Playing You (Omega's Luck #3) - Claire Cullen Page 0,42
toward making up for all that you’ve been through, then it’s worth every second.”
The smile Riley gave him was breathtaking, the omega’s happiness pure and bright. Even if this weekend turned out to be a disaster from Brendan’s perspective, it was well worth giving Riley this small measure of comfort, of family.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Riley groaned as he pried his eyes open on Sunday morning. Sure, he’d slept like a log, but every muscle in his body ached. He was certainly paying the price for his carefree shifting the day before. He rolled onto his side and spotted Brendan getting dressed. The alpha most certainly wasn’t moving like an old man.
“Why do you look so much better than I feel?”
Brendan spun around to face him, smiling broadly.
“Oh, hey. Good morning.”
His face creased into a frown a moment later.
“You don’t feel good?”
“Muscles I didn’t even know I had are aching,” Riley grumbled, pushing upright.
“Maybe a bath?” Brendan suggested.
“I don’t want to monopolize the bathroom. I’ll stick with a shower.”
“The hot water will help either way.”
The alpha herded him to the bathroom and handed him some clean towels. “Take your time. It’s early, most of the house is still asleep.”
The spray of the shower beating down on his shoulders felt great, and he groaned in pleasure. He stayed in there as long as he dared before getting out and drying off. The soreness had eased, but he still didn’t feel like himself. The heat from the shower lingered even as he escaped the steamed-up bathroom and returned to the bedroom he shared with Brendan. The alpha was stretched out on the bed, reading a book.
“Hey. Any better?”
“Yeah.” Riley hesitated, aware that something was off but unsure what it was. “Less sore, anyway. But I feel a bit… flu-y? I think maybe I’m coming down with something.”
Brendan got up and crossed the room to stand in front of him, laying the back of his hand across Riley’s forehead. “You do feel warm. Do you want to go back to bed?”
Riley shook his head. It was their last day, and he wanted to make the most of it. Plus, he was a bit afraid of the mollycoddling Brendan’s family might smother him in if they thought he was sick.
“Then maybe we’ll head down and grab some breakfast. Are you hungry?”
“A little.” His stomach growled, giving him away. “Maybe more than a little.”
Brendan grinned. “Post-shift hunger can be fearsome. Let’s go fill that empty stomach.”
He followed the alpha down to the kitchen, unsurprised to find that Grams was an early riser. She smiled at Brendan over her cup of tea, and then frowned when she caught sight of Riley. “You’re looking pale.”
“His first time shifting in years. Not surprising, really,” Brendan said offhandedly as he made a beeline for the kettle.
Riley was grateful that he wasn’t making a big deal of it, but Grams was still watching him with concern.
“What do you feel like eating?” Brendan asked.
Grams stood up. “You leave breakfast to me. Oatmeal is best the day after you shift. With pancakes to follow.”
Riley found himself ushered into a chair and not allowed to lift a finger while Brendan was roped into helping. A glass of orange juice was set in front of him, followed by a huge bowl of oatmeal topped with sugar and fruit. The idea of oatmeal hadn’t exactly whetted his appetite, but as soon as the bowl was there in front of him, it looked like the most delicious thing he’d ever seen. Suddenly ravenous, he inhaled the lot in a matter of minutes.
The empty bowl was replaced by a stack of pancakes drizzled with syrup. Riley forced himself to pause for a minute and drink more juice. He was a little embarrassed to be stuffing himself at someone else’s table without having done anything to help. Brendan took a seat across from him, making inroads into his own stack of pancakes, and Angie joined them. She took over cooking the pancakes while Grams resumed her seat at the head of the table and sipped yet another cup of tea.
Grams smiled when she caught Riley’s eye. “Lovely to see such a good appetite.”
Embarrassed, he glanced at Brendan. “Maybe I’m not coming down with something after all.”
“Probably just your body’s way of compensating for the shift,” Brendan said easily, pausing between bites of pancake.
Riley started on his own stack, almost moaning when the taste hit his tongue. When he glanced Grams’ way, she winked at him. “The secret ingredient is buttermilk.”
He matched