Page 88 of Abel's Omega
“What?”
I stepped back and glanced between the two of them. “What message would it send if we ran home with our tails between our legs? And you promised me a traditional mating.”
Abel’s eyes widened, then a look of pride washed over his face. He pulled me to him, careful of Fan in my arms still, and laid his cheek against the top of my head. “Oh, my brave, brave love. You don’t have to do this.”
“I think I do. This is about more than me.” I looked down at the bundle in my arms. “But if you don’t mind, I want to hold him during it.”
“He’ll get heavy.”
“He’s already heavy. I don’t care.”
Abel regarded me solemnly for a moment.
“I can help carry his weight,” Holland offered quietly. “Only if he gets too heavy,” he was quick to assure me. “But you can’t hold him during the robing.”
I paused while I stroked the heavy fur of Fan’s side. Holland was right. He would get heavy, and there were several parts of the ceremony that I could not perform so burdened. “All right.” I turned to Abel. “Let’s go finish this, before everyone gets bored and into the booze.”
He laughed, as I’d meant him to, and cupped my chin in his palm. “Excellent idea,” he said and bent to kiss me.
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait. I’d been eager to be mated to him before, but now… “Come on.” I nibbled his chin and rubbed my jaw against his.
Having a mate who had brains as well as brawn was a delight. He picked up on the message in my wolf-like behavior immediately. “After you. But let me carry Fan out for you.” He held his arms out and I half-expected him to just take him, but he waited for me to give my boy up to him.You have to stop waiting for him to be like the others.It was just reaction, though, to the stress of the ceremony and its interruption—I hadn’t flinched or frozen around him in months. This would pass. Gratefully, I passed Fan over, my arms now like lead, and then kissed Abel’s cheek, just for being Abel. He seemed pleased and my mood lightened knowing that he appreciated such a small thing from me.
Mac went first, then Holland and Adelaide, then myself and Abel. He walked so close he made a line of heat along my side, giving me strength and courage as the crowd turned eager eyes upon us.
Uncle Mitchel and Roland were waiting for us at the circle. Sebastian, human-shaped again but still naked, knelt beside my uncle and as I got closer, I could feel the thrum of his power as he kept Sebastian in place.
A huff from Abel brought my attention to the edge of the crowd. Duke and Quin held two shifters on their knees in the now damp grass, a man and a woman, neither of whom I recognized. He took half a step in their direction, then shook his head and continued toward the ring. I couldn’t shake off my curiosity, though, and I followed Abel by instinct as I tried to puzzle out Duke’s and Quin’s slightly battered appearance, and the even more battered one of the two people on the ground. Some message must have passed between Abel and the other two, because they hauled their prisoners roughly to their feet and disappeared into the crowd.
We stopped in front of Uncle Mitchel, who nodded to Abel with respect. “I wasn’t sure you’d be back. How’s the little fellow?”
“Only dislocated. He’ll be back to normal in a couple of weeks. Are you ready to finish this?”
“We can just sign the contract—”
Abel shook his head. “Bax wants a traditional mating, I’m going to give it to him.”
Uncle Mitchel stared at him appraisingly, then gave me a stern look. “Do you know how lucky you are?”
I nodded and bowed my head, pressing my cheek against Abel’s arm.
“I believe,” Abel said, in a tone that might have deceived others in its mildness, “That I might consider myself lucky as well. Bax brings as much to the table as I do, strengths to bolster my weaknesses. Mercy Hills is the better for him, as am I.” He nodded to Holland to come forward and gently placed Fan in his arms. “Keep him close. I want to be able to watch out for him.”
Holland stepped back to stand to the side of the table holding the rest of the ritual gear.
Roland stepped forward and bowed his head to Abel. “I apologize, Alpha Mercy Hills, for the difficulties caused by this shifter who, though not of my pack, was intending to join us. It was my carelessness which set this event in motion and I wish to discuss recompense.”
Abel nodded to him. “We’ll talk later. After the mating is complete.” He laid an emphasis on the word complete that sent a shiver of excitement running over my skin, despite everything that had happened.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
Abel took his place across from Bax’s uncle, with Bax between them. The crowd gathered around again, buzzing with excitement.
“Should we start from the beginning?” Alpha Buffalo Gap asked.
Abel shrugged. As long as he got to sign the papers, he didn’t care. “What do you want?” he ask Bax, and then was silently amused by the pained expression on Mitchel’s face. Oh, his reputation was going to take a beating tonight, or would have, if it hadn’t been for Sebastian. He shoved back the still volatile anger that thoughts of the man roused in him, and focused on Bax.
“I’d like to just keep going,” Bax said in a quiet firm voice. His gaze skated over to Holland and the slightly twitchy form of Fan in his arms.
