Playing You (Omega's Luck #3) - Claire Cullen Page 0,56

was waiting for him. With open arms, he welcomed him, distantly feeling the pain roll over his body, followed by relief.

When he opened his eyes, the world looked starkly different. The colors were more muted but the light sharper. Brendan crouched right in front of him, his eyes warm, his smile pleased.

“I knew you could do it. You’re a natural.”

Riley stalked toward him, circling him, his fur brushing against Brendan’s bare skin. The alpha stretched out a hand and stroked along his body. Riley arched into the touch and butted his head against the alpha’s knee. He was eager to get outside and play, but he couldn’t until the alpha let his bear out to join them.

“Okay, okay. I get the message,” Brendan said. He stood up and moved across the room.

Riley went to follow, but the alpha stopped him with a laugh. “You might want to give me some room. I end up a lot bigger than when I start.”

Sheepishly, Riley moved to the opposite side and waited. He watched Brendan shift with interest, marveling at the size and strength of the bear hidden inside the man. In contrast, his shifter form was smaller and daintier. Somehow, it suited him, fit who he was and how he felt inside. His shifter form seemed younger, more excitable, and a little more immature. The urge to run and play was almost indescribable.

Brendan came up to him, nudging him with a warm nose, and then headed for the green door. Riley hurried to follow, waiting eagerly for the doors to open. As soon as he saw the soft green grass and blue sky, he took off running. This was going to be so much fun.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Brendan didn’t want to admit it, but it was becoming more true by the day—the house that had brought them together, that had been a safe haven when Riley needed it, had become a barrier to furthering their relationship. He wanted more time with Riley, wanted to spend their evenings together, wanted to stay the night. But short of booking an impersonal hotel room, they were out of luck when it came to Mrs. O’Brien’s.

He found the woman in question sitting at the kitchen table one evening.

“Brendan, come sit down and have a cup,” she said, gesturing to the teapot and cup waiting for him. He knew an ambush when he saw one. But he also knew there was no running from Mrs. O’Brien.

“It’s late for you to be up.”

“My arthritis is at me. A cup of tea and some Tylenol will set me right.”

She poured him some tea, and he added a liberal amount of milk, hoping to keep the conversation short.

“How are the renovations going on your house? It’s been a few months since you last mentioned it.”

He blinked at her. This was not the topic of conversation he’d been expecting.

“Uh… yeah. There was a lot of back and forth with the insurance company, but it’s been sorted out.”

“And the house?” She sipped her tea, her gaze knowing.

“Most of the renovation work is done.”

“Am I right in thinking it’s been done for a while now?”

Brendan winced, slow to admit the truth. “A month or two, yeah.”

“I’d like to believe it’s my cooking that’s kept you here, but I suspect a certain omega catching your eye might have more to do with it.”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Oh, I’ve seen it all in my many years running a boarding house. You’re not the first pair of lovebirds to live here. But you might be the first not to even try to bend my rules.”

“Yeah? What happened to the ones who did?”

“They found themselves out on their ears. The alphas, anyway.” She gave him a stern look over her teacup.

“I’d expect no less from you.”

She was still eying him expectantly.

He sighed, admitting quietly, “I have been slow to redecorate my place. It isn’t Riley, though.” At her sharp look, he amended it to, “It isn’t just Riley. After spending so long living in this house, warm and lively, with a good meal on the table every evening, the idea of going back to that cold, empty place just seems… unappealing.”

“You can’t stay here forever, Brendan. That’s no life for an alpha in his prime. As for your house… I’ve heard the best way to make a house a home is to fill it with love. When Mr. O’Brien was gone, I sat alone in this house for almost a year. It was only when I took in my first