Page 33 of The Accidental Omega
“What product? You said you don’t really have a currency system.”
“Right. We are more trade- and favor- based than humans,” Nara says, his arm sliding around her nude waist. Her black Tuxiel harness, and that smile, are the only things she's wearing.
She leans into his body as she places the plates on the table near the fire pit.
Zallan smiles too, more content than I’ve seen him in ages. “Yes. So I ordered a new flight of nanofliers and I just got notice that they are backordered.”
She nods to his handheld. “That’s like a smartphone?”
I shake my head, “Does not translate.”
She looks at me, thinking, “You can call and send messages on it?”
“Messages yes.”
She chuckles, “Yeah, no humans like phone calls either. Texts only.”
We don’t quite understand the joke, I decide, as I look around at my packmates.
Nara places the hyras rolls open on each plate as she starts to take the patties off the fire.They work well together,I notice.
“Sowhatare the nanofliers for, exactly?” She asks, not looking up from the plates.
“Setias has developed a unique type of sweetener. It’s environmentally sustainable and tastes wonderful. Unfortunately, there is an animal of our planet that has developed a taste for it as well.”
She looks intrigued but Nara scoops up the ferczen berries, holding out a large pincher-full, “Elizabeth, can you hand me each plate?” He asks.
She nods and hurries to help.
As she trades plates for him, she tosses us an arch glance,“You would all really have sat there on your tails and watched him do this on his own?”
We all exchange a glance. I answer, “We’d have helped if he asked. Happily. But he wouldn’t have. Just as I wouldn’t ask Nara to speak for our pack in public.”
She levels a gaze at me, her pretty brown eyebrows lowered. “Horseshit.”
Ry asks, “What is a ‘whore-ss?”
At that perfectly reasonable question, Elizabeth breaks into giggles.
Her happiness makes us all smile, beam in fact, at our omega being pleased.
When she stops laughing, but still grinning, she answers, “A large animal, four legs. But that’s not the point.”
“What is the point, little omega?” Ry asks, head tilted, still smiling gently, which is like a grin for him.
“I was just saying it’s silly that you all don’t help each other without being asked. It’s... a way to show you care.”
Ry’s look takes an evil edge. “You wantallof us to punish you, Elizabeth?”
She gives him a sassy look but wisely keeps her mouth shut.
Nara places plates around the table and we get up, Zallan scooping up Elizabeth and setting her in the center of one of the benches before sitting next to her.
“I’mstarving! This smells great!” She says.
Nara freezes, roll halfway to his mouth.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he starts.
