Page 177 of Omega's Heart
Kaden checked the time. “We have to go.” He held out a hand to the museum human. “We’re going to miss our curfew. Yes, he’d be delighted to help you. We’ll figure out the details on our end.” He shook the human’s hand, then turned back to the senator. “Can I explain tomorrow in the office?”
“I think you’d better.” Translation: I went through all this work for you and you’re fucking it up.
“Yes, sir. It’s not very complex, but we’re up against a deadline right now.”
“Damned curfew. I’m going to make some more calls tomorrow, there’s no reason why I can’t have my staff when I need them,” the senator muttered, and Kaden felt a small surge of triumph.
Yeah, you think it’s inconvenient for you? Try living with it. “Thanks, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He took Felix’s hand, said a polite good evening to everyone else in the box, and took his mate home.
C H A P T E R 9 4
“C ome to work with me,” Kaden said over breakfast the next morning. “What do you mean, come to work with you? And do you want anything more to eat or should I put the extras in the freezer?” I’d made pancakes for everyone that morning. I was in a good mood after the play—even if we’d had to leave before it was done. I’d managed to find it on the Internet on one of those video sites and watched the end, which had left me content enough.
“No, I’m good. And I mean get into the car and come to the senator’s office for the morning. Bring Hunter, see how he does with bigger crowds of humans.”
“What will that prove?” I washed the frying pan and set it in the drain rack to dry while I ate my own breakfast. “Guys, pancakes are getting cold!” I called up the stairs, then put their filled plates in the oven on low to keep warm. Our roommates didn’t keep pack time—Kaden would often be gone before they even came downstairs.
My mate waved his fork in a small circle in my direction. “It’s a good idea to keep an eye on his limits. And I’d like you to be there when I talk to the senator this morning.”
“Are you sure it’s going to be this morning?” I sat beside him and reached for the jam. Hunter was already done his breakfast, enthusiastically licking the plate for the last of the butter I’d put on his pancakes.
“He’s already put it on my schedule.” Kaden grinned at me and shoved a huge slice of pancake into his mouth. “Come on. We can have lunch together.”
Was there really any reason why I couldn’t go? Aside from nerves about meeting with the senator? “He won’t want me there,” I reminded Kaden.
“He will. Trust me. Eat your breakfast or we’ll be late.” He shoved the last of his pancake into his mouth and got up from the table. “Come on, Hunter, bathroom.” My two alphas disappeared out into the back yard and I finished my breakfast in peace and quiet.
We left just as our roommates came downstairs. I reminded them to put their dishes in the dishwasher before they left—they had a habit of leaving them behind in the morning rush—and then we got Hunter into the car and his seatbelt fastened and we were off.
The building where Kaden worked was magnificent—that was the only word I could come up with for it. White stone or plaster, tall and grand with carvings scattered around it, and surprisingly small doors. Not too many people at this time of the day, but there was a steady stream heading toward it.
“I’ll take you in through the visitor entrance,” Kaden told me. “You might as well get the whole experience.”
“Sure.”
I watched Hunter carefully to make sure the people near us weren’t triggering his PTSD. He was good at home where everything was familiar, but anything new made him anxious and prone to bad manners, though he hadn’t bitten anyone yet. Right now, his ears were flicking anxiously and he was panting, but he stuck close to my side, only occasionally reaching out to sniff Kaden’s hand as we waited to get through security.
Kaden pulled out a badge and clipped it to the front of his suit as we went through the door. “We’ll get you a guest one.”
I paused to take it all in, tall ceilings and plain walls, and was surprised that it wasn’t fancier.
Kaden noticed my confusion and grinned. “It’s offices for paper-pushers. Wait until we get further in.” Then, taking pity on my obvious disappointment, he put a hand on the small of my back. “You’ll like the office. It’s much homier than this.”
I nodded and stepped forward to be scanned by the officer, who only glanced at Kaden’s badge, then ignored him.
“The dog can’t go in,” he said to me.
“The dog’s mine,” Kaden told him. “He’s fine.”
“Do you have paperwork for him?” The guard eyed both Kaden and Hunter with obvious distrust.
“He’s a former soldier himself,” Kaden said, then, in an act of bold-faced duplicity, added, “We’re working with him to become a Service Animal.”
“He’s trained for that?”
I glanced over at Kaden, not quite following what was happening. It was enough for me, though, that he seemed to know what he was doing. And, being Kaden, I was sure he’d explain it all later.
Kaden lifted his hands, palm up. “He will be.”
