Chapter Eighteen
Mads
“Hey, birdies, can we get some food and someplace private for the omegas to chill?” Nite waved at two Raven shifters who sat at the front desk, their postures tense and nervous.
Being omegas, they were due a certain amount of respect from shifters, but Nite was pushing his grace.
Leon shouldered a bag and rummaged through it, pulling out sweatpants.
“That’s a new collar on the wolf,” one said, staring Haze down. “That is an omega shifter. Why is there a new collar on him?”
“So I can speak. I’m free to shift and do as I please. May we please have some food and a place for me to change?” The way the wolf’s voice carried made the two raven women sigh in relief.
“Absolutely. We have some tuna and chicken salad and croissants left from a catering job earlier. Would that be okay, or would you like for us to go to town and find something? Not much is open.” One of the women rummaged in the desk and withdrew a key on an ornate ring and guided them down a hall.
“That’s fine with me. I assume the cat would enjoy his tuna.” Haze nodded and Nite scoffed.
“Fair.”
The women took off in opposite directions, one taking the omegas to what appeared to be a bridal suite with enough space for them to lounge and relax. Food was promised, and she dismissed herself with a bow and great smile.
Leon handed Haze the clothes, and he mouthed them before trotting off to the bathroom, groaning with a soft tenor voice as the cricks and cracks of long-overdue shifting came.
He’d not asked, but the shower started, and everyone waited as Tack stood by the door, wand in hand at the ready to defend his covenmembers.
“What did he mean by branded?” Nite craned his head toward the bathroom as Sheila shifted, reaching up to Leon for some clothes. He rummaged about and handed her a slip of a dress and sandals for her to wrestle herself into.
“He did a bad thing,” Sheila said before crawling up to sit in Leon’s lap.
A knock on the wall drew their attention as the wolf within let them know he could hear.
Tack cleared his throat. “Let’s not talk where he cannot speak for himself. It’s rude.”
Another two knocks, appreciation likely.
They waited patiently until Haze came out. He was a slender beauty of an omega, eyes pale like ice, hair as dark as ink. His lips were full and cherubic on a face that had a resting predatory expression. Mads’s first impression? Danger twink.
If he’d had a slightly more almond eye shape and thinner build, he could have passed for brothers with Nite.
But as he daubed at his shaggy hair, the tresses falling in loose waves, like some neo gothic era vampire, a network of scars started at his throat and disappeared into the loose V of his sweater.
He didn’t bother speaking as he laid the collar reverently before Sheila, just turned to Tack and gestured with his hands.
Tack gestured back but froze for a second. He still signed as he spoke, though. “Right. You can hear. Okay. So, why the brand? And what happened? Did your human do that to you?”
Haze made a pinching gesture, one of the few signs that even Mads knew, No. My wolf family did. Mads had to make guesses, but Tack translated for him.
“I don’t know this sign…” Tack made a gesture at his ear, like an F.
F-A-E Haze signed as Tack spoke for him. “I entered an arranged mating with a— Family alph—Oh jeez. Okay! So, his family arranged for him to be claimed by his half uncle. He didn’t like it and made a fae bargain.”
Haze continued to sign, lips moving as Tack nodded and signed back, asking something as if he forgot Haze could hear.
“Man, been there done that. Traded my name and asked to be free. So my master gave me away for free.” Nite grinned and Haze shot him a weary look, exhaustion plain in his eyes.
“Yeah. Okay. He says that he happened upon a fae portal on pack land and instead of reporting it, he made a bargain.” Tack silenced as Haze spoke something about a baby, death, first…
“I don’t judge you.” Tack reached forward to grab Haze’s hands, and the omega didn’t look like he wanted forgiveness or permission.
Only anger lay in those eyes. Tack released his hands, as holding the hands of a signing person was the equivalent of shushing or covering the mouth of a verbal person.
Yep. Dangertwink. Mads knew to be wary of him.
“He was pregnant and didn’t want the pup.
The fae offered him a bargain, firstborn son in exchange for his freedom.
