Page 120 of Abel's Omega
Abel smiled. “Complaining about being fat and tired and hungry all the time. Not much longer to go.”
“No. And the pups?”
“Excited. Fan’s looking forward to the new baby. Noah’s walking now and getting into everything. Teca had a boyfriend, but then he didn’t want to wear princess dresses so she dumped him.”
That made Mitchel laugh. “And the house? How’s that coming? You were having it wired the last we spoke.”
“Just about ready to move in. Actually, if we didn’t mind moving in before it’s painted, we could do it tomorrow.” He paused to consider that. “I might just to do it too. The new Alpha’s going to need a place to sleep that’s better than my couch.” He shot a glance at Quin, who shook his head.
“You wouldn’t believe some of the places I’ve slept,” he said, and went over to stand by the window.
Mitchel eyed them both sharply. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but have you thought about your next steps if this doesn’t work?”
“Yes,” Abel told him. “But the less said about that probably the better.” He was tired of talking about it, tired of thinking about it. “You may be coughing up for a couple of matings soon.” They passed the better part of the next couple of hours talking about the Buffalo Gap omegas and the trials of being Alpha before Mitchel got to his feet and said, “Likely best if they don’t find us canoodling here before the verdict. Time to eat anyway, if my stomach’s right.” He stuck out a hand and Abel rose to shake it. “I’ll see you when they’ve decided, I imagine.”
Abel nodded and walked him to the door.
The next knock on the door didn’t come until nearly nine that night. It was one of the shifters from White River. “You’re wanted, Mercy Hills,” he said flatly, then walked away without waiting for a reply.
It was quite possibly the longest walk over the shortest distance that Abel had ever made. When he entered the meeting room at the end of the long corridor, all eyes turned to him and he felt his hackles rise in instinctive response.
Logan, from White River, stood up from his chair. “Mercy Hills, the council has come to a decision.”
Abel steeled himself to impassivity, but his heart raced like it hadn’t since he’d fought for Bax in the spring. In a way, this was the same thing, only the fight was mental, and emotional, and political instead of physical. “I stand to hear the council’s decision.” He moved to his seat at the end of the long table, his packmates clustered around him, and stared down the table at these men who would now decide the future of him and his.
Logan nodded and picked up a sheet of paper in front of him. “Abel Mercy Hills, in the wisdom of the council, it has been decided that the lives of these omegas have been disrupted enough. Evidence has been given that their omega natures have bonded them to the men who took them, and that it would be unwarranted cruelty to separate them as long as they are well cared for, which it appears they are. Therefore, it is the decision of the council, in view of the fact that it was your position as Alpha in Mercy Hills which allowed, and indeed encouraged this theft, that you shall be stripped of your position as Alpha, and that your position shall be claimed by another alpha of power and ability.”
Abel bowed his head at the verdict. Was that a wink he’d caught from Logan? He’d been entirely unsure of the man when they’d stopped for the night on their way from Montana Border to Buffalo Gap. But another glance up suprised a small smile on the man’s face, and he had to fight to keep an answering smile from appearing on his own.
Montana Border spoke up. “A pack cannot be left without an Alpha. Who can we put in place until we have an appropriate replacement? And, given the seriousness of the issue here, I would suggest we open the competition to alphas of all the packs, not just Mercy Hills.” He sat back with a satisfied smile.
“I will stand as replacement,” Quin grumbled as he stepped forward to stand next to Abel. “And I will stand as competitor as well.” He grinned at Montana Border, more a showing of fangs than a friendly gesture. “I welcome the opportunity to prove my worth.”
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
Abel called me as he came through the gates. “Get your stuff, gorgeous, we’re moving!”
“What? Wait, it’s not finished! The furniture’s in storage.” I went to the kitchen to heat up the meal I’d set aside for him at supper.
“Don’t care! Besides, the new Alpha needs the apartment. Oh, and I might have called ahead and used up a bunch of favors to get everything set up for us.”
I heard everything he said, but the only thing that stuck was the second sentence. My heart sank. “We lost?” I fell onto a chair, knocking one of the pups’ plastic tumbers onto the floor. “Abel—”
“It’s okay, it all worked out. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you—I wanted any stories going back to the other packs to seem realistic. I wanted them to kick me out—I can’t be Alpha, and run GoodDog, and be a good father and mate. And doing it this way convinced Montana Border that they’d won. But this is the part I think you’ll like the best.”
“What?” I said, my head spinning wildly. Had we won? Was it over?
“With your uncle’s help, I got an agreement out of them that if another True Omega appears, that the packs have to court him or her, and the mating is non-binding, at least for the omega.” His voice dropped. “I know it’s not everything. It’s not something that would have helped Usher, but it’s a start, right?”
“Oh, Abel.” I had no words at all for how much I loved him. “Get up here.”
“Go get the omegas to help you pack. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
We hung up, and I raced out the door to the omegas’ apartment.
When Abel showed up ten minutes later, the apartment was in an uproar. Suitcases and bags lay scattered on the floor and on beds, drawers open in dressers, and toys crammed into boxes and bags. He strode through the door and swept me up into a fierce kiss. The omegas hooted in delight, and the pups ran to climb up his legs and beg for hugs. He laughed and patted my belly, then crouched to hug the pups. “You guys ready to move into the new house?”
I glanced up at Quin, standing behind Abel with his own bag hanging from his shoulder. He smiled at me. “Yeah, the new Alpha wants his place.”
