Page 12 of Abundant Moon
“What are you doing? I knowIdidn’t ask for nearly this much!”
Lilly giggled, shoving his arms full.
“Who said they were all for you? When Alpha Frazier heard I was coming in today, he collected all the gifts for Gladstone and sent them along. Where should we put them?”
Jonah waited while she closed up the car, then led the way to the packhouse. They managed to get through the doors without dropping anything, depositing the whole pile on the conference room table.
“I hope all of these are labeled, or we’re going to have trouble matching them up with the right people.”
Lilly gave him a wide smile as she extracted one medium sized gift bag and handed it over.
“This one is for you, and yes, they’re all marked.”
“Great! I have something for you at the house. We can’t meet in here today – there’s all kinds of crazy going on!”
With the pathway to the Village freshly scooped, they didn’t have any trouble making their way to Jonah’s home. Inside, he took her coat, offered a cup of hot chocolate, and settled in the living room for their session. Lilly had been kind enough to meet with him for several months now, helping him deal with his unmated status and its negative effect on his attitude. In another week or two, he’d begin the first of his three winter heats – an especially difficult and emotional time for him which seemed to intensify as he got older.
First, they exchanged gifts amid the crinkle of paper and appreciative ooh’s and aah’s. She squealed with delight when the wrapping came off her home spa kit; complete with tea lights, loofah, naturally scented soaps, and after-bath lotion. His gift turned out to be a stack of paperback shifter novels with Omega main characters, and his obvious confusion prompted a hearty laugh from Lilly.
“I know your heats are coming up, so in between bouts of fever you’ll have something funny to read. Trust me, human ideas of Omega shifters in heat arehilarious. I guarantee you’re going to bust a gut laughing at those stories!”
Still dubious, he thanked her anyway.
“I can’t say I’ve ever found my heats humorous. Depressing, frustrating, and embarrassing, yes – never funny.”
Lilly didn’t miss a beat, switching gears to get the conversation started.
“But you could if youchooseto. You can face life with laughter or tears – also your choice. It’s past time to start looking at your circumstances differently.”
Lilly wasn’t normally so... direct, and Jonah couldn’t tell where they were headed, or if they were even on the same page. Her flared nostrils told him she noticed his altered scent.
“I thought mycircumstanceswere an unmated Omega who is expected to provide support without getting any in return. Sound familiar?”
Face calm, Lilly nodded.
“Only because you keep bringing it up! You aren’t the only Omega who struggles, and pardon me for pointing it out, but you aren’t special either.”
Jonah frowned, falling back against the soft chair. She may as well have slapped him, and the words stung.
“I never said I was! What are you talking about?”
“Look, I’m not saying your struggles aren’t real or unimportant, but you’re so focused on what you want you’ve lost sight of all the wonderful things youalready have. By any measure, your life is not the disaster you make it out to be.”
Sullenly, he raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Please enlighten me. I must have missed something.”
Lilly chose to ignore his sarcasm and pressed on.
“Gladly. Like most other shifters, you want a mate and are frustrated because Luna hasn’t provided one. It isn’t fair and you deserve better, you say. Why? Lifeisunfair and being an Omega doesn’t entitle you to a free pass at happiness. Look around and tell me all your packmates are mated and happy. You know it isn’t true! William waited nearly seventy years for his mate. Nolan and Garrett almost lost each other before they ever had a chance. You have three recent widows among you from the White Pine pack. Did any of these people deserve life’s hard knocks? Was it fair?”
Jonah’s face heated as she pointed out the flaws in his thinking.
“No. I... I guess I never thought it through.”
On a roll now, Lilly charged ahead.
“Well think about this - you’re part of one of the best packs to be found anywhere, and I’m not blowing smoke. Your people not only want you, they love you deeply and need your special ability. You have family, security, and purpose at Gladstone. You have an Alpha willing to give his life to protect you. See if there are any other Omegas out there who might want to take your place and you’ll have a list as long as your leg!”
