Chapter 46
Exit Interview
Mads
We take some time to drink a glass of wine each and decompress before we head off into the main building, and up to the conference room.
Kol still has some dried blood on the side of his mouth. A mouth I keep looking at. My tie is still wrapped around Oscar’s hand. Locke and Cadi hold hands.
The Soto pack’s lawyer is already in the room along with Angeline, her boss, and two more people I don’t know. I’m guessing they are Cadi’s lawyer and her handler.
Every single person looks at the mark on my neck and stiffens up. They look from my mark to Oscar and then lower their eyes in deference.
This thing is really sending a message.
The woman in the fuchsia matching set hugs Cadi, who doesn’t let go of Locke’s hand. She’s introduced to us as Maria, Cadi’s handler. She tries to hug Oscar, and Cadi steps between them.
“Maria, let’s not,” she says. Cadi is feeling possessive. The alphas love this behavior.
We sit down, and all three Soto alphas look over at me because I wince as I get into the chair.
I need to elevate my leg. It’s getting inflamed.
Locke takes his hand from Cadi and wheels an extra chair over.
He moves it to the tallest setting and carefully helps me put my foot up on the chair.
Then he takes my cane and props it up against the table.
Everyone is staring at me. The whole time.
Kol is already getting some sparkling water from the mini fridge. He puts one in front of Cadi first, me second, and then asks if anyone else wants one. He gets one for Maria, who was more than excited to accept.
I know this is some alpha behavior. The fact that the omega is served first makes sense to me. I’m not sure why I was second. As a beta, aren’t I at the bottom of the hierarchy here?
Kol stands by the windows, and we begin.
“We always encourage a temporary contract first. That gives you all a chance to see if you are a good match physiologically. Or, more commonly, a temporary contract allows you all to settle your hormones and then part ways without the pressure of forever,” the older boss lady explains.
“We have one drawn up that we can start with.”
I think the alphas are going to lose their shit. Their faces are impassive, but they are pissed. A fiery steam is sure to come out of Oscar’s ears.
Cadi speaks up, “With all do respect, I will be bonding with the Soto Pack immediately. So draw up papers for that.”
Oscar’s head snaps to her. I don’t think he knew she’d made up her mind. I mean, she let me go down on her until she came while she sat in Kol’s lap and the other two watched, but I guess there was still a question. She reaches over and squeezes his hand.
I’d like to say it was as easy as that, but Cadi is an Institute omega.
They have rules. Apparently, a lot of rules.
We spend the next two and a half hours on the agreements.
I need to take my meds again. Kol paces the giant glass windows.
Angeline’s boss, whose name I never caught, knows Spanish, so at one point she and Oscar argue in Spanish, and I catch a few colorful words.
Acadia is exhausted. She keeps yawning and sighing.
We sign the papers, and it’s done. Cadi is going to bond.
The relief Oscar feels floods the bond, but you can also see it on his face and his unburdened shoulders.
The sun is setting outside, and it’s casting a red light into the conference room.
Oscar goes to Kol, and I hear him say, “I know you’re out of time.”
Kol needs to bond an omega.
The lawyers, Institute workers, and Maria say goodbye and leave us alone.
Oscar turns to us.
“I’ve booked a nest at the Sky Nest hotel. Let’s all go pack and then meet there. We will bond. We have all day tomorrow to enjoy the bond. Friday, Mads and I will head to Salt Port to finish out our business there. We will return and shop for houses. Yes?”
We wait for Cadi to say something. God, she looks tired. She rests her head on Locke’s shoulder.
“You’ll bite me, Oscar?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“Then Kol and Locke?” Kol stops pacing.
“You want our bites, too?” Kol is so taken back. He sounds shocked.
My face scrunches up.
“Mads is confused,” Kol says.
They all turn to me. I shake my head. “Sorry. It’s just more stuff I don’t understand. I thought alphas always all bite their omega. I mean, I was surprised that only Oscar bit me.”
“You want my mark?” Kol asks with reverence, the same shocked reference he used with Cadi.
“And mine?” Locke asks with a matching tone.
I throw my hands up. “Sure, why not?”
There’s a strange, excited tension in the air. What did I do?
Cadi says to me, “There’s a lot of politics with a bite. A lot of community expectations. History, too. It sends a message.”
“What kind of message?”
“For omegas, we get bitten by every member to strengthen our bond. Kol and Locke are honored. I want that kind of strong bond so quickly. But I believe it’s the only way. Trying to dissolve a bond is never something I want. Plus, I think I need my scent match’s bite.”
“That makes sense.”
“For a beta, your mark sends different but similar messages. Often they are ownership marks rather than…bonding marks.”
“He’s pack,” Kol growls. “It’s not ownership.” He doesn’t growl at Cadi, more at the idea I wouldn’t be considered an equal.
“I thought that was a pack hierarchy. Cadi is the top. Then the alphas. Then me.”
“No,” all of them say at once.
“Oh, lord,” I mumble under my breath. “It’s fine. I get it. You are all ruled by your inner wolves or whatever. I get it.”
“No,” Oscar says first. “I’ll just be candid with you, Mads, most alphas and omegas view betas just like you are saying.
Like charms. Or pets. Or lesser members.
It’s archaic and barbaric to view betas that way.
