Page 22 of His Reluctant Omega

Gray turned to Avery, his brow still lifted. “Have you told him there’s nothing between you? Because he doesn’t appear to have gotten the memo.”

“Stop,”Avery said before grabbing the present he’d brought and putting distance between him and his uncle. He laid the gift on the small table in the festively decorated sunroom before following voices outside.

There, along with a few more early guests, he found his younger brothers—seventeen-year-old Lake and thirteen-year-old Auggie. Both were leaning on the small fence erected around the pony, being led around in a small circle with one giggling child upon its back. “Hey.”

“Hey,” they both said in unison, neither sounding too thrilled.

“This is supposed to be a party… where’s the excitement?”

“There are already too many children in this house as it is,” Lake snapped. “Not like we needed more.”

Auggie scrunched up his nose and looked at Avery. “They said I’m too big to ride the pony.”

Avery gazed at Lake. “A—youchoseto live here with Uncle Gray to get into a better school and return to your friends, so suck it up. The party’s only for a few hours.” Avery turned to Auggie. “And B—youaretoo big to ride the pony. It’s for the little kids.”

“I’m the smallest in my class,” Auggie said. “Everywhere else in the world, I’mtoo small. I get picked on byeveryone. Now, when I want to ride a damned pony, I’m too big. It’s not fair.”

“Lake’s potty mouth is rubbing off on you,” Avery said to Auggie.

“You’renotmy father,” Auggie snarled at Avery.

Avery scowled at his little brother… who’d once been so sweet. “One shitty teenager in this family is more than enough,” he said before glaring at Lake.

Lake lifted his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’ve been on my best behavior. A role model, even.”

“Why?” Avery asked, knowing there had to be a reason.

He grinned. “I’m trying to talk Rohan into teaching me how to drive.”

Omegas rarely drove. Between public transportation and drivers for the wealthier families, most didn’t consider it necessary.

“He’s so obvious, too.Offeringto babysit and change shitty diapers?” Auggie looked at Lane. “They’vegottaknow you want something in return.”

“So what?” Lake asked, shrugging.

“Considering your uncle and Rohan have supported you and your brother for the last few years, you wouldthinkyou’d be willing to help as thanks,” Avery said to them both. “Not as a means to an end.”

“I do stuff,” Lake answered. “I just normally bitch and moan while doing it.”

“Isn’tthatthe truth?”

Avery turned to see Gray behind them, holding both a sleeping Jasyn with one arm while leading Silver by the hand. Gray turned to Lake. “Do you mind taking your cousin in to wash off his sticky hands? Sans the bitching and moaning, please?”

Lake saluted silently and led Silver away without argument for once. Apparently, he was taking his plan for good behavior seriously. Avery chuckled as he watched his little brother leading their cousin away.

Gray then turned to Auggie. “Can you go get the goodie bags and hand them out to the partygoers as they arrive? Pretty please?”

Avery had noted that several more guests and their parents had arrived. Rohan seemed to take on the role of host, welcoming them instead of Gray.

“Why me?” Auggie asked.

“Because I’mtired,” Gray said. And he looked it. Avery noticed his uncle appeared absolutely exhausted. “I want to sit down for a few minutes.”

“Go help,” Avery reinforced, gently shoving one of his baby brother’s shoulders.

Auggie sighed, grumbling under his breath before he stomped off.

“I don’t know that I’d want him dealing with your guests,” Avery said once his brother was out of earshot. “He’s not all that happy.”

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