Page 38 of Duke's Baby Deal
He shrugged. “Nothing different. Work security. Make some furniture. Maybe grab some extra hours building the new houses next year. I was thinking,” he lay down on his side and propped his head on his hand. “If you wanted, I’d see if I could put our names in for one of the new places when they’re built. I know they’re going to be a little out of the way, but if I take on enough extra work, we might qualify for one. Not this summer, but maybe next. Especially with two pups already.” He put a hand on my belly, on that solid little ball already swelling out of the space between my hips. “I was thinking I might bring my tools with me too, when we go outside walls, and I could do some furniture and small things and bring in some human money that way. It’s a pretty quick way to bank credits.”
“Oh, Duke.” I dropped the papers on the floor and cuddled up against him and just held him as tight as I could. “Can we just stay home today so I can hold onto you forever?”
He rubbed a hand over my back. “Sure. But Abel got Bax some venison for Christmas and he’s going to do it up Texas style. You sure you want to miss that?”
“Venison?” I relaxed my grip so I could look up at him. “What’s that like?”
“You’ve never had it?” He sat up and pulled me up too. “Then there’s no way we’re staying here all day. Sorry, love, you’re going to have to socialize.” He kissed me, wearing a wicked grin. “Now, open the rest of your presents.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Duke knocked on the door that opened into Bax and Abel’s kitchen and waited for Bax’s “Come in” before opening it. He had Bram tucked under his arm, the carved wooden bracelet that had been Bram’s other present from Duke gleaming warmly on Bram’s wrist. It had snowed again overnight, and the light coming in the windows was bright white and cold, but the house was warm and crowded already.
Bax, Holland, and Jason were moving around the kitchen, filling it with smells that made Duke’s mouth water.
“Merry Christmas,” Bax said, and left his place at the table, and the large chunks of meat he was seasoning, to come over and hug them both. “The alphas are all out in the living room keeping the pups busy if you want to go, Duke. There’s beer out there too, and cider.” He took the two potato pies from Duke, exclaiming over them, but was puzzled when Bram handed him the plum pudding.
“It’s an east coast thing,” Duke told him, then kissed Bram and let himself be chased out of the kitchen so the omegas could do whatever magic omegas did. He rounded the corner into the living room, and had to pick his way over to the table where the drinks were waiting, because the pups had Fan’s Legos scattered all over the floor. It looked like they were trying to build a replica of the enclave, though the real one wasn’t anywhere near as colorful.
Not all the pups, though. Taden lay on Abel’s chest, and Macy played on the floor at Mac’s feet, pushing small wooden shapes through holes cut in a board and cackling gleefully whenever she did it. Noah was in the corner, using a small wooden hammer to bash brightly colored wooden pegs through another small board.
“Duke!” Mac gestured him over to a chair beside him. “Sit down, have a drink. We got chased out of the kitchen.” He leaned over to help Macy find the square shaped hole in her board.
Jason’s voice floated around the corner. “No sampling allowed! You all know that.”
“See? Where’s the respect an omega’s supposed to have for his alpha?” Mac raised his voice slightly so it would carry into the kitchen.
Jason popped into sight, a half peeled sweet potato in his hands. “You were pretty well respected last night, MacKenzie Mercy Hills. Don’t push your luck.” He pointed an admonishing finger at his mate, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
By the way he said the word respected, Duke guessed that Mac had had a pretty good night last night. And Mac confirmed it. “Can I help it if you can’t keep your hands off me?”
Muffled laughter came from the kitchen, and Mac shook his head. “I don’t want to know.”
“Probably the smartest idea.” Abel glanced down at Taden, sleeping the sleep of the just pup, his mouth open and drool making a damp patch on Abel’s t-shirt. “While they’re all having fun in the kitchen, I have an idea to throw at you.”
“What’s that?” Mac asked. “Duke, hand me another beer, will you? Might as well get Abel one too,” he added, as another burst of laughter rolled out of the kitchen. “We’re going to need the courage.”
Duke laughed and passed out the dark brown bottles. “Which ones are these?”
Abel frowned and drank a mouthful. “I think this is the new one. Honey wheat? They’re still working on the recipe.”
Carefully, Duke sampled the new beer. “Not bad. Not like the lager, though.”
“No,” Abel agreed thoughtfully. “But it’s not far off.” He took another swig and set the bottle aside. “I wanted to talk about the omega campaign and since you two have a personal interest in omega emancipation, I wanted to get your opinion on some things.”
Duke leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs, his hands dangling between his knees, the bottle hanging nearly forgotten from one hand as all his attention focused on Abel. Yeah, this would be a good thing for Bram. He shouldn’t have to be so grateful to have the things that every other pack member took for granted. “What do you want to do?”
“Don’t know. I think we need to get the omegas out doing stuff that normally gets assigned to alphas and betas. Things that put them in charge. Things like Bram going to school.”
“Is Bram going to school? I didn’t think he was interested?” Mac asked with raised eyebrows.
“He’s smarter than people think,” Duke snapped before he had time to consider his words.
Mac’s eyebrows went higher. “I never said he wasn’t. He just never struck me as being that ambitious.” His tone was mild, but something about it rubbed Duke entirely the wrong way.
“That’s because he’s gotten the message all his life that omegas don’t go to school! Or do anything but pop out pups and look after the house.” Duke sat back and raised his beer to his mouth to buy time to get this sudden anger on Bram’s behalf under control. These were his friends—they didn’t deserve to be snapped at any more than Bram deserved not to have the same chances as anyone else in the pack. “Shit, I’m sorry. It’s a bit of a sore point.”
“No big deal,” Mac said, though he seemed to see Duke with new eyes now.
