Playing You (Omega's Luck #3) - Claire Cullen Page 0,40

he and Riley were ‘it’ by default, the cubs racing away from them, only to run back a few minutes later in an attempt to get the two of them to chase them once more. Brendan obliged each time, catching a cub now and then to squealed delight from the kids. Then he carried a few of the younger cubs on his back while the rest trailed him and Riley as they headed down to the river with the rest of the family. The water was warm, the sun hot, so once his passengers had clambered off, Brendan wasted no time diving in, dunking his head under and letting the water run off his back. He felt a presence next to him, and then Riley surfaced. Brendan stared at him in surprise, then chuffed happily and nudged him. Riley was quite graceful in the water, his front paws paddling away while his back paws were held close to his body.

The older cubs wanted to swim out with them, but their parents called them back, giving him and Riley some time alone in the center of the river. Brendan enjoyed splashing through the cool water while Riley swam rings around him before tucking himself in close to Brendan’s side. Realizing that the omega had tired himself out, Brendan nudged him back to shore, and they settled on the bank for a rest. The hot sun beat down on them, drying their fur, while a few of the cubs came to join them for a nap. Brendan slowly stretched out, and Riley did the same. A rest would do them both good after their busy afternoon.

At length, it grew cooler, and Brendan pushed to his feet. It was time to head back and return to their human forms. And then it would be time to eat. Riley moved reluctantly, stretching out his long body and showing off his patterned fur. He seemed happy and at ease, a far cry from how he had been that morning. Shifting had been good for him. Brendan was happy he’d been able to help.

Dinner was a busy affair, with children underfoot and food spread out across three tables in the garden. It was usually a matter of serving yourself, but Brendan watched his Grams make a beeline for Riley. She took the plate from his hands and started piling food onto it.

Riley opened his mouth to protest, but Angie got there ahead of him.

“I’m sure Riley can feed himself, Grams.”

“Nonsense. Did you see his beautiful shifter form down by the lake? He’s skin and bones. We need to feed him up.”

Riley flushed, throwing a pleading glance Brendan’s way. But it was no use—his Grams was an unstoppable force when she set her mind to something.

“Not too much, Grams. We don’t want to make him sick because he’s too polite to leave food on his plate. You’ve got enough there to feed him three times over.”

Grams looked disgruntled but stopped ladling mashed potatoes on top of the generous portion of stew she’d already given him.

“Now dear, eat only as much as you want and not another bite more. Don’t worry about leftovers, they won’t go to waste.”

She threw a look of challenge Brendan’s way, but he knew better than to argue. He busied himself filling his own plate, and then sat down next to Riley at the table. Angie and Grams took seats opposite them, and Brendan could see they had questions. He hoped to distract them from the planned interrogation, but Angie was quick off the mark.

“So, Riley, how long has it been since you last changed?” Her attempt at sounding casual fell flat, her worry coming through plainly.

“It’s been a while,” Riley admitted softly, flushing at the attention.

“How long is a while?” Grams asked. She, at least, managed to make it sound like an offhand question.

“Um, a few years?”

The two women exchanged a glance, and Brendan sent a sharp look their way. He wanted to spare Riley further awkwardness or embarrassment. It wasn’t fair for him to be forced to share a story that he wanted to keep private.

“Well, you’re welcome to join us here anytime. As Brendan can tell you, we shift together most weekends. It’s a long-standing family tradition. We do wish he’d come home more, but now it’s obvious why he’s spent so much time away.”

Brendan managed to hold back the groan of irritation as Riley flushed a deeper red next to him.

“Your bear was looking a little thin too,” Grams said