Romance Omega Style [Resistant Omegas 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) (6 page)

“What do you mean bought?” I asked as I hugged Dewey to me.

“If we ran how long do you think it would take the Council to go back to selling Omegas as slaves?” Wesley asked with a drunken giggle. “I bet thirty seconds.”

“We’ve got witch friends now through Edric,” I answered with a shrug. “See if they can do a tracking spell for Omegas. We check it out every five years or so and make sure that everyone’s being treated well. If they’re not, we go in, get them, and adopt them like the others.”

“That’s actually a really good idea,” Edric said quietly. “I bet we could get that to work. Helen, my witch friend, would be all about it. It seems every other supernatural group hates how wolves do things in this country. I’d run too if my inner circle didn’t love their home pack. Of course, half of our problems are that they always think I’m going to run. Like I didn’t have a reason not to last time. Assholes.”

“We cannot end up unhappy and fighting like they all are,” I breathed in Dewey’s ear so only he could hear me. “Please. I won’t let all this drama tear us apart. I love you. I don’t hover or hound you. We’re a team.”

“Yes, yes, we are,” he agreed as he stroked my cheek. “I’d run as long as we aren’t leaving anyone behind. I’d run forever with you, Tag.”

“Good. I’ll see if we can make this happen after we check out the island,” I sighed as I buried my face in his hair. “I love you so much, baby.”

“Love you too, Tag. We’ll get through this and get you out of the job you hate.”

I smiled. If anyone could figure it all out and make sure I was blissfully happy it was my Dewey. I hadn’t even realized all this had been building until I heard everyone on the Sun Deck. I wouldn’t wait until things got so complicated and heavy that they could rip us apart. I would get us out now and take the ones we loved with us.

Tristan

“I miss working with websites too,” I said with a pout. “I feel like all we do is slap a bandage on everything by getting people out and placing them with new inner circles. We shouldn’t have to live in these sets of rules if we don’t want to.” I flopped down onto my chair and stared up at the Sun Deck where my men were. “And I hate Denver but I can’t ever tell them that because it’s their home pack and they love it.”

“Why do you hate it?” Kiefer asked me as he glanced over to Vencentio, who was sitting on Galvin’s lap as they talked quietly. “You think they’re going to be okay? Galvin’s a good guy. He tried to save me when I was at my old pack. I know he loves Vencentio but I don’t like that they’re upset.”

“Welcome to being an Omega,” I chuckled dryly as I stared at the bottom of my glass. Sampson was there seconds later to fill it back up and I thanked him before sighing and glancing back at Kiefer. “I don’t know. I hope so. I like everyone here and want them to be happy but I don’t get what I want.” I nodded over to my best friend, Carson, crying against his mate Ian as they stood over by the railing talking quietly.

“So why do you hate Denver?” Edric asked again.

“It’s always going to be the seventy people who saw me lose my virginity in a cold ceremony. They think I’m a freak because we still don’t have answers as to why I grew over a foot besides some old writings in the archives about when a person knows their mate is in need or some stupid shit,” I answered before tossing down my drink again.

Wow. Mojitos were not meant to be chugged, but apparently I was planning to all night. I chuckled as I wondered how much booze we’d all drank already with how high our tolerance was. I glanced at Sampson and opened my shield so he could see my thoughts.

“I’ve made eleven pitchers. We don’t have much mint left up here. I’ll see if Asher has more,” he answered before setting a full pitcher down by me and leaving.

“Well that answers that question,” I chuckled, refilling my glass. “And I’m getting answers.” I stood and headed to the stairs, not able to take the stress my friend was under. When I got to the top I saw the Alphas and Betas were about in the same depressed and wounded mood we all were downstairs.

“Babe, what’s up?” Jared asked me as I walked in his direction, but I wasn’t coming for him. I quickly emptied my drink and handed him the glass to hold for me. Then I focused on Taylor.

“Don’t get involved in this, Tristan,” he warned me. “My thoughts are my own and you have no right to them.”

