27. Offer #2
He looked shocked for a second before he recovered. “Well, obviously you take after me more.”
“And what if Blake takes after his mother? She was apparently very kind and everyone loved her. The entire pack grieved for her loss. You just need to give him a chance, Papa. I almost didn’t and I would have missed out on the best thing to happen to me.” I worked myself up the more that I spoke.
Blake abandoned Angelica to come to my side.
“Are you okay?” He pulled me into his arms and spoke to Papa.
“Look, I respect you want to protect Kade and you’ve missed him, but he’s just come out of a long heat and only just recovered from being unwell.
I think that maybe we should have a break and then sit down for lunch.
Everyone feels better once they’ve eaten, don’t they? ” I gave him a half smile in response.
“That’s another thing. I keep hearing you’ve been unwell and your heat was long. What’s going on, Kade?”
“Sir, please.” Blake entreated Papa.
“I want to speak to my son! Not some overgrown man-child playing at being an alpha!” He whirled to face me. “Alpha’s only want us for one thing, Ryder, and that’s to make more alphas. Unless you can do that, then you aren’t any use to him at all. Where does that leave you, then?”
He spoke my worst fear, and I felt each word like a blow to the chest.
“Kade is my fated mate. There will be no one else for me. He was my first and will be my last.” Blake’s eyes flashed with fury. The silver-blue looked like thunderclouds.
My wolf sent me images from when I thought they were dormant. Blake chose me over everything else. He’d come for me when his pack was in danger. He’d put me first even though all we had was Aldrin’s word that we would have pups. There were no guarantees.
“Blake was committed to me even when I told him I couldn’t have kids.” It just fell out of my mouth.
“Of course I was. You’re my mate. My everything.” I burrowed deeper into his arms and let him soothe me.
“You can’t have children?” Papa sounded devastated.
I shook my head, staying pressed against my mate. Blake answered for us. “It’s a possibility that Kade has reversed the damage. Our doctor believes that we will get pregnant at some point. As with everything, we can’t be a hundred percent sure.”
“Ryder — Kade, I’m sorry. I think I made some assumptions based on my own experience.”
I turned my face to look at him. Angelica was watching us warily. “Let’s just start again, will we? Let’s go eat.”
I would have loved to say that things got easier over lunch.
Unfortunately, they were still strained.
Blake tried to keep up the conversation for a while and then switched his focus to Angelica.
It was heartwarming to see how good he was with kids.
Especially a child like my sister, who to some packs had no real value since she was a beta.
Slowly, I watched Papa as he studied Blake with my sister and saw him soften slightly towards him.
We were in for a long road if we wanted Papa in our lives.
I did. It was just hard to push together these parts of my life.
Papa needed to come to terms with the fact that Ryder was gone for good. I was Kade now.
It was almost a relief at the end of lunch when Melody came into the room. “Alpha, Alpha Mate, Dalton sent me to fetch you both. There’s a call from the council for you. They are going to call back in fifteen minutes.” She turned to Papa. “I’m sorry to break up your lunch.”
“It’s okay. I really should be going, anyway. I need to look at apartments and jobs here.”
“Papa, you can just stay in my house. I’m going to stay here.”
“You are?” Both Blake and Papa said in unison.
Turning to Blake first, I said, “I thought that’s what you wanted? I don’t think I can live in that house now.”
“I do want that. I just wanted you to be sure. Thank you, my mate. Chase can help you pack up some things and we can sort the rest later if you like? Once we see what the council wants, of course.”
I hugged my mate and looked at Papa. “The house is yours if you want it. There’s plenty of room here, but if you’d rather have your space, it seems a waste not to use my house.”
“If you’re sure. I can pick up some furniture for it and make the place ours.” Papa seemed to come round to the idea of living in my little house.
“There’s also teaching jobs here in the compound. There’s a school for the pups. A lot of the omegas don’t want to send their kids outside to school.” Blake offered.
Papa looked stunned. “Wow! That’s a lot. Um, can I think about it and get back to you? I’ve kept my qualifications current, but it’s a lot to take on.”
“Of course.”
We said our goodbyes and entered the office as the phone rang. Blake sat in his chair, pulling one next to him and answered, once again, putting it on speaker.
“Alpha Sweetwater and Kade Turner, as requested.” Blake’s seemingly endless patience was wearing thin. I could feel it down the bond. He’d held up well over lunch, even though Papa had been less than friendly. I could feel his concern that the council was going to bring more trouble to us.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. It’s Ford again. I seem to have been given the role as council representative for your pack. Thank you for making my life easy.” He gave a little chuckle, and Blake brightened. I still felt wary.
“Good afternoon.” We echoed.
“I really just wanted to talk to Kade, but as a courtesy I requested you be here, Blake, as his mate and his alpha leader.”
My hackles raised. Why would the council need to talk to me alone? “Is this about my dad? I thought all the Rincoln stuff was being dealt with.”
“It’s not about him, really. He just showed us all that there’s a real problem with how omegas, and even betas, are treated.
So, after a vote, we have shaken up the council and are adding four omegas, three female and one male.
We would also like to add four betas, two male and two female.
As a male omega, we’d like you to take a seat on the council, Kade. ”
A what now? I couldn’t speak, and I turned worried eyes on Blake. What would that mean for us?
“Would Kade have to leave the pack to take up his place?” Blake asked, looking torn.
“No. For the most part, he can work from your pack and will only be required to attend to vote on any laws we set in place. Most of us don’t attend regularly, preferring to stay in our packs.
We’ve also decided that every few years the council seats will go to a vote.
Shifters will vote for their representation, much like the humans do. ”
“Um, that’s a lot to deal with. I’ll admit that I’m interested in the idea, but I’m a damaged omega, Councilman Ford.
We aren’t sure I’ll be able to have children.
Our doctor says it’s likely. Though there are no absolutes with something like that.
How can I represent my designation when I can’t do what we are designed for? ”
There was a pause. “I’m sorry to hear of your troubles, Kade. You still have value even though you can’t give your alpha pups. You have to believe that. How did this come about?”
I briefly outlined the situation with avoiding my heats because I couldn’t trust alphas and then the magic use on top of that.
“This is exactly what you offer, Kade. You are every omega that alphas have ever oppressed. They need a voice and you can be that for them. Tell me you’ll at least consider our offer?”
Looking at Blake, I saw his pride. Ford was right. Even if I never ended up having babies, I still had my experiences to share. I understood other omegas because I was one. There was more to me than being an incubator. “I’ll do it.”