Blake snorted and leaned back in his seat. His Omega and pack co-leader knew him so well. “That’s because he is, Margaret.”
She sniffed and continued preparing lunch. “I had an idea.”
“I’ll be right back”, he called out as he walked past. He washed his hands and took off his sweaty T-shirt, tossing it in a basket in the laundry room next to the kitchen. Before his mother got a chance to talk about whatever she wanted, he rushed to his room for a quick shower. No way was he going to sit and eat lunch when he was so sweaty.
After showering, he threw on a pair of jeans and a clean shirt, and hurried back before she started calling out to him.
“So what did you want to tell me?” he asked back in the kitchen.
“I was about to tell you my idea before you rushed out of here.”
“Mother, your ideas always mean one of us has to settle for a woman we don’t want. A woman who won’t complete us.” He sighed and sat down at the table. “A woman who’s not right for us.”
She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. “If you weren’t so damn hardheaded, you’d have found a mate by now. But all you want to do is sit in the backyard building furniture. And you…” she said, pointing a chef knife at Blake. “All you ever look at are the pack accounts like they’re suddenly going to disappear overnight.”
Kane grinned. The look of confusion in Blake’s eyes was funny. His Omega couldn’t live without being emotionally linked to the pack or physically connected to his laptop and cell phone. Blake was a businessman with his own accounting firm and enough work to make anyone wince. On top of that, he had pack accounts and pack emotions to handle. It wasn’t easy being the Omega.
“Margaret, people in the pack stressing creates issues. I help them reduce stress. Money creates stress. I handle their money and ensure their life savings are well taken care of.”
“Yeah, yeah. We all know that.” She rolled her eyes, dismissing him. “Anyway, I invited someone to come over and join us for lunch.” She grinned and neatly placed the sandwiches on a large tray. “She’ll be here shorty and she’s going to help.”
“Mother—”
She pinned him with a serious stare. “I don’t want to hear anything. You’ve tried your way, now you’re trying mine.”
Blake raised his brows in question. Kane knew what Blake wondered. What was his mother up to now?
“What is it we’re trying?” he asked, rolling his shoulders and lifting his arms over his head.
His mother smiled. It was the same smile she gave him when he was a kid and it was the night before his birthday. He’d tried to get her to tell him what he was getting as a gift. She’d never told and she’d shocked him every single time. “You’re going to talk to my friend, Gerri and she’s going to find you two a mate.”
“Uh-oh,” Blake groaned. He finally put his phone away and paid attention to Kane and Margaret.
“Mother, I’ve told you we can find our own mate.”
“You know what? You two are the most pigheaded men I have ever met!” she yelled. “I can’t believe I birthed you, Kane Reed!”
Dammit. She was going the emotional route. “Mom—”
“No. Don’t ‘Mom’ me. It would serve you right to find a mate and then for her to be a difficult woman that will give you both gray hairs!”
Wow. That was just mean. “No need to get all hysterical, Mother.”
She inhaled and let it out while glaring at him. “You’re right. There’s no need.”
The doorbell rang and she wiped her hands with a paper towel. “I’ll get that. That’s Gerri.” She smirked. “Let’s see how well you do with her.”
The minute she stepped out of the kitchen, Blake turned to him. “So is this for real? Your mother is going to ask the PDA lady to find us a mate?”
Kane opened his eyes wide. “PDA? You know Gerri?”
“Paranormal Dating Agency. Who doesn’t know Gerri? She’s Connor and Theron’s aunt from the Wildwoods Pack further to the south and she’s the one who matched them with each other.”
Right. He knew them. Like the Red Valley Pack, Wildwoods were formed of a Triad Alpha set leading the pack. The Alpha, Omega and their female. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.
“I don’t think she can get that lucky twice in a row,” Kane said.
Blake snorted. “Are you kidding me? This is Gerri Wilder. She can find the perfect match for a ketchup bottle.”
Kane grinned. “What’s that, an order of fries?”