” Tack nodded sagely. “So when he had the pup, the fae came to take it away to be raised on the other side of the veil. He fought his mate, and they used their own teeth to rip his mate mark from his neck—branding him traitor. He can’t speak anymore because it messed something up. ”
Silence spread through the room, but Haze only lifted his chin defiantly before signing a few things. “The child will be well cared for. He will be raised to be a companion to a fancy child—”
Tack hesitated as Haze spelled something out with nimble fingers moving too fast for him to take in. Tack signed something back. “Noble? Prince?”
Haze shrugged. He signed something else. “Someone important’s kid.”
Haze nodded and continued to sign. “Baron got him when he was still healing. They taught him to sign, and he worked for Baron for a while before trading him out last year.”
“No judgment, mate.” Nite sighed heavily, but the glare that he got from Haze said every bit that he didn’t need anyone’s approval. He signed a few things with a rather heavy-handed gesture.
“Okay! No, Haze. It’s fine. Nobody thinks you want our approval. You don’t have to regret it.” Tack stopped signing, holding up his hands to calm him down before the omega stepped forward and smacked his chest.
“What’s that sign mean?” Sheila blinked up.
Tack huffed and grabbed Haze’s hands before forcing him into a tight hug. “It means that he’s tough as nails and makes some damn good calls.”
The reaction seemed to surprise Haze and he pushed away from Tack with a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks before giving the finger.
“I know that sign!” Sheila perked up and Haze glanced over at her, head tilted.
Haze made a limp few gestures and pursed his lips. Tack spoke for him again. “Sorry for doing that in front of the pup.”
“It’s okay. Nitenite does it all the time.” Sheila beamed and Nite facepalmed. “Oh… if Haze can only talk with his hands, how will Papa Warring understand him?”
Haze glanced at Tack in confusion. He mouthed the word “who?”
“Papa Warring can’t see good so I’m his seeing eye pup! I get to go in grocery stores, now.” Sheila beamed and Haze hesitated before signing something.
Tack didn’t translate. “No! No, she’s not in servitude. She enjoys helping. Warring is effectively blind, and they have a sort of bond. Sheila likes to feel useful.”
“Sailor says that I like helping because my mom was a working dog and I need a task to feel good. I really like making Papa Warring happy. I wish I could be his eyes all the time, but Papa Leon and Daddy Sailor says I have to learn how to be a people, too.” Sheila beamed, wiggling in her seat as if wagging an invisible tail.
Tack explained Sheila’s situation, how she was conceived with a shifter and a normal dog, and how Sailor was a half mage who traded some of his human form for some of her wolf and balanced it out so they could both shift despite their blood.
“He says you are very kind for what you did to a half blood.” Tack cleared his throat. “Most packs kick them out or do away with them.”
“Yeah, and some packs try to ship their kids with their brothers.” Nite flinched, and Haze shrugged in a you’ve got me there gesture.
“As our covenmaster’s mate, you do have the authority to make him a member of the coven.” Tack cleared his throat.
“I do?” Nite frowned. “That mean you do, too, Mads?”
Mads shrugged. “I’ve not even met the rest of Marquis’s coven!”
“Fix that soon, or you’ll have everyone coming up to you asking for permission to do shit like petulant little third graders wanting Mommy’s permission while Daddy’s back is turned.” Nite gave Leon a half-cocked smirk that made Haze hiss with laughter before signing something that made Tack blush.
“He says he’ll stick to wherever he’s got a translator or one of those little cool phones that can do text to speech.” Tack swallowed hard, his throat bobbing before he added a response. “I’m sure they’d give you a charm of some kind to make it to where we could understand you all the time.”
Haze hissed something, mouth moving fast as he pointed a finger to Tack’s chest. The mage whined for a moment as Haze crossed his arms. “Haze says he won’t wear a collar ever again.”
“I wear a ring.” Leon held up a finger helpfully.
“I got used to the collar.” Nite shrugged.
“I has to have a collar, or they won’t let me in the grocery stores anymore.” Sheila swung her feet a little. “But I don’t mind.”
Haze gave an annoyed glance before signing, Tack still translating. “A ring is just a collar for a finger.”
Leon stared at his finger and shrugged. “To each their own. Beats the shit out of a birdcage.”
