Page 21 of The Sad Omega

“This pack has been stable for a long time,” I told him at last “We do most of our own work and no-one has joined or left the pack for years.”

Agel’s face fell. His shoulders dropped.

“I’m a hard worker,” he said, so softly I almost didn’t catch the words.

“What skills do you have?”

“I know I’m skinny, but I’m stronger than I look. I can do any kind of manual labour. And I have IT skills too,” he added.

We could do with that, but there was no way in hell I was letting a stranger get his hands on our computer systems. Not until we’d established a whole lot more trust.

“Mechanical?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty good at fixing up machinery and vehicles,” he said, eagerly. “I’ve been tinkering with that stuff all my life.”

We didn’t really need anyone, but at the same time, it didn’t feel right leaving this guy on the streets. There was nothing about him that suggested he was anything but what he claimed to be, or that he would cause any trouble.

“Okay,” I told him. “Let’s have a trial period. See how it works out. You can work on the farm in whatever capacity Johnson requires, and you’ll be paid the same basic wage as everyone else, plus food and accommodation. Six weeks. Then we reassess. If you’re compatible with the pack and want to remain with us, then you can stay. How does that sound?”

The young alpha’s face lit up and the tension lines melted away, making him look even younger. His eyes went all misty, and I thought for an awkward moment he was going to burst into tears.

“Thank you, sir. That sounds wonderful,” he gulped.

“You’ll live in the beta house for the duration of the trial,” I went on. I didn’t say it, but they would report back to me if they had any reservations about him. “There are a few youngalphas living there at the moment, so don't get into any fights. And you’ll report to Johnson for work.”

“Thank you, sir,” he repeated, his eyes bright and shining. A massive smile stretching his face.

“Any questions?” I asked.

“No, sir.”

“Okay, let’s get you back to work.” We turned and headed back up to where we’d left Johnson. I decided I’d quietly let Johnson know to assign him lighter duties until he’d had a chance to eat proper food and put some weight on.

Before we met up with the beta again, I turned to Agel.

“One thing. We’re a modern pack. Alphas have no special rights here. There’s to be no intimidation of the omegas. And if you so much as lay a hand on an omega who hasn’t given you free and enthusiastic consent, I’ll cut it off and kick you out of the pack. Understood?”

“Absolutely, sir,” Agel replied.

I held out my hand for him to shake.

“Welcome to the pack,” I told him. “And you can stop calling me ‘sir’. Just call me Talius.”

“Yes… Talius. And thank you for taking me on. You won’t be sorry.”

I hoped he was right.

Chapter 08

IRIAN

Isca seemed a little distracted today. He spent the day with us on the farm, trailing around after either Talius or myself. He never wandered far from us anyway, but today he stayed even closer than usual. He was quieter too, and although he spent most of his time with me, when I snuck surreptitious glances at him from time to time, I caught him looking at Talius sadly.

Was he still worried about the thing that had happened with Talius while I was away?

I wasn’t mad at him at all. I understood he had a complicated background. His understanding of rules and boundaries was different. Hell, his pack was different. And he’d been embarrassed and horrified when he’d realized.

I wished I could tell him how much we wanted him to join us as our third, but it wasn’t fair to lay that on him when he was bound for life to his vile mate.

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