21. Unexpected Aid
Unexpected Aid
Dakota
T wo weeks later
Fatigue was a regular companion. I snatched sleep where I could, in between hours of administering medication that did nothing.
With the healer’s help, I learned how to change IV lines, how to turn our sleeping betas so they wouldn’t get bedsores.
All the sick slept. There were no exceptions.
Every beta in the Sweetwater pack had succumbed to the beta sickness.
These days I could fit a catheter, change it out, without issue. More than once, I was told that I’d “missed my calling,” by the grateful staff the council had employed. I’d laugh off their comments, pushing the compliments onto how I’d been raised.
My parents were a regular fixture at the house, though they didn’t come inside now that we had hospital healers here.
I was grateful to them more than once when they’d come directly from visiting Jasper with a scan picture of my baby son and the scent of my omega on a shirt.
Our bond was strong, but frayed at the edges, the forced separation wearing it thinner with each day.
Swapping clothing with that trace of the other’s scent was necessary for me to get some rest most days.
Papa had hit upon the idea, and it gave them an excuse to check on Kade.
Each time that they went, they had to be cleansed magically and medically before they could enter the house because they were still making house calls to betas.
With Kade carrying triplets, there was a high chance of a beta who could get sick.
Angel had insisted we were having a boy, but we had no idea of designation.
The risk was too high to be careless. As much as I wanted to go to my mate, to hold him in my arms, I’d spent far too much time with the sick, to even think about gambling our baby’s life on it.
Even with the team of healers and nurses, we were all battling exhaustion and stress.
I was trying to keep the pack run businesses alive with agency workers, any spare alphas and unattached omegas I could find.
It was a careful balancing act, and it felt like at any second that it could all come tumbling down.
Chase had been useful in keeping our spirits up until he’d succumbed to the sleep two days after the twins had arrived. I missed having the beta around with his quick words. Often his extra gift, the power to tell if people were lying, was what they valued him for. Most overlooked his wit.
When Shelby called, I wondered if she was after an update on Kade. “Hey Shelby,” I answered, running a hand over the short beard I’d grown.
“Dakota, hey. I have a question for you.”
“Oh-kay,” Her brusque tone had me drawing the word out.
“What the fuck?” Her cursing shocked me. Shelby had never been one for swearing since most of her job was customer facing.
“Huh?”
“Agency staff? Really? Avery, Alex, and I are offended.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh. When do you want us to start? How long is it for?”
The thought of having part of my old team working with me again nearly brought tears to my eyes.
“Um, as soon as and most likely permanent. I was going to suggest to Blake that we take on some more people. The pack is growing, but not fast enough to keep up. We’d have had to take on outsiders, anyway. ”
“And we’ve been vetted, so we’re cool, right?”
“Right. This is perfect.” Then I remembered Taylor. “What about Taylor?”
“Too pregnant for a job change. They are taking maternity early because of all the stress. Isaac ignored your note about moving them until a doctor got involved. Goddess, I wish you’d have been here, Dakota.
It was a whole mess.” My mind whirred. Poor Taylor.
I immediately felt bad because I’d neglected them as soon as I’d left.
“I’m sorry for not calling.” I heard the shame in my voice clearly.
“Hey, it’s okay. Look, you left on bad terms and we knew it wasn’t because of us. You needed a clean break. I’m just calling to remind you that you have friends and we would also like to get out of dodge.”
“That bad?”
“Taylor had to get the union and people’s resources involved to get proper working conditions for their pregnancy. They spent a couple of days in the hospital.”
“Shit.”
“Indeed. Look, I know you had your moments, but you were a fair boss. Isaac is… he just isn’t and we need out of here. I don’t know what hold he has over management, but they don’t care about what we say.”
“Start as soon as you can. I’ll let the manager know to expect you and get you passes for the back gate. Go there tomorrow. You know where it is?”
“We’ll find it. Do you need anything else, boss?”
“I’m sure Kade is needing some hugs from his peeps. He and his papa, my mate—“
“What the fuck?”
My laugh burst from me. “Oh, by the way, I’m mated, and he’s pregnant.”
“Moon help me, but what the actual fuck, Dakota?” Shelby laughed.
“I guess I really should have kept in touch better.”
“Damn straight. Okay, hug the pregnant people with my peeps and then work tomorrow.”
“That about covers it.”
“When can we expect to see you?”
“Please, don’t come here. I’d love to see you, but I have five sick betas here. All in coma like states.”