“You’re absolutely right,” I agreed and leaned in closer. “But since you’re a fucking coward and won’t tell your mates what’s going on I won’t stand by and do nothing when he’s dying inside. I’d butt in to stop a fight and I’ll butt in now.”

“Don’t—” he growled and went to push me away but I was faster and had powers. I held him still as I moved my hands to his head.

“No, you haven’t cheated but you
really
want to,” I mumbled as I searched his memories. “What’s the guy’s name?” Then I saw it in his mind. “Gabe, okay. So you miss the spark and have been considering Gabe because he’d be new and exciting again.”

“Let me go,” Taylor snarled, sounding funny because he couldn’t move his lips. I did what he wanted, getting the answers I needed.

“Carson, don’t do this,” Ian pleaded and seconds later I saw my friend’s blond head come up the stairs.

“He’s not cheating,” I informed him when he got closer.

“No, but I saw what you did,” he whispered before glancing at Taylor and Declan. “I release you from our contract. Wesley already said he’d nullify it when we get back so the bond will be broken without hurting any of us.” Then he turned to Ian. “I love you and I’m sorry this hurts you but I can’t stay with them when this is how they feel. I won’t live like this. I’ll find another way or run.”

“No, I won’t accept this,” Declan growled as he jumped to his feet. “I made a mistake and spoke out of anger to my mate about something that was upsetting me. I’m sorry you walked in on it but the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. I love you. I’m sorry I assumed the worst about what was going on but we can fix this. We can talk this out.”

“And coddle me some more?” he shouted as he teetered a bit. I moved over to him and wrapped my arm around him. “You never wanted to lead and I’m tired of living with the pressure from your decision to do it to save me. You hover constantly to the point I can’t take a bath without you checking on me and then you bitch I need to be coddled. Fuck and you.”

“We check on you in the bathtub because you tried to commit suicide in it once!” Declan shouted. “We’re scared that with the way you feel emotions and they affect you that it will send you into a depression spiral before we know what’s going on again and then it will be too late.”

“You should do that because you care, not because you think you have to coddle me. And Taylor just wants to fuck someone else, so I’m done. I’m not being the problem in the relationship anymore. You both hate leading a pack, so I release you.”

“You hate it too?” Declan asked Taylor.

“More than I can put into words,” Taylor drawled. “But I love all of you so I stay. And I don’t want to cheat. That’s not what this is about at all but I’m not having this conversation drunk and in front of everyone. We can discuss this later after we all calm down.”

“No, I shouldn’t have to have a conversation calmly with you after this all went down,” Carson cried as I rubbed his back. “You should have come to us before it went down like this. You’re only addressing it now because you got caught.” He glanced up at me with tears running down his cheeks. “Tell them the truth, Tristan. Don’t wait and let it fester. You see how keeping quiet and not being open is like acid to a mating.”

“I got him,” Ian said as Carson turned away and I went to help him. The Beta and my friend looked back at Declan and Taylor. “I love you both. I always have but I go with Carson because I don’t think either of you really deserve the love we have for you after this.”

I felt tears burn in my eyes as I watched my friend’s mating get blown to shit. Carson and Ian headed downstairs as I felt three presences I knew well move closer to me.

“We need to talk, baby,” Jared said quietly. “All of us, alone.”

“Yeah, okay,” I agreed, knowing no way to get out of this after what Carson said. We headed to the back of the Sun Deck by the pool that could be used as a whirlpool as well. I sat down on the edge and moved my feet into the water as I glanced around for a drink.

“No, you’ve had enough until after we have this conversation,” Cameron said quietly. “What was Carson talking about, Tristan?”

“He wants me to be honest that I don’t really like Denver,” I admitted as I ran my fingers through my hair in agitation. They all gave me surprised looks so I sighed and told them everything I had to Kiefer and Edric but then I kept going. “And it’s too damn dry. And I like looking at the mountains but I’m from flat land. It would be nice to drive somewhere outside of Denver and not feel like I could go off a fucking cliff at any time.

