Page 33 of Saving His Omega
Tripp was about to argue how nothing was settled in his mind when the door opened slowly and Graham appeared.
Blake hopped off the bed. “I should get back to work.”
“Coward.” Tripp spit out the word as his brother headed for the door.
“Oh, absolutely.” Blake winked over his shoulder. “I’ll leave it to your mate to take the brunt of your ire.” He slipped past the beta with a nod and was gone.
Tripp wasted no more time on his disappearing brother. Instead he glared at his mate. “We need to talk!”
Chapter Thirteen
Graham had opened the door to the bedroom quietly in case his mate and pup were sleeping. The moment he saw the fraught discussion between Tripp and Blake, he’d nearly bolted in an unconscionable act of cowardice. His bravery didn’t have time to be tested, however. The two servients had seen him immediately and the sigma had taken the chance to make his escape. That left Graham with a furious omega. He was about to have another seriousdiscussion with his mate.
He bought himself a reprieve by indulging in half the reason he’d taken time out of his day to visit his family. His daughter lured him to the side of the cradle simply by being irresistibly adorable. He crouched beside her and simply stared. She lay bundled in the blanket her father had made for her, bow-shaped lips moving as if she dreamed of nursing, her downy fair hair sticking up in short tufts. Her cheeks were plump like little apples, testament to how well-fed she was. His finger itched to slide down her soft skin. Touching might wake her so he had to be satisfied with looking only. His wolf howled in unbridled pride and joy at the sight. Tripp’s wolf responded with equal glee, but that didn’t change the fact that Tripp, himself, was glowering at him.
Graham warded off the imminent attack by addressing the obvious topic of discussion to the boy, who was understandably upset. “It was Blake’s idea.” He kept his voice low so as not to disturb Grace and switched his gaze to his mate. “No one pressured him to leave.”
Tripp pouted, unaware as usual how provocatively sexy he could be with a single expression. “I hadn’t thought that. Mostly. I bet no one tried to talk him out of it, though.”
“That’s not true.” Graham rose and joined his mate on the bed. He took one of Tripp’s hands and held firm when the boy tried to snatch it back. “I did. Elijah reassured him he was welcome to stay, that the Green Mountain Pack would defend him if trouble came. To his credit, Blake wasn’t willing to take the chance.”
“So, you’d rather my sire go after the Rogue Pack?”
Graham schooled himself to be patient. Tripp’s accusation wasn’t unfair. “It’s hard to explain about the Rogues.”
“Try. Maybe my stupid omega brain, already taxed with having to care for our pup, might manage to understand.” The boy tossed his head and glared.
“Tripp. You’re being rude and disrespectful. If you want me to spell out how this decision was made, you have to calm down.” He didn’t like being stern with his mate, but when it came to his brother, Tripp understandably let his emotions get the better of him.
The omega dropped his gaze. “Sorry. It’s just that I thought everything was fixed now, that I could finally relax and be happy.”
It was the tear sliding down the boy’s cheek that got to him.
Graham pulled him onto his lap. “Oh, baby. It’s okay. Everything is fine.”
Tripp snuggled into his hold. “It’s not, though. I want Blake living with us.”
“I know. But here’s the thing—and Blake really did think of this on his own—we live closer to humans than most. It was easy for Blake to find us because we don’t seclude ourselves deep in the forest, hidden as our kind has been since the dawn of time. If your sire decides to attack rather than trade, it would be a big fight and one that could easily be noticed by the humans. That would be really bad—for our entire species. From everything I’ve heard, I don’t think that’s the sort of thing your sire would consider.”
“You’re right and I know the why of it. Blake explained that already.” Tripp sniffled, then sighed. “I still don’t understand how the Rogue Pack would be better at handling an attack.”
Graham couldn’t help chuckling. “You’d have to see Alpha Lorcan to fully get it. He is one scary shifter. I mean, Elijah is no one to mess with, but he can be underestimated with his laid back demeaner. It’s perfect when he’s among humans. They’re relaxed around him because they can’t see the dangerous beast within. Shifters can also be fooled by his packaging, and dismiss him as weak. That’s especially true when he tries to use persuasion instead of brute strength to solve a problem.”
Tripp sniffed again. “That’s ridiculous. Any of our kind with half a brain can recognize the alpha that he is.”
“Yeah? And how would you describe Garth’s perceptiveness? Or your sire’s, for that matter?”
“Right. My sire and his dominants always prefer to use teeth and claws instead of words.” Pulling away, Tripp gazed at him. “I guess you’re saying Alpha Lorcan has a better chance of triggering the survival instinct of my old pack members.”
Graham nodded. “And if not, his packlands are secluded enough that he can dispatch them without causing any human to notice. Of course, we’ll come to his aid if he asks. Elijah isn’t dumping his problem onto another alpha.”
Wrapping his arm around Graham’s neck, Tripp buried his face into his shoulder. “I can’t stand the idea of not seeing Blake again once he leaves, or our pups never getting to know the wonderful shifter he is. Can we visit him sometimes?”
Graham hated to disappoint his mate. “No, sweetheart. I won’t endanger you or our pups by making that journey. But he can come here after we’re sure the danger has passed. And for all his primitive nature, Lorcan is also a modern guy. He has a phone. You can video chat with Blake once a week if you like.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I want you to be happy, Tripp. Whatever I can do to make that happen while still keeping you safe, I will.”
