Page 48 of Tempest

So far, Jorge hadn’t offered those tattoos to anybody else, but he’d concocted one for Riggs, a beta in the pack, and his human mate, Myles. After they’d bonded a few months ago, Myles had started looking for a way to fully bond with his mate without spontaneously growing fangs. Jorge’s solution had been pretty ingenious, using a mixture of magic and Myles’s blood to bind them together and giving Myles the same ability to feel Riggs’s emotions that his mate had gained after biting him.

Jorge was still fiddling with the rune tattoos, wanting them to be perfect before offering them to other packmates. Once he tried them out on a few more volunteers, he could then start selling the service to those outside the pack. He’d confessed to Cash a while ago that he was worried about strangers having to come into their territory to get to his shop.

Considering how much business it would bring into their pack, Cash had told him that if anyone had a problem with it, he should send them to him, and Cash would tell them where to shove it.

The only other person Cash knew with tattoos like his was Liam’s brother. Jorge hadn’t done those; he’d only shared the initial concept with one of Quentin’s witches. She’d been concerned that her very human leader was too vulnerable without some sort of magical protection. Cash was sure some of the spells she had come up with for him were similar, but he knew for a fact there were some on Quentin that Cash would never need.

Things that had grossed out Liam when his brother had let slip what some of his runes could do.

When Saint started getting more fidgety and Liam’s jaw tense, Cash reached over and shoved at his knee. “You don’t have to stay. I’ll let you know once we know anything.”

Saint leaned back, rubbing his palms against his thighs a few times. “No, I’m fine. I can hang with you guys.”

He and Liam exchanged a look, and then their alpha turned to Saint. “Go make yourself useful somewhere else, please.”

Saint sighed at them but pushed to his feet. “Fine, but text me as soon as she’s done with him.” He stopped next to Cash’s chair, gripping the side of his neck and giving him a brief scenting. “It’s going to be fine, brother.”

Cash forced a smile and nodded. He wasn’t so sure about that, but he knew the only way for things to be alright was for the man still patiently waiting with him to do something.

He waited until he was sure Saint was gone, and then he leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees and dropping his gaze to the floor between his feet. “I was hoping to talk to you about something.”

Liam rustled around, shoving his phone in his pocket and scooting closer on the couch, then mimicked his pose, his loosely clasped hands coming into his line of sight. “Let’s talk, then. What’s going on?”

“Ore and I…” He wasn’t sure how to finish that. What he was going to ask for wasn’t something easy. Did he even have the right to ask?

Maybe not, but he had to anyway. He couldn’t live without his little bird, and he’d rather stay with him and Pops. Luckily, he didn’t have to try and figure out how to spit the words out.

“You’re mates.” It wasn’t a question, and there wasn’t a hint of surprise in Liam’s voice or scent.

Cash nodded, squeezing his hands together until they ached. “Fated. I knew it the moment I saw him. Eventually, I just couldn’t fight it anymore.”

Liam didn’t say anything, and Cash could only handle the silence for a few seconds before he had to glance up. Liam had a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes distant as he nodded slowly. His scent was fluctuating a lot, like Liam was working through some intense emotions.

“You want him to stay,” he finally said, turning his azure eyes on Cash. “You want him to become a part of the pack.”

“I do.” Cash sat up straight. “I think he’d be a valuable member. He’s smart and kind and generous?—”

Liam held up a hand, stopping him before he could continue to list the other hundred wonderful qualities his bird had. “I’m sure he is and more, but you know that isn’t the issue.”

Cash swallowed. “I know the issue, and I know you can change it.” Liam’s eyes sharpened, a thrum of power surging in the room, so Cash tacked on a belated “sir.”

The crackling in the room eased back down as Liam sighed heavily and leaned against the couch, running a hand through his shoulder-length hair and looking tired in a way Cash rarely saw. “You know it isn’t as easy as that.”

Cash moved forward on his seat, eager to convince his alpha differently. “It can be though. You’re the alpha. What you say goes.”

“If I want tostaythe alpha, then I can’t run the pack that way,” Liam reprimanded softly. “If I go too far too fast, people will leave, weakening us further. Or I could be forced out, maybe even killed in a challenge.”

Cash doubted he’d actually be taken down by anyone in their pack. Whether as a human or a lion, Liam was fierce as hell and a well-trained fighter, unlike a lot of shifters who simply relied on their superhuman strength and speed. Liam had been taught from a young age how to fight, how to use all of his advantages to the best of his ability and how to mitigate any disadvantages he had.

The few times Cash had sparred with him, he’d gotten his ass kicked within minutes.

But he understood what Liam was trying to say. A lot of alphas were basically dictators, and what they said went. It often ended up killing a pack. Members left, and the ones that stayed didn’t trust their alpha. That disconnect between alpha and pack weakened their bonds, which in turn weakened all of them, including the alpha. That was no way to be an effective leader.

“I think most people would be with you,” Cash insisted, not willing to give up just yet.

“Maybe, but the loudest voices will be the Billy Mittins of the pack.”

Cash scowled fiercely. “Then they can leave, and Billy can be the first out the fucking door. We don’t need people like that here. If we open it up and allow non-cats to join, we could grow and thrive in a way we haven’t in generations,” Cash said vehemently, leaning forward. “You know I’m right. How many times have we talked about this, all of us in your office? I know we’re waiting for the right moment, but maybe there isn’t one.”

---