Page 49 of Omega's Flight
"Even then," Cas nodded his head vigorously to add emphasis to his words. "But I'll keep you and your pups safe."
"Wasn't there an omega in that story?" Bram carried Jedrick over and handed him to his sire. "I'll have to look it up the next time I have a few moments free."
"So, ten years from now?" Duke asked.
"Eighteen, I think." Bram gazed meditatively at the puppies. "Maybe longer."
"I'm getting a lock for the bedroom," Duke muttered, and began shuffling his family toward the door. "We're going that way—we live on the far side of the gate to the new section, just on the other side of the wall from Abel and Bax."
"And we're right next door. We might as well all go together." Mac gave the room a quick once-over, gathered up the sacks that the decorations had been brought in, and slung his arm over Jason's shoulders. "Did you want to go grab that sweater? Or a jacket?"
Raleigh took a deep breath and straightened the one he was wearing. "I think I'll grab the jacket, if you don't mind waiting for me."
Mac waved a casual hand, brushing off the suggestion that they might have any issue waiting for Raleigh. Cas took the time they waited to zip up his own coat. He didn't normally wear this one inside the enclave. It was expensive, or at least, expensive for the pack's resources, but he thought he looked good in it And it kept him warm.
Raleigh came out of the hallway just then, wearing a chocolate brown coat quilted in diamonds. It was human made, and showed signs of wear at the cuffs and elbows, but the color warmed Raleigh's still-pale cheeks. "Okay, I'm ready."
C H A P T E R 3 5
I ended up somehow in the middle of the group. Jason had taken one of the twins, perching the pup on his hip. I couldn't imagine having twins—we weren't built for it. And I wanted to ask desperately about Bram's story, but from the hints that had been dropped around me, I guessed it had been a hard time for him. So I didn't, because if I wasn't looking forward to reliving my story, I was certain he wouldn't want to do it either.
Jason took the spot on my left, Bram's little girl beginning to doze against his shoulder. "How are you doing? I know it was kind of sudden for us to show up with Christmas things. Bram mentioned that you were worried about your pups missing out on Christmas after everything..." His voice trailed off on a higher note, inviting confidences.
I took a breath and held it a moment, picking and choosing what to say. "It wouldn't be fair for them to lose their home, lose their sire, and then not have Christmas. I was afraid Adelaide wouldn't let me out in time."
Jason smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, uh, we talked to her about that. If you start feeling sick or weak or tired, you call one of us, okay? Holland, Bax, Adelaide—whoever."
Oh. "I can do that." I'd wondered, but now the phone made sense. "Thanks." I glanced over at him in time to see him shrug.
"We stick together here." He chewed his bottom lip for a moment, then passed the baby over to Mac so he could walk more freely with me. "My upbringing wasn't normal. At least, not after I started having heats. So this all seems the way it should be. But Bax and Holland laugh at me all the time because I don't get it. I never had time to end up in the middle of the back-stabbing and competition before my parents took me and ran away. I think, sometimes, we get a little too sub-packish, but then something like you happens to remind me that there's reasons they stand up for each other so hard. Holland and Bax aren't kidding when they say to ask for anything you need—they'll make sure it happens, if it's possible."
"Not you?" I was still trying to figure out where everyone fit together here, and Jason was the biggest of the missing pieces in my mental jigsaw puzzle.
He shook his head. "I just want to live my life, you know? I don't care about this True Omega thing, Mac doesn't care about it, and we both ignore it as much as we can." He caught my gaze with his and wound his arm through mine, squeezing it lightly. "It ruined my life for a long time. I'm happy to let someone else lead the charge. I just want my family and my gardens and if I never have to go outside walls again in my life, that's okay." He grinned and swayed playfully against me. "Who's got time for that anyway?" he said in a louder voice. "Two and a half pups and house to look after."
Mac's voice rumbled out of the darkness, heartily amused. "When did we adopt Cas? Were you planning to tell me about this?"
I heard a thump, like a fist on flesh. It made me wince, but then I realized it was the alphas goofing around like alphas did and straightened my posture again.
Jason shook his head. "Good thing he's handsome." He smiled, very deliberately not glancing in his mate's direction. Duke made a suggestive noise and Mac threatened to stick him in a tree as soon as he stopped hiding behind the two-year-old he was carrying. On my other side, I heard Bram sweetly ask if Duke needed him to carry their little boy and Duke's laconic refusal.
"Are they always like this?" I asked in a low voice.
Jason shook his head and leaned in to murmur in my ear. "No. Sometimes they're even sillier." He shot a grin back over his shoulder at the alphas. "And it's Christmas and they have someone new to show off for." He winked at me, then raised an arm to point ahead of us. "There's Bax's place. Mine is the one next door. You can't see it, but I put blue bows on the posts. You're welcome any time you want to talk." He patted my arm. "I think, if I'd landed in Mercy Hills now instead of when I did, I'd have been more terrified than I was."
"You were scared?" I wasn't sure why that surprised me—he gave off this air of serenity, like the world would arrange itself to suit him.
"Yeah." He grinned wryly over at me. "I was expecting something different than I got. It took a while for my expectations to catch up with the reality." We paused on the path, halfway between the two houses. "I wonder, sometimes—there hadn't been an omega in Mercy Hills for forty years until Bram came along. If there'd been omegas already, I ask myself if Mercy Hills would have been just like any other enclave when I arrived. But how do you know?"
"My beautiful philosopher," Mac said behind us, and he leaned down over Jason's shoulder to kiss his cheek. The pups in his arms giggled and squealed, which made Jason laugh. "You ready to head home and get set up for Midwinter Wolf?"
"I am," Jason said. He turned back to give me a hug and whispered in my ear. "I think Bax plans to invite you for dinner tomorrow, but if that's too many bodies for you, you're always welcome at mine. It's just us and the pups and my dad and his girlfriend."
"I'll keep it in mind." A warm bloom of gratitude grew in my chest and I hugged him back with enthusiasm. Maybe I could make a life here, and friends. I'd certainly do my best.
Cas put a hand lightly on my back. "I'm going in, whenever you're ready."
"I'll come now," I told him and watched his smile grow in response to mine.
