Page 8 of Omega's Salvation
Another bit of magic surrounds me, telling me that I’m more than just an Omega.
Or their Luna.
That I’m theirs.
And they are mine.
7
MATEO
My attention drifts to the empty nest again after cleaning up and getting dressed. The nest is smothered in the mysterious Beta’s scent. It’s a bit thicker now as if it has somehow mixed in with ours. His clothes have been woven into her mass of pillows, blankets, and shirts. I even think one of Remi’s socks made it into the little circle, one that he’s been looking for.
A smile spreads across my lips as the bond thrums with energy, a rumbling purr settling in my chest as our Omega calms. I can see how much it annoys her to lean into certain aspects of her Omega, but Remi had the right idea about removing her from the situation. An overwhelmed Omega never does well in chaotic situations and even though we are her Alphas, causing her to panic would break me. Pleasure trickles through the bond as my jaw sets and I reach down to resituate myself in my pants.
Asani bounds into the room with the same heated look in his eyes, River faintly feeling the same effects as Maverick remains unbothered at the edge at the entrance to the living room. His expression is much darker than usual, desire lingering in his eyes as our Omega’s cries ring out from the room.
“I’m surprised Remi bonded her before River,” Asani muses before shooting a grin at the man in question. The Alpha chews on his lip ring, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Both River and Remi had been talking about it enough that I wasn’t sure who would make it first. However, Remi is nearly always attached to Nepheline’s side. He anticipates her every need, noticing things before the rest of us.
Although, Maverick has an uncanny ability to just know things and sometimes he is the one Nepheline turns to.
Ignoring Asani’s comment, I return to our previous conversation. “The council is waiting for us to attend, to speak about pack matters and the direction we will be taking. Unfortunately, there are two vacant seats and those hearing my plans are Kylan, the elders, and my mother. There's also the fucking matter of 'firing them' from their positions as Nepheline so delicately put it.” My brows furrow as I realize that I haven’t seen my father in a week. He hasn’t called or texted, not that he always did but his absence is concerning.
River scoots closer to me, laying a hand on my thigh to draw me out of my head. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Gael. I haven’t heard or seen him in a week. Even if the pack stayed away while we were given time with our Omega, Gael would have still visited. As the previous Luno, he would ensure that we had everything we needed. He’s also never stayed away this long without so much as a text or call.” Anxiety blooms in my chest as I reach for my phone and dial his number.
Last call – one week ago.
The call goes to voicemail and then I send him a text, cradling my phone in my hands.
Hey. Let me know that you’re okay.
My wolf bristles beneath the surface as I swallow down my emotions. My new family believes that my wolf has been tamed in some part due to Nepheline’s presence and the growing magic of our pack lands. The truth? I’m just getting better at hiding the pain. When my wolf rears its ugly head, I leave the room or I burst through the back door for a run to clear my head. My wolf isn’t getting better. It’s getting worse.
Several moments pass before my phone vibrates.
I’m doing alright. Don’t worry.
I reread the words several times but something is off. Gael is a rambler. Every last call and text I have from him is a jumble of words and excitement as he asks when I’m coming to see him next. The few times Calista has graced me with her presence, it is because Gael has asked or it’s an important pack matter.
My jaw tenses as I shove my phone into my pocket. “Something’s wrong with my father but as per pack law, there is nothing I can do without disrespecting the previous pack Alpha. I’m changing every last goddamn archaic rule when I can. Fuck!” I rise to my feet, looking for something to overturn but the only thing in reach is Nepheline’s nest. As excited as I am to see her lose her temper, it will never be with me.
I will not be the cause of her pain.
Maverick clears his throat, drawing our attention to where he is perched at the living room’s opening. “I know none of us want to push Nepheline further into this than she needs to be but maybe she should reach out to Gael. It is customary for the new Luna or Luno of the pack to meet with a previous one, to learn the ways of submission and support.”
Can it be that fucking simple?
The problem is that Nepheline would have to meet Gael where he is—in my mother’s house. Other Alphas would not be able to step into the former pack Alpha’s house, which means she would be alone with a woman none of us trust. However, if I find a Beta willing… The only one that comes to mind is the same Beta that helped us slaughter stragglers from the pack of the Forbidden. The text to him is short and sweet, Nolan responding immediately that anything I need, it’s done.
“Have you found a position for Maverick yet?” River asks, nodding to the fifth Alpha of our small family. Maverick straightens up, hands clasped in front of him as if he’s a guard rather than Nepheline’s mate. I understand that he’s suffered loss but I refuse to keep him on the edge of all this. “Because Calista is going to start picking at him, the same way she picked at Asani. Although, I don’t think he has all that many skeletons in his closet.”
Maverick shakes his head before sporting a tight smile. “I don’t need a title or a position. I am Nepheline’s Alpha and here to support you both as pack leaders. That doesn’t need a title.” He says the words with such conviction while masking it as a laidback answer to an important question. When we first met him, I was unsure of his intentions. Now, I see them for what they are—he uses his suave mask to cover up the anxiety and the fear that runs through all of us.
None of us knows how this ends. I can hope that we win and that I rid the pack of every bad seed. I can hope that Silas dies a death worthy of a demon and I can hope that we all come out unscathed but in no world does that happen.
There will be loss. Betrayal. Heartbreak.