27. Offer
Offer
Kade
M y heat broke in the evening of the fourth day, not long after we’d seen Aldrin and he’d given Blake some potions before he became really ill. Too lost in my heat, I hadn’t seen how it was affecting my mate and I felt so guilty about it.
Together we had slipped into a twelve hour sleep. I woke before Blake feeling pretty refreshed in light of everything. Using the pack link, I ordered us some food and let everyone know we were fine.
It was strange to use the link like that.
In my more coherent moments during my heat, I’d felt the growing anxiety of the pack at how long it was taking.
They’d been so happy for their alpha to begin with, but as the days went on, prickles of unease filtered through the walls I’d put up to keep them out.
Keeping the walls strong had been difficult, the more exhausted that we got, so I was sure that the pack had felt some of our worry too.
Can I come in? Chase sent down the bond.
Sure, Blake is still sleeping. I looked back at my mate sprawled over the bed, admiring the long line of his back, the lightly tanned skin. A sheet covered his ass, but that was about it. I loved everything about him. Even his feet were elegant.
As if sensing my attention on him, Blake turned his head and opened a bleary eye.
“Morning.” His voice was sleep roughened, and he looked adorable with his dark hair mussed.
I would never get used to seeing him look at me with such open affection.
Such joy. Like he couldn’t believe that I was there with him.
Didn’t he know that I was the lucky one? This man was willing to accept me, a damaged omega with a ton of baggage, and treat me like I was the special one.
It was him that was special. My alpha. My mate who treated everyone with kindness. Who every member of this pack, or nearly all since Rincoln had done some damage, adored.
Chase set a tray laden with food onto the little coffee table and took a seat on the sofa.
“I forgive you for kicking me out of your room the other day, baby brother.” He said magnanimously, his face stretched with a wide grin.
“I even brought your breakfast to show there’s no hard feelings.
” He picked up a slice of crispy bacon and popped it into his mouth, moaning at the taste.
Blake got out of bed and pulled on some sweats, joining us over at the seating area and piling a plate with food.
“If you feel up to it in a little while, there’s some pack business to go through,” Chase said, after swallowing down some more bacon.
I tuned him and Blake out to an extent as they caught up on pack business. My ears only catching on the words, “Kade’s Papa.”
“What about my papa?”
“He’s in Sweetwater, well, he’s at your house. Dakota suggested there. I hope that’s okay. Apparently, your sister didn’t like the hotel.” Chase explained.
My heart felt like it had stopped. Papa was close! It hadn’t occurred to me that now that Rincoln was gone, there was no reason for us to be apart. I stood up. “I need to see him.”
Chase wrinkled his nose and went to make a smart remark.
I could see it on the tip of his tongue, but Blake cut him off.
“After food and a shower, yes. Chase can call him and invite them for lunch. I don’t think you want this to be the first impression you give your papa of your mate and of how you live. ”
I looked down at myself. I’d thrown on a pair of underwear and that was it. “Fair point. I don’t have any clothes here, though.”
“We’re about the same size,” said Chase, assessing me. “I’m sure I can find something suitable for seeing your papa in.”
“Chase is pretty particular about his clothes,” Blake remarked. The pair fell into bickering as I tried to squash down my nerves.
I was pretty glad that I’d eaten a fair amount before I’d found out about Papa because my stomach was too tied up in knots to eat anything else.
Sensing my growing unease, Blake sent Chase away to get me clothes and speak to Papa, or get Axel to do it since he was the more diplomatic one of the two.
“Are you okay?” Blake asked. We were ready to go downstairs to wait for Papa and my sister, but I couldn’t seem to make myself move.
I tried to give voice to my thoughts and failed.
“It’s a lot. You’re overwhelmed. The bond is still fresh, we’re still recovering from your heat and there’s so much to do. The thing you forget, though, is we aren’t alone. You have me and all the pack behind you.”
“That helps, thank you. It’s been so long. He’s not seen me since he had to leave me to get me help.” I shrugged the melancholy off. “He hasn’t seen me with my new face.”
“What a pretty face it is, too.” Blake took my face between his hands, cradling it gently, and pressed a kiss to my waiting lips.
“Alpha Blake, Alpha Mate, your guests are in the conservatory,” Dalton, Axel’s PA, announced. I’d been waiting for the visit in Blake’s office as he caught himself up with paperwork.
