Page 9 of Abel's Omega
Mac kissed him on the side of the neck, careful not to touch him with his still dirty hands. “It smells fantastic.” Then, just because he could, and he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to in six months, he said, “I love you.”
Jason smiled fondly at him. “I love you too. Go wash.”
Mac took a quick shower, scrubbing at his hands until the dark stains left by the soil he’d been working in were mostly gone. He got out of the shower to discover that Jason had been upstairs and left him a comfortable pair of jeans and a T-shirt, clean underwear, and freshly darned socks. Mac smiled as he dressed, and made sure he cleaned up after himself before heading back downstairs. If he didn’t, Jason would be upstairs wiping up the puddles before he’d feel comfortable sitting down to eat.
True to his word, Jason had the table set and two bowls of savory stew set out on the table, with fresh baked bread and butter.
“This looks fantastic.”
“Thank you.” Jason sounded truly pleased, as if he didn’t expect his efforts to be praised. And once again, Mac wondered what had gone wrong in Montana Border to create a shifter with so many talents, who believed he was nothing without an alpha’s approval. Or maybe it was Mercy Hills that was the odd pack out—it wasn’t like there was a whole heck of a lot of travel between the packs to get to know them.
Mac shook off the thought and sat down to eat. Jason was better than that. It was only at odd times that he got like this. Generally, he was more alpha-like in his manner, except that he was the diplomat, the soother of feelings, the grease that kept tempers from running high. Mac glanced across the table, to meet Jason’s gaze. Jason smiled, and Mac smiled back, his mouth full of bread and stew, and his heart full of happiness.
They’d find a way to pay that mating-price. If worst came to worst, he’d set Jason on them, and Jason would have them all eating out of his hand.
CHAPTER TEN
I loaded a platter up with the stuffed mushroom caps I’d pulled out of the oven not ten minutes ago and carried it out to the living room, where Roland, Carl, Salvodoro, their mates, and Sebastian, the potential new pack member, discussed the world, politics, and the state of the pack system. Deftly, I exchanged it for the empty one where the phyllo bites had been, and retreated with a pleasant smile plastered across my face. As soon as I made it to the kitchen, I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes. I was sick with the strain, but so far everything had gone to plan. I hadn’t fucked up any of the food, and the pups had been well-behaved, distracted in the porch by a movie on the small television Roland had borrowed from another pack member.
Drinks.Their glasses had been near empty when I was out there. Bourbon, white wine, and beer enough for all the men—they were really going all out. They must have thought he was a good doctor. Although, any doctor would be better than what we had. I carried everything out to the living room and filled glasses, being perfectly unobtrusive, completely omega. The only person, in fact, who seemed to notice me was the new shifter. I caught his eyes on me several times, watching my hands as I served, my ass as I bent to place something on the table, my mouth the few times I spoke. I’d dressed well tonight, in some of the clothes I used to wear when Patrick entertained, though so many of them were designed to accommodate my belly that there hadn’t been much choice. Still, I thought I looked good, in deep green cotton and black dress pants, a necklace Patrick had given me when Fan was born glittering gold and emerald around my neck.
After the past five miserable months, the stranger’s attention was like balm to my soul, and I preened under it.
I did a last sweep of the room, picking up dirty plates and taking them with me back to the kitchen. They should have been all right for a while, and I should have taken the time offered to start on the clean-up, but I was curious to hear what they were saying when I was out of the room. So I put the tray on the counter by the sink, and snuck back to the door to eavesdrop.
Roland’s voice drifted out the opening. “…was surprised when you agreed to speak with us. I’d heard that you were also considering Mercy Hills.”
Sebastian answered, “I was, but I didn’t care for the Alpha’s attitude there.”
Roland chuckled. “Well, we’re not a huge community, Not like Mercy Hills or Los Padres, but it does give you a chance to really get to know your patients. We’ve got a site picked out not far from here where we can build you a house with an attached clinic, or we can set the clinic up in Central, and just build you a house. Whichever you find more convenient.”
“I’m sure whatever you decide would be fine. There are advantages to both plans.”
“I’ll have someone do up a sketch of both ideas and present them for your approval.” The conversation paused to allow for the clink of cutlery against plates.
A new house!I wasn’t certain when the last one was built, but it had been a while ago. Most of the pack lived in barracks, or cheap mobile homes from the seventies, or the few apartment buildings the pack had. I wondered how big the new house would be. They would want to impress the new shifter, keep him happy, so probably close to the Alpha’s house in size. Although, part of the reason for the size of the Alpha’s house was the guest accommodations built into one end. The rooms this doctor would be staying in tonight.
I bit my lip, wondering what the best option would be. Miranda had made it plain to me this afternoon that I needed to impress this potential pack member, not that I hadn’t come to that conclusion myself. She would miss her housekeeper, but she wouldn’t mind not having an unattached, attractive omega under her mate’s nose all the time either.
And I wanted my own house again, so badly. I really didn’t doubt that my smartest move would be to attach this man, as soon as possible; I was willing to be what he wanted to have that security for my babies. The question was, would he rather have an omega that couldn’t wait to get into his bed, or one that waited obediently for the mating night?
I’d never realized how much I had with Patrick until it was gone. Though I didn’t miss Patrick, I did miss the status, the ability to just sign for something we needed and take it. Today, while I did the work of preparing tonight’s mini-feast, I’d decided that as much as I didn’t feel ready for another mate, the way things were now was no life for the pups, and I was going to have to be an adult. I’d do my best to be agreeable to this new pack member, and maybe once he settled here, things would progress. I told myself that it would be different this time, that he had a choice to take me or leave me, and if he took me—that meant something good, right? Maybe he would like a mate that kept his house organized, kept track of his appointments, ran things like clockwork. I couldn’t cook, and I couldn’t sew, or knit, or anything like that, but any system I got my hands on ran exactly how I wanted it.
Like tonight. The food was a stumbling block, but I’d left enough time to remake anything I screwed up, and everything else had gone perfectly. No one had been late, everyone was dressed properly, and the entire crew played their parts perfectly. I never quite understood how things happened like that, but I was too busy right now to bother worrying about it. If I managed it, this mating would give my pups a better future than they had right now.
My focus had drifted away from the conversation, but it snapped right back when I heard the word, “Pups.”
Roland finished his sentence. “He’s definitely fertile, and Patrick used to say his heats were strong. You’ll have to take a vacation each fall.” There was a burst of lascivious laughter, and I flushed. Yes, my heats were strong. It didn’t make me a bad person. And Patrick had liked it. If I had to be humiliated once a year by irrational behavior, I hoped that the new shifter would like it too.
Then this new shifter, my best hope, said something that chilled me to the core.
“I appreciate that, but I’m not sure I’m at a point either in my life or my career to take on responsibility for another man’s pups. He’s gorgeous, and I would gladly take him—I’ve dealt with omegas before in my practice and I couldn’t imagine mating anything other. But not the pups.”
Miranda’s voice slithered into the conversation. “I’m certain something can be done about that. We’re pack, after all. Someone will take them in.”
I slid down the wall, both hands over my mouth to hold back a scream of rage and fear, while they calmly discussed who could be bullied into taking on my pups.
No, no, no, no, no, no.Never. I’d never go to him, no matter how much he promised me. Not if I had to give up my pups. I’d grown up with abandoned pups in Buffalo Gap. I’d seen what their lives would be like first hand—the bullying, the neglect. In some ways, it was worse than being omega, and I didn’t want that for my babies. And, oh, poor Noah. I’d hidden his condition so far, but if he went to another family…
