Chapter 16

TALIUS

It was at my weekly meeting with Johnson, the beta who was my second-in-command, that I broached the subject of myupcoming attempt to mate Isca.

”...and it was only when we started using the high-pressure pump we hired from McLeavens that we finally got the water flowing.” Johnson was detailing the problems he”d had sorting out a blocked water pipe from one of the dams. The water fed the troughs in some of the paddocks containing livestock, and was also used to irrigate some of the small crop paddocks. A blockage was a serious problem and needed to be resolved quickly.

”Did you work out what was blocking it?” I asked.

”Nah. Maybe the pipes were floating too low in the dam and mud got in. There”s also a lot of algae in that dam, so it”s possible some of that stuff got stuck in there. I”ll get one of the guys to clean off the surface and I”ll check how the pipe sits myself. I”m not sure we”ll find out exactly what caused it.”

”Take Agelius with you when you go... I think it would be worthwhile training him as your backup. He”s bright and he”s settled in well with the pack. Although he”s an alpha, I have a feeling he won”t be leaving us anytime soon. He was without a pack for so long, I think he”ll want to stay here for a while. If you”re agreeable, I”ll talk to him about it.”

Johnson nodded. ”I like that idea. This place is a lot to manage when you aren”t here, and you need to take a break from time to time, and I mean something more than a few days off to take care of your mate... sorry, I should say mates.”

A sly grin crept over the beta”s face. ”Gotta say, you must have some stamina, Talius. Not everyone could keep two omegas happy.”

”Yeah, well, about that. I wanted to talk to you about where I went last week.” I hesitated. Although it was a private matter, matings affected the pack as a whole, and especially so in this case where what I was intending to do could be considered, if not exactly taboo - since no-one thought it could even be done - then wrong. Mating another alpha”s mate? And a Pack Alpha”s mate at that. Some might be understanding, if they knew a little of Isca”s history, but even if the pack were accepting, if word got out there could be serious ramifications for the pack itself. They needed to know.

Johnson”s kind brown eyes settled on mine, his face implacable. He liked Isca, I knew, and I didn”t think he”d judge me for this, but you never knew. Sometimes you thought you knew someone, and then you found they had little triggers you would never have guessed. I figured I was about to find out.

”I...”A tap on the doorframe interrupted me before I could get any further, but when I looked up there was no-one there. Giggles sounded from out in the hallway. Light, bubbling sounds in two different pitches. Both of them, then. What were they up to?

Johnson and I exchanged a look. I shrugged. I didn”t know what was going on.

The soft, happy sounds continued outside the office but no omegas came into sight. I sighed.

”Come in, you two. We know you”re up to something!”

The giggling stopped. There was some shuffling. Scratch! Followed by the sputter of something flaring to life.

Then Irian and Isca stepped around the doorframe and into the room carrying a tray between them. In the middle of the tray, flames danced on the little colored sticks stuck into what smelled like cake.

Two sweet omega voices burst into song. ”Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!...”

I didn”t often blush, but I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. This display was sweet and a little embarrassing. To be honest, I”d forgotten it was my birthday. Once I”d passed 22, with all my key dates met, a birthday held no significance for me, so I rarely remembered it. Birthdays, other than the important ones for passing the different stages of majority, were more of a human thing. Irian never forgot though. And now Isca. It gave them an excuse to indulge their hobby of baking and Johnson and I would happily benefit.

Who was I kidding? I was inordinately touched that my omegas remembered my birthday and wanted to make a fuss.

I pulled them close as they approached my desk with the carefully balanced cake wobbling slightly.

”Careful!” cried Irian, as he and Isca steadied the tray and placed the cake on the desk in front of me.

”Happy birthday!” Johnson grinned, as much for my discomfort as for the anticipation of a tasty sweet treat. It was no coincidence the cake had arrived when Johnson was here... he was always very appreciative of sweet treats and my mates loved showing off their culinary talents.

I rolled my eyes at him. ”Did you even know?”

”Nope,” Johnson replied, unapologetically. ”I never remember that sort of thing. That”s what you”ve got mates for. And two, so there”s no way your birthday will ever be forgotten now.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands.

”They”re aging me... I wouldn”t remember to add on the extra year otherwise.”

”I don”t think that”s what they do that”s aging you,” he snickered.

