by R. E. Butler
“How about for dinner?” Brynn asked. “I’ve got pot roast and fresh veggies from Adam and Dani’s garden.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Ren said. “Is it okay with you, sweetheart?”
Kismet nodded. “Anytime I don’t have to cook is good with me.”
They said goodbye, agreeing to return at six for dinner. She and Ren walked around the house to the street where a red pickup truck was parked. He opened the passenger door for her, closed it, and then sat behind the wheel.
As the engine roared to life, he asked, “Do you drive? I didn’t see a car at your house.”
“There aren’t vehicles like this in the fae realm. We walk or fly or use horses.”
“Can you fly long distances?”
“If I’m not carrying anything, I could fly for a few miles. My wings tire and I have to stop, otherwise I risk the muscles in my back cramping and potentially falling from the sky.”
“Damn. Have you ever fallen before?”
“Not from too high. When I was learning how to use my wings, I had a few accidents, but never broke anything or got injured too badly.”
“That’s good. Can you carry a person?”
“A small child yes, an adult, no. Males usually have bigger wings, so my dad could carry an adult, but not for a super long distance.”
“It would be cool as hell to fly.”
“It’s definitely fun,” she said.
While they drove to Luna’s, which was a restaurant owned by pack members, he pointed out various locations. “That’s my shop,” he said as he stopped for a traffic light and gestured to Wilde Creek Auto.
“What do you do there?”
“I fix vehicles. I was interested in them when I was in high school, and my dad is mechanically inclined, so he helped me rebuild an engine for my car and I was hooked. I started working for the former owner. He retired a few years ago, when a truck fell off a jack and crushed his foot. Even with shifting, it didn’t heal right and he couldn’t be on his feet for more than an hour at a time.”
“I thought shifters could heal anything.”
“For the most part, but there are injuries that are too severe. Depending on how an injury heals, wolves can have trouble shifting. He had to retire not only from the shop but also from being a ranked member of the pack. He moved back to his family’s pack in Montana.”
Her eyes widened. “He had to retire from the pack?”
He pulled to a stop in a parking space and turned off the truck. As he got out and opened her door, he said, “Unfortunately, yes. The pack he was from had looser rules about members shifting, so he wasn’t an omega like he would have been here.”
“You’ve mentioned the word omega a few times. What is it?”
He opened the door into the restaurant and she stepped inside. He took her hand and led her to the hostess stand where a middle-aged woman stood behind the podium.
“Hi, Ren. Who’s your friend?” she asked, smiling brightly.
“Hi, Paula, this is my mate, Kismet.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Paula said. “I take it you’re not from around here?”
“I’m from the fae realm.”
“Really? Oh! You’re the fae who helped with Mia and Lucian’s ceremony. Congratulations on your mating.”
She took menus from the stand and led them to a booth against a bank of windows. She set the menus on the table and said, “Breakfast special today is Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries.”
“Oh, that sounds good to me,” Kismet said. “Do you have herbal tea?”
“Just black tea, honey, sorry,” Paula said, collecting Kismet’s menu.
“Um, then just orange juice.”
“I’ll have the hash brown skillet with ham,” Ren said, “and coffee.”
Paula took his menu and left, returning a moment later with Kismet’s juice and a carafe of coffee for Ren.
“I don’t know if Wilde Creek is all that up on herbal tea. You might need to bring your own if we eat out for breakfast again.”
“I don’t mind juice,” she said, taking a sip. “So, we were talking about omegas outside.”
“Right,” he said as he took one of her hands and linked their fingers. “All males start out as omegas. Once they’re able to shift, and get a few moons under their belts, they can work their way up from the lowest ranked male up as high as they’re able to go.”
“How do they work up a rank?”
“With a sanctioned fight. When I was sixteen, I waited a few months and petitioned the then-alpha to let me fight for rank. He said I wasn’t ready, so I trained for a few more months, and then he let me fight on a full moon. I beat the lowest ranked male. Pretty much every moon after that, I fought and won my way higher. Sometimes I would fight twice in the same moon.
“An omega is a non-ranked male. Omegas can be wolves who don’t want to be part of pack life anymore, because of age or injury. We call the older wolves ‘retirees.’ Unless a male chooses to fight for rank, he’ll always be an omega.”
“What does that mean for their place in the pack?”
“They are caretakers. Omegas help out the ranked pack members in whatever way they need, everything from running errands to housecleaning to yard work.”
“That sounds like it wouldn’t be a good thing to be an omega.”
He shrugged. “Some wolves don’t like rank fights, or don’t care. Doc, your sort-of brother-in-law isn’t ranked. He doesn’t work for anyone but himself though, because he’s the pack healer. There’s a group of omegas called ‘stewards,’ and they specifically help the retirees. But, generally speaking, omegas have jobs of their own, maybe for one of the pack-owned businesses, and in their spare time, they work for the alphas and the other ranked members. It’s a necessary position in the pack. Without the omegas, everyone would be too busy doing their own thing to take care of the pack.”
Their food arrived, and her mouth watered at the sight of the dinner-plate-sized waffle, topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Two strips of crispy bacon sat atop a pile of fried, shredded potatoes.
