The Merry Moose’s Mates (Male-Order Mates #16)

Chapter Five

Shay

I was currently experiencing the greatest letdown of my life. This omega had no idea his brother signed him up for the app or that he even had matches about to show up at his door.

“It’s already started to snow, and it’s just going to get worse. We’ll figure this out. Just give me a few minutes to process this all, and you might as well grab whatever clothing or suitcases you have because there's a good chance we're going to be snowed in here soon enough."

The answer to this problem would be so easy and, yet, it was nothing but. Briar was right. The snow was thickening by the second and, the truth was, I didn’t want to leave. He and Austin were two of the most gorgeous males I’d ever met.

I didn’t think my bear would let me leave them even if I wanted to.

And I didn’t want to.

It had to mean something that we’d come together through this mix-up, right? I’d heard stories about how Fate worked her magic when it came to mates, and this story was one for the books.

“Are you sure?” I had to ask. Because if I stayed one second longer, my bear would be permanently attached. I might be as well.

Strike that. I already was.

“Of course. I would feel terrible if you three got stuck out there. Come in. There’s room…enough. We’ll make do.”

Austin chuckled. “We have to get our things first. And we’re already in.”

“Yeah,” Briar blushed and scrubbed his hands down his face. “Maybe the motel has some vacancies.” He called the local motel after searching for the number. They had no available rooms. “I suppose we’re going to get to know each other well in the next few days. You’ll stay here. That’s final. Can I help with your bags? Austin, I’m sure you and Alice have more things.”

Alice gave no cares about what was going on. She was warm in the cabin and well on her way to act three of her puppet show. Adorable little girl, she was.

“I can help too,” I said. “I only have the one bag on the front stoop.”

Once we were inside, Briar made us some hot cocoa, and I leaned against the counter while Austin made his little girl a cup and brought her a snack of cheese and apples. He crouched down and talked to her. Not in baby talk but like an adult. She looked up at him with big doe eyes, soaking up every word.

“I’m really sorry about this, Briar. If I had known…”

Briar held up his hand. “Don’t. My…animal…” He checked to see if Austin was listening. We were shifters, after all. Something we would have to explain to him eventually, if we somehow stayed, but, in the meantime, we had to dance around the fact that we each had another half that moved on four legs instead of two. “He’s okay with both of you. More than okay, actually.”

“You should’ve seen your face,” I said, nudging him playfully.

He snorted and blushed a bit. It looked so good on him. “I bet it was priceless. But I have to admit, my brother did well. I…maybe I was more lonely than I cared to admit.”

“Good because that snow is coming down nonstop now, and this is better than any hotel, motel, or resort.”

“Thank you. I built this house. Took me years, but I did.”

“I can tell. It’s the details.”

“Hey, do you mind if I see my profile on the app? I mean, I am curious if my brother painted me in a good light.”

Chuckling, I gladly pulled out my phone and showed him. His brother had posted a lot of pictures and nuances about Briar. “Huh,” he said after scrolling a bit. “Turns out my brother knows me better than I thought.”

“That’s good. Things have a way of working out.”

We sipped on hot chocolate and listened to a wild story from Alice about fairies and pixies who ate smoke and wind and never flew again.

Once she was done, she curled up on the floor, using her own arm as a pillow, and stared at the fire until sleep took over.

What a day for the little one.

What a day for all of us.

I sat on the couch while Briar showed Austin, Alice in his arms, to what he explained was his home office. He didn’t have room for three guests, and if this all worked out, I wondered how we would fit a family in here.

Or if we became a family, what would happen if this family expanded.

This was all happening so fast but at the same time, not fast enough. My bear stirred inside me, wanting to be surrounded by both their scents even though the small cabin was full of them.

He had only been here a few hours but he didn’t hesitate to call both of them mate.

Briar’s brother was a damned genius.