Page 22 of Saving His Omega
Graham’s heart sank at the declaration, as expected as it was.Tripp will be devastated.The sweet boy had trusted the Green Mountain Pack to protect him and his brother both. He would never understand the difficult choice that had to be made for the good of the whole pack.
Elijah nodded solemnly. “I know what he did. I also know that your alpha allowed the omega—his son—to be brutalized. Blake acted in defense of his brother and I for one, cannot fault him for it.”
“Not your call.” Garth growled.
For once, the gamma spoke with reason. For better or worse, an alpha had the right to dictate his pack’s behavior and mete out justice as he saw fit. It didn’t matter that everyone in the new pack understood and sympathized with the sigma. Blake had been driven to a desperate act. If Elijah had thought for one moment that Blake posed a threat to the other pack members, he would have never taken him in. But it wasn’t Elijah’s right under the law and customs of the shifter race to decide how another alpha treated his pack members.
The alpha tried once more to change the outcome of the encounter. “You speak the truth, and as it is up to your alpha to choose how to handle the sigma, take my offer of the vehicle and supplies back. Tell him we’re open to a regular trading arrangement. He can decide whether that is a better solution than the punishment of one insignificant sigma. I’ll ensure that he remains here and doesn’t run away again. If your alpha still wants him, he’ll have him.”
The logic was flawless…and wasted on a gamma brain. It didn’t help that Garth was clearly frightened of his alpha’s wrath. And although silent, the body language of the other three showed support for what the leader of them was doing.
Garth shook his head. “The alpha said to bring them back. He won’t be pleased to learn the omega is mated to another, but he’ll have his other son to deal with, at least.”
Graham’s heart sank. The gamma knew he already risked his neck by returning without Tripp. There was no way he’d risk leaving Blake behind no matter the benefit a trade would have to his pack.
He desperately racked his brain for another solution. Something…anything that the alpha hadn’t thought of already. It was the sigma in question who put the discussion to an end.
Blake walked around the line of dominants, naked and with his head held high. “Please. There is no need to discuss this further. I’m ready to return.” Maybe it was his time living among the humans, providing for his brother, but Blake was showing more courage and poise than most sigmas could in the face of angry dominants.
All eyes turned to Elijah.
The alpha took in a deep breath and let it out slowly and because he was right next to him, Graham could feel the man’s frustration. “Very well.”
“No!”
Graham’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his mate’s voice. Everyone’s focus turned toward the omega as the boy hurried from the longhouse as fast as his pup-laden body could.
Graham raced to intercept him. “What are doing out here?” He stopped his mate by grabbing him by the arm. “Go back inside.”
Tripp struggled against his hold, tears swimming in his eyes. “They say the alpha is giving Blake back. He can’t do that. He promised us sanctuary.”
Graham’s heart broke at the utter misery on his mate’s face. “I’m sorry. He’s tried to reason with them, but they insist on taking Blake. You’re safe here, though.”
Tripp did the unthinkable and swatted Graham’s chest. “I don’t care about me. You have to protect my brother. You have to!”
“Tripp, stop.” Blake came over. “Please don’t fight with your mate over me. He has no say in this, and Alpha Elijah warned me they were coming. He’s been truthful with me from the start about this possibility.”
Tripp turned his tear-streaked face toward his brother. “Why didn’t you run?”
Blake shrugged. “I always knew I’d have to return to face our sire. As long as you’re cared for, I accept my fate.”
“No! It’s not fair. You don’t deserve punishment for Victor’s death.”
Blake cut off whatever else the omega intended to say. “Tripp, you promised me. Remember? I’m going to go back to our sire and you are going to live a wonderful life here with Graham. This is what I sacrificed for. Do as your mate says and go back inside. You don’t need to see any more of this.”
Graham let go of his mate’s arm. “Go to our room. I’ll join you when this is finished.”
Tripp turned furious eyes on him. “You knew, didn’t you, that this was about to happen?”
He closed his eyes briefly to block out the pain of seeing that look of accusation on his mate’s face. “Yes. We hoped for a different outcome, but…”
“You didn’t warn me because what I think and want don’t matter. You’re not much better than Victor.” With that biting denunciation, Tripp left, his pace nearly at a run.
Graham wanted to chase after him, lift him in his arms to soothe the hurt and stop him from overtaxing himself and the pup. But his duty to his alpha and the pack came first.
He put his hand on Blake’s shoulder. “Thank you, and I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. Nothing matters to me more than Tripp and I take comfort in knowing you’ll care for him.”