“And what’s wrong with having lights on the damn expressways? Why has it got to always be in the dark? Yeah, because that’s
totally
safe in the friggin mountains. And your football team sucks—”

“Okay, you can stop the list now,” Jared growled, being a huge Broncos fan. “We get that you’re from Green Bay and we forgive you for the allegiance but that’s just a football stance. Leave the Broncos alone.” He leaned over and bumped my shoulder to let me know he wasn’t really mad.

“So you basically hate Denver,” Rhyce said after a few minutes of silence where everyone let what was said sink in.

“No, but it’s not my favorite place,” I replied with a shrug. “I hate that the pack saw me lose my virginity. I hate that they think I’m a freak.” Jared went to open his mouth and I shook my head. “They do, Jared. I bury myself in the job of the Omegas in sanctuary and the Beta qualifiers guarding them because I hate dealing with the pack. I make you guys strong so you can take care of the pack you love but I hate seeing them and running with them.

“All I get is feelings of pity, and sometimes for you guys that you got stuck with me, of course. You signed up for a twink and got a mountain of your own. Then for me because I have no answers about why I changed and can’t change back. Then just for being an Omega. And most of your pack, whether they mean to or not, thinks of how they met me when they see me. Which was my taking all your cocks up my ass. So that’s fun to see in their heads.”

“Carson’s right,” Jared said when I was done. “You should have told us this.”

“Why?” I whispered, shaking my head. “What good would it do? You love Denver and that pack. I love you guys so it’s worth it to me. We have responsibilities there and people who need us. Even if you guys would want to leave, which I know you wouldn’t, we couldn’t and not have the guilt eat at us.”

“Well, see, if you’d told us this we could have told you how we’d been feeling lately,” Cameron said with a chuckle. “Or we should have told you and then you could have been honest with us. It’s kind of six of one, half a dozen of the other at this point.”

“What are you talking about?” I drawled, the drunken talk confusing me.

“We don’t like leading,” Jared answered me. “We don’t like you being in the States with the way the rules are. We’re constantly scared for you and what might happen. I took over because it was what I was supposed to do and Cameron and Rhyce did it for me. We don’t actually like it. We love Denver, sure, it’s our hometown, and the pack are good people. But they’ll be good people if we leave and we could always sneak back in and visit Denver if we wanted to.”

“And catch football games from wherever we’re going,” Rhyce added. “We’ve been talking about whether we should seriously consider moving to the island if we like it. Apparently so have you.”

“Yeah, but I would never have left you guys. I love you all and need you.”

“Well then we just need to see how we like the island and go from there,” Jared said as he wrapped his arm around me and Cameron, Rhyce doing the same from the other side of me. “And we need to be more open with each other. If we had just been honest with the way things have been bogging us down and what we really want, we wouldn’t have risked getting to the point Carson and his inner circle have.”

“What are we going to do about that?” I asked as I kissed his cheek. “How can we help them?”

“I don’t think we can, baby,” Cameron said quietly. “We’ll be there for Carson and Ian but the rest is up to Declan and Taylor.”

“What a mess,” I mumbled. “You guys done being mad at me for going with the High Council when they came? I didn’t have a death wish, I swear.”

“We know that. We’re just picking on that fact because it was stupid and I’m not really sure why,” Rhyce said with a sigh.

“Because you didn’t listen to us,” Cameron answered. “You scanned their minds and the guards didn’t know what was really going on. Personally, I’m pissed and want to keep saying
I told you so
. We have more experience in life and wolf politics than you do. People who get taken by the guards aren’t normally heard from again. You should have trusted us.”

“I know,” I conceded. “I’ve thought a lot about this and not just because the way things turned out and you were right. I should have listened. I thought we were in a better place with the Council than all of this but you three didn’t. I should have listened to that and we decided what to do together. I won’t make that mistake again, I promise.”