12. Graeme #2
The practice of parents raising their kids to be a certain way and then punishing them for turning out in that exact manner, had always been egregious in my eyes.
Why weren’t parents held responsible for that?
Why wasn’t there a penalty for parental ineptitude and failure to produce a “desirable” omega?
Of course, the answer was simple. Money.
Parents put into the omega the resources at their disposal, as the payoff when their child bonded could potentially be doubled.
How could it be their fault if their child was not as beautiful as others, or as polished or poised?
Was it the fault of the parents if the omega was an introvert and therefore not able to banter or engage in witty repartee?
The problem was that nothing could be changed until laws were passed in regard to omega freedoms, education, and most of all, bonding.
They had to be given the same rights as alphas, betas, and gammas, but until the council could be swayed, it was difficult to imagine a change.
Perhaps them seeing my marriage to Avery, my mating instead of a bonding, would help. I could only hope so.
“It’s not fair that just because no one wants her I’m not allowed to attend the gatherings to see if I could find an alpha of my own!” Saoirse’s raving drew me from my thoughts.
“Saoirse––”
“I want to run a household,” she choked out, shaking as she stared at Avery.
“I want to have children and anything and everything else my heart desires, but because of her ,” she railed, and I could hear the hatred in her voice, poisoning every syllable, “I’m getting older and older while all the omegas my age, who I went to finishing school with, are already bonded.
And soon I won’t be able to compete with the new debutantes. ”
“Saoirse––”
“They’re all so young and pretty. I see their pictures in the paper, and I don’t even get to go to the parties and meet the girls taking away my dream.”
“Listen,” Avery advised her, “simple omegas, poor ones, those not as beautiful as your sister, some of them mate early, quickly, because their parents are so relieved that someone wants them they’re willing to undervalue their contracts.
Others jump at the first offer because what if, for whatever reason, they never get another one? You know that’s how it works.”
“Yes, but––”
“Those like your sister and you, cultured and educated, it can take years to make the right match. You know as well as I do that it’s not Bridget’s decision who she bonds with, it’s your father’s. If you want to be mad at someone, it should be him, not your sister.”
“But he asks her,” Saoirse revealed to Avery.
“Our father goes through the offers with Bridget, and I hear her turn them down. It’s obscene, Avery.
She’s not young anymore; she can’t hope to compete with women my age and younger.
She’s past her prime, the bloom is off the rose, and she needs to accept an offer and settle. ”
Bridget’s inhale was sharp. The scream that followed was ear-piercing. “You catty little bitch, how dare—”
“Your father would never allow that,” Avery declared, cutting Bridget off and trying, I could tell, to get Saoirse to hear him and understand. “She’s worth far too much to him.”
I knew, of course, that Avery meant worth, as in love and caring, but the reality was, monetarily, Bridget was her father’s most valuable asset.
“But it’s my turn!” she screamed, picking up a glass wolf from the table and hurling it across the room, where it fractured into a million pieces, each prism catching the light from the fire and projecting a chaotic rainbow of colors on the wall.
“You should call someone to clean that up,” I suggested to Bridget.
She rushed to the door of the library, pulling her oversized sweater around her, and threw it open, charging out into the hall.
“No more outbursts,” I warned Saoirse.
She nodded quickly.
Wade moved over near me, and when he spoke, it was low so Saoirse couldn’t hear. “So even though you’re not her alpha, she’s just gonna listen to you?”
I tipped my head close to him. “I’m a cyne . I sit on the Maion council. There are only twelve of us here in the US. If she were to question my authority, I could annex her family, and all their assets would be forfeited to my holt for me to do with and invest as I see fit.”
“What you’re telling me is you’re kind of a big deal.”
“In some circles,” I replied, “yes, I am.”
He grunted. “For the record, I don’t care who you are. If you don’t make Avery happy, I’ll figure out a way to make sure you aren’t either.”
“And I appreciate that, but rest assured, you’ll never have cause to make good on that threat. I promise you.”
He offered me his hand then, and we shook on our mutual love for Avery Rhine as the man himself squatted down beside Saoirse’s chair, talking to her, soothing her.
Even though I doubted it would help—she seemed furious at her sister, and I couldn’t imagine that dissipating anytime soon—it was kind of him to try.
Avery asked Bridget, as soon as she returned with a maid, if she’d seen Imogen Lowell when she was waiting for her sister and Lucas in the car.
“I’m not sure who that is,” she informed him. “Why?”
“Just checking,” he replied, not wanting to give anything away before returning his focus to Saoirse. “How about you? Did you see her?”
“I’m not sure who that is either,” she reported, “but I think I saw a girl for a second before Lucas slung me over his shoulder. I mean, if anyone saw her, it was him.”
“Okay,” Avery acknowledged, standing from his crouch and walking a few steps away from the two women as Wade left me to join him.
Bridget slipped in beside me the second I was alone. “It’s so kind of you to help Avery with his investigation,” she admitted, putting her hand on my forearm as she gazed up into my eyes. “Where would he be without your gracious assistance?”
“Well,” I replied, unable to keep the evil grin off my face, “you help your mate at any given opportunity, do you not?”
It took a second for my words to filter through, but when they did, her breath caught, her eyes went round, and her mouth dropped open.
“And yes,” I husked, staring at the man as Saoirse leaned forward, pressed her face down into his shoulder, and sobbed, “I meant mate; I wasn’t being fanciful or overly romantic. He was made for me, which is why he never made sense for anyone else.”
Her eyes filled instantly. “I truly, truly…could not be happier for him. He’s always been the best of us, and, my dear earl, may I say with absolute conviction that the cavernous scar across your face makes my stomach roil, but Avery’s first words on the subject was that it didn’t matter.
He easily saw past what made me, and I’m certain many others, physically ill. ”
It was an impressive comment, first praise for Avery and then a dig at how she found my appearance so horrifying as to make her sick.
As if what she thought about Avery or I mattered in the least. The reality was that many would have accepted my suit, even her, based solely on my financial portfolio.
Avery didn’t care. He had his own job and a wonderful family for backup.
What he did care about was me. The way he looked at me, responded to me, touched me, ached for me told me everything I needed to know.
To most, I was repugnant. I’d been judgmental and cold before the accident, “difficult to get to know,” people reported to my grandfather, both aloof and conceited.
After the accident, many said the outside mirrored the inside, and finally everyone could see that.
The only problem with writing me off was that I was worth so much damn money.
Certainly a hideous countenance and an abrasive personality could be overlooked for billions of dollars.
I didn’t trust anyone, least of all those who waxed poetic about how unimportant my looks were when I had such a great heart.
I hated the ones who thought that because they were beautiful and I was a sideshow freak, they could wrap me around their finger.
I much preferred those like Bridget, who saw only my disfigurement and knew, without question, that the only way past it was to be paid.
“How astute of you to recognize and acknowledge my mate’s strong moral fiber.
It’s one of the things I admire most about him as well,” I assured her, easing my arm free, repelled by her touch.
“He does seem compelled to help everyone he can, even—” I paused for a beat, making sure I had her undivided attention.
“—those who may not deserve his compassion and kindness. I remain exceedingly grateful he wants me, and that it matters not a whit to him who I am or what I have, only that I belong to him. I am humbled to be graced with that particular blessing.”
She was staring again, thunderstruck and speechless, so I used that to my advantage.
Excusing myself, I slipped by her and reached Avery, who was clearly ready to go as well.
He took hold of my arm to get me moving, and then slipped a hand to the small of my back to keep me with him as we left the house side by side.