I paused. Looked at him from between my fingers.

Did he really say that? Had he really meant what I thought he did?

”No. That”s what keeps me young.”

Before the conversation deteriorated, Irian gave me a little nudge. He was bouncing with excitement. From the other side of me, Isca watched with a fond smile dancing across his lips, his eyes shining.

”Happy birthday, Talius,” Isca said in his melodic voice. Then he added hesitantly, ”Your candles are burning low.”

I turned my attention back to the cake. Little blobs of melted wax pooled at the base of the candles, small splashes of color bright against the white icing.

”I huff, and I puff, and I...” The flickering pinpricks of light sizzled and snuffed out as I exhaled a long draught of air.

The next thing I knew, I had a warm body seated on each of my thighs. Plump lips met my own in a chaste kiss. Even Irian would behave himself in front of my second-in-command. Isca leaned in and feathered a gentle kiss on my cheek, but I wasn”t having that. I took his chin gently between my thumb and index finger and brought his lips to mine. Two mates, two equal mates.

Irian jumped up and hurried out of the room with the tray and returned shortly holding four steaming mugs. The bitter tang of coffee perfectly offset the sweetness of the cake and when we were done there was less than half the cake remaining.

”Do you want to take a piece with you, Johnson?” Irian asked from where he sat perched happily on my knee again. I was finding it hard eating and drinking with the two omegas pressing up against me. I loved having them this close, but I didn”t know where to put my arms and still get my food and drink to my mouth. I opted to wait until they”d gone to finish my cake, but Isca saw my predicament and began feeding me mouthfuls, giggling softly as he swiped the crumbs between my lips.

”I”m not sure I”d want to deprive Talius of it,” replied Johnson, wistfully eyeing the remaining cake.

”Oh, you”d better have more now then,” I mumbled as I chewed.

Johnson helped himself to another piece and finished the dregs of his coffee. As he set his mug back down on the desk, Irian got up and signalled to Isca with an almost imperceptible tilt of his head. Isca understood and disentangled himself from me.

”We”ll leave you to your meeting,” announced Irian, as he and Isca gathered the remains of our morning tea and left the room.

”How”s Isca doing?” asked Johnson, once the omegas had left.

”Amazingly well given what he”s been through,” I replied. ”It helps that he has Irian with him most of the time, but he”s really starting to develop some confidence. He”s signing up for an online university course and wants to learn to drive. I guess I”ll be the one getting a few grey hairs from that.”

”He doesn”t know how to drive? That”s unusual for a country boy.”

”That”s his old mate”s fault. He apparently didn”t think omegas should be allowed to drive... he had a lot of other dubious ideas too.” I shook my head, scowling.

”But, that sort of segues into something I wanted to talk about.” I paused, drew in a steadying breath, trying to find the right words.

”You know how Irian, Isca and I are a threesome, right?”

Johnson nodded, watching me intently.

”But it”s informal, since Isca already has his mating bond with Zarbius. So... I found a way to form a bond with him myself.”

I fell silent, waiting for his reaction.

Johnson blinked, a couple of lines creased his brow. Then he surprised me by saying, ”Well, I didn”t think that was possible, but I”m happy for you if it is.” The lines deepened. ”But how? I”ve never heard of such a thing.”

”Magic. It”s a magic bond. We”ve found a mage who says he can do it. It doesn”t get rid of the original mate bond though, and there are certain stipulations for it to stick, but yeah, it”s possible.”

”Congratulations,” Johnson was beaming. ”That”s great news. I”m very pleased for you all. When is this taking place?”

”Thank you. I”m hoping to do it before the next full moon run,” I told him. ”Isca wasn”t comfortable at the last run and I”d like to make sure he”s mated before he comes out with us again. That way he”ll feel more secure.”

”I need to let the pack know ahead of time, and I”m also going to have to insist it”s kept confidential. I can”t risk Isca”s old mate finding out and coming back to disrupt his life.”

Johnson nodded. ”I don”t think anyone will have an issue withany of that. Everyone”s fond of Isca and wants to protect him. Rumors have circulated about what his old mate did to him, so the pack will definitely support you.”

I relaxed back in my chair with a loud exhale. I hadn”t been sure. I knew my pack was loyal to me, but this was a very unusual situation, so it was a relief that Johnson was convinced I”d have their support.

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