Page 23 of Abel's Omega
The first room we walked into was a large, brightly lit space filled with chairs and books and toys. I saw pups everywhere, and all of them busy at something, their laughter and the buzz of childish conversation filling the air.
Abel led me over to a large room full of older pups just the right age for Fan and Teca. There were seven of them, three boys and four girls. Two of them wrestled in wolf form on a rug in the corner. In the opposite corner, a young male shifter was helping one of the boys get dressed in a cowboy’s costume. Behind them, I could see bits and pieces of other costumes hanging over the edge of a large bin. Next to that was a plastic tool bench covered in plastic tools, and then a tiny wooden kitchen with perfectly miniature wooden frying pans and utensils. One of the girls was running around the room with a pot on her head and a spoon in her hand, but it very obviously wasn’t a spoon in her mind, because she was attacking the stuffed dragon in the corner with it.
Fan would be in heaven.
Abel looked contentedly around the room. “We have a rotating shift of people who look after the pups, starting at seven in the morning and running until curfew.”
“Why curfew?” Did it apply inside Mercy Hills as well as outside?
He shrugged. “They decided amongst themselves. Since everyone has to be inside walls by curfew, it seemed like a good time to close up.” He caught my wondering look and added, “They have shifts. Everyone in the pack contributes in some way to the pack—we can’t afford anyone staying home to look after their children. My predecessor had this idea about thirty years ago and it’s made things a lot easier.”
Imagine having the ability to do work without worrying about your pups. I wondered how much more I could have done if I hadn’t spent more than half my time chasing after my babies. Not that I regretted the time I’d spent with them, but this…this luxury of unfettered time was unheard of back in Jackson-Jellystone. And Buffalo Gap.
Abel pointed at the young adult. “That’s Bram, in the corner. Mac’s cousin. He’s omega as well. He spends a lot of time here when he’s not in school.”
School?“Do you keep omegas in school here after they can read and write?”
He looked surprised. “Of course. Why wouldn’t we? They’re going to contribute to the pack once they’re adults too. Why?”
I didn’t realize I’d started to cry until he ran a thumb over my cheekbone. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said, his brow creased in a worry that made the tears come even harder.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m beginning to wish I’d been born here.”
“You didn’t get to go to school?”
I shook my head. “We had the same education as the others until we were eleven, and then we were shuffled into our own classes. Omegas don’t need to be able to do anything more than read a recipe or add up how many apples they need for a pie.” I sniffed and blinked back the rest of my tears. “Not that I let that stop me, but I had to sneak in reading time in between childcare lessons and memorizing the major categories of stains and how to get them out of clothing. I still think I could have done the math they let the alphas do.”
He barked a laugh. “I have no doubt at all.” He crooked a finger at Bram, who sent the little cowboy off with a plastic gun and a horse’s head on stick, and dodged his way over to us. “Hi, Abel.”
I controlled my face, but I still found it shocking that they all called the Alpha by his first name. Mercy Hills was a strange place. And yet, in my mind, he was Abel too.
Even more to think about.
“How are your numbers here now?” Abel asked him.
Bram frowned. “Are there more pups coming? Is it long term?”
“Yes, long term.” Abel shushed me. “Four. How old are they, Bax?”
I swallowed and looked at Bram, who was eyeing me suspiciously. This close, I could smell the omega on him, but he seemed to be puzzled by my scent. “Fan was three in the spring, Teca was two, Beatrice was one, and Noah was born this year.”
His expression brightened. “Oh, if it’s only two in this room and one in each of the others, it shouldn’t be a problem. Lydia was in asking if she could do her community hours here now that the gardens are pretty much done, but we didn’t really need her. I’ll let Becca know we’ll want her for the baby room.”
I turned to Abel. “I feel like I’m making a lot of trouble for you.”
He shook his head. “If you’ll clear up that paperwork for me and let me get to other things I need to finish, it will be absolutely worth it.” He turned back to Bram. “Can they start this evening?”
“I’ll need to check with Becca, but I’m sure for you it wouldn’t be any trouble.”
“I don’t want anyone losing their place for me. We can move Bax tomorrow or Monday. Where is Becca?”
“Maybe in the office? If not, she’s probably in with the babies.” A wail rose over the noise of happy pups, and Bram jumped and spun. “Sasha, knights only attack dragons. They don’t attack cowboys. For crying out loud, they’re not even in the same era.” And he disappeared into the roil of pups again.
Abel took my elbow and tugged me toward the door. “We’ll check the office first and you can fill out the forms.”
I took a last glance over my shoulder as we left. “They don’t keep them inside all the time, do they?” As soon as I said it, I cursed myself for a stupid omega. Hadn’t I just seen pups outside? I peered up at Abel from underneath my eyelashes, but couldn’t find any trace of impatience or scorn in his expression.
He shook his head. “No, but I don’t know much about their schedule. You can ask Becca.”
