His Prairie Omega Bundle (Shale River) [M/M Non-Shifter Alpha/Omega MPreg]
MacKenzie Wilde
The material contained within this text must not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, displayed, performed, distributed, rented, sub-licensed, altered, stored for subsequent use or otherwise used in whole or in part in any manner without the prior written consent of the author. This text is licensed for your personal use only. If you wish to share this ebook with another person, tell them to purchase an additional copy.
This is entirely a labour of love, lust and fiction. Any resemblances between the characters and persons living or dead are purely coincidental.
Author’s Note
Thanks for picking up the bundle of His Prairie Omega, it’s all four novellas featuring Jake and Kyle in one book.
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Twenty Seven
Twenty Eight
Twenty Nine
Thirty
Thirty One
Thirty Two
Thirty Three
One
The world seemed to be cloaked in a thick, unforgiving fog ever since he’d received the text from his sister that their father was injured on the farm. That was two days ago. Without a second thought, Kyle Daniels pulled every string he could in order to get his coworkers to cover his shifts at Toronto General Hospital. Before the sun had even arisen for the day, he was on the first Via Rail out of Union Station to head back home.
Planes had been shuttered due to inclement weather all across the prairies and so he found himself riding a long, slender, band of iron that stitched the country together. It was storms just like this, he found himself brooding, when the fires first began last year.
Kyle stared out the window at the rugged landscape, checkerboard patterns of grain and cattle pastures shooting past the train’s window. The recent rains had stained the land darker than he remembered. Just about the only thing that folks agreed on around these parts was that it was going to be another stormy summer, full of brief bursts of rain and baking heat.
He was roused from his thoughts when the kindly old woman sitting in the seats across the aisle cleared her throat for the third time. Kyle glanced from the train window over to her and her pack.
“Funny thing travelling alone, isn’t it?” Her grin sent wizened creases along her face. She must have been in her mid-eighties and was flanked by two equally sagely women, all bedecked in their floral best. They’d been chattering amongst themselves when they boarded the Via Rail just outside of Calgary Ford.
Kyle smiled politely and forced conversation. “Just back to see family.”
“At his age, must be a weddin’ or a funeral,” one of the old woman’s companions muttered as she nodded to herself.
The handsome lad politely bit his tongue and stifled a chuckle. If they only knew, the Omega thought to himself.
“He’s not that old,” the first woman spat back at her friend before leaning in closely. She smelled pleasantly of mothballs, aged grace, and Werther’s Originals. “The name’s Hattie. How old are you dearie?”
A smirk of disbelief crept across his bearded face. “I’ll be twenty-eight next month, ma’am...”
“See, I told you he was a youngster,” Hattie assured her companions. Having grown bored of the man, they had spontaneously launched into a rambling conversation about the weather amongst themselves.
He was about to turn back to the window when Hattie prodded him with a bony finger.
“You know, my granddaughter’s not seeing anyone at the moment,” she confidently offered. “She’s a real sweetie too. Wonderful girl, works as a hairdresser at a big place in Edmonton. Real respectable Beta.”
Kyle chuckled. It was the first time that he’d had a genuine laugh in the past few days. Maybe she was too old to recognize him for what he was. The thoughtful Omega thought of all of the things that he could say to the old woman to let her down gently.
“Thanks for the offer,” he smiled sincerely at Hattie, “but I’m… not looking at the moment.”
Hattie sunk a little in her chair. “S’okay, she’s a good girl and will find a man who will treat her right.”
A pang of regret tugged at Kyle’s heart. He didn’t want to disappoint this kindly old stranger who lifted his spirits during such a dark time. “Tell you what Hattie, maybe give me her number and I’ll give her a call when this family business is all wrapped up?”
Like clockwork, Hattie produced a grocery store receipt from her weighty purse. On it was scrawled some numbers that didn’t add up to an actual phone number. Kyle scratched his neatly trimmed beard thoughtfully, carefully folded the receipt into the breast pocket of his denim jacket, and smiled at Hattie.
Her good works done, she had already turned back to her friends in a hot debate over some of the more noteworthy storms of the past few decades.
Kyle rested his forehead against the cool glass of the train window, his gaze looking out at nothing in particular. In truth, he appreciated their intrusion. It was a welcome break from his thoughts. The old women aside, it was a sombre ride back to Shale River, his one-time home, and the very place that he vowed never to return. Had it really been a year since he’d lost Tyler to the fire? He closed his eyes hard as he felt the hot burn of tears threatening to spill across his cheeks.
As he felt the train slow to a stop, Kyle’s lithe body tensed. It would be good to see family and friends, and he needed to be certain that his father was recovering well. But coming home also meant coming face to face with the man Kyle blamed for Tyler’s death. He was a Firedog in Tyler’s brigade, a special unit of Park Rangers who battled the wildfires that nearly burned Fort Mac to the ground. Tall and powerful, Jake was almost intentionally built for a life of battling blazes in the rugged wilderness. It further stung not just because Jake was Tyler’s best friend, but that Kyle had something of a blushing boy crush upon the hot Alpha.
Or, used to anyhow.