We’d discussed the merge and had seen what Deke, Axel, and Alpha Jason had decided in our absence. Blake confirmed they had everything in hand and arranged a team to sort a home for Janet. I was glad that she was coming to live in the pack’s heart.
Rincoln’s attack had identified a few traitors. While Blake had been trying to get me back, a couple of rogues had tried to take some omegas. They’d died at the hands of the beta females they’d looked down on. Poetic justice.
“Will you come with me?” I asked Blake as I stood to follow Dalton.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be alone?” I loved how Blake always gave me a choice.
“No, I think I need you there. Please?”
“Of course.”
He took my hand and waved Dalton off with his thanks, showing me around the bottom floor as we walked to the conservatory.
“Breathe, Kade. It’s fine. It’s only your papa.” Blake soothed. He wrapped an arm around me and I melted into his side.
“Okay.”
I saw him as soon as we entered the conservatory.
The light hit his bright red hair, making him look like he had a fiery aura.
Physically, he was exactly the same. Hair cut in the same style.
Face still looking like a twenty something and not a forty-seven-year-old man.
No facial hair, no scars, the same features we shared.
The years showed in his posture, though. He seemed to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. There was tension there that I hadn’t seen before. It might have always been there, but we were both older and wiser now.
When his eyes landed on mine, it felt like a punch in the gut seeing all the sadness in those amber depths. Papa quickly shut down whatever he’d been thinking and a smile lit his face. “Ryder!”
“Kade,” I corrected automatically.
“Yes, of course, Kade. I knew that.” He shook his head and beckoned me closer. “Let me look at you. I’ve missed you!”
Blake followed me closely. Offering his silent support.
Once near enough, Papa rested his hand on my face. I was taller than him, taking most of my height from my dad. Everything else seemed to be from papa.
“We don’t quite look the same anymore. I can see you in there. They saved your nose, but your cheekbones are higher, eyes seem wider. You’re so handsome, baby!”
I blushed. “Thanks, Papa. I’d like you to meet my mate. This is Blake Sweetwater. He’s the alpha of the Sweetwater pack.” Blake stepped forward as if to shake Papa’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Alpha Blake.” His words were polite, but I saw him shove up those walls.
My papa was usually friendlier than this.
“Come, Kade, and see your sister. She’s been looking forward to meeting you.
” He turned, effectively putting Blake at his back.
A slight if Blake was that kind of alpha.
Blake and I exchanged looks before following Papa further into the room. A beautiful little girl with the same bright flame red hair as Papa looked up, stealing my breath. She looked just like I had at her age. Our eyes were the same shade.
Seeing us behind Papa, Angelica became wary and moved to hide behind him, peering at me behind his leg. “Hello,” she said quietly, “are you my brother?”
I squatted down, so we were eye to eye. “Yes, I am. Wow, I’ve not seen you in such a long time! You were a baby the last time I saw you.”
“I’m six!” Angelica announced.
“I’m twenty-six. Did you know we share the same birthday?”
“We do?”
“Yeah. I asked Papa if you were my present. I’d always wanted a sister.”
I looked up at Papa, but he was glaring at Blake, who was watching me with my sister and smiling softly. We had hope now that one day we might be blessed with young of our own.
“Angelica, would you go play please so I can speak to your brother?” Papa asked in a firm voice. He seemed harder than he used to be. Almost like the last few years had squeezed all his soft edges into sharp ones.
“Are you the alpha?” Angelica asked Blake, becoming bolder.
“I am. Do you want to show me the toys they have here? I’ve not spent much time in this room.
I’m always in my boring office.” He said it playfully, and Angelica rewarded him with a giggle.
She took his hand and pulled him towards a bin of toys she seemed familiar with in the short time that they had been here.
“Kade.” Papa’s tone held a warning.
“Yes, Papa?”
“Are you sure about this? Being mated to an alpha leader? I’ve heard about this pack and I don’t know how I feel about you being part of it, let alone Alpha Mate!”
“Papa!” I pleaded with him to calm down. “Blake is a good man.”
“They’re all good to start with.” He shot back. “What about all the rumors?”
“I researched the pack the same as you did. Those were his father. The pack hasn’t been like that for years. They all are happy and love their alpha.” I reached for him. Running a hand down his arm, hoping my wolf could calm his fox.
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
It felt like someone had slapped me, and I withdrew my hand. “So, what does that mean about me?”