Page 16 of Packing for Vacation

“Well that’s fucking negligent of the airline isn’t it? Why are they making omegas gate check their things?”

“There’s a story to it, I’m sure she’ll tell you herself.” He sounds tired of my questions. Well too bad.

“So what’s next? I take it you’re not going to bring her down to Wellington for me.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth I regret them. Why am I giving him the power to decide what happens?

“No. I…”

There was a time when Matiu and I were practically inseparable, when we felt like family, when we were a pack. It may have been fifteen years, but when I hear him sigh it’s as if we’re back in our old flat, back when we were younger and more optimistic about the world. “Listen,” he says, and I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying That word is getting really fucking old. “I don’t know where you’re at when it comes to relationships. I’ve spent fifteen years avoiding anything serious when it comes to omegas, but this is different.”

“You really like her.” It’s not a question.

“I really like her,” he confirms. “I want her. I want this to be taken seriously. I couldn’t in good conscience pretend that I didn’t recognise her other scent match. Believe me, I know these are strange circumstances.”

“Yeah. I mean, what the fuck?”

“That was my exact reaction. Are you fucking serious? A scent match to me also matched to Scott, again?”

Well at least we’re on the same page as that.

“What’s she like?”

“She’s very genuine. Beautiful, and very smart.”

“Young? Please tell me she has a fully formed prefrontal cortex.” I don’t want to date a twenty-year-old, not when I’m only a few years off forty.

“She’s thirty-one.”

“Oh thank god.”

“She intended to travel all over the country, but with the high chance that she’ll have a heat soon she agrees that’s not practical. She’s going to need a base to go back to every night. She needs a nest. I want to balance her desire to travel with the practicalities of this situation. I don’t think staying in Auckland is the right move. The only trouble is that given the time of year, everything that isn’t booked out already is fuckin’ expensive.”

He’s trying to lead me to a particular outcome, the fucker. “You want me to offer up the bach as a place to stay.”

There’s a long pause before he answers. “You’re the one who said it.”

“Oh come on, don’t give me that crap. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter. I know exactly what you’re doing.”

“I thought of it because it’s a more neutral setting for the both of us. It’s not my home, and it’s not exactly yours, either. She can explore Te Tai Tokerau with us, it’s beautiful up there. Aren’t you heading up north for Christmas, anyway?”

I wonder who told him that. Maybe Jan from admin, she loves gossip. “Yeah. I was going to head up tomorrow. I’m already on leave.”

“Same, leave started yesterday. Look, it was just an idea to use the bach, or will your siblings⁠—”

“No one goes up there anymore. Only me.”

“Right. If it’s too much of a sensitive topic, then I’ll pay for us to stay somewhere else. Forget about cost⁠—”

“No, it’s all good. We’ll use the bach. It’s empty. The nest room is a blank slate.” I wonder if my voice sounds as hollow as I feel. “I’ll stop in at Nest and Beyond on the way up and get some supplies. All the basics, she can just furnish it.”

“I’ll transfer money to your account.”

“No, I’ll cover it. You’re not… You’re not fucking with me about all this, eh?”

“If I were, I’d be the biggest arsehole in the entire universe. No, Scott. I’m not fucking with you. If you want, I can give her your number so she can message you.”

“Please do.”

“She’s…”