Page 62 of The Pack Next Door
“Good work, boys.” I turned because when Ned gave out praise, it was usually to me, but this time he crossed the floor and focussed entirely on my brothers. “Now all we need to do is invite your little mate around and see if we can get her on board for the next trial.”
“Already done.” Everyone stared at me. “She’s coming by tonight for dinner.”
“So I’m going to be spending the day in a hot kitchen.” Mum sighed, bustling over to the kitchen and pulling cupboards open before hissing at the contents. “And going shopping for ingredients.”
“Come on then.”
Greg swept her up into his arms, my mother’s squeals making him laugh as he carried her towards the door.
“No matter what happens,” Maddox said, settling against the counter, “Briar doesn’t want to become ruling omega. She’s got a life. That’s not going to change just because we appeared in her life.”
“Yet.” My jaw flexed as I nodded. Nothing got my blood pumping like a challenge, and none was more important than this one. “She doesn’t want to become ruling omega yet.”
Maddox shook his head and then turned to Jace.
“Gimme a hand to give the deck a quick hose off. It seems like Briar might be open to the two of us being there to ease her next time. Be good to get on the same page before then.”
My mother and one of my fathers left out the front door, my brothers out the back, just leaving me with Ned and Max.
“Good job today, son.” Ned patted my shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
I lived and died by those words, so why did they leave me feeling so hollow? Before I could think too much about it, Max gave me a nudge.
“Better get tidying up around the house. You know how your mother gets when we have visitors.”
I did. I’d endured the building of tension each time, striving harder and harder to stop her from exploding. Sometimes it even worked. With that in mind, I moved to the sink and grabbed a cloth.
Chapter 31
Briar
“Do you think it would help if I came out to see Tom at his studio?”
I was on the phone with Honey, Tom the potter’s wife and business manager.
“I don’t know, love.” Her voice sounded impossibly tired down the phone line. “You know what he’s like.”
Grumpy, moody, artistic. I smiled to myself. It was almost as if he was an omega himself.
“Even if it’s just to apologise for how this all went down?” I asked.
“That’s probably what he needs to hear, and if I could just get him to the phone…” I heard her sigh. “He’s so damn stubborn, as well you know. That’s an awfully long drive for you to come, just to pander to the old fool.”
But I’d do it. Finding suppliers who made handmade work to sell to the masses was literally the point of Omega Core. I could buy crates of wonky pottery that was mass produced to look handmade from China, but it would never replicate the feel of something that actually was. I still had the very first bowlI bought from Tom when he came to the city for a craft fair. Small, delicate, and the prettiest shade of almost translucent jade, it fit right in my hand. I didn’t even know what I’d use it for, but I had to have it.
And I’d developed a loyal fanbase who felt the same way.
“The drive is no biggie,” I said, but even as the words came out, the logistics hit me. Leaving Mum? I could get Jacinta to come and stay with her for a night or two. My heat…? Maybe I’d need to call Candy and find out exactly where she got Mr. Knotty from. “Honestly, it's the least I can do. I put you guys in this situation.”
“You’re a good girl, Briar.” Honey’s tone changed, still sounding tired but also relieved now. “If you think you can make the trip, we’d love to have you. The guest house is always available.”
Tom and Honey bought a sprawling rural property many years ago, complete with several outbuildings that they’d turned into either accommodation or Tom’s studio. The minute she said that, I could just see the rolling hills around their house, the massive silver gum trees. My own breath came out in a slow hiss, because the place was so peaceful. No one cared about my designation or whether or not I had mates or anything there.
But Moon River did.
I looked across the grass at the Whitlock place. The sun was setting, and I had promised to go over for dinner. It was past time we had a conversation. Coordinate with them around the trials, my trip, and Mum’s care, that was what I needed to do.
“I’ll hit the road tomorrow if I can find someone to stay with Mum,” I told Honey. “When I leave, I’ll send you a text.”
