His Prairie Omega Box Set

by MacKenzie Wilde

  Their conversation was momentarily distracted by a low boom of thunder far off in the distance. Turning back to one another they continued.

  “You think so? I just…I’m torn. I don’t want to make the wrong decision and hurt anyone. And what if he doesn’t…you know, feel that way about me?” Kyle glanced down at the chrome insignia on the dashboard. He felt pretty low, but he knew that on some level, Jess was right.

  “I know so. You’re an Omega – we fall for Alphas, they fall for us. Water is wet, rocks are hard. End of story. To be honest, we have it easy compared to Betas! I mean, I’d never ask Dad about it or anything, but Natalie’s hairdresser is a Beta and they’re pretty close. He said that they have a way harder time picking up things via scent. Like, their relationships are, like, ninety five percent talking, five percent scent. Can you believe how hard and unfair that would be?!”

  “Shit, you’re not serious are you?” Kyle sucked in air. He vaguely recalled reading about some statistic along those lines back in nursing school, but was floored that it was so low.

  “I know! It’s totally unfair. They don’t even have the benefit of feeling their way through someone else by scent! I mean, can you imagine just having to walk up to someone without knowing if they’re even looking for a mate or interested in you, like shaking their hand and just throwing words at them? You could waste like a whole hour before you realized that they totally hated you but were just being nice!” She nearly shook with fury that some unscented people in this world would be forced to speak their way through their lives.

  “Anyhow, the whole point of saying all of that is to remind you that your scent can’t lie, and neither can Jake’s. I’ve seen him around you and he’s completely nuts for you. Hell, like two weeks ago you hated him and that rage burned into passion pretty damned quick. Maybe the reason that you and he haven’t discussed pups is because he’s already on board and just wanted to let nature take its course? I mean, if I was in heat last week, you’re either late or should be coming up pretty darned soon.” Jess’ tone was soft and reassuring as she effortlessly slid into the role of den-mother to her wounded brother.

  “I’m actually on this weekend. Toronto must’ve slowed me a little. But yeah, I get you. I guess I just… didn’t want to have to do whatever our pheromones told us to, you know?” Kyle leaned his head against the cool glass. As he usually did on long road trips as a youth, he imagined a little man running beside the car, jumping over fences, vaulting trees, and running across fields. The man looked a lot like Jake now, and was damned sexy.

  “Well that’s just it – you don’t. I mean, the choice is still up to you. I’d just try to think of scent as, like, your auto-pilot. If you go with it, you won’t be disappointed, but you can’t only rely on it. I mean, you may have to face facts: so what if the cute Omega Kyle winds up married with pups to the Alpha Jake? I know that kind of upsets you, but what if that’s what you ultimately decide to choose for yourself? I mean, maybe there’s a reason that so many of us Omegas wind up with Alphas, right? It just works and it’s wonderful.”

  Kyle was silent for a good long while, taking his time to unpack what surprising wisdom she had left with him. Jess fell silent too, and continued their ride home, her desire for gossip having apparently been sated.

  “You know, despite what they say, you’re a pretty decent, kind, and clean sister.” He smirked as he casually leaned hard to the side, pre-emptively hoping to avoid her wrath.

  Glancing over Jess saw how far he’d scooted to the one side of the car and decided against slapping at him for now, anyways. “Dick move. And just when I was about to reassure you about Jake, you do that. I mean, I don’t know who else is in the running, but Jake’s a great guy.”

  “It was Mike. And I know that he is.” Kyle scratched his beard. It was starting to get a little shaggy and he made a mental note to trim it when he got in.

  “Whoa, hold on, do you mean Mike-Mike? Like Toronto Mike? I thought that you and he…?”

  “We did. But he texted me, like, a day after I got back to Shale River. He laid his cards on the table and misses me and wants me back. He’s a decent enough guy, but I didn’t want to reply because I guess on some level I knew that sparks were going to fly with Jake. Well, one way or another.” Kyle continued to scratch at his beard. Maybe he’d trim it down to a sexy sheen of stubble, like Jake’s.

