Chapter 34
“T his is ridiculous.” Cooper was busy going toe to toe with the warehouse staff. “I’m her next of kin and she doesn’t have her ID.”
“Next of kin can only have it if she were dead. She has to collect her own stuff,” they insisted.
Morgan’s distress kept spiking higher and higher in the bond, pissing me off more with every passing second. I understood the need for rules and regulations, but there should be exceptions. They weren’t letting her or Cooper claim her belongings, and I knew if we passed that twenty-four-hour marker, my omega was going to break down.
Her whole world had been shoved into boxes and bags for her move, and then removed without her consent. It wasn’t a crime , but it felt wrong to do to anyone, let alone an omega.
What the fuck were we supposed to do?
“Register,” Kit whispered to me.
I blinked back at him, not sure what he meant.
“The bond,” he explained. “Register it so you can claim her things for her.”
Oh, shit. He was right. I’d been so preoccupied by the emotional aspect of the bond I hadn’t even considered the legal power it gave me in Morgan’s life. I opened up the federal database on my phone. There was no approval technically required since you could only register a bond that had already happened, it was simply documented for government agencies so they knew who was bonded to whom.
Big block letters in red ran along a banner at the top of the page, warning that attempting to register a bond that did not exist would result in severe legal consequences, up to and including imprisonment. It was such a transfer of power that the authorities tended to bring down the hammer on anyone who tried trapping omegas with a fake registration.
The more information input the better, but since Morgan didn’t have access to any of her documents, we’d do what we could. I filled in everything for myself and added Morgan’s phone number so it could send her the form.
Her phone beeped and she broke off her pleading. Only our pack and her brother’s pack had the number, so she would know it was something important. She read over her screen for a few seconds before glancing up at me. Morgan tapped away, presumably filling out the form, and soon enough I received a notification that she had accepted the registration and we received a temporary acknowledgment, awaiting further details before they would send out a card we would be able to show.
I walked over to the staff, making sure the acknowledgment was open and showing both of our names. “Let her have it.” My voice cracked, and I felt the sharpness of every word, but these people needed to hear it.
The staff discussed among themselves. “We have to call head office in case it’s illegitimate.”
For fuck’s sake. I pulled down the collar of my shirt, exposing one of these several bites Morgan had left on me, and she pulled her hair aside to show off hers.
“It’s real. Let me have my things. He can claim it for me. I don’t know why you’re being so difficult. What would you do if it was all of your stuff that got stolen by your landlord because you were stuck in the hospital or something?”
They had the good sense to look admonished at her words. “That’s happened before to people. It’s nothing personal. We just don’t want to get fired.”
Morgan growled and I wrapped my arm over her shoulders, trying to offer her some comfort.
One staff member bustled away to call whoever the hell they needed to call, and the other stood guard, as if afraid we would manage to abscond with everything before they returned. I couldn’t blame him. I probably would’ve tried it.
The other staffer came back after a few minutes, looking like he was prepared to bolt in the opposite direction. “We’re told an acknowledgment is not sufficient. We only accept the cards after it’s been fully verified.”
A cacophony of fury, anguish, and a hint of murderous intent erupted through the bond from Morgan. I tucked her behind me and zoomed in on the portion of the acknowledgment that said the form was legally binding.
“Accept it,” I whispered sharply, “or I’m reporting the whole company and you two personally.”
Both staff members paled. “Let me just…call them right back.”
The one staffer sprinted away, leaving the other one to face us. “You don’t have to fight us on this.”
“You’re trying to break a federal mandate,” Kit snapped. “Bear has his ID and he’s bonded to Morgan. Legally you have to allow him to claim for her if you’re not accepting her taking it herself.”
“I can’t believe you’re actually making me consider calling the sheriff’s office about this,” Ryder groused. “I hate being around law enforcement, so I’m gonna be real fucking pissed if it comes down to making that call.”
I wasn’t sure where the sheriff would fall between supporting a corporation fucking people over and helping an alpha assert their rights over an omega. Could go either way depending on whether he was feeling capitalistic or misogynistic that day.
The runner returned, looking out of breath. “Okay, they said you can claim it for her, but she’s still getting invoiced, and it all needs to be out of here before the twenty-four-hour mark.”
“We’ll handle it,” said Maverick. “Ry, let’s get the trucks.”
Relief joined Morgan’s cacophony, but none of the other emotions dissipated. She was practically vibrating under my touch, her body shaking as she struggled to keep a hold on all of it. I didn’t blame her one bit. I wasn’t going to bring it up to anyone how close Morgan had been to going feral. She could’ve bitten their faces right off but no court in the world would convict her with her hormones still being so elevated post-heat.
“Her profile has also been flagged for failure to meet obligations,” said one of the staffers, “so she might have a difficult time renting with the company in the future.”
Morgan growled again.
I leaned close so I could whisper in her ear. “Come on, angel.”
I signed a release form before we left and took Morgan to a small café that looked like it was just opening. I got her situated at a corner booth and typed out our orders on my phone, offering the screen to the barista.
Morgan was still distressed chaos in the bond, her eyes visibly shining from where I stood. Luckily it didn’t take them long to prepare the two cups of tea, and I used my body to block her from view.
