Heat Race - Tanya Chris Page 0,35

of the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron as she came. “And you’ve got…?”

“A pack.” That was the only way to describe who he had with him. “This is our omega, Jack Henry.” He pulled Jack Henry in front of him—in part to break the hold Jack Henry had on Elias, which rubbed his ego the wrong way.

“I’m so very pleased to meet you.” His mother offered her cheek for Jack Henry to kiss.

“Ma’am.”

“Call me Alice. You’re family now. And who’s the rest of our new family?”

Jasper introduced Elias and Saul. “And they’re hungry. Sorry to drop in with three extra mouths to feed.”

“You know there’s always more than enough. Go on into the dining hall and get your pack settled. Lunch is about to be served. Should I make up some bedrooms for you?”

Jasper shook his head. The farmhouse had plenty of rooms, but not one large enough to house all four of them, and he refused to divvy Jack Henry up into separate servings—mine tonight, yours tomorrow. It would make Jack Henry feel like a possession and would leave them all even more prone to jealousy and possessiveness than they already were.

“We’ll stay out at the cabin. But maybe we could borrow some bedding?”

“Anything you need.” She patted his arm before bustling off, returning to the endless grind of running a farm.

Jasper brought his packmates into the dining room, where the field hands had already started to gather for their midday meal, and introduced them to the people he knew by name. Farm workers tended to be transient—they came and went with the seasons—but some had been with them since he was a boy. They knew his semi-public secret and were pleased to see him fulfilling his destiny.

Whispers ran around the room as those who were in the know filled in those who weren’t. Jasper caught more than one challenging look. Up till now, he’d been an uber-alpha in concept only, but that was about to change, and if those looks were anything to go by, some of the alphas weren’t going to like it much. Some of the humans too.

By the time they settled down to eat, Jasper’s wolf was on high alert, rendering him almost incapable of swallowing. Being an uber-alpha was exhausting.

“Hey.” Jack Henry touched their feet together under the table. “No one’s hurting me, and we’re all together. Eat something.”

Jasper shouldn’t have to be comforted by his omega, but Jack Henry’s words were a comfort. Saul slid along the bench so their thighs touched, and that helped too. Jasper met Elias’s eyes, checking in with the final side of their square, and found a wary expression on his face, not dissimilar to how he was feeling himself. For some reason, that helped most of all. He wasn’t in this alone. They were all floundering.

“I don’t know if Jack Henry mentioned it,” Elias said, “but I’m kind of a history geek. I’ve always loved reading stories about new packs being formed. Never expected to be in the middle of one.” His laugh sounded almost genuine. “But I think this is normal—that we’re wound up. The bond is expanding right now, which is what it’s supposed to be doing, and having what feels like a new organ in your chest would rattle anyone.”

“What else did those books teach you?” Jasper asked, happy to let Elias be their expert.

Elias exchanged a look with Saul, then glanced around at the rest of the room. “There is something else, but I’d rather wait until we’re alone to discuss it.”

“Eat up, then.” Jasper matched his actions to his words, diving into his meal with fake enthusiasm. He was going to need his strength. For what, he wasn’t sure, but his alpha said get big, get strong, and the buzz of interest surrounding them contained enough negative undertones that his human side agreed.

When they’d finished eating, he took his pack over to meet his father, a gruff man who didn’t have his mother’s easy warmth but who would be there in a heartbeat if Jasper ever called on him. His father was an alpha—just a regular one, not an uber-alpha, but his example had taught Jasper what being an alpha meant. No alpha could ever be more uber in his eyes.

He watched Jack Henry shake his father’s hand with dual feelings of pride and nervousness. Jack Henry was beautiful in the dark green Henley he’d put on to keep warm on the ride to Galvetta. It brought out the silver