Page 78 of Abel's Omega
“Is that like a bride price?”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean by that.”
“You know, a gift given to the bride’s family to compensate for her loss, and to show how rich the husband is.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know so much about the first part, but the second one is right on.”
“So what rich gift is your future husband giving on your behalf?”
I didn’t bother correcting him on the terminology. “We’ve agreed to host some of the young shifters from Buffalo Gap for a year, to see if they can find mates here.”
“That’s not cheap.”
“No.” And every time I thought about it, it made a shiver of desire and happiness run through me. The more a shifter gifted in exchange for their mate, the greater the value of that mate. To have Abel host six omegas for a year was a huge gift, and made my value correspondingly higher. To know he thought so much of me meant even more. “Is that all you wanted?” Because I still had more than half the packs to find gifts for, and Abel was only so much help, with the plans to expand Mercy Hills once more moving forward.
“Yeah, just needed to make sure there’d be space for us.”
“I’m putting you on the list right now,” I said, suiting actions to words. We said our goodbyes, and I went back to cruising the internet to find something for the Los Padros Alpha that he didn’t already have.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
As the mating grew closer, I got antsier about everything. Two days beforehand, I woke in such a nervous, irritable mood, I had to think out everything that came out of my mouth before I said it, because I knew it would be bad. Worst of all, with everything going on and still so much to do, all I wanted to do was hide away in a cave in the woods with Abel, and have my mating the old-fashioned way—sex. Shifters used to be so laid back about this stuff—decide you wanted to mate, have sex, give a couple of presents out—done! Not now. And especially not if you were mating the Alpha.
All the pack business I used to handle had been given to someone else to do while I dealt with last minute emergencies and the setting up of temporary dormitories for the visiting Alphas and their entourages. Abel was making this a big thing, though I didn’t know why, and he wouldn’t explain it.
This morning had been a prime example of why I was so short-tempered. I had three of the pups lined up at the door, ready to go to daycare, but where was Beatrice? “Bea, get out here! Now!” I glanced back at the other three, crossed my fingers, and went on the hunt.
She was in her closet, undressed and trying to get into her mating dress.
“No, sweetie, day after tomorrow you can wear that. But not yet.”
“Pretty!” she wailed, and it took me far more time to get it off of her than I really had to spare. Eventually, I got her into other clothes—not the ones I’d set out this morning, but I took my victories where I found them—and led her out to the door.
Where the rest of the pups weren’t.
I almost swore, but little puppy ears were listening. I found Fan behind the couch, playing with the Lego city he and Abel were building. Noah was in the bathroom—he’d recently become fascinated with the toilet, and I’d forgotten to close the door this morning. Teca was the easiest to find, twirling in front of the window with her tiara on her head. “Come on, pups, let’s go! Daycare!” I pasted a cheerful smile on my face and hurried them out the door.
There must have been something on my face as we walked across Central Park to the daycare building. I kept getting odd looks from passing shifters. Casually, I swiped my hand over my face and ran my tongue over my teeth, but it didn’t help. I even checked my zipper, just in case I’d missed that in the furor this morning.Damn, it must be something good.When could it have happened, though? I didn’t think I’d done anything that would get dirt on me. The daycare had a bathroom; I’d check as soon as I got there. Hopefully it was something easily fixed.
I dropped the pups off to the same sort of reaction and had started for the bathroom when Becca called me into her office.
“What’s up?” I asked. Was Fan having problems again? Or one of the other pups? Everything seemed to be smooth sailing at home, but pups were different with different people.
For the first time ever, I saw her look uncomfortable. “I’m not sure how to put this. Did you buy a new cologne or start using a bought soap recently?”
“What? No. Why?”
Her cheeks went ever so slightly pink, but her eyes never left mine. “You should know, whatever you changed about yourself, it makes you smell like you’re coming into heat.”
Makes me…what? I sniffed my wrist, then my underarm, but all I smelled was me. Maybe a little stronger than usual, a little more acid, but stress could make you…
Oh, hell.Fear gripped me. There were other things that could make your hormones go out of whack, terrible things. I didn’t want to lose my womb—I so desperately wanted to have Abel’s babies. Strange how much had changed since I came to Mercy Hills. “I think I’d better go to the clinic.”
“I’ll call Abel to escort you.”
“Is it really that bad? I don’t want to worry him until I know…”
“Trust me.”