  “So this is why you’re so conflicted, eh? Well, he’s kinda pretty, and well dressed. Probably got a butt-load of money too, and I remember how freaked out you got when he sprang the idea of pups. Man, if only he could hear you going on about babies now! So yeah, I’m not going to lie, Toronto Mike’s pretty decent. I mean, for a big-city guy. But…”

  “But?” Kyle asked, hoping that the very next thing that she said would somehow solve all of his problems.

  “…but he’s no Jake. I mean, he’s not from Shale River, doesn’t get our community, and I doubt that he and his patent leather shoes would want to live on a mud, slush, rain, or snow-covered farm for the rest of his life. You need to haul into Fort McMurray to find any sushi, our lattes mostly come pre-packaged, the internet speeds blow, and our fashion sense is currently hovering around 2006 if I’m not mistaken. I mean, you tell me how many of the ranch hands still think that gelled, frosted tips are the bee’s knees.” Jess casually rattled off a half dozen reasons why Mike, despite his sweet charms, could never be part of the Daniels clan.

  “Ha. Was that your reasons for why I shouldn’t date Mike, or why you’re going to leave as soon as Briggs puts a ring on it?” Kyle teased. But in truth, Jess did paint a bleak picture.

  “No, that’s just it. I love it here. It’s where my pups are going to grow up, run through the grass, swim in the river, and skin their knees. I mean, yeah, they’re going to turn twenty and get bitten by the city bug and haul ass off to some huge place with skyscrapers and good sushi. Probably stack a bunch of fancy degrees right on top of one another before they come back home to work in a bakery, the oil fields, or the bowling alley. But they’ll always come home, because Shale River’s our home, Kyle.”

  “That’s beautiful Jess.” He nodded in amazement at his sister. At times she truly thought and spoke with a dignified grace well beyond her years.

  Jess’ sniffling broke the silence that otherwise had lasted nearly a minute. Before he could say anything, she exploded into tears and started to pull the car to the side of the road. She was inconsolable.

  “Whoa, what’s up? Are you okay? Talk to me…” Kyle’s voice rang with panic.

  Once the car had stopped Jess wiped her eyes dry. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’ve just been really emotional since well, you know. And I just thought about how sad I’d be if my daughter didn’t want to be my friend when she turned fifteen and was shitty like I was to mom. And then I thought about mom, and how all she wanted was what was best for us, and now I’m realizing that’s all I’m thinking about, and… I didn’t mean to be such a crappy daughter… and…” Jess would’ve fallen over in her seat but the belt caught her at the last minute. She continued to bawl her eyes out.

  “Jessie-bear, all teenagers are shitty. It’s what they do. Mom knew that you loved her each and every day, even if you didn’t always show it. She knew, trust me.”

  “Y-you think?” She sobbed a few times and fiddled with the glove compartment to grab some much-needed tissues before messily emptying her nose into them.

  “Of course she did. I just think that you’re feeling extra feelsy lately, and that’s perfectly normal for the early stages of babydom.”

  “I guess so. I’ve just been a wreck lately. I’ll start imagining what it’s going to be like with the little guy or gal, and all of the fun that we’re going to get up to and bam, here come the waterworks. Thanks for putting up with me.” Her eyes now dried, she fussed with her hair in the rear-view mirror and frowned at her results.

  “No, thank you for putting up with me! I’m the one who’s dealt with every situation just about
as poorly as I could over the past week. I guess I’ve just been so stuck in my own head that I’m not seeing or hearing anyone else. I think before I text anything back to Mike, I need to be honest about where I see my future with Jake – it’s only fair to the both of them.” His nerves chilled him somewhat. He rubbed his arms for warmth, even though the inside of the car was fairly balmy. Thinking upon his words, he wondered if he’d been a little ‘extra feelsy’ of late. He quickly pushed the thought from his mind.

  A few patters of rain began to sprinkle the windshield as the final wisps of blue sky were paved over neatly by a dull grey mass.

  “Well, he’s coming over for dinner tonight, isn’t he? No time like the present.” Jess looked at her brother as she spoke. “I mean, getting it cleared up super quick is probably the best way to go about this, right?”