None of that mattered now. It was silly and stupid and an utter betrayal to Tyler. Kyle balled his fist against the glass as the grim reality of his homecoming set in.
The train slowed to a crawl and with a few mechanical thuds and a burst of steam from somewhere under the belly of the beast, a tinny voice rang out from the crackling loudspeaker perched in the sedate rail car.
“Now embarking, Shale River.”
Kyle rose to his feet, grabbed his duffel bag and dried his eyes as he made his way to the platform to meet his sister Jess. His fraternal twin, they shared a lot of the same characteristics. Both were gorgeous, from their dark chocolate hair to their playful green eyes. When he wanted to get under her skin, Kyle would even remark that they both shared the same genes for amazing facial hair.
Like him, she was an Omega; unlike him, things were easier because she so often went with the flow and accepted whatever life presented her. He chafed at the thought of having so little independence.
A gust of air snapped him back to reality. The doors whooshed open and a balmy heat poured in. Hot and steamy, Shale River was returning to its natural parched state. Almost d
aring him to disembark, far off in the distance a burst of thunder pealed across the dark heavens above.
Two
The old Ford Country Squire ambled along the slick road like an old hound forced to leave the room when guests arrived. Jess had to coax and cajole it to move, but it was reliable and always came through. Eventually. The somber car ride to his father’s farm was perfectly complimented by the soft whirl of dust and grit upon the windshield. It was early afternoon but the sky had already darkened considerably and the humidity washed the land in a grey haze. The window beside the passenger’s seat was cool and distracting against Kyle’s forehead. Try as he might, he could only agree here and there while Jess struggled to avoid a complete breakdown. She packed the car thick with nervous words.
“…and when I said that Kyle was back in down, she literally flipped. Well, I mean, not actually flipped – she sprained her ankle during show trials, and couldn’t actually do that. But you know what I mean, she was just really happy to hear that you were back.” Words poured from a mouth that seemingly had no need to breathe.
Kyle smiled and nodded at her. “Yeah, that’s great, I’ll definitely…”
“But of course no pressure, I mean, the last thing that I’d want is to basically like, tell you that you had to have drinks with Chelle and Marco and Nance and me. That’s definitely not what I was…”
The poor girl finally stumbled, causing cracks to form along her emotional dam.
“…I was…I mean,” her eyes welled threateningly. “It’s just good to see you. Like, really good. Things are okay. Well, no they’re not. The place is so empty, and I mean, spoiler alert: with just dad and me at the farm now, I… I’m sorry, I feel so stupid doing this in front of you. I’m not some stupid little kid who needs her big brother to tell her that it’s going to be fine.”
Jess sniffed back tears and tried to smile.
“Don’t feel bad about feeling bad,” Kyle comforted his sister. “I tried to get home as fast as I could. And you know what? We’ll get all of this sorted out, and will be laughing at the old boot by Christmas.”
“Hah,” she grinned as she wiped away tears on a flannel sleeve. “Silver Wok Chinese, Price Club pumpkin pie, and a bucket of cold Bud, eh?”
Kyle laughed. “Dad’s holiday specialty!”
They stopped for gas about twenty minutes from the farm. Not that she needed help with the pumps, Kyle got out to be with his sister anyhow. As best as she tried to hide it, he could tell from her rosy eyes that she was crying.
When he heard the tell-tale whine of a far-off fire engine, Kyle froze under the awning. A lone tractor retreated to the side of the road as the red beast roared past, all sirens and thunder and steel. He wondered where it was going. He wanted to wonder who might be on it, but turned away from the road as if to stop his thoughts in their tracks.
He became aware that Jess was closely watching him.
“Oh, I uh, didn’t mean…” Jess fumbled, her free hand wiping hair from her face as she topped up the car. She was embarrassed to have been caught by her brother.
“I’m okay,” Kyle replied softly, even though they both knew that he wasn’t. “It’s nothing.”
Not wanting to burden his sister any further, the Omega politely shifted gears.
“So dad’s home already, eh? That’s a really good sign,” he nodded slowly as he leaned against the slippery hood of her car.
“Oh. Uh, yeah, I… that’s good? His meds must be working.” She guessed hopefully. Jess artfully wedged the gas cap in the pump, violating several federal laws and freeing her hands while the tank slowly filled. She fished a crumpled bag of sour cherries from the pocket of her worn jeans.
“Definitely good sign if he’s home already,” Kyle spoke softly, recalling his own experience with cardiac arrest patients. Then he frowned. “How long was he in the hospital?”
“Oh, that’s just it! I mean, he must be doing really well if the doc said that bed-rest at home was what he needed,” she happily explained as she popped a sour cherry into her mouth.
Kyle pondered her words and scratched his beard. “Wait, he was told that by an actual doctor at the hospital?”
“No, never even had to go to County General. Dad was out in the field when he had the heart attack, but got the tractor home safe. He called the doc Thornton and they spoke about things over the phone.”
“Hmm.” Kyle’s nose wrinkled. “Doc Thornton as in, week-at-the-hunting-lodge Doc Thornton?”
