Page 9 of Saving Nevin
Mom donned a pair of latex gloves and began “hmm’ing” and “ahh’ing” over him. She felt him over, running her hands down his legs and checking his paws, removing any sutures that hadn’t fully dissolved. After a moment, she straightened up.
“Well?” I prompted, crossing my fingers that he was in the clear.
“He looks good. To be completely honest, he looks better than I expected. When you first showed up, I wasn’t sure he’d be ready to have that cast off, but I think it’s probably safe for him to shift now. Aren’t you a lucky wolf? Hold him, would you, Kace?”
I held the Omega’s head in my hands, soothing him best I could as Mom carefully cut the cast off his foreleg. The little wolf squeezed his eyes shut and burrowed his muzzle beneath my armpit. I got the feeling that having Mom so close made him nervous. Was it because she was an Alpha? He didn’t seem that nervous around me, but he’d also had a couple of weeks to get used to me.
She was finished in no time. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” After examining his leg a little closer, she scritched two fingers up the Omega’s muzzle, then gently unclasped the silver collar she’d secured around his neck. She lifted him off the exam table and placed him on his paws on the tile. “Here you go, sweetheart.”
Instead of shifting back, the wolf plastered himself against my leg with another soft whimper. I knelt down to pet his neck, raking my fingers through his thick fur. “It’s okay, honey. You don’t have to change back if you don’t wanna.” I stood, but my hand remained resting on his head. “So we’re good to go?”
Mom smiled knowingly. “Go on, shoo. I’ve got work to do withpayingclients, remember?” She laughed and waved us off.
“You heard the woman.” Scratching the wolf lightly behind the ear, I clucked my tongue and headed out to my truck. He limped along after me, still favoring his leg. It was probably stiff and still a little tender. I swung the passenger door open wide, but before I could help him up into the cab, he leapt up into the front seat.
I kissed the top of his head, unable to hide my smile. “Let’s go home.”
Once we got back to my cottage, we fell right back into routine. He followed me from room to room, content to simply take up space. He lounged in the doorway to the kitchen while I cooked dinner—fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of cheesy garlic biscuits. I kept expecting him to shift back, but he remained steadfast in wolf form.
Maybe he was nervous? I itched to see the real him, the man behind the fur, but I could be patient. He’d show himself to me in due time, so I went about things the way I always had. I tore the meat off the bone for him, serving him up a large bowl of food with thick chicken gravy drizzled over the top. His eyes zeroed in on the ceramic dish as I set it down. He wagged his long tail in thanks.
I chuckled. “Bon appetit.”
After dinner, we watched some TV and then got ready for bed. Just like always, he sat in the doorway while I brushed and flossed my teeth. “Can I have a little privacy here?” I teased with a wink. His ears flipped back and he ducked his nose shyly before trotting off down the hall.
I took care of business and joined him in the bedroom. He was laying on “his” side of the bed, his chin resting on his paws. The minute I entered the room, he bounced over to the edge of the mattress, his tail wagging excitedly. I grinned and ruffled his fur.
“Ready for bed, honey?” I singsonged, ditching my jeans for a pair of soft cotton PJ pants. For the past few weeks, I’d been shifting to join him as a wolf, but tonight… Tonight I wanted to stay firmly human. Maybe if I did, it might somehow trigger the Omega’s change and I’d finally get to see the real him.
As if realizing something was different, he whined. I stroked my hand down his neck, then kissed him on the forehead and climbed into bed. Throwing back the covers, I slipped in between the sheets and propped myself up on my elbow so I could rearrange the pillows. Once everything was to my liking, I laid down.
My wolf whined again. I patted the spot beside me. “Come here. It’s okay.”
Slowly, he crept over to me. His body was stiff as he curled up beside me, like he wasn’t so sure of this change in routine. I continued to smooth down his fur, humming under my breath. I pet him until he relaxed enough that I could pull him flush against me and wrap my arm around his slender barrel.
“There we go,” I whispered. “Goodnight, honey.” I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, petting my Omega.
And, in the morning, I got my wish.
As I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into the cherubic face of my Omega. I swear to god, my heart nearly stopped and my mouth went dry. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen in my entire life. I was left speechless.
His face was soft and spritely, with milk-and-honey skin and hair so blond it was nearly white. Even his lashes were pale, thick and fanning over prominent cheekbones. He was like a diamond, cut sharp and elegant.
For the longest time, I watched him sleep. Unburdened by the weight of the world, tucked away inside his dreams, a small smile played over his lips. Lips that I suddenly couldn’t tear my gaze away from. I wondered if they were as soft as they looked. I wondered what he’d taste like, when we finally kissed.Ifwe finally kissed.
Don’t get attached. He might not feel the same.
Too late for that. I was pretty sure I’d fallen in love with him the very first time our eyes met, and spending the last couple of weeks with him only cemented those feelings in deep.
With a sleepy moan, the Omega stretched. His eyelids fluttered before opening all the way, and time stood still as we gazed at each other. His soft gasp made my heart ache, because the panic that flooded his beautiful face looked so out of place, so wrong.
“I-I’m sorry—” He jerked away from me, as if my touch burned him.
Before he could get too far, I caught his hand in mine and squeezed gently. Reassuring him that all was well. Nothing had changed.Everything has changed.“Easy, honey. It’s okay. It’s just me.” I swallowed a couple of times, trying to calm my rampaging heartbeat. I was certain the Omega could hear it knocking.
He drew his bottom lip in between his teeth, his blue eyes wide and worried. I offered a smile in return. “God, I’ve waited so long to finally meet you,” I whispered, grazing my fingertips down his cheek. “What’s your name?”
He searched my face for answers I wasn’t sure I even had, but he must’ve found what he was looking for because he relaxed. His thin fingers curled around mine in a tentative squeeze.
