Page 8 of Captive Omega
As my brother’s Beta, I had no say in the plan. I had to obey, like any other member of the pack. Just the same, I made one last attempt to reason with them. “You’re going through with it, then? You want to take your daughter’s second litter from her?”
“That was the agreement, yes.” Edgar shot me a suspicious look. “Don’t tell me you want to back out.”
“That’s not what my brother means,” Rufus piped up. “It’s just a little surprising that you’d agree to separate a female from her pups.”
“It won’t matter,” Edgar offered. “She will still have her first litter, and you can breed her again. The safety of our packs is the only thing that counts right now.”
With that, at least, I could agree. Even if I wasn’t thrilled about the idea, I had to admit they were right. Pups were a pack’s lifeblood, and we’d had fewer births since the chaos had vanished. If things continued to head in this direction, we might even have to face extinction. It was much too soon to worry about something like that, but it was a possibility we had to consider. Luna Clayton’s opinion and feelings were irrelevant as long as she could encourage the growth of our packs.
“In any case, I want to verify the preparations for the ceremony while I am here,” Edgar added after a long pause. “I don’t mean any offense to you, but it wouldn’t do for her to get hurt during the bonding itself.”
“Some damage is to be expected, because otherwise she can’t become a member of the Firewolf Pack,” Rufus warned him. “I thought I’d already made that clear.”
“You did, yes, and I believe in my daughter’s strength. But our standards are occasionally different, so it’s best to be sure this will actually work.”
“Very well. I believe there should be no problem with that. Rowan, what’s your take on it?”
“The brand’s been ready for weeks,” I replied with a shrug. “If Alpha Clayton wants to see it, he can.”
Alpha Clayton said nothing, but his brow twitched when I mentioned the brand. That was too bad for him. When he’d arranged this mating, he’d been aware that our mating customs were wilder than those of the Wolfsbane back. He couldn’t make demands of us now.
Rufus and Edgar both got up and together, we left the Alpha’s hut. Already, preparations for the mating ceremony were underway, and most of the members of the pack had received tasks they needed to accomplish. We’d hunted all the prey we needed for the feast, and the celebratory bonfires were set up. The pups had hung decorations on the branches of the Great Tree. The actual ceremony would take place under it, and I hoped the sight would make the Omega feel a little more welcome in the pack.
But the branding circle was also next to the tree, and there was nothing kind and welcoming about that. The branding iron was already set up and waiting to be heated, so that it could burn the mark of the Firewolves into Luna Clayton’s skin.
When we arrived, Albert was checking up on the brand one last time. “Everything okay?” I asked the other Beta.
“Fine. We made the brand smaller, as the Alpha instructed. Even an Omega should be able to take it.”
He curled his lip, unable to hide his displeasure at the mating. I narrowed my eyes at him and grabbed his arm. “Not now,” I growled, low enough that Edgar couldn’t hear us.
I couldn’t tell him anything more, since Rufus and Edgar were right behind me. I didn’t think Albert’s disparaging comments would matter to Edgar, but we had to at least pretend to be polite while the Alpha was here.
Rufus nodded in greeting, then directed his attention to the brand Albert had been working on. “As you can see, we were careful in our work. The brand will leave a burn mark on your daughter’s skin, one which we will then treat with a special substance that will ensure the mark remains in place. Beyond that, she won’t be harmed. We desperately need the pups she can provide.”
“Indeed,” Alpha Clayton answered.
Albert and I remained silent while my brother and the other Alpha made the final arrangements for the ceremony. It would be tomorrow. Tomorrow, a new female would join the pack, and she’d bring distress and disarray with her.
Once the conversation was over, we headed back toward the Great Tree, where the Alpha’s escort was waiting for him. I was surprised Edgar Clayton had been brave enough to walk around with us without his guard following him. Maybe it had been a test, one intended to figure out how dedicated we were to preventing a pack war.
Or maybe he was more worried about his daughter than he seemed and he wanted to make sure we weren’t complete beasts. Either way, I was fairly certain we’d made a good impression. He wouldn’t back out of the deal, because like Rufus had said, both packs needed the pups, and no one wanted to be embroiled in a war, not now, when the situation with the chaos was so dire.
“Until tomorrow then, Alpha Clayton,” my brother said. “We’ll be eagerly awaiting your arrival and that of your daughter.”
Edgar frowned, and I suspected he’d seen right through Rufus and knew he wasn’t as pleased with this mating as he was trying to seem. But Rufus’s desires mattered little. He might have been an Alpha, but in a way, his position wasn’t much better than that of his future mate.
“We look forward to the union of our two packs as well. Goodbye.”
With that, Alpha Clayton shifted into his wolf form, as did his guards. Together, the group left the settlement, heading back toward the home of the Wolfsbane Pack.
“I’m still not sure this is a good idea, Alpha,” Albert said as soon as they were gone. “Taking an Omega as a mate seems like tempting fate.”
“I’m perfectly capable of making sure she stays alive, Albert,” Rufus shot back. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a complete animal.”
“Even if you were, Rufus, it wouldn’t matter,” I pointed out. “Edgar has made his decision, and he’ll stick to it, for all our sakes.”
My brother would have probably said something more, but before we could continue our conversation, an argument broke out not ten feet away from me.