She leaned over and peeked at Ren’s food. In a large bowl was a generous scoop of hash browns, and they were covered with scrambled eggs, diced ham, and melted cheese.
“That looks really good,” she said.
“Yours does, too,” he said. “Thanks, Paula.”
“Welcome, let me know if you need anything else.”
Kismet sliced up her waffle into bite-sized pieces and took a bite. The waffle was perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and the strawberries were delicious. “What about the females? You only mentioned the males.”
“Females are always omegas, except for the alpha of course.”
“Always? They aren’t ranked in any way?”
“Not officially. There’s an unspoken rank with the females; some are higher than others for whatever reason. Brynn doesn’t like that, so she’s been trying to make the workload for the females more evenly distributed. They handle the more domestic duties like cooking and cleaning. There are a few omegas who work directly for the alphas, but most handle whatever needs there are.”
She hummed as she thought about the differences between males and females in the pack. It certainly seemed like the females didn’t get a good shake when it came to ranking, but she suspected that was because wolves were a male-centric society.
“You have omegas do things for you?”
“Sure. There’s a pack-owned cleaning company, and I have them come twice a month. I eat out a lot, but I do have them pick up groceries for me if I’m too busy at work. I use them when I need to, and I’m always grateful for their help.”
She mulled over that a moment, then said, “I won’t officially be in the pack, so I wouldn’t be an omega, right?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“I don’t know if I should be relieved or not,” she said with a chuckle. “I certainly don’t want to clean anyone else’s house.”
; “And you won’t have to. Even if you were a wolf and going to be an omega in the pack, there are certain perks that come with being the mate of a high-ranked male.”
“I guess I picked well, then.”
He winked. “We both did.”
They finished eating, and Ren paid the bill. He drove to his home, which was a brick ranch with a blue front door.
“I like the door,” she said as he held it open for her.
“Thanks. I grew up in this house. I was living in an apartment in town, and I bought the house from my parents when they left to rejoin my dad’s family’s pack. Blue is my mom’s favorite color, so I kept the door even though it does kind of stick out.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Nickel tour?” he asked.
She inhaled and caught the spicy, sweet scent of him, which made her stomach twist pleasantly in anticipation.
“Only if you start in the bedroom.”
His eyes darkened, his lids dropping to half-mast. “Start and finish.”
“Lead the way, my mate.”
He scooped her up in his arms with a happy growl and carried her down a long hall for the first stop of their tour. As he tossed her gently to the bed and came down on top of her, kissing her as if he would devour her, she thought she’d never been happier, and it was all because of Wilde Creek.
Chapter 5
After christening the bedroom twice, and the master bathroom once, Ren showed her the rest of the three-bedroom home, ending not back in the bedroom as they’d teased each other, but on the back patio. He had a half acre of land on a quiet street. Dense shrubs bordered the backyard to mimic a fence without all the intrusive wood boards, and beyond the shrubs were the backyards of the homes on the street behind his. It was the sort of neighborhood out of a 50s tv show, all “hey, neighbor” in the mornings and females who met for coffee. Although, instead of humans, the homes on this street and the one at the rear were full of wolves. Wilde Creek was mostly wolf at this point. When he was young, there had been more humans, and he wasn’t sure when the tide had shifted.
Shaking his head from the train of thoughts, he focused on his new mate. The female he’d been secretly hoping for someday. His someday had come suddenly, an angel in a ball gown in the woods on the full moon.
“It’s so nice here,” she said. Her head rested on his chest over his heart, and he held her close, inhaling her sweet scent.
“I’m glad you like it. I always thought it would be wonderful to have a mate and family in my childhood home. I just wasn’t sure it would ever happen.”
She lifted her head and smiled. “Sorry it took me so long to dream of you.”
He kissed her. “We’re together now and that’s what matters.”
True. So fucking true.
The moment he’d followed her through the portal, he knew he’d go anywhere with Kismet, do anything to keep her safe, and keep her with him. She was firmly entrenched in his heart, taking up residence where no other female had ever been. Sure, he’d had lovers over the years, but no one permanent. He was the wolf equivalent of a player, always looking for a quick fuck on the full moon, more of a quantity over quality sort of male. None of the females in the pack were his truemate, or he would have already been mated. He wasn’t one of the lucky few who grew up knowing his female, that awareness of she’s the one in the back of his mind all his youth. He’d even begun to wonder if it wasn’t just better to pick a female in the pack and mate her, but he’d never acted on that. It had seemed like a disservice to whoever his truemate was. He wasn’t sure what would happen to truemates if one of them mated another. Did the other just get released, able to go on their merry way and find a mate somewhere else? Or was there always a sense of longing? He hadn’t been willing to chance it. Not after seeing how happy the wolves in the pack who had found their truemates were. Those males had the kind of joy that made them practically glow.
Not that he was waxing poetic or anything.
A low chuckle escaped his throat and Kismet lifted her head with a curious smile.
He tucked a lock of her silky hair behind her ear and said, “I was just thinking how lucky I am to have found my truemate.”
Her brows rose. “Doesn’t every wolf get one?”