  “I know it is. I’m just nervous, I guess. What if he doesn’t say what I want to hear? What if he turns out to be that Alpha that just turns tail and runs?” Kyle squinted at a far off cloud face as black as coal. Rumbling and swirling hotly, it was moving fast.

  “No way. Not a chance. I’ve seen you two. Like I said, the pheromones can’t lie, he’s as good as yours. And I know that if you’re honest with yourself, you’re as good as his.” She patted his arm in a reassuring manner, before resting her hand upon the gear shift. Somewhere behind the steering wheel a subtle crack of gears could be heard, and the Country Squire shifted back into drive.

  “We should probably get back before the skies open up. You know, before Dad goes into full-blown panic mode about the flooding,” Jess explained as she eased the vehicle back onto the hot road, after dutifully signalling, of course.

  “Ah, the pumps! How could I forget one of my most precious and traumatic childhood memories? I guess that’s one of those things that makes Shale River home, working Dad’s borderline illegal collection of fairly dangerous field pumps?” Kyle sported a silly grin as he observed the distant rains.

  Jess laughed a little. “They’re not that bad. And I mean, I’d consider it a Daniels right of passage to be gifted with a burn from that crappy old engine. I’m just happy to see some rain. I know Dad’s been fretting over the fields for a good while now. I’d overheard him talking with someone on the phone about dividing up some of the fields, and worried that he was going to try to sell the farm. Or at least part of it.”

  Kyle gasped inwardly. “Shit. I had no idea. I don’t know what he’d do if he sold it. Like, literally, I cannot imagine him doing anything else. He’d go stir crazy and … and …”

  “Move in with his caring son, a dutiful nurse who could look after his every need in retirement?” his sister offered teasingly.

  “Oh no, never happening! Can you imagine Dad in Toronto? Like, actually think about it for a few minutes. He’d probably try to start planting in High Park!” Kyle started laughing.

  The rest of their rainy trip was filled with heart-warming anecdotes of their lovable father. Maybe Kyle had been too hard on him, he thought to himself in between sweet and silly stories about their old man. And, as much as he’d hate to admit it, at least when it came to Jake, his father was right about doing what came naturally. Steeling himself for the conversation that he’d be having after their barbequed dinner, Kyle smiled as things seemed to finally be going his way in Shale River.

  Twenty Three

  Jess and Kyle were glad to see that the crops had been thirsty and drank up what they could. They’d spent what remained of the morning and early afternoon helping their father run emergency irrigation lines along the fields. The rains that pelted the outlying farms were a little sparse, but the floodways and ponds had more than enough water to provide for the Daniels’ crops.

  “On a good year, I can nearly cut my water bill in half.” Kyle could hear his father repeating his favourite mantra on the usefulness of a well-maintained spill-over and floodway. The only problem was getting to it before it was slurped up by the thirsty scrub, weeds, and rocky soils that lined the ditches and massive ponds that ran alongside the farm. A ramshackle collection of tubes and pipes held together with an impressive collection of faded duct tape ferried foamy water from the spillways and onto the mud-caked soil.

  Despite having his kin together and getting dirt under their nails, it would take a lot to get their father’s mind off of the harvest. Things had been getting so hot and so dry that he was worried. Even one or two years of less than expected results to small, independent growers could be devastating.

  The narrow strip of green between the raised deck and the crops was cratered with dried pockets of cracked red mud. The four of them mostly stayed on the deck. As usual, Cromwell became quite brave with his audience. He was playing and dashing to his heart’s content and, of course, somehow managed to find the one area that was still sodden. Jake arrived late in the afternoon with steaks, sticky buns, and a 24-pack of Lipton Brisk, carefully nestled in ice for Kyle’s old man. The Omega couldn’t help but smile – it was definitely a smooth play by the Alpha. Freshly showered, and nursing a tall glass of iced tea, Kyle was bracing himself for the conversation that he’d be making in just a few short hours.

  Kyle marvelled at the Alpha’s patience with his father. Their dad had his back to them as he grilled, and would occasionally turn to lob a comment, or ask Jake a question.

