Chapter Seventeen

Shane

I hadn't been this nervous since I first got on the plane to go to the Bearclaw Inn. Though I knew it had only been weeks since I saw my omega, my lion's longing for him had gone on forever.

My body felt like something was missing. Like a piece of me had been taken away.

And now, if the damned plane would hurry up, that piece might be right where it should've been all along.

I stood at the gate, scanning the crowd for Zhang. His dark-black hair. His stature. His scent. I wanted him in my arms so badly, my skin tingled with the need.

I was looking past the others in the crowd, grateful to be able to see over them and growing more antsy moment by moment when his dark hair came into view. Then his smile. Then the rest of him as the crowd parted.

He picked up the pace and ran to me. I caught him up in my arms, swinging him around, careful not to knock over others. I was a wrecking ball, after all.

"You're here," I whispered in his ear, peppering his neck and face with pent-up kisses.

"I'm here?" I let him down and he cocked his head. "Have you gotten bigger?"

I looked down with a shrug. "Probably. It's kind of my job. And I'm on a bulk now."

He shook his head. "I'm gonna get used to these terms, I promise. You gonna buy me lunch, alpha?" he asked with a gleam in his brown eyes.

"Absolutely. I'm taking you to my favorite place."

I guided Zhang to the parking garage and put his bags in the back. I was glad to see that he packed for more than a weekend and we hadn't booked him a return trip yet. We had decided to play the whole thing by ear.

He had a lot of vacation piled up, since he'd almost never taken any before, and we'd discussed his trying to transfer out of the supervisor role into a remote position as a possibility. My gyms were in many places but I had my home base, both for specialized workouts and corporate offices here in this town. Changes could be made, but they would be complicated and expensive.

We pulled into a local smokehouse that served the best barbeque in three counties, or so they said, and I could order as much protein as I wanted.

"This place is great. What are you ordering?" he asked, looking up at the menu on the wall. I leaned down and kissed him right on the lips. Because he was finally here and I could.

And I loved him.

I think I had since I got into that car with him on the way to the inn.

"Meat," I said, laughing. "But all the sides are good too. I'm getting a sweet potato and some green beans. Why not try the sampler tray that comes with one of everything?"

Zhang's eyes widened. "What if I can't finish it?"

"Then I'll eat it or we can bring it home with us."

"That sounds good." I knew he wasn't talking about the food. He was talking about he and I going to a place we both called home.

We ate and, as expected, he had to take home leftovers. My mountain lion wanted his approval of my home, our den. He walked in and scanned the place with his hand in mine. "It's an alpha house for sure."

"You don't like it?" I asked, deflated.

"I do. It's so big and spacious. Is there a backyard?"

I blew out a breath and nodded. Zhang had sent me pictures of his vacation-like backyard with a hammock and swings and fabulous flower beds. Mine was nothing but grass and a picnic table. I led him there and blew out a breath. "Not like yours at all, right?"

"Maybe we can do something about that," he said. "There's a lot of room but right now, I have other ideas for all this extra energy I'm carrying around."

"And what would that be?" I asked and pressed him against the wall after leading him back inside.

"You've fed your omega," he said breathy and sexy as hell.

My cock swelled to full hardness instantly.

"Now, I want you to fill me up."

I picked him up effortlessly and carried him to the bedroom. It only took minutes before he was just where I wanted him to be, under me and writhing.

It was just like before. So damned starving for each other.

"I need to tell you something," I said as he hovered, wanting to ride me.

"Right now?" he asked.

"Right now. I love you, Zhang. I'm in love with you."

Tears welled in his eyes and right before he sank down, taking me wholly, he looked into my eyes and said, "I love you too, Shane. So damned much."