Page 52 of Claimed By the Cowboys
The bond was still settling, so when I finally did get up and start my day, there was an uneasy churning in my stomach. Bonding with alphas changed an omega’s genetic makeup to adegree, so it made sense that my body would feel a bit queasy while I settled into the bond.
And possessive.
And horny.
Despite being exhausted and my lady business being sore from the copious knots, I still wouldn't have said no to a few more.
“You feel like running an errand in town with me today?” Clay had asked while we congregated in the kitchen.
I was loving having all my guys around, especially since I'd half expected to wake up in the morning with them all at work. I knew that we wouldn't be able to take a proper bonding vacation, partly because our bond wasn't planned and we weren’t exactly madly in love, even though there were feelings. Besides, ranching was a busy lifestyle, and it stopped for no one.
“I'd like that.” I nodded. “When are you going?”
Clay cocked his head to his side, checking his watch. “Can you be ready in about an hour? Zeke hasn't got much to do today, so he can look after the little lady.”
“I'll be ready in ten minutes,” I said.
I was doing this for Maisie, but I was also doing it for me, to give myself the best possible chance to be a mother.
I hadn’t been swayed by the raw attraction between myself and my pack members. The fact that I’d been more deeply satisfied by my partners in my time at Blackwood Ranch than in my years with Pack Adamar hadn’t been the first thing on my mind. At least, that's what I was telling myself.
A pretty significant part of me had wanted to bond for my own selfish reasons. The adorable child was just the biggest silver lining known to man.
“Ten minutes? That means more cuddle time for me!” Dakota declared excitedly.
“No, it doesn't.” Montana grinned. “You’ve got work to do.”
Dakota’s face fell, and I almost laughed at how adorably disappointed he looked. “But I wanted to spend time with our pretty omega.”
“After work,” I assured him as Clay wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to his chest. I gravitated toward these alphas.
They were mine.
“So, where are we going?” I asked as we piled into one of the larger SUV’s. These guys had so many vehicles, it seemed like they had one for every occasion.
Clay looked ahead as we drove down the long dirt road out of the ranch. “I need to grab something from the post office and stop by the general store, but afterward, I was thinking maybe we should swing by the nesting supply place.”
“Nesting supplies?” I asked dumbly.
Clay nodded, still looking ahead, but the tips of his ears were slightly red. “Omegas need nests, don’t they?”
“I've got plenty of things,” I assured him. It was a lie. I didn't have that many nesting supplies, but I knew that the finances of the ranch were tight, and nesting supplies could quickly get expensive.
His eyebrows rose, and a soft snort escaped his chest. “Piper, darling, that’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard, and I live with Zeke.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, an omega could always have more nesting materials, but I can survive with what I've got, and I know they’re expensive.”
“Cost isn't an issue.” Clay shrugged.
I glowered at him, even though he couldn't see it, as his eyes were still locked firmly on the road. “No wonder you can see through my bullshit, because you are just as good at bullshitting,” I grumbled.
His laugh boomed in the small vehicle. “I assure you, city girl, there is no bullshit here. I sold one of my old bikes to pay for this.”
“Bikes?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
Clay shifted in his seat. “I used to own some pretty fancy motorcycles back in the day. I haven't really ridden them since Maisie was born, because they are death machines on wheels, and I wanted to be there for our daughter. There was an incident where I may have driven off a small cliff and cracked my skull open, and I didn't think it would be a good idea to repeat that. So, said death machines have been sitting in one of the barns for the last few years while I’ve decided what to do with them.”
“You cracked your skull open?” I shrieked.
