Page 64 of Ruffled Feathers

Kicking him under the table, I continued to ask Max about his life, with Rio adding bits and pieces. By the time the meat was finished being grilled, I realized I knew only a little about Max and Rio, but had somehow told Max everything there was to know about me, from what my mom died of when I was six, to which mechanic I used.

I blinked, pulling back, and stared at the man in front of me. “Holy shit, you’re a spy. Or some sort of interrogator.” Whistling low, I shook my head. “You’regood. I’m glad you’re on our side.”

Lance just laughed, picking me up and setting me on his lap. He nuzzled into the back of my neck, and I relaxed against him.

“He’s really good, Lance,” I told him, like Max had just performed a magic trick.

“The best.”

We sat and ate, the guys reminiscing about boot camp, arguing about which branch had the worst basic training, food, missions, etc. Even Rio finally relaxed, and when Truett and Strat took the plates away, and Lance took Max over to look at the ATVs, it was just Sonny, Rio and I.

Rio looked at me appraisingly. “I was worried, you know.”

Sonny tensed slightly beside me, and I rubbed his thigh. “Why is that?”

Rio shrugged. “Lance told me you claimed him without his express permission.” I flushed. It was true, and I opened my mouth to apologize, but he lifted his hand to stop me. “But I also know that if you hadn’t, he never would’ve taken that step. He’s pretty self-sacrificing like that. I just wanted to make sure you guys weren’t using him as some kind of hired help. It happens to Betas a lot more than people think. Some people think that Betas aren’t quite as worthy as Alphas and Omegas.”

I shook my head vigorously. That wasn’t me.

But it was Sonny who came to my defense. “Even if Otillie-James put any credence in the designation system of society—which she doesn’t—she fell in love with Lance when she still thought she was Unshown and would never have a Pack. We all love and respect Lance for the man he is.”

Rio gave me a small smile. “I know that now. You truly love that surly bastard. Gives me hope that maybe one day anOmega…” He trailed off, like even saying the words would tempt the universe.

I reached over to squeeze his hand. “Definitely one day. When you’re ready.” I grinned at him. “But first, you need to take care of something else, before you can take care of an Omega. On that note, how do you feel about parrots?”

Thirty-Four

Truett

Watching Strat work had always been exciting. Even before we were qualified, watching him do mock trials had been annoyingly riveting. He had presence, and spoke so eloquently, it was hard not to be pulled under his spell.

I could watch him for hours. Unsurprisingly, the jury came back with a guilty verdict within fifteen minutes, because the case had been pretty open and shut.

But that was enough of a reason to take my Omega out to dinner to celebrate. Sonny and OJ were going to meet us at the club afterwards. Lance had opted to stay home; clubs and crowds still weren’t his thing, which I could understand.

I was excited to take my Omega out for dinner, just the two of us. We’d all been so caught up in our new bonds with OJ and Lance that Strat hadn’t been getting the attention he deserved, but tonight, we’d change that. We’d all agreed that he’d been working hard, and he deserved to be celebrated.

I stood and walked out of the courtroom, waiting in the halls for him. I saw the defense come out, their faces sour from the loss.Too bad, too sad.I’d been on the receiving end of Strat’sskills, so I could sympathize a little, but they just needed to be better.

Plus, their client was a scumbag who’d robbed the elderly at knifepoint, causing one to have a heart attack and die. How sad could you be that you lost your case, meaning that trash had to go to jail? The quandary of being a defense attorney, I guess. It was why I’d gone into corporate law.

“I fucking hate going against Wilmington. He shouldn’t even be a lawyer,” grumbled the defense lead, who I’d never met. “Being a fucking Omega is an unfair advantage. He had the jury eating out of his hands—using his pheromones, probably.”

The other defense attorney huffed. “They shouldn’t let them into positions of power where they can sway outcomes. Better suited to the kitchen or the nest. Leave the law to the Alphas,” he chuckled.

I growled low in my chest. I was going to beat theshitout of these fuckers. Especially once I saw Strat behind him, overhearing that toxic bullshit spewing from their mouths. The Alpha lawyers didn’t know he was there, as the courthouse was pumped full of de-scenter, but that didn’t make it okay. I was going to pound some sense into their heads.

Still growling, I stepped forward, ready to defend the smartest man I’d ever met. I looked past them, and Strat must have predicted what I was about to do, because he was vigorously shaking his head.

For a moment, my Alpha didn’t care. This was a man I loved. No one spoke about the person I cared for like that. But logic told me that fighting in a courthouse was a sure way to get reprimanded, maybe even have my license suspended.

So I took in a couple of deep breaths and moved into the path of the defense lawyers. They looked up, and I knew they recognized me. If people didn’t know me from the court circuit, they probably knew me from the society pages back when I wasyounger. I was rich as hell, and Sonny and I had partied pretty hard once upon a time.

“Heathstone, good to see you,” Asshole Alpha Number One said, putting his hand out for me to shake. It physically hurt me to take that guy’s hand and not rip it off.

“Have we met?”

The guy didn’t even look offended by the dismissal in my tone. “August Hilt. I was a year below you in high school. I went into law, because my parents wanted me to be you so bad.”

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