Saving His Omega (The Green Mountain Pack #1)

Chapter Eight

The calls from the sentries came like an ill and dreaded wind a few days after the marvelous night Graham had spent with his mate. The boy loved him and confessing his love in return had been easy and as natural as taking a breath. Their wolves communicated constantly, as well, Tripp’s having come out of hiding for good. Graham’s stomach clenched and his whole body went tense as he raced to the front of the longhouse. Servients ran past him in the opposite direction. Everyone knew to head for safety at the first cry. Knowing that and trusting the pack members to do as required, he was able to shove aside the urge to find Tripp and make sure he did the same.

The alpha and several betas and gammas were already ranged around the front of the longhouse. Graham joined them, taking a place next to Elijah because this was his fight more than anyone else’s. His voice needed to be heard. The alpha looked relaxed as Draco and two other sentries escorted four mangy-looking gammas into the open. As soon as the interlopers were hemmed in, one of them shifted to face Elijah.

“I am Garth of the Low Country Pack. I’ve come for our shifters.” The arrogant tone of the scruffy guy along with his sneering expression was an overt insult to the alpha.

“Welcome to the Green Mountain Pack. I’m Alpha Elijah.” The guy’s voice was calm, his expression open, showing no sign of offense. That was how it was with Elijah—easy-going…until he wasn’t. “You’re going to have to be more specific about which shifters you’re referring to.”

Garth’s lips turned up with even more and obvious contempt. “You know who I’m talking about. The sigma and the breeding omega. We scented them already so don’t try to lie.”

The increased discourtesy of the stranger’s tone and expression got everyone’s hackles up, ready to protect their alpha, as they always were. The tension running along the line of dominants was palpable. Graham found himself almost wishing for something to trigger the dispatching of these unwelcome guests. He had to stay under control, however. It was the alpha’s call as to how this would all play out, and the guy didn’t have the luxury of indulging his own desires the way Graham wanted. Whatever happened, it had to be for the good of the entire pack.

Elijah folded his arms, his demeaner becoming slightly sterner. “All right. Blake and Tripp are here. They came looking for sanctuary and I granted it.”

“They’re runaways.”

“So I assumed, and they admitted as much right from the start.”

Garth took one step forward, which was greeted by a growl from Draco. The rest of the pack members moved closer to the alpha.

The gamma was smart enough to hold out his hands and remain where he was. “Then you’ll have no problem handing them to us. Our alpha demands their return and we’ve traveled long and hard to recover them.”

Elijah didn’t answer right away. He simply stared at the foreign gamma until the guy ratcheted down his aggression by taking a small step back.

Satisfied, Elijah answered bluntly. “You can’t have the omega.” He gestured toward Graham as the gamma opened his mouth to protest. “The boy is now mated to my beta and therefore belongs to my pack.”

The gamma sputtered for a few seconds, making Graham wonder why the Low Country alpha hadn’t sent a beta to handle any negotiation. Too arrogant, perhaps, sure that recovering the missing pack members would require only muscle and no brain.

“He’s breeding with another’s pup!”

Elijah raised his eyebrows. “We did notice that fact.”

The gamma had no immediate response. He furrowed his own brow as he worked out what to say. Then he switched his gaze to Graham. “You had no right to claim him.”

Graham didn’t bother to hide his contempt. “A widowed omega already ripe with a pup. Why wouldn’t I take the opportunity?” He deliberately made it sound as if Tripp were nothing more than a prize to seize. Shifters such as these would understand the primitive explanation for what he’d done.

Garth practically growled his frustration. “He’s our alpha’s son and he wants him and the pup back. They belong to our pack.”

“They belong to me!” Graham shifted his face for a moment to bare his wolf’s teeth.

Eligah held his hand in front of Graham as if keeping him in check. “There is nothing to discuss here about the omega. He’s the beta’s property and will remain so. That being said, I am prepared to compensate your alpha for the loss of the omega, the pup and the sigma.”

“I-I’m not here to bargain.” The gamma was clearly out of his depth now.

Elijah gestured toward where the pack’s vehicles were lined up, waiting for use. “You’ve had a long journey. I’ll trade you a large SUV for your return trip, plus enough provisions to last you the whole way without having to hunt or interact with humans. We have many goods that your pack would find useful, too. We’ll trade generously for the shifters your pack has lost.”

The offer threw the gamma completely off. No surprise. This type of discussion was not in the gamma’s repertoire of skills. If they were lucky, he’d accept the offer just to relieve himself of the discord in his own brain.

