Loving the Omega (6 page)

Duncan shook his head. “I believe forty or so. We spread out as much as we could when we ran away.”

“You still smell of the Centrals. How is that possible?” Ellie asked. Since they
did
smell of them, that meant they still had to have some connection to each other or the old Pack. But if they did, they should have been tainted by the demon and even dead by his pulling of their souls for more power.

“Martha and I always lived outside the den. We were Charlotte’s caregivers.” He looked at Charlotte and gave her a sad smile.

Maddox’s wolf didn’t like that. No, he wanted to take his daughter and run. From the pain along the mating bond, he knew Ellie felt the same way.

“Martha was her mother,” Duncan continued. “Hector…well, we all know how Hector was.” He winced as he said it, but Charlotte didn’t respond even though Maddox wanted to rip the dead Alpha’s throat out for everything that had happened. “Hector didn’t want Martha and Charlotte near the Pack or even inside the den near his other children. Corbin knew, of course, but you really couldn’t keep much from him because he’d throw a tantrum or go crazy if he scented something that should be his.”

Ellie’s body thrummed behind him, and Maddox reached out, a soothing stroke down her arm.

“Those outside the den weren’t affected by the taint then.” Maddox had known some of that at least. After all, Charlotte hadn’t been affected at all, even though she’d been a Central during the time when the other wolves had begun to rot. Ellie hadn’t had it either since she had left before the change had begun.

Thank the goddess.

“Thankfully,” Duncan answered, though Maddox hadn’t voiced his statement as a question. “I think the wards they worked so hard for and sacrificed their witches for shielded us. If I can be grateful for anything in this mess, it’s that.”

“Why are you here? Why did you take the child?” Kade’s voice held no argument. Though Duncan scented like he was telling the truth, that didn’t mean he would be forgiven for the scare they’d just had.

Charlotte had been missing for fifty-eight minutes.

Fifty-eight long minutes.

“We didn’t take her.”

“They didn’t take me.”

Charlotte and Duncan spoke at the same time, the desperation in his daughter’s voice breaking his heart. He’d promised he wouldn’t hurt Duncan, but he hadn’t promised that Kade or Logan wouldn’t. He’d been clear on that, even though Charlotte might not understand that.

Their safety as a family, her safety as his daughter, was more important than anything.

“We wanted to make sure she was safe.” Duncan met Maddox’s gaze then his glance went over Maddox’s shoulder to look at Ellie. Maddox growled, low, deadly.

“Are you saying we wouldn’t keep her safe?” Maddox bit out.

Duncan’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. Duncan might have been the more dominant wolf of his own group, but he clearly wasn’t an Alpha. Maddox wasn’t sure there
would
be an Alpha among them.

The moon goddess was the one who blessed those of the hierarchy with their powers. She was the only one who truly knew who could handle it. Or at least
thought
could handle it.

Sometimes, as in Hector and Corbin’s case, blood and family ties won out over inner strength.

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.” Duncan lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I’m not doing this right. Charlotte was ours, at least for the time. I’m not saying she’s ours now. She was Martha’s. Before…well, before.”

Charlotte hiccupped a cry, and Maddox took two steps back, his gaze remaining on Duncan, but now he could hold Ellie’s side. Charlotte leaned into her mother but put a hand back, gripping Maddox at the same time. His wolf calmed some at both of their touches. They were a unit. A family. Nothing could change that.

“We wanted to see her. She must have felt us or scented us. We didn’t encroach on your wards. I promise. Since we were there when she was a baby, it makes sense that she’d be able to remember us, remember the feel of our wolves. Even from a distance. We wanted to see her at least one more time before we had to leave again—if we have to leave again.”

Kade let out a breath. “And here we come to the part where I’m most interested. I’m glad that Charlotte is okay.” His brother turned his head and gave Charlotte a small smile. “Though we will have to have a discussion on telling adults what’s going on in the near future, I believe.”

“Oh yes, that will be done.” Maddox reached over and patted Charlotte’s back before pulling her into his arms. At eight, the little girl was almost too big to be held, and
would
be too big if they’d been human. Being a wolf was good for some things.

