Page 16 of Beneath His Alpha's Wings
He shrugged. “You know, something like a bear.” He gestured at me. “Might start biting at itself. Nothing too serious, at first, but you never know when it's going to bite a little too deep and go kind of nuts at the taste of the blood. Before Josh I… sometimes I woke up and my fox had bitten my arm down the bone.” I stared at him in shock. “An owl might do a little bit of panic flying and crash into a wall and break something. A wing.” He bowed his head and then added softly, “maybe a neck.”
“Are you suggesting that shiftersdieduring the full moon?” I asked. “Is that possible? I mean, if we're immortal…”
“We don't age. But wecanbe killed. For many unlucky alphas, it’s by our own paws, so to speak. Some alphas die outright in the night. Others are too injured to get out of their bunkers and get help the following morning.
“And Kessel…” I thought of his earlier words. “Has had hard full moons? Like you mean, he’s been hurt?!”
Tagger nodded sadly.
“That's horrible…” I said softly, thinking of Kessel alone and in pain. “Does hehaveto be alone? Can’t someone be with him during the full moon?”
Tagger shook his head quickly. “Impossible. We're animals during the full moons.”
“I know, but…”
“Alphas are territorial, aggressive. If you spend a full moon with an alpha… Well, two alphas would kill each other. Even if they are friends, even lovers, any other night. A beta would likely die. And an omega is just as likely to end up dead or pregnant.”
My eyes widened. An omega could end up dead?!
Unaware of the alarm bells ringing in my head, Tagger continued. “Granted, since Kessel is an owl, there aren't a lot of bigger shifters he could actually kill, but it would certainly be a pretty miserable night. And regardless of what the other shifter is, if they got a good defensive snap in, they could kill him.”
“Is that guaranteed?” I asked. “I mean, couldn't an alpha and an omega just hang out during the full moon?”
He shook his head. “Not a chance. You're going to end up with a dead omega or a pregnant one.”
I nodded and bit back a growl. If that was true, then Knash hadn't just locked us together in the bunker, hoping to, as Kessel put it, breed his own little army, but he had done it knowing full well that there was a chance he could kill me. I was expendable. I expected to feel a little hurt, but instead I was just angry. I didn't care whether or not Knash liked me. But I certainly cared that he knew his bear might kill me instead of impregnant me. It didn’t necessarily make me any more willing to trust the wardens, but I was feeling pretty done with Knash now.
The coffee maker beeped and Tagger went to get himself a mug. As I watched him, mulling it all over, the other ramifications of our conversation finally clicked into place.
“So, you're saying that all alphas just… die during full moons?”
“Eventually,” he said grimly.
“Which mean Kessel will...” The idea of it was enough to make my throat tight. And I couldn't finish the question.
“Yeah,” whispered Tagger. “Unless he finds a true mate, which is unlikely.”
I frowned. “Why does that make a difference?”
“A true mate,” Tagger said, “is the one person that your animal wouldneverhurt. During the full moon true mates can stay together without any fear of fighting. They mate, they play. Cuddle, sleep.” He paused for a moment and then said softly. “An alpha with a true mate never has to worry about dying during the full moon. Your true mate isn't just some perfect partner to spend your life with romantically, they literally save your life.” His somber expression turned into a smile. “Full moons with Josh are… dare I say, something I look forward to. We always wake up snuggling. I haven’t been hurt, or even sore, since we started spending them together. I’m tired sometimes, and I know we’ve been playing all night. But it’s completely different.”
I swallowed nervously and thought of Kessel alone again. Dying. A little knot near my collarbone seemed too tight. I reached up and rubbed at it a little bit.
“I'm sure Kessel will find his true mate someday,” I said, trying to be positive.
Tagger pursed his lips for a moment, then shook his head. “Most alpha’s true mates are human.”
“But… can’t an alpha turn them into an omega?”
“To a point. Every alpha is allowedoneturn. It's usually reserved for a true mate.” He paused and then said sadly, “Kessel has already used his one turn on someone. Someone who wasn’t his true mate. If Kessel finds his true mate someday and it’s a human… there will be nothing he can do.”
I frowned. Why had Kessel turned someone? Had he gotten permission? Would he really pass on the chance to change his true mate – to save his own life no less – because he already turned one person?
“Where is Kessel, anyway?” Tagger asked.
“Oh. Sleeping.”
“Ah. In that case, if you’re alright, I’m going to finish my coffee and get going. I’d like to beat Josh home.”