“No.”

Shit . They weren’t lucky. When faced with something he couldn’t handle, this guy had fallen back on what he knew best—stubborn adherence to orders.

“You will hand them over now.” The gamma foolishly took a step forward.

Draco broke rank and lunged to put himself between Garth and Elijah, snapping and snarling a warning that made Graham’s wolf howl with delight. He shushed him, worried about how Tripp’s wolf would react if he heard it.

“Stand down, Draco.” Elijah’s order was issued in a low, calm voice wrapped in steel.

The young gamma did as ordered, but his impulsive effort to protect had the desired effect. Garth backed off a few paces.

“We must bring the two runaways back.” There was a hint of fear in his voice now.

Elijah shook his head once. “You can’t have the omega. That’s simply not happening so there is no point in speaking of it further. Unless, you want to fight the boy’s mate over it?” Elijah shot Graham a glance. “Sure, he’s a beta, smaller than you, not built for fighting as much as you are. But he’d be battling for his mate and that will make him extra vicious. I wouldn’t want to tangle with him.”

The alpha let his words hang in the air, waiting for the gamma to work things out on his own.

“Fine.” Garth spat out the one word as if it were poison. “The sigma comes with us. He killed the omega’s first mate and that is a transgression that cannot be ignored.”

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.”

They both returned to where the others remained standing in their face-off. No one had said a word, following Elijah’s lead in letting the domestic squabble happen without interference. Graham took his spot next to the alpha again, while Blake walked over to Garth.

The gamma lashed out to strike him as soon as he was within reach. The backhand sent Blake sprawling to the ground, blood welling up from his split lip.

Elijah erupted. “Enough!” His roar reverberated right through the core of everyone there. A furious alpha was no one to trifle with. “I agree that your alpha has the power to punish this sigma but you are not he. Keep your hands off this boy on the journey back.”

“Of course, Alpha Elijah. We know our place.” The insincerity of the gamma’s words were easy to detect.

Graham was about to volunteer to go with them. Protecting Blake as he returned to his pack was the least he could do for his mate. Elijah beat him to it.

“To ensure you all get home safely, I’m sending one of my own gammas as an escort. Draco .”

The young gamma stepped forward, a broad grin on his human face. “Yes, Alpha. Thank you for entrusting me with this.”

Graham eyed Draco warily. Only he knew what the gamma had been thinking not long ago. The guy was enjoying the idea of going with the Low Country Pack members way too much. A lot could happen during the long journey through the woods, and Draco knew the environs of New England far better than the interlopers.

Knowing that Elijah wanted to avoid bloodshed, he was about to quietly intervene and suggest sending someone else. The alpha was already a step ahead of him, as was his nature.

“I’m going to give you the SUV and supplies anyway, as a gesture of goodwill toward your alpha. Draco will convey to him in the strongest possible terms that I want the sigma and am willing to trade more for him, but whatever the outcome, these are gifts.”

There was really nothing for Garth to object to. So for the next hour, there was a flurry of activity during which clothing was found for the Low Country gammas and the SUV loaded up with all kinds of goods. Based on what he knew of the asshole, Graham doubted the foreign alpha would agree to the exchange. It was something that might help, though, and as he embraced Blake, the sigma expressed his appreciation for the guard and the effort.

Draco had no trouble muscling the other gammas away from Blake’s side as they climbed into the back seat of the vehicle. With his protection, the sigma would have at least a physically safe journey. If the foreign gammas thought to overpower him, Draco’s expression and body language told them to think again. If anyone would prevail in a four to one fight, Graham would put his money on Draco every time. He would have to be sure to convince Tripp about that.

He stood staring at the back of the SUV as they left until there was nothing more to see.

Elijah put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry how things turned out.”

“You did everything you could, sir. I’m grateful, especially for Draco’s escort. I don’t doubt that Garth and the others would have extracted their resentment from Blake during the journey back.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I failed as much as I do now. I need the comfort of my mate and pup. You should seek the same.”

Graham nodded. “Yes, sir.”

His steps were heavy, however, as he made his way to the small room he still shared with Tripp. He knew the boy would be miserable and furious at him probably more than anyone. He should have leveled with him from the beginning. Protecting him from the truth hadn’t proved beneficial at all. He opened the door, his heart already breaking at the sounds of sobbing coming from inside. As Tripp realized he was there, the omega lifted his head and confirmed the worst of Graham’s fears.

“I hate you!”