Page 85 of Abel's Omega
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
The sun was just beginning to set as we left the building. I walked toward the tents in Central Park in the middle of a crowd of omegas, ringed by Abel’s bratvuk. Duke, Mac, Quin, Varick, Randall, and Peter. I knew the first three in varying degrees, but the other three only vaguely. Had seen them around, but hadn’t spent much time with them. I thought Abel had chosen them for political reasons, which made me a little sad for him. Then again, many of my choices had been determined by politics as well and probably would be again, as Alpha’s Mate.
Each omega carried a small gift, meant to be burnt as offerings to the moon and the goddess Lisoonka, that she would protect my pups and help me to raise them well. They would all be given to Abel, of course, and it would be he who performed the burning.
Uncle Mitchel met us at the edge of the clearing. “You look very nice,” he said as he joined me inside my ring of protectors.
“Thank you,” I answered politely. He took my arm and we walked the rest of the way in silence.
A path had been opened for us in the crowd that surrounded the grass and the large open-sided tent that had been erected to protect us in case of rain. We filed in in a clump and Uncle Mitchel led me forward. Anxiety had me firmly in its grip, and I paid little attention to anyone except for the bulky outline of my mate in the shadow of the tent, though I did notice Roland standing in a place of honor closest to where I would finally be given into Abel’s keeping.
Uncle Mitchel stopped and placed me just outside of the wide ring of branches that set off the center of the clearing. A lantern hung from a pole right in the middle of it, and my uncle stepped into the circle, coming to a stop directly beneath the lantern. He raised his voice, and spoke in the deep rolling tones he always used during public address. It took me momentarily back to my childhood, but then his words grounded me, and reminded me why I was here.
“Alpha of Mercy Hills, in fair exchange of your friendship and good will, I offer you this omega of my pack, of good health and good nature, of proven fertility, and skilled in the keeping and care of a household.”
I raised my eyebrows at that last one, and I thought I saw the corner of Abel’s mouth twitch, though it was difficult to see him clearly in the dimness. But it was a part of the ceremony, even if Uncle Mitchel had had to stretch the truth a little for it.
Abel stepped forward so the light from the lantern fell directly upon him and my mouth dropped open. I didn’t realize he had any ceremonial clothing—he certainly hadn’t mentioned it—but this looked like it had been passed down over the ages. Heavy leather pants in a natural brown, a square-cut suede shirt ornamented with stones that gleamed with a depth that told me they weren’t just any old rock picked off the ground—these were worth something. A huge wolf skin, of a gray so deep it was nearly black, hung over his shoulders, the head draped over Abel’s like a hood. I wondered if that really was the skin of his enemy, and how many generations ago that enemy had lost to Abel’s ancestor.
Abel ignored me, as the ceremony demanded, and spoke only to Uncle Mitchel.
“Alpha of Buffalo Gap, I come to you in peace and in friendship, wearing the hides of my prey and the skins of my enemies, so that I may give proof that your kin will be cared for and safe. By my side will he shelter and be fed, he and the pups that he bears of my seed. By my side will he rest in comfort and contentment, and the pups of his body shall be raised in the right ways, the old ways and the new, and shall know both safety and plenty, that your line and mine may grow and prosper. This I promise by the moon, and the trees, and the wind that reveals the prey to our fangs.” He turned and beckoned the Buffalo Gap omegas forward. “In recognition of the value of my new mate, I offer a place here at Mercy Hills for these seven omegas of your pack, that they may profit by their time and also increase our lines.”
The crowd outside the tent murmured in awe. Each of the omegas bowed to Uncle Mitchel, then to Abel, and then went to stand in a small group outside the circle. The rest moved silently to join them, and then the entire group fanned out in a semi-circle behind me.
Uncle Mitchel raised his voice. “As Alpha to this unmated omega, I now call upon the pack to lend their voices to this mating, that the power of your wolf lend this couple strength to overcome the trials of life, and so they may know that they are not a pack unto themselves, but a small pack within two larger ones.”
The ululation of many shifter voices rose toward the moon and my eyes met Abel’s across the ring of branches that separated us, though not for long.
“I do not lend my voice to this mating,” someone in the crowd yelled.
The voices began to die off, rippling out from the source of the dissent. Heads turned and I searched the crowd anxiously, wondering what bad luck was following me. Then Sebastian, whom I had almost forgotten, who wanted me but not my babies, strode out of the crowd into the light of the lanterns. There was only one reason for him to be here.
I cursed under my breath, wondering how I could be this close to happiness, only to have it snatched away.
Maybe. I turned back to Abel, and the tightly managed anger on his face reassured me.
Abel stepped forward. “And what is your objection to the mating?”
Sebastian raised an arm and pointed at me. “He’s mine. By contract, signed at Jackson-Jellystone last fall, to be fulfilled this spring.”
“He isn’t a Jackson-Jellystone shifter,” my uncle said, folding his arms over his chest. “Who are you, anyway?”
Abel held up a hand. “I know who he is.” He stepped out of the mating circle, and went to loom over Sebastian. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to get out of this.”
Sebastian smiled. “I’ll get him.” He leaned in and said something else, so low that only Abel heard it.
We all saw the effect it had on him, though. He tensed, and his power boomed out of him, flattening a few unsuspecting shifters before he pulled it back in again.
Abel took a step back. “Doesn’t matter. His own Alpha is here to sign the contract.”
“Check again. Who stood guardian for him after Patrick died?”
Tense silence fell over the packmembers close enough to hear.
Sebastian grinned. “Roland. Have you negotiated with Roland for him?” He shot Abel a satisfied smile.
The blood drained out of my face as I realized that we’d missed something, both of us. I reached out blindly as dark sparkles danced in my vision and Holland and Bram came to me, one on each side. They held me, because Abel couldn’t right now.
