Page 53 of One Wild Omega

“I’ve always told you that you all might not be as lucky as your papa and I were,” his father said from the end of the table. “More and more young people aren’t finding their mates these days. There aren’t enough omegas out there. Instead of spending your life alone… why not find some happiness?” He eyed the direction everyone had run off to. “And now I wonder if that advice was a mistake.” Their father looked at Fitz. “You and your omega friend… now Harrison and Cassidy.”

“It wasn’t a mistake,” Bayley said. “I’d much rather have had parents who told us to follow our hearts than to be held back and told to toe the line.”

“Here, here,” Emerson said, lifting his bottle overhead.

They all followed suit, toasting their father.

“I personally think maybe it’s better to have a trial run on a relationship,” Bayley said. “You can figure out what not to do when the real thing comes along.” One of Bayley’s boys crawled into his lap. Bayley’s alpha, Perris, wrapped an arm around Bayley’s back. They smiled at one another, love in their eyes. “I knew what to expect from my alpha. What to ask for if I didn’t get it. And what I deserved.”

Perris kissed the back of Bayley’s hand. “And I hope I give it all and more.”

“You do, love,” Bayley said before kissing Perris on the lips.

“Get a room,” River, their youngest omega brother, cried from the lounge chair he was lying in, away from the table.

Bayley sent River a slight glare before turning to their father. “The point is, you encouraged us to dream big. To not fear failure. And to understand our value. Youandpapa. You both did that. Life isn’t perfect. Sometimes we blunder, but Harrison and Cassidy will find a way through. And if not, they’ll pick themselves up and move on. I’m sure of it.”

“Well said,” Fitz murmured.

“You know, it might’ve been tough for a lotta years,” their father said. “But I think you guys turned out to be pretty amazing people. I’m damned proud of you all.”

Fitz’s gut clenched again, the thought of losing moments like this while he was hundreds of miles away.

Don’t…

Tanner’s face came to him again, that look on his face as he’d said that word… as if he didn’t want Fitz to leave, either.

Something akin to panic had shone in Tanner’s eyes… or had he only seen something he wanted to see? But then the moment had passed… and he couldn’t be sure what had been there. What was it about the omega that was driving him crazy? Was it just trading one obsession for another? He wasn’t sure, but hewassure it needed to end.

Chapter Twelve

A little over a week later…

Tanner raced down the steps of his studio, winked at a few of the sexy construction workers he passed, crossed the street, and headed toward the bakery café that was his favorite spot for a little java during the day. He’d decided he wasn’t going to whine and cry and be a total idiot because his alpha was leaving town. Life would move on and if he had to use pure force of will to make himself do just that, so be it. Just outside the café’s doorway, he saw one of the owners, Brim, replanting some gorgeous flowers in their planters. “Those are lovely,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah. So were the last ones. And the ones before that. And the ones before that,” Brim complained.

“O-kay.”

Brim rose to his feet and sighed. “Some little vandal has been ripping out our planters every few days while we’re closed. We keep coming in and seeing dirt, flowers, and a mess on our stoop.”

“Why not leave them empty for a while?”

“And let them win? Not hardly. I won’t allow our business to beun-beautified because of some little asshole.”

“You know, I could come out here and paint you some flowers. They couldn’t rip those out.” Tanner eyed the brick façade of the café. “I’d love to paint a mural here.”

“I wouldlovethat. But then they’d likely just spray paint over them. No thank you. If I’m getting a Tanner McCreary original, I want to make sure our delinquent is gone far,faraway first.” Brim gave him a grin. “Mick’s inside. He can get you a cuppa. And I made some of those berry muffins you like so much this morning.”

“Mmm, yum,” Tanner said before opening the door. “You two spoil me,” he called as he walked in.

Mick turned at the sound of his voice. “Hiya, Tanner.”

“Hiya. I hear you have some muffins my gut does not need.”

Before one word had even come out of Tanner’s mouth, Mick had already started making his drink. Vanilla chai, extra cream. “We do. One or two?”

“My gods, Mick. One’s bad enough!”

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