“I feel like I’m falling apart, Bear.” Morgan sniffled. “I hate that they listen to you and not me, that there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do if you all hadn’t been there.”
“I know,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her hair. “I’m so sorry.”
She gave one more sniff before she broke, burying her face against my chest. Her pain was an ache in my chest, muted compared to her own experience, but uncomfortable all the same. The systems of the world had so many flaws that let people fall through the cracks. How could you prove your identity if you lost your documents, and how could you get new ones if you couldn’t prove your identity? The system had trapped my omega in that vicious cycle, but we would figure out how to dig her free.
I purred as best I could, breathing past the spikes of her panic so I could help her settle at least a little.
“Where is my stuff going to go?” She hiccuped. “I don’t have anywhere to put it.”
“We can keep it,” I offered.
“No.” Distress slashed through both of us, leaving me momentarily breathless. “It can’t—it can’t go there. I can’t let you guys do everything. I’ve already invaded your space too much. God, I’m so sick of the world telling me what to do and boxing me into fucking corners.”
I pulled out my phone while she was trying to contain her tears and sent a text to Kit.
Bear:
Check if there are storage units available in town
Kit:
On it
A few minutes later she had relaxed enough to sip at her tea and Kit had responded.
Kit:
One of the places in town has a unit big enough to fit all of Morgan’s things and it’s available immediately
I turned the screen for her to read.
“Oh. That would be okay until I can figure out what’s going on with my new apartment. You have to let me pay you back, though.”
“Anything you need is yours. No payback needed,” I whispered.
She focused on her tea instead of answering, but a little bubble of affection started to push up against the chaos, and that was enough for me.
Her phone rang and she almost spilled her tea in her haste to answer it. “Hello?”
“Morgan Harris?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
I was close enough I could hear every word from both parties.
“I’m so sorry to tell you we’ve already hired someone in your place. When we didn’t hear from you we contacted our second choice and they accepted.”
Anguish filled up my omega to bursting again and I tightened my hold on her.
“But…”
“I know. I really, really do apologize. I’m so relieved to hear you’re alive, though. I saw on the news that you were missing, and I don’t think anyone expected them to find you.”
“Well, I didn’t die,” Morgan said bitterly.
“I’ll be sure to let management know. I’m sure we still have your résumé on file. We can contact you if something new comes up.”
“Sure.” Morgan’s voice sounded so flat it was almost enough to nauseate me.
“Update your number,” I whispered.
“Oh, yeah. Can you put this number on it, please? My old phone is missing.”
“I absolutely can do that. Thank you for keeping us informed. Have a good day, Ms. Harris.”
Morgan hung up, leaning against me despondently. “I hate everything.”
I nuzzled her softly.
She sighed, lifting her nose to brush along the underside of my chin. “Okay, maybe not everything , but it’s close if we exclude my two favorite packs.”
I typed out a message to Kit but showed it to Morgan before hitting send.
Bear:
Take everything over to storage. We need to figure out Morgan’s apartment
She nodded, and I sent it off.
“Fuck. I guess I don’t even need that apartment if I’m not going to be working there anymore.”
I pulled open a notes app on my phone so I could give my throat a rest but not have to stop touching Morgan and she wouldn’t have to struggle to interpret my signing while my arms were around her.
Could you turn anything you’re doing now into a job?
“Maybe. I’ve been trying to get some companies to sponsor me on social media. I’ve got a decent following, but not huge.”
Want me to talk to my blog sponsors?
“Couldn’t hurt. They won’t do anything if they think I’m a bad investment no matter how much they like you, so I can’t feel bad about nepotism-ing my way into things.”
What if you took this time to focus on that work?
Before she could interrupt with a protest, I tapped her lips and continued typing.
I know you don’t want to rely on anyone, but you’re doing important work. Omegas deserve the wilderness as much as anyone else, and some will need an example to encourage them, show them how.
“That’s what I wanted to do. What I’ve been trying to do.”
You can still do tourism. Use us as your guinea pig if you want.
Morgan glanced up at me. I could practically see the wheels turning. “What if we hosted omegas? Like your hunts, but for lessons. Or, I guess, hunting too, if that’s something they were interested in. Omega retreats, getaways. A place where they can be safe outdoors.” She turned back to the phone for my answer, snuggling tighter against me.
I think that’s an amazing idea.
Excitement bubbled up in the bond. “You really think it would work?”
I don’t see why it wouldn’t.
Relief was potent in my chest. Excitement was deeply preferable to agony, and it would be good for her to have something to focus on.
Show me your work?
She perked up instantly. “Oh my god. I forgot we have Internet now.”
Morgan popped open her website and scrolled through her gallery of photos. They were gorgeous, capturing unique angles and lighting, with plenty focusing on the smaller, more often forgotten elements of the forest: moss lit up in golden light, a rainbow of mushrooms, little rodents peeking through snow, songbirds perched between fresh spring blooms.
Morgan beamed up at me, no doubt feeling all the pride she had evoked in me. “You like them?”
I purred, rubbing my cheek against her hair. “I love them. You don’t need that job to make your mark.” I tapped her chest. “You have everything you need right here.”