  “Bet you Firedogs are pretty happy with this rain, eh? Must make the job easier.”

  “That’s the funny thing, sir.” Jake sat up as he sipped some tea. “It doesn’t. These little bouts of rain here and there are just gonna encourage the little scrappy guys to grow. Scrub, woody shoots, and weeds mostly. They can’t hold a lot of water, so if they catch they could cause a spark to jump to the conifers. It’s been so darned hot and dry that their needles will go up like nobody’s business.”

  “Hmm. Never thought about it that way.” The old man paused while gouts of greasy smoke leapt from the grill.

  “Yeah, the trees have been goin’ through some pretty lean times. If they catch fire this time of year, well, let’s just say that we’re in some real trouble.”

  “Suppose that you’ll need yer strength then? Got some more with yer name on ‘em.” Their father beamed as he walked toward the table with a paper plate buckling under the pressure of its greasy contents. The elder Daniels seemed to marvel at the ability of the Alpha to pack away food, and was determined not to have any leftovers.

  “I appreciate it sir.” Jake smiled as he watched a few more haunches of medium-well meat plop onto his plate. He inhaled deeply as if to mentally prepare himself.

  “Dad, he didn’t bring his stretchy pants, so maybe we could ease up on him,” Jess politely suggested to her father.

  “Nonsense, he’s a grown man, fightin’ them fires,” he snorted confidently. “Needs lots of meat for his muscle. None of that veggie stuff like they do in the city.”

  Kyle ignored his father’s tone as best he could. He continued to tuck into the South-Western grilled corn salad he’d made with a recipe from Bobby Flay. “Note that as I don’t want my cholesterol bumping into the triple digits, Dad, I tried to pair the steak with a salad.”

  Jess was getting a kick out of watching the handsome Alpha attempt to play mediator between her father and brother.

  “Well sir, I can tell you that these steaks are finely done and just about my favourite thing to chow down on,” Jake began, carefully and sweetly choosing his words. “But I ain’t never tasted corn as tasty as this. It’s really good, you know, for a bunch of veggies.”

  Kyle tilted his head slightly toward the Alpha.

  Jake flushed. “Well no, I mean, shoot, I’m not tryin’ to knock on greens or nothing. I really like this stuff, and I never thought I’d say that.”

  The Omega squeezed his partner’s thigh under the table. “I know, just don’t feel that you need to eat it all just to make me happy.”

  Things tipped back and forth between Kyle and his dad until they eventually reached a détente by the
time dessert had ended. For the most part, it was a civil, decent evening with a very special guest. In short order, their pop was snoozing contently from his recliner. Jess gave Kyle little looks of happiness as she cleared the table for the two lovebirds. Kyle watched all of the things getting in the way of him telling Jake about his time with Mike and became a little nervous. It was palpable, and sadly, unavoidable.

  Jake tried to be sweet without smothering. He helped Jess with the rest of the dishes, refilled Kyle’s iced tea, and even offered a post-dessert ice cream run at Starsky’s, a locally-run creamery.

  “Guests should be enjoying themselves, not working.” Kyle spoke demurely as he placed a hand upon Jake’s forearm. “Come, sit beside me.”

  The faintest look of worry crossed Jake’s face. He did as he was told and the canvas of the lawn chair creaked under his muscle.

  “So, here goes. I can tell you anything, right?” He reached out and nervously danced his fingers along Jake’s massive forearm.

  “Of course, bud.” Jake’s hand warmly embraced the Omega’s.

  Kyle tried and failed to slow his rapid breathing. “When I moved to the big city, I never thought that I’d come home. And when I was in Toronto, I started seeing someone. We never got super serious or anything, but we did date for about five months…”

  The Omega paused to collect his thoughts.

  “That’s alright. People date.”Jake watched him intently.

  “Things were going well, but I think that we wanted slightly different things in life, so we broke it off. I moved back here when I got the news about my dad, and the rest is history.” Jake was still softly holding his Omega’s hand. “So he, this guy, he messages me a few days ago. He wants to get back together…”

  The Alpha notably tensed, his powerful muscles tight and ready. He seemed as if he were ready to take off and chase something.