I don’t like explaining to you how traditionalists will view you, but you should know.
Betas are usually marked by an alpha in the pack, and not the pack lead.
I’m pack lead, so my mark says you are pack, but having Kol’s and Locke’s mark as well will reaffirm this.
They are also honored that you’d want their marks. They are not given out freely.
“Alphas are different. Any alpha or omega Kol bites will be bonded in the pack. Same with Locke. But doing it without my permission makes it a silver bond. It’s not just a term. The mark will heal with a silver coloring. Have you heard of this?”
I shake my head.
“What about a dark bond?” he asks.
“Oh, I’ve heard of that. That’s one where it was forced.”
“Yes. A dark bond is given without the recipient’s permission.
It heals black in color. There are lots of problems with a dark bond.
With a silver bond, like the one Kol gave Locke, there are no major problems. But his connection with other members is weak.
Like his connection with you. He may not feel your emotions like Kol or I can. ”
It makes me wonder, what makes someone a pack lead? A pack of two has a pack lead? Is it just the more dominant alpha? I don’t understand that part.
But Oscar keeps going, “When we get to the hotel, all the alphas will mark Cadi. Then I will mark Locke, if he’ll have me.”
Locke looks misty eyed, and he nods, saying, “I’d be honored.”
Oscar continues, “And Kol and Locke will bite you. We will have a strong bond that no one can dissolve.”
Cadi yawns.
“Tell him what his mark is telling alphas and omegas, Oscar. I don’t think he knows,” Cadi says.
Oscar waits until I make eye contact with him before he says, “I wondered if you’d noticed the strange behavior from people since I bonded you. Mads, they think you’re an omega.” I gestured to my neck. “It’s a common mark placement for a male omega.”
“What?”
“Do you know about Orrin Cash?” Cadi asks.
“The guy who founded Cash City a hundred and fifty years ago?” I say with the utmost confusion.
Why are we bringing up Cash City history? I thought the message my mark was giving people was to stay the fuck away from me.
I guess a marked omega is definitely someone you’d want to stay the fuck away from…
With a tired voice, Cadi explains, “Orrin Cash was an omega. He had a large pack of alphas he never bonded. Twelve of them. They called them ‘the tribe.’ All male. After they founded the city, built the roads, and erected the buildings, Orrin finally bonded with an alpha who was not part of his tribe. Porter Nightingale. Porter marked Orrin on his neck, just like yours.”
I didn’t know the mark was significant. The part of the story I know is that Orrin got pregnant with Porter’s baby. Male omegas can get pregnant. It’s obviously the most interesting part of our founder’s history. It’s hard to remember anything else.
Kol says, “It’s probably where you thought marks go because you’ve seen his portrait.
It’s been in fashion ever since for male omegas to get a mark on their neck, just like that.
Even outside of Cash City. All over the country.
When people see your mark, they first think you’re an omega, and then probably don’t give you any more attention, especially since you are surrounded by several alphas.
I doubt they even look long enough to notice you are actually a beta. ”
My mouth bobs open and shut like a fish.
I don’t even know what to say. I am not even sure this is a bad thing.
It probably is a good thing, right? I don’t really care what designation people think I am.
I just don’t want random alphas approaching me.
My mark was doing that for me, I just didn’t know why. Until now.
Cadi’s eyes shut as she lays her head on Locke’s shoulder again.
“I can ask more questions another time, you guys. Just know that I will have more.”
Oscar nods.
“Understandably. Cadi, you want all three of us to mark you?”
She sighs and yawns again, “Yeah.”
I’m guessing it’s a big deal, and her “yeah” is understated.
“We would be honored.”
The red light fades, and the room is too dark to see our faces, even though there’s still light in the sky. It’s time to leave.
Oscar wraps his arm around Cadi’s shoulder, and we follow them out.
Maria is waiting for Cadi in the lobby. She agreed to drive her home to pack some bags, and then Oscar will have a car ordered to drive her to Sky Nest.
Oscar kisses her goodbye on the lips. I turn my face, wanting them to have a private moment. Kol hits me on the arm. I laugh at him.
Locke kisses her next.
Then Kol. They look so good together.
Then she steps up to me. I kiss her, and goddamnit, I want to do it again as soon as it’s over.
We help her into Maria’s car and watch her drive away. The street is pretty busy. It’s in a populated part of the city.
“Let me order us a car, too.”
“It’s not that far,” I say, and Locke groans.
“Please do me a favor and let’s drive,” he begs, and I shake my head at him.
“Don’t be a baby. We could all use the fresh air.”
I’m staring at his smiling face. He’s only a few feet from me. It’s dusk, so it’s not quite dark yet, but it’s like the sun suddenly winks out.
Two men in black clothes throw a bag over Locke’s head. And it’s all I see before a bag is thrown over my head, and I’m dragged away. It’s so fast I’m not even sure my heart beats more than once before I’m thrown in the back of a van, on top of Locke. My leg lands funny, and pain shoots through me.
I hear Oscar roar, and then the door is slammed shut.
The van drives away, and Locke and I are slammed into each other because of it driving away so fast.
“The needle! Get the needles into their necks!” The driver yells.
My hands find a man’s arms, and I grab them, but it doesn’t stop him from jabbing the needle into my neck and slamming down on the plunger.
And then everything goes out.