Page 90 of His Bonded Omega Mate
“So you think they can figure it out, whatever it is between them?” Axel studied me carefully.
“Yeah. All they need to do is realize that Roan has already given Asher the Alpha role for our family.” I leaned on the counter and tried to stretch my aching back. The babies were having a party and bouncing on my bladder. “Ah! That’s better.” I chose my words carefully. “In every way that it counts, Roan is an alpha, a strong one too, but he’s also gentle and kind. He deferred to Asher before Ash even changed. Asher’s lion just needs to figure that out.”
“Is that what you think is happening? I thought the lion believed Roan was going to take Tate?”
“Nah,” I waved that thought away. “That was just an excuse. The further we get away from Tate and Roan being bonded, the more ludicrous it becomes that either would betray us like that. My mates are like brother-husbands at this point!” I giggled and Axel’s laughter joined with mine.
“Brother-husbands, I like it.”
“It’s so true, though.” My words halted. “Asher —“
“What?”
“He had a crappy childhood.” I sighed. “He’d had a hard life until he found Tate.” I didn’t know all of it, but it was hard to downplay things. “Since then he’s gained control of things, made something of himself and I think he puts that down to having Tate, but it wasn’t.” I looked at Axel straight in the eye so he would see how serious I was. “Tate gave him something to work towards. He did the work. Now, suddenly he’s an alpha and he’s lost that balance with his alter. So he’s hyper fixated on Tate, thinking that’s how he gets back in control.”
We lapsed into silence, both sipping at our cooling drinks. Finally, Axel got up and took his mug to the dishwasher before checking I was done and doing the same with mine. I thanked him with a tiny smile.
“Would you mind helping me pack a bag for Roan? He’s going straight to Abrocaelum from the office. We don’t want to give either the chance to back out.”
“Um, sure.” I was torn over Roan being sent away with Asher. It was a smart plan, a bit of forced proximity to get over their issues, but I also knew that being without Roan for the next couple of days was going to be hard.
I led Axel up to the room that I shared with Tate and Roan. My omega mate was napping on the bed, but woke when I opened the door.
“Axel? Is everything okay?” he asked.
I quickly outlined the situation as I stuffed some essentials in a bag. Each time I looked at Tate, his mouth was settling into a grimmer line.Why can’t they just come here?His mental voice sounded huffy, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. He knew why. He just didn’t like the thought of more of us going away.
Aloud, I asked a question that I was worried about. “Who else are we getting to guard us? Micah stays some nights. Larken practically lives here, but we’ll need someone else. One alpha each and a spare, isn’t that how it goes?”
I wasn’t particularly concerned that anything would happen. The threats had been almost laughable. My tiger thought it was ridiculous that guards followed us everywhere when we were bigger than all of them. Still, I put up with it to give Roan peace of mind.
Axel frowned. “Good point. I’ll remind Blake, or better yet, I’ll text Deke and have him get someone here. I’ll also go ask Micah to stay here for the foreseeable, okay?”
Mollified, I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Do you want some more pasta, Carl?” My tone was clipped. My tiger growled in my mind. We did not like this alpha. He was strange. In his human form, he still closely resembled his shifter form, a western gorilla. Carl was big, mean looking, and hairy — and not in the cute bear way like Dakota. His skin was the color of curdled milk, like he had seen little of the sun.
It wasn’t even that there was this strange alpha in my house. I’d grown to love both Micah and Larken, despite the latter lusting after my mate. Carl was rude and seemed to think I belonged in the kitchen preparing our meals.
When Deke had brought Carl to the house with an apologetic look, I’d reluctantly allowed him into the house. Within fifteen minutes, I’d wanted him gone. Unfortunately, we were stuck with him.
Trained from a young age to be polite and hospitable, I’d kept my mouth shut and fed the brute. To be fair to the other alphas, they had helped with feeding the colossal man since I was a poor cook. He made even my overconfident alter take pause, so it was easier just to keep him happy.
“Please, Hiro.” At least Carl sort of had manners, even if he hadn’t asked permission to shorten my name. Only my mates did that, and Asher.
I served the last of the pasta before Micah took the pot. “Go get your feet up. You look tired.” His concern was touching. We’d bonded over a love of Boys Love manga, which I would translate for him. I hadn’t read any in so long, having been made to feel immature for liking the story format.
The red panda shifter smiled at me as I thanked him and went into the den to sink into the sectional with a heavy groan. My feet felt like they were twice their usual size.
Larken looked at me with concern. “You okay?”
I felt my face attempt a smile. “I’m good. Been on my feet too much.”
“You know you don’t have to serve us, right? Carl can make his own food.”
My eyes widened, fearful that Carl would overhear and start something. “It’s fine. I don’t mind cooking.”
Larken perched on the coffee table and lifted my feet into his lap. He pulled off my socks and massaged one foot with firm, sure fingers. He worked over the sole, stretched out my toes and stroked up to my swollen ankles. I sighed with bliss. “Damn, you are good at that. One day you’re going to make an omega very happy.”
