Page 2 of Shifting Years
From behind, my other half sliced freshly baked bread. Kim's deep inhales suggested he was already mated and must be newto his powers. Sometimes a wolf's gift was enough to make up for the challenges of an Alpha and Omega life. Other times, they pick the human world.
With decades of experience, Todd slathered mayonnaise, cut a tomato, and added ingredients I whispered out. Once done, we had tea brewing, a roast beef sandwich, and oven-warmed chocolate cookies. My power tingled with images of a muffuletta with sesame seed bread, but not for the kid. Someone else was on their way.
"Wow, thank you, but I don't have money. Well, not with me, because I hurried out." I waved that it was okay, and he gawked as the plate rested on the table. "Your Alphaserves?"
Todd chuckled. "I don't like seeing a hungry pup…"
"Kim. My, uh, Alpha's Jack. He won't set a table and says cooking and making meals is Omega work."
"Oh, dear." Todd didn't pay attention to couples, but I did. "I know him. Long blond hair, right? And… traditionalist."
"Yeah, and how was I supposed to know? I didn't know I was a shifter or an Omega. I had thisurgeto find this town, you know? Then all this magicstuffcomes."
"We know," said Todd and I.
"So, I meet this really cute guy and that's cool, but I got to be his servant?"
The answer was no, of course, but that was a decision only he could make. "Do you love him?" I asked.
Kim bit his sandwich and mouthed, "Wow."
"I don't know," he said with a mouth full of fluffy white bread. "The sex is great. I mean like 'everything's blurry-amazing' because he knows where to touch me, even when I don't, but outside? We havenothingin common, and I got to stay with him because wolves mate for life, you know?"
We murmured before Todd spoke. "That's not true. We tell ourselves things because it sounds good. Gives pups something to aspire to, but all couples can separate."
"I heard this town finds soulmates. Doesn't that prove you're destined to stay together?"
I softened my tone. "The person who arranged for the spell, well, we don't know what the exact words were or their definition of a soulmate. That's the thing about magic, you have to phrase it perfectly."
Todd repeated and drew out my last word.
Kim's voice lowered. "So we might not stick together then? Mary said—"
I spoke first. "There were two shifters who arguedallthe time."
"And if anyone had the secret to staying mated, it's them," finished Todd.
"Yes, sirs. Something like that."
Kim reminded me of punks from the seventies, although he didn't have the in-your-face attitude. I couldn't judge because a free-love hippie once thought he knew everything.
"Well," I began. "It started decades ago, in the late sixties. It was a time of death, hope, and having it dashed away. My favorite television show was—"
"No," said Todd. "Start with our friend Bobby and leaving California. You bored the last oneand mewith your Star Trek discussions."
"It was an allegory for what happened later."
My Alpha turned to Kim. "Little pup, do you likeStar Trek?"
"Not really. I'm more into music, even the ancient stuff from the seventies, like The Clash."
"Oh, I'm hurt," I teased. "Not about the music, butTrek. Truman would be too if he heard."
"The Omega who runs the comic book shop?" asked Kim.
"Yes, and he had issues too."
My Alpha turned to me. "Focus. No comic book Omegas, vampires with an old Chevy, alligator shifters, or two very lovely ladies in the bayou. At least not until later."
