Page 156 of Omega's Heart
“Cute? Alphas aren’t cute.” Kaden leaned in, arms braced on the walls on either side of his mate.
“You’re cute,” Felix said stubbornly, but his grin gave him away.
“Are you teasing me?”
“Maybe?” Felix’s smile stretched wider and he dipped his head to steal a kiss that Kaden was happy to give him.
The elevator bumped to a stop and Kaden stepped back, reaching out to lace his fingers through Felix’s. “Let’s go feed you. You’re eating for two now.”
Felix laughed and shook his head. “I think I’ve always been doing that.”
Kaden pulled his hand free to slap Felix on the ass. “If you didn’t, you’d look like Bax and I’d still be single.”
Felix gasped in delighted shock. “Kaden!”
“It’s true.” Kaden took his mate’s hand again and opened the door. “I like Bax.” He leered in Felix’s direction. “I like you a lot more.”
Felix stole another kiss. “Thank you,” he whispered.
The streets grew crowded as they got closer to what was turning into a sort of Main Street here in Mercy Hills. Small shops had popped up in one of the strips of former townhouses—a pizza place, the restaurant he was taking Felix to, another little cafe-style business.
They ran into Bax and Abel just outside the restaurant. Felix sent him an amused glance, which Kaden ignored, as an alpha should when his omega was being silly.
“Kaden, long time no see.” Abel clapped him on the shoulder. “You guys going out to eat?”
“Yeah.” Then, because he couldn’t contain himself, he added, “We’re having a pup.” He felt like his head would spin off with happiness.
Bax’s eyes lit up. “Congratulations!” He immediately stole Felix away and the two omegas disappeared inside the restaurant without them.
“Abandoned again,” Abel mused. He draped his arm over Kaden’s shoulders. “Well, this calls for a celebration. Let me buy you a meal. You won’t have too many quiet ones after the spring.”
Kaden snorted. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. Speaking of not-quiet, where are your pups?”
“Home eating pizza. Fan’s looking after them.”
“Brave of you.”
“Or desperate.”
They went through the door, spotted Felix and Bax with their heads together at a corner table, and headed for the counter.
Abel only gave the menu posted up on the wall a quick glance, but Kaden found himself suddenly faced with the necessity of figuring out what Felix might like from the dozen individual dishes listed. And which ones might be better for a bearing omega.
He hadn’t expected to feel so…out of control. Ignorant.
Scared.
“You okay?” Abel asked quietly.
Kaden lifted one shoulder and let it fall again. “It just kind of hit me, I think.”
“You’ll be fine.” Abel looked over his shoulder, toward the corner where Felix and Bax were sitting, and his lips twitched. “Uh oh.”
“What?” Kaden turned to see what had caught Abel’s attention. The two omegas were watching them now, Bax’s chin propped up on one hand, his fingers doing a poor job of hiding his amusement. Felix leaned in and whispered something that made Bax’s smile widen and then the two of them started whispering again.
“And so it begins,” Abel said, putting a hand on Kaden’s shoulder and turning him back toward the counter. “Come on, I’m hungry.”
Kaden glanced back at Felix again just before it was their turn at the counter. Felix was watching him with a contented expression, listening to Bax and smiling, but most of his attention was for Kaden. And as if just knowing his mate was there was balance enough for him, Kaden felt his world right itself, and whatever worries he had—about the baby, about Felix, about his own ability to be alpha and sire—faded away in the solid security of knowing that he wouldn’t be exploring this new territory on his own.