“Less and less of our people find their truemates as the years go by. Many will take a mate that isn’t their truemate, so they can have a family. I’m not sure it’s true anymore that everyone gets to find the other half of their soul.”
“That’s depressing.”
He hummed in agreement. “You were worth waiting for.”
“Well, I am wonderful,” she said, her eyes brightening as she smiled. “But you were worth waiting for, too.”
He pressed his lips to hers, unable to resist the sweet bow of her mouth another second. Each time they kissed, his body roared to life as if she was a source of electricity that was the exact wattage needed to charge him up. He’d never felt so alive and so connected to someone before, and he was sure in that moment, having a truemate was worth a wait of any length of time.
There was nothing better, he was certain.
“I think we need to talk about living arrangements,” she said as she eased from the kiss.
He nodded and gave her a light squeeze before releasing her. On the patio were two rickety folding chairs, the kind that had the woven plastic seats and backs. He hardly ever sat outside, so he’d never bothered to do anything nice with the exterior of the house. He suddenly wished he had, though. That instead of wrestling the creaking, partially rusted chairs into position, Kismet could be sitting on one of those nice outdoor couches, with a gas firepit and a string of lights shaped like leaves or wolves or something girly.
“Sorry it’s not nicer,” he said.
She sat gingerly, as if she wasn’t sure the old chair would hold her, and he found himself relaxing when she stayed upright. Not that his curvy sweetheart was too much for the aluminum and plastic chair. He would just freak out if she got hurt from something like a crappy old piece of furniture on his watch.
Bad mate.
He sat next to her, taking her hand and linking their fingers. They both settled into the chairs as much as possible.
“What’s the norm with you guys?” she asked after several quiet moments.
He blanked for a second. “Oh, you mean about where a new couple lives?”
She nodded, her hand squeezing his for just a heartbeat.
“There isn’t a set way of doing things when a couple becomes mated. Where they live depends on a lot of factors and it’s all personal. Before I became second, the previous male who held the position left Wilde Creek to live with his mate’s pack, so she could take care of her father. In our pack, an omega female left to live with her mate’s bear sleuth because he wasn’t allowed to hold rank in the pack. Whether the couple chooses to stay here or go elsewhere just depends on their feelings. You and I have a choice, either your realm or mine, and where we go is wherever we’re both comfortable and happy.”
“You’re a pack guy, though.” There wasn’t accusation in her tone, just sweet words and a smile.
“Yeah. But you’re my pack now, which sounds crazy-cheesy in my head, but there it is. If you’d rather be in your realm, I’ll pack a bag right now.”
She put up her hand with a chuckle. “Slow down, sexy. I’m not saying that. I have my dad in the fae realm, but my mom and brother are here. Plus, you’re my new family now, too. What if we stay here for a while and then stay in the fae realm for a while, and see which we like?”
He hummed as he thought about it. “Are there shifters in your realm?”
“I’m sure,” she said with a shrug. “Not any that I’ve ever known, though.”
Which meant he’d be an anomaly. Except she was one here, too. There weren’t any fairies in Wilde Creek. There was a reindeer, which was different than a wolf, but hardly the same as a powerful fairy who could fly like a bird and cut a hole through the realm with a thought.
He brought her hand to his lips. “How about we stay here a week and then go to your place for a week?”
“It’ll be okay with the pack and your business to be gone for a week?”
“Sure, we can take vacations. That’s why there are other ranked males around. Not only can Sam fill in the gaps for me, but I also have several great mechanics who can handle the day-to-day routine for a bit. What about you?”
“Well, first I need to tell my father about you, so he knows why I’ll be MIA for a while. But my job entails me creating with my power, and I can do that anywhere.” She looked to where the grass edged the concrete patio and moved her free hand in a slow stroke, like she was painting with an invisible paintbrush. The grass lengthened quickly in response to her movements, rising swiftly by inches. Buried in the dark greens was a single dandelion. As quickly as the yellow flower had risen with the grass, it receded until it was as it had been before, green and trimmed short, with no weeds in sight.
It took a moment for him to find his voice at the sight of her power. As easily as he might crack his knuckles, she’d made plants grow and fade.
He was one lucky bastard.
“Fucking amazing, sweetheart.”
She smiled. “I like dandelions.”
“Could you make any flower grow?”
“Sure. My favorites are fairy roses and bluebells, but there’s something very cool about dandelions. They grow anywhere and say, ‘screw you’ to herbicide. I saw a dandelion growing out of a brick wall once.”
“Will your dad like me or will he be mad that I’m not a fairy?”
“I hope he’ll like you. My dad is old fashioned, but he’s not a Neanderthal. He lets me make my own way.”
He’d never worried about a female’s parents liking him or not. Now, it mattered a whole hell of a lot. Her father had raised her, and Ren wanted him to approve of their mating.
“Should we go to your place now and pack a bag, and meet with your father?”
“So quick to jump into the fire?” she asked, her voice tinged with humor.
“If we’re going to Acksel and Brynn’s for dinner, I want to have time to spend with your father, so he doesn’t feel like I’m just trying to sweep you out of his life.”