The little girl’s warm weight leaned into him, and he inhaled her sweet scent, letting his wolf calm just that much more. Ellie wrapped her arm around his waist, her scent mixing with his and Charlotte’s. To anyone else, their combined scent and look would scream family, love, and future. To him it meant all that and more.

That’s what he hoped anyway. Though Charlotte might have a past with this Duncan, he couldn’t have a claim on her. Maddox’s wolf wouldn’t allow it, and Ellie for sure wouldn’t do so either.

“Why didn’t you come to the front gates?” Kade asked. “You’re a wolf, so you wouldn’t be sent off in another direction by a spell due to the wards.” The Redwood Pack witches, like all witches connected to wolf Packs, helped create their wards. For humans, the wards would make a confusion spell that would make the human turn in another direction. Unless, of course, they
knew
the den was there and had been invited in. For other wolves, it blocked them from attacking.

Or at least that’s how it should have worked. When the Centrals had been using dark magic and human sacrifices to keep their wards painful and to break through the Redwoods, things had been different.

But that time had passed.

At least Maddox hoped so.

“We didn’t know if we could. I saw the way you reacted when you knew we were Centrals. What would have happened if we’d walked up? Would you have killed us on sight for being the enemy?” He held up a shaky hand at the sound of their growls. “I’m not saying you’re unmerciful when it comes to others, no, this is beyond that. We were the enemy. At least a part of them. I know what they did to you, at least a small fragment of what they did to you. All of us do. We didn’t want to remind you of that. We didn’t want to be hurt because of our so called leaders.”

“We’ll never know,” Kade said softly. He turned to Maddox and Ellie. “Take your daughter home. We’ll be right behind you.”

Maddox stiffened as Charlotte pulled away, fear permeating the air. “Please don’t hurt them, Uncle Kade.”

Kade’s eyes glowed gold, the tingle of power washing over them. “I’m Alpha, Charlotte. Remember that, young one.” Never before had Kade sounded like their father until just then. “But worry not. Your Duncan will be in your life. That I’m sure. Wait for me at your home, and we’ll talk more and have a way for Charlotte and the both of you to see him again. No more running off, young lady.”

“I promise I’ll be good from now on.” The relief in her voice left Maddox undone. This little girl had been through so much and was going through more again because of the adults around her.

“Good, little niece of mine. Now go home and rest a bit. I’ll be there soon.”

Charlotte sighed then leaned into Maddox. He gave his brother one last look and then turned to take his family back to the den. Kade would deal with the Pack issues and let him know. He always did. Right then though, Maddox needed to take his family away and make sure they were safe. His wolf would have it no other way.

By the time they made it to their house, Charlotte was sleepy but hadn’t said a word. He knew she was worried about what would happen to Duncan. After all, they had left most things unresolved.

Maddox collapsed on the couch, Charlotte still in his hold. Ellie sank into the cushions next to him, not speaking. The adrenaline from the search and lack of fight had finally worn off. Soon they’d talk about it all, but right then, he just wanted to lean into his life’s heart and make sure his wolf knew they were there no matter what.

Half an hour later there was a soft knock at the door, and then Kade walked right in. They were family and closer than most. Most days they didn’t need to wait for a response to come in. If they weren’t welcome, the door would have been locked.

Charlotte was asleep in Maddox’s arms, and Kade gave her a small smile. Maddox stood up with Ellie’s help and then put their daughter on the love seat with a throw over her. They’d put her in her bed in a bit so she’d be more comfortable, but right then, they needed her near them.

Maddox lifted his chin then led them into the kitchen where they’d still be able to see Charlotte but would be able to speak normally without fear of waking her.

 “So what’s happening with Duncan and the others?” Ellie asked before Maddox could speak.

Kade sighed then went to the fridge to pull out a beer. He handed one to Maddox and Ellie, only to stop halfway with a sly grin on his face. “I guess this is your house, isn’t it?”

Maddox lifted a brow but took the beer anyway. “What’s mine is yours.”

“Tell us, Kade. Please.” Ellie took a big gulp, and Maddox pulled her into his side. They both needed to decompress soon, and Kade had to know it.

“Gideon and I had talked about something like this in the past and what it would mean for us,” Kade began. Gideon was the Talon Pack Alpha. Maddox knew the two Alphas were in touch almost daily while they were cementing their treaty and that the two Packs were working together.