“Holy fuck!” I would never get used to Shelby cursing as much as this. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Well, I’m utterly exhausted. What was it that Brit used to say? ‘Knackered?’”
Shelby giggled. “Yeah, knackered.”
“That’s me. Done in. Used up. My kid is here. She isn’t mine biologically—“
“She’s your daughter because she belongs to your mate.”
“Yeah. Angelica is a beta. I’ve not heard her speak, or seen her open her eyes in two weeks.”
“I’m so sorry, Dakota. Sending up prayers for you all. I’ll go give out hugs for you once I round up Avery and Alex.”
“I’m so grateful. Thank you, Shelby.”
“You’re welcome, boss.”
Call done, I texted Blake to let him know we had three more members of staff and to expect a visit.
I’d divided up the office space into a bedroom of sorts and a workspace.
My cluttered desk covered with papers dominated the space.
There was some sort of organization system in place under all the mess.
Blake’s call took me by surprise and I worried that I’d overstepped. “Alpha, is everything okay?”
“What? Oh, no, that’s fine.” He sounded distracted. “I’m waiting for a driver to take me to the compound.”
Bolting from my chair, I left the room above the garage, rushing down the steps and outside towards the main house. “You can’t come here! What about Kade?”
“Dakota, chill. I’m meeting a delegation at the gates and I’ll escort them to your house.”
“Delegation?”
“Dakota, I’m sorry to put this on you. There’s no one else and you know how to handle people.
Deke needs to stay with our mates. I need to be with Kade.
Axel—“ his voice broke and I could hear him swallowing back tears. “Chase. I just want to see my brothers and then I’ll be gone. You’ll have to deal with the elves. ”
“Elves?”
The small elven delegation arrived hours later. There were four in total. All tall and impossibly beautiful.
“I’m sorry,” Blake said as he dashed by me. The one with straight dark hair is ívarr.
The one that I assumed was their leader, the one that Blake pointed out to me, ívarr, was a cold-looking man with pale as milk skin, long black hair, silver eyes and the long pointed ears that marked him as an elf.
Go! I urged via the pack link. I’ve got this.
“I apologize for my alpha, ívarr. He’s missed his brothers and wants to check on their well-being.”
“It’s quite alright,” ívarr said, “We kept him at the gate for some time as we explained our presence. I’m remiss in my introductions.” There was a hint in there for me.
“Again, our apologies. I’m the alpha mate’s father by mating.
I’m also the alpha’s assistant. Dakota Flemming.
” I held my hand out to shake and ívarr eyed it.
His guard, or assistant, stepped forward to grasp my hand.
He was slightly shorter, still well over six feet, and more muscular, with silvery blond hair to his waist. His eyes were a startling shade of turquoise.
“Teárlach.” He introduced as he shook my hand.
“I’m sorry, Tear-lack? Is that right?”
He smiled a congenial smile that suggested this was common. “No, it’s an old Scottish name, so it’s teh-ar-la, and you have to roll the c and h, for that ch sound from words like choose. Teh-ar-lach. And ívarr is eh-varr.”
“Ah, thank you. I don’t want to get it wrong.”
His lips lifted again, letting me know that I’d gained some respect for ensuring I didn’t butcher their names.
ívarr gestured to the other companions, “this is Teagan.” The woman had long, bright auburn hair to her knees.
She had braided it back from her face and around pointed ears adorned with many piercings of gold and silver.
Her eyes were hazel and danced with mischief.
Teagan gave me a small wave when ívarr introduced her. “Lastly, this is Hakeem.”
The last man was imposing looking at first glance. Taller than even ívarr, close to seven feet at a guess, and more muscular than Teárlach, his deep brown skin was littered with raised scars. He caught me looking, his dark eyes twinkling. “All my kills.”
Teárlach shoved Hakeem. “Don’t scare the bear. Shifter’s bite.” Teárlach winked, letting me know he was kidding, and Hakeem laughed, bent double until ívarr cleared his throat, letting me know how the hierarchy went.
“We are here after our oracle had a vision.” ívarr announced.
What?
It’s a long story. Best get comfortable and out of the heat. Blake’s wry mental voice returned. I felt his pain and sadness at the state of both his brothers through the pack link as he hurried to put on protective clothing. I shut down the link to focus on our visitors.
“Please, this sounds like a long story. Let’s go into the house and get some refreshments.” ívarr nodded at my suggestion and the delegation of elves followed me into the house.