“Well yeah, Kyle. I mean, he’s retired but… Why, what do you…?” she became slightly agitated by the recent turn in their conversation.
Not wanting to upset his sister, Kyle artfully eased off. “I’m just concerned, is all. While Doc Thornton is retired, he’s one of dad’s good friends and would only want the best for him.”
“Yeah…” Jess nodded cautiously as she stopped the pump still chewing on a massive wad of sour cherries.
“Maybe I could check out dad’s meds, and then we could all head over to Country General after breakfast tomorrow just to double check that everything’s okay. I mean, we all want what’s best for dad, right?”
Jess smiled. “Yeah, that’s right.”
Kyle grinned and stepped toward his sister holding a debit card. “My treat.”
“Oh, no way,” she protested. “I can’t ask…”
“Too late,” he playfully called to Jess as he made his way to the kiosk to pay for her gas. Her protests couldn’t have been too serious – he chuckled when he saw that she’d already gotten back inside her car. He knew that she was between jobs and it would be one less thing for her to worry about.
Assuming that there were anything to worry about in the first place. Things simply weren’t adding up. Kyle paid the clerk and engaged in polite chit-chat but his mind was elsewhere. Even suspected cardiac episodes in older men with family histories of incidents were treated far more seriously than this. There’s no way that dad’s hunting buddy would fumble on that. Not that he could suggest that dad may have been not telling them the whole story to Jess. He’d simply bring the matter up in private with his father.
The car’s leave of the gas station was announced by another low whine of a fire engine off in the distance. After passing another half dozen cornfields, scrub brush, and gravelly lots shot through with wild grasses, the car turned and began bumping along the sodden gravel road to their father’s farm.
Kyle knew that he’d need to see to his father’s health, and in all likelihood tend to the farm in his absence. It’d be good to see some of his ‘back home’ friends again, but despite his hopes and prayers otherwise, he’d probably run into Jake in the small farmer town. He had no idea what he’d say to the handsome Alpha, much less how he’d react when they eventually crossed paths.
Ready or not, Kyle was home.
Three
The hinges on the heavy painted door announced their arrival with the same tell-tale creak it’d had for years. When the winds caught the screen door, it flapped uselessly against the frame before Jess had grabbed it and closed it with an extra hard bang. The lingering reek of Camels spiced the air here and there, while an old basset hound more wrinkle than dog began raising high hell as he trotted into the kitchen. Nearly a year and a half later, Kyle noted that the paint was still peeling over the hunter green door frames, just as it always had been. It was all comfort food for the soul.
Kyle smiled. It was good to be home.
“Goddamnit Cromwell, hush-up,” Kyle’s dad barked from the living room as he ambled into view. A plume of blue smoke followed him as he butted out in an ashtray.
“Still smoking are we? I thought that we agreed that you’d use that vaporizer that I’d sent you?” Kyle gave his dad a caring frown.
“Ah, well, y’see, the damned thing kept acting up on me,” his father began, still waving at the trail of smoke that’d followed him into the kitchen.
“Hasn’t even opened it.” Jess chimed in happily.
F
rom under his ball hat, Kyle’s dad scowled at his betrayer. He walked closer to Kyle, his frown slowly melting into a slightly less wrinkly smile. “It’s great to see you, son.”
Kyle embraced his father while Jess made off his with duffle bag, stowing it upstairs in his old room. “It’s great to be home, dad. You look pretty good for an old feller.”
The Omega breathed a sigh of relief. Dressed in stained denim coveralls, a hoodie one size to small, and a ball cap with the Daniel’s family farm name upon it, he looked no worse for wear. He still smelled of sweat, fresh cut grass, and the cloying reek of burnt cigarettes.
Capitalizing on the time alone with his dad, Kyle clinked some ice from the freezer into plastic cups and poured them some iced tea from the stained pitcher that’d lived in the fridge since well before he was born.
“So, dad, this is serious. How are you feeling? What did the attending physician at the hospital say? I assume they took you to County General?”
“Ah me, well, yes,” the old farmer seemed to be gathering his thoughts. “Let’s just say that I’m feeling a lot better now that you’re back.”
“I’m glad to be here too dad.” Kyle took a slow pull of iced tea. “But I need to know, did you get any slurred speech, visual artifacts, or a tingling in your arms or legs?”
“Well, there was… my speech was fine, it was more…” the old man chose his words quite carefully, “a shooting and unusual pain, and a sense of dizziness.”
Kyle hid a bemused grin behind his palm. “A shooting and unusual pain you say? Hmm, that’s serious.”
“Yep, but Doc Thornton said that I was right as rain, so no need to fuss over it anymore.”
The Omega almost felt bad. “But didn’t he retire from Country General years ago?”
“On the way back from Country General, I stopped by to see him. And that’s what he said, is what I meant to, uh, say. He’s never led me wrong before, I figure.”
Kyle stifled a grin and decided to toy with the old man. “That’s true. He’s a dear friend of the family. I’m just really concerned dad, because at your age, there’s at least a dozen or so other indicators for heart health that I’d like to ask you about. Now the team at County General may have brought these up, but I’m wondering if you can remember any of them in specific? It’s really quite important.”
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