Page 107 of Abel's Omega
Before we left for the enclave, Mac stopped at the local government office to register the mating, and sent the contract home to Jason by courier, to ensure Orvin couldn’t change his mind and make some attempt to retrieve it by force. Then we all got in our vehicles and made our way along the rutted road that led to Montana Border.
The noisy roar of a partying crowd filled the air. That was, until our presence—or rather, mine—sent a wave of silence rippling out from our tiny group. Then the voices rose again, this time in wonder and curiosity and anger.
They knew what I was, what I had to be, and I supposed they knew what Mercy Hills had just taken from them. I clutched Noah to me, and put a hand down to rest it on Fan’s little head. Bert had Beatrice, and Mac had Teca. I glanced quickly around to check on their reactions, only to find Mac wordlessly handing Teca to Bert and stepping in front of him.
Orvin strode out of the crowd. From the look on his face, word had gotten to him before we did. I placed my hands protectively over my belly, as if that could hide my baby from view, or keep him from injury if the crowd got ugly.
Abel moved slightly in front of me, a little to one side, Mac just behind and to the other side. “Alpha Montana Border, greetings,” he said mildly.
“What the fuck is this, Mercy Hills?” Orvin tried to step around Abel to get a better look at me, but Abel put out a hand to stop him.
“That’s my mate, Montana Border. You were there at our mating, remember?”
“When did you know?”
Abel’s face tightened, but there were too many people who knew when I’d come into heat to hide a lie. “Two days before the ceremony.”
Orvin’s expression darkened. “And it never occurred to you to let the rest of us know, to give us a chance at him?”
“We were already betrothed—”
“He’s True Omega! That could be our chance!” Orvin took a step forward, until he was nose to nose with Abel. “You greedy son-of-a-bitch, don’t you have enough already?”
I moved closer to Abel, twisting my hands in the back of his t-shirt while I peered anxiously over his shoulder. He’d told me to expect this, I’d known to expect this, but I couldn’t help playing all the ways this could go wrong over and over in my head.
“I didn’t know when I fell in love with him. And why should he be treated like a chattel, to be bought and sold for whatever it is you think makes him special, with no say in his future? Omegas weren’t always treated like this. What happened to change it?”
“Omegas are weak and can’t control themselves when their hormones are on them.”
“And that should define them?” Abel shook his head. “Bax is my equal in so many ways, and my complement in all others.”
“I revoke the mating of Jason to your wolf!”
“Too late,” Mac said. “I’ve already sent it back to Mercy Hills. It’s registered federally. He’s mine.”
A ripple of violence spread through the crowd, and I began tugging on Abel’s shirt to get him to come away. He put a hand back to calm me and stood his ground. “Are we going to go to war over this, Montana Border? The humans already think we’re no better than animals, violent and dangerous. Are you going to prove it to them?”
His words seemed to strike home. Orvin stiffened, then snarled with a primal rage. “Of course you’d hide behind the humans. You’re just a little lap dog, aren’t you? Does your leg twitch when they scratch you just right?”
“I’m doing what I can to make things better for our people. I sacrifice my privacy to show the humans that we are not the beasts they believe us to be. Iencouragethem to know us as more than monsters. How many of you can say the same thing? How many of you have taken any of these steps, the beginning of the path outside the enclaves?” He glared around at the group. I was relieved to see some guilty expressions and bowed heads. But only some. The rest still seethed with resentment over their perceived loss of omega luck. “I was lucky, yes. I found a fellow shifter who fits me, who bolsters my weaknesses and makes me more than I might have been. I wish that luck on all of you, but that’s all it is. Luck. You cannot force it with negotiations and mating contracts. Do you think a True Omega would give their gifts to someone who didn’t appreciate them?” He turned to Orvin. “Why did you not have better luck during the time Jason was here? You had possession of him.”
“He wasn’t mated. All the old tales say they must be mated.”
I started. That was news to me. But then…
My mate was ahead of me. “Then why did Jackson-Jellystone not have the luck you say they bring? Bax was mated there for four years. But Patrick had no respect for him, and made no use of his talents. And so he suffered for it, because the True Omega only exists where we value it.” Abel twisted to put a hand behind my back and bring me forward. “I do respect this man, who brings me laughter, and ideas, and pups to brighten my day. Who keeps my office running on schedule, and has a genius for working with human government. I don’t know if he brings luck; I don’t really care. I do know that he brings strength, and intelligence, and wisdom, and that’s enough for me.” He glanced around the crowd again, then nodded to our group. “Let’s go. I don’t think I’m in the mood for a party now.” He nodded to Mac, who hung behind us as we walked away.
I assumed Mac’s slower pace was for protection from attack, but when he caught up to us a few minutes later, he nodded to Abel. “He threw it in my face.”
“Threw what?” I asked.
“Penance,” Abel said. “An offer to have one of his shifters come to Mercy Hills, to house them and cover their tuition at the university.” He glanced down at me. “Education is a civilizing force.”
Mac broke in. “Jason says that no one in Montana Border has ever gone to university. The odd person goes to take a short course in a trade, but they’ve never had the money or influence to send someone away to get a degree.”
I wanted to ask if we could afford it, but that was a bit more than an omega had a right to ask. It seemed to be a moot point now, anyway.
Abel seemed to sense my worry. “Yes, it would have been expensive.” He opened the van door so we could start loading the pups. “But it would be more expensive not to at least try. We need to see to the health of all our people.” He paused in buckling Beatrice into her seat. “I’m also hoping this will keep the council more on my side when he goes to them. I’m fairly certain he will, especially since he didn’t take the offer. He can’t not make a complaint.” Abel checked Teca’s buckles to make sure they were solid, then handed me into my seat.
