Page 108 of The Omega

“Thanks for making the trip out here, I know it means a lot to our mate,” I said.

“Aspen wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Ranger said, getting that same lovesick look in his eyes when he spoke of his mate that I saw in the mirror every day.

“Fallon would’ve missed it.” John grinned through his massive beard. “But it’s probably the last trip we’re taking for a while. Might as well live it up while we can.”

Ranger laughed as he shook his head. “Speaking of trips, on the road over here, we were talking about how funny it is that fate works like it does.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Atlas asked.

“Pairing the two of you up.” He motioned between me and Atlas. “What are the odds?”

“We’re not a pair,” Atlas and I said at the same time.

“Sure thing.” John gave a mock salute.

“Anyway,” Ranger was still grinning, “I’m always looking for good investment projects and Aspen has a whole humanitarian—or shifter-itarian—fund set up for causes like the two of yours. Let me know if you ever need some help.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

Atlas stood beside me, shaking his head. “Me either.”

Ranger stilled as his brow furrowed, then he gave us both a knowing look. “I see. Well, the offer still stands.”

“As if I’d ever!” Aunt Sunny’s scream was followed by the sound of a slap.

We all turned to watch her and my ma storm off, while Jay Renfro stood there with a handprint burning on his cheek.

And the bastard still had the nerve to give me a cheeky grin. “Dorian, my boy, I think I’ve got a job offer for you.”

“No thanks.” I waved him off. “I’m working on something big.”

“How big?” Jay zoomed in, going in for the kill. Maybe there was still some wolf in that old dog after all.

Not that the job was that big or worth sniffing around. But working for Ken on Mating Season and doing the choreography for the talent show number had given me an idea. We planned to teach classes for fitness and budding acrobats right in the main tent on my territory. Ma and Sunny and a few more of the pack loved the idea.

The lion shifters and monkeys felt better with our part two of what we were calling the retirement act.

“Massively big,” Atlas answered for me.

He’s only saying that because it was his idea.

I rolled my eyes, knowing my wolf was right.

Atlas had proposed a trade-off. In showing our shifters how to run patrol, we’d help extend security on his borders a little bit, and they’d get their own paychecks. It was a win for both our packs.

“It’s not that big.” I sighed.

Honestly the whole thing sounded simple when we put it on paper, but I liked the idea of simple after the last few years.

“It is big,” Atlas said.

“Is not—”

“Are you sure you guys aren’t a couple?” John smirked.

“No,” we said.

The door to the library opened. A member of the camera crew poked her head inside. “Five minutes until we need you out here.”