Page 18 of His Bonded Omega Mate
“Jake is here?”
“He is. Do you know him?” Blake asked.
“He’s my cousin. We’ve not seen each other since…” The thought of having just a small part of my family again nearly brought me to tears. Hiroshi reached for my hand and clenched it. Then the second part of his statement registered. “His mate?”
“I’m sorry. I forgot the aviary didn’t allow contact between you and your family.” It was more that my family cut me off, but I didn’t correct him. “Jake also ran into trouble with the aviary. He’s here and safe. Sebastian is the reason that they fled, with it being a forbidden mating, according to aviary rules. Those don’t exist here. You can meet with him later once we swear you into the pack if you would like?”
My mind spun as I spoke. “Thank you, Alpha.” I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I had family here already, outside of Hiroshi and Asher.
“Logan,” Blake spoke to the other alpha. “Perhaps we could work out a system for our healer, Aldrin, to come to the pride to assist your clinic healers with their patients.”
Logan looked at Hiroshi with a complicated expression. I saw regret and longing there. The entire situation had to be difficult for the man. Hiroshi should have been a part of Logan’s family. Jared, his youngest son, caused all this grief and pain. He’d lost the pride a talented healer. “I’d be grateful if that was possible. I’ve heard good things about Aldrin Flemming. He’s a highly respected scientist too, I believe.”
“He is. At the moment, he is trying to focus on working with the elves to find the source of the beta sickness and the long-term effects of it. Without saying too much, the betas are different from what they were before. Most are quieter, more driven.”
Hiroshi sat forward. “So he’d be happy for me to start as soon as possible?”
Blake laid a kind look on Hiroshi. “When you feel ready to meet your new pack. Today we will end your connection to the pride and if you feel up to it, you can swear to the pack. Until you’ve sworn in, you cannot be allowed to move freely within the pack lands.”
I nodded, expecting as much. There was no reason to delay joining the pack. In fact, I felt amped up for the first time in days. My worries just up and vanished, whisked away with a few words from the young alpha. I wanted to go and see about becoming an enforcer or working some security job. Then I’d track down my cousin.
“Hiroshi,” Logan stood, Hiroshi following so that Logan could lay a hand on his chest. “I renounce our pride bond freely. You served your pack well.” Hiroshi gasped as the connection was broken and Blake stepped up to take Logan’s place as our old alpha repeated the speech with Asher.
“Thank you, Tate, for your time with the pride. We couldn’t give you the new life that you deserved. For that, I can only say that I’m sorry. I only hope you can find a new start here. I renounce our pride bond freely. You served your pack well.”
Afterwards, I couldn’t remember swearing loyalty to Blake, only the feeling of connection and joy as our new pack cheered for us.
The next day, there was a hesitant knock at the door of the house we’d been given. With Hiroshi being an omega, that was where he belonged. Asher and I should have been housed with the other betas either in the big house, or in some cottages that surrounded it, however, Alpha Blake had agreed that it was in Hiroshi’s best interests to keep us together.
Hiroshi was at the clinic, Asher at the factory, both learning about their new jobs. I was going to be training under Deke, the head enforcer, and Alpha Blake’s cousin, but wouldn’t be starting the training for another day or so.
I headed to the door, checking the peep hole out of habit. A familiar face was on the other side. Throwing the door open, I nearly tackled the other man. “Jake!”
He laughed against me; the shakes turned to sobs. I just held him and tried to keep my own tears back. We hadn’t seen each other in years. No one in my family, close or distant, wanted to risk expulsion from the aviary for being seen with me. They didn’t even text.
“I missed you. I’m so happy you’re here.” Jake said against my neck. He pulled away and scrubbed his face. “I felt you join the pack yesterday and wanted to come visit, but I had to patrol. Then it was late…”
“It’s fine. I thought about heading to the main house today and looking for you. I’m not sure what to do with myself today. Since I don’t have training yet.”
“So you’re joining us?”
“For sure! Flying more often, feeling free, just sounds amazing!”
“It is. Come on, throw some shoes on and I’ll take you on a tour. I want you to meet Seb.”
“That reminds me! Congratulations on your mating!”
We shared stupid grins. We’d always been close as kids. As close as siblings rather than cousins, but I hadn’t wanted to risk his standing by keeping contact with him. “Congrats on yours. How’s Asher?”
I grabbed my shoes and jacket. We chatted about family, our mates, even my complicated situation with Hiroshi as Jake took me on a tour of the compound. I met the peregrine falcon shifter that my cousin had fallen for, and had risked everything for. Together they told me about the form locking, the High Witch that had swindled them out of sheer greed.
Their story gave me hope. They had found a new family, a new start, here in the Sweetwater pack. There was every chance we could do the same.
Under Attack
Roan
“That’sthebabiesdownfor the night. I’m just going to crash for a bit, okay?” Kade’s face split with a yawn. I had nothing but sympathy for the man. Even his dark circles had dark circles.