“You had an idea that the Centrals were still around?” Maddox asked after he took a pull from his beer. He looked over Kade’s shoulder to check on Charlotte once again. When he found her sleeping, her hand tucked under her cheek, his wolf calmed. He had a feeling he’d be doing that often over the next few days. Years even.

“We did. And you did too considering where Charlotte came from. What we were more worried about was how those factions would blend into what we have. When the Centrals died, or at least the tainted ones, we went on as if the Pack were truly gone. But we thought the possibility existed that they might not all be dead. From what I can glean from Duncan and what we scented from his wolf, they don’t have an Alpha. They don’t have a true Pack.”

Maddox let that settle over him. “They’re a group of lone wolves then.”

Kade sighed then ran a hand over his head. He drained the rest of his beer and set the bottle on the counter. “Are they really? I don’t think so. I think they’re more…forgotten. They’re not a Pack in the sense that we are. They don’t have an Alpha or Beta or Heir. The moon goddess hasn’t blessed them or assigned them with those positions. I also don’t think they have the dominant wolves to make that happen.”

“The only reason they were able to leave the Centrals when they did was because my father never cared for the weak, much like my brother,” Ellie growled out. Maddox took her hand and brought it to his lips, unable to let her go even for a moment. “They were able to hide because no one would have missed them. The only reason he found Martha was because of his blood-tie to Charlotte and through the mating mark. Because he had another mate that I didn’t know about. Fate gets it wrong sometimes, and I pity them for it.”

Maddox pulled her into his arms so her back was to his chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. Things were truly fucked up, but he thought they were on the way to cleaning it up. He hoped so anyway.

“I know, and it sickens me that an Alpha wouldn’t care about the Pack’s submissives, but there isn’t anything I can do about it now.” Kade furrowed his brow then shook his head. “No, there is something I can do about it now. Something Gideon and I have talked about in the past. I’m going to call him as soon as I get home to Mel and the kids since this would involve more than just the Redwoods.”

Intrigued, Maddox straightened. “What do you have in mind?”

“Gideon and I are blood bound through our pact. That means we have a true alliance. This new Central group isn’t a Pack. Not yet. Not until one of the children achieves their dominance and becomes the Alpha. That’s what I think is going to happen anyway. Or maybe they will mate into the Pack. I’m not sure. That’s a future that isn’t in our hands. But what we
can
do is protect the innocent.”

“You’re talking about another pact,” Maddox said under a breath, unsure how he felt about that. The Centrals had killed their members, their parents, and had tortured them beyond all imagination. He didn’t think he or the rest of the Redwoods would be okay with that. Kade might be Alpha, but he was still a good person. Maddox had to believe that.

His Alpha would do what was good for the Pack.

“Not the same way. We don’t know who they are. Not really. But they’re weaker than us, and they need help.”

“You’re going to help them build another Pack,” Ellie said, her voice filled with awe.

Kade gave a small smile. “I think so. It’s not up to me alone, but we might. They don’t want to come into the Redwoods or the Talons, and frankly, I don’t know if we can do a full bond with them and allow that. I don’t know if my wolf would allow that. And knowing how much Gideon has gone through recently, I don’t think he can either. But we can watch them grow and help out where we can. In terms of protection, they have a witch and can create a smaller ward. The Central’s den is between the Talons and us. Defensewise, it would be ill advised to not care for them. If another outside Pack or set of lone wolves comes in and tries to take out these new Centrals, it could hurt us and the Talons.”

“So you’re doing it for us and for them. That’s smart, brother.”

Kade rolled his eyes. “I try. Okay, now make dinner, eat, rest, and talk to that child of yours about running away. She scared the crap out of us.”

His heart hurt just thinking about it. “Tell me about it. Thank you for everything.” He pulled away from Ellie to hug his brother. Then Ellie did the same.

“Yes, thank you, Kade,” Ellie said when she leaned against Maddox. “Now go home to your mate so you can tell her everything. You know how Mel gets when you leave her out of the loop—even if it’s because someone had to stay home with the kids since we didn’t know if there was an issue with a kidnapper or whatever.”