioned it was a dark golden blond or something close.

Over the next few hours, he obsessed over the painting and filling in all the little details, remembered and presumed alike. When he was finally done, he glared at the creation he had made—both loving and hating it at the same time.

“Maybe now you won’t haunt my dreams for a while, Richard.”

Richardwas the name he’d given to his alpha, for obvious reasons. The man had acted like a total dick, so it felt fitting. Even so, he couldn’t stop obsessing over the guy.

---