Page 16 of My Omega's Miracle

When an old rusted-out truck stopped near the cabin, I grabbed my coat and went onto the porch. Immediately, Garrick came to my side, standing slightly in front of me to shield me from the stranger. It was an alpha move to keep me safe, and I loved it.

“Who is that?” I asked.

“Not sure,” Garrick replied.

We had been isolated just the two of us for so long it was weird to see other people.

“Hi there! Name’s Joe. I manage the cabins for the owners. Just wanted to stop in and make sure everyone is well.” He approached slowly and bared his neck slightly to Garrick.

That put Garrick at ease. A little.

“We’re doing all right,” he said. “Just finally stepping outside after that storm.”

The older man laughed. “It was a doozy. Haven’t seen one of those since ninety-eight. We got eight feet of snow in just twenty-four hours back then. Didn’t see another soul for two weeks. We didn’t have the internet then. Had to entertain ourselves the old-fashioned way.”

“That sounds pretty intense,” Garrick said. “Hope you don’t mind, we found some holiday decorations and helped ourselves to decorating.”

“Not at all, not at all! We usually have the cabins decorated for the holidays, we just didn’t get around to it this year. If you’re looking for something to do, the town is still putting on their Christmas market, despite the weather. It’s going on all day today, and tonight, they light the town tree. It’s put on by the local bear den, so it’s shifter-friendly.”

I perked up at that. A market wholly dedicated to Christmas? I bet there would be all sorts of cool things there! Hot chocolate, Christmas crafts, goodies! Before I could stop myself, I gripped Garrick’s arm. “Can we go?”

I stilled. I should have stayed quiet. He was talking to another person and there I go interrupting him. I wanted to crawl into a hole.

Garrick put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to his side. “I suppose we could do that.”

My fear at being reprimanded for speaking out of turn melted away from the warmth of his embrace. This was Garrick. My mate. The man who was going to take his chances in a blizzard in order to protect me during my heat. He was unlike any alpha I’d ever known. I was his equal. His mate.

It would take some time, but I would unlearn the habits I’d picked up to protect myself from my family’s wrath. I was with Garrick now, and he’d never let anything hurt me.

Chapter 12

Garrick

Noel and I were seated in my truck. He was too far away for comfort, so I gripped his hand and tugged him closer until he was riding in the middle seat directly beside me. Thankfully I had brought the truck with the one bench seat and not the two bucket seats, or else he wouldn’t have been able to be close to me. He smiled up at me, his eyes shining bright.

“So, what sort of things do you think will be there?” he asked. “I’ve never been to something like this. I wasn’t even allowed to go to the farmer’s market in town.”

Oh, how I wished I could throttle his parents. I hated what they’d done to my mate. Noel was pure and perfect. He didn’t deserve the cards he had been dealt. I’d spend the rest of my days making up for his shitty family. No one in any pack should be treated the way that he was.

“Joe said it was a Christmas festival. One run by shifters, so it should be comfortable and fun. Other than that, I don’t really know.”

“I can’t wait to see what’s there. I hope there are decorations and games and food.” His grin broadened. I leaned over quickly and kissed his cheek.

If there weren’t events like he wanted to see at this festival, I’d find a festival that did have all the things he wanted to experience. If one didn’t exist, I’d start one. “What about your pack? They didn’t have a solstice gathering, an ornament-making day, or a special dinner?”

He shook his head. “No. I suppose I’ve read about them in books, though, like where there’s different craft booths and food to try… and hot chocolate… I saw a movie once where they had all those things. It looked so magical, but I can’t imagine they are like that in real life.”

“They can be. It all depends on who you are with.” I squeezed his hand. “These festivals are usually a great place to pick up any last-minute gifts,” I said.

There Noel went, tugging at his lip again.

“What has you so worried, mate?” I loved saying that word. Loved that he was mine. I laced my fingers into his while I kept my other hand on the wheel.

“I’d love to be able to bring your parents a gift. After all, I’m coming into their family. I have nothing to offer. I should bring a gift, shouldn’t I? I don’t know the proper thing to do. Is there a protocol I should follow.”

My heart ached for the uncertainty he felt. If I could ensure he felt nothing but happiness for the rest of his life, I would. “You are the gift, Noel. The best gift they could ask for. I think my mother has been hoping for me to find my fated for a decade now, so she will be very relieved. But if you’d like, we can pick them up something. I planned to bring my parents back a little something special from this trip anyway.”

He grimaced. “That’ll be from you, not me.”

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