“Oh! If Haze comes with us, he cannot chase the kitties! You have to be real careful because Nitenite is a kitty and we cannot chase him or bark and be really special careful with Vince because he’s a baby kitty kitten.
” Sheila stared Haze down and earned a nod and a gesture that clearly meant cross my heart, promise.
Nite stared at his fingers, brow furrowed. “There a way we could fix his voice like…” He wiggled his fingers a little. His prosthetics were nearly flawless in the right light.
Haze shook his head, Tack speaking as he signed. “He doesn’t want a magical fix.”
He wants to be mute. It’s punishment. He feels guilt. Mads knew the guilt.
“I’m sorry for everything Baron did to you.
” Mads took a deep breath. “I’ve only just recently gotten my mind back.
Nite here, is my son-in-law. Baron took me as a wet nurse for his son just a while after Rex was born.
I don’t remember much after I left… Sometimes time is sporadic and odd.
” Mads shook his head, Haze gesturing something.
“Apology accepted.” Tack frowned, speaking to Haze this time. “I don’t think so… Mads, are you pregnant?”
Mads froze as a knock at the door interrupted them. “One moment.”
Leon and Mads went to the door, helping them bring the food in with plenty of thanks.
This time it was an alpha, a raven shifter male, that came to them, curiosity glittering in his solid eyes.
He gave Haze a lingering glance that ended when he grabbed Tack’s shirt and tugged him closer in a nearly possessive gesture.
“Right. Sorry.” The raven gave an apologetic bow and gestured himself out, a little giddy. All shifters had this strange adoration for omegas, affinities for love and coveting them. Still, he left food, so he wasn’t all horny energy or bad.
Mads sighed. “Just found out this morning.”
Tack glanced from Mads to Haze before signing something, and Haze smacked at Tack’s hands.
“Sorry! My mother is deaf, so I’m used to translating both ways. No, it’s not Baron’s baby. Marquis has been his mate a long time.” Tack nodded along as Haze signed. “Yeah. He stole a mated omega.”
Haze shook his head and gave Mads a nod of sympathy before they all eyed the cart of food.
Haze was the first to push forward, grabbing a sliced croissant that he spooned chicken salad into with gusto. He bit into it with a heavy sigh that might have been a moan if he had voice.
“I take it that’s first on the list of things you wanted. I remember when I was stuck shifted, I only wanted three things. People food, people bathroom, and peen—” Nite halted before clearing his throat. “Peeing. Yeah. Peeing.”
Haze glanced from his sandwich to the bathroom before giving a thoughtful expression. He leaned over, sniffed Tack, and nodded once before giving a shrugging gesture at him.
Tack pursed his lips, cheeks going red. More signing happened, and they signed back and forth, Tack’s face going redder as Haze rolled his eyes and held his sandwich in his mouth while signing.
“I feel left out,” Leon said over a mouthful of sandwich as Nite overstuffed his croissant with enough tuna for three sandwiches. He bit into it with a hum of pleasure. Cats and tuna.
Mads avoided the fish for obvious reasons as Tack tried to weasel his way out of explaining what Haze demanded.
“He wants the same thing you wanted, Nite. Tack is single, smells interested, and doesn’t smell mated.” Mads exchanged a glance with Haze as Tack tried very hard to not meet anyone’s gaze. Haze signed something else and glanced at Tack’s groin pointedly.
“I’m not translating that!” Tack squeaked. “And it’s enough. I don’t think a mage is quite… Er… Wolfy enough in that department for you.”
Haze waved his hand dismissively, tearing into his sandwich.
“Unfortunately, omegas get what they want, Tack.” Mads snickered as the mage flustered. Fortunately, Sheila was too engrossed in chicken salad to pay any attention. Haze lifted an eyebrow and made a gesture that Mads was quite certain was both universal and not official sign language.
So much for another scarred omega. Extras? We were born to handle chaos. Extrasensory, extraterrestrial, extraplanar… Extra durable.
Tack excused himself with a cough and slipped from the room. Haze lowered his gaze and stared, quite blatantly, at Tack’s ass as he did.
If Mads didn’t know any better, Haze was giving some rather dominant energy for an omega.