Chapter 4
Tane
As my limo pulled around the circular drive, I saw several cars parked in the side lot, including a couple of Porsches and my son’s red Lamborghini.
Kirion had his head down, refusing to look out the windows.
He sat at the back of the limo, an unhappy purchase.
Could I blame him? It had been a legal transaction.
It was the way things were done for set omegas.
It was an unfortunate but necessary law left over from our world’s more barbaric days.
Especially for dragons. Our omega population had dwindled severely over the last dozen or so generations.
We needed omegas imported to keep our breeding numbers stable.
I had been lucky to find an omega mate at a young age.
Before Rupert vanished, we had planned to fill our household with heirs.
Now it was up to Malin to do that. He was the perfect age and had plenty of my wealth to give to any children he conceived.
I wanted grandchildren. Even if I had to buy them through a set omega.
The driver held the door as we got out of the car. “I’ll have his things brought inside.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Kirion still would not look up. He shuffled his feet as he followed me to the front entrance.
Elias, my butler, greeted us, trying not to stare at the new occupant of the house.
“Where’s Malin?” I asked.
“In the upstairs game room with two friends.” Elias cleared his throat. “Sir, shouldn’t he be chained?”
The question annoyed me. It made me double-think my decision. The purchase was done and that was that. I couldn’t undo it.
“He has a chain on his wrist.”
“I understand, sir.” Elias knew when my word was final. He kept his silence as he led us to the stairway. He didn’t follow as we went up.
I could hear my son and his friends, their loud voices floating into the hall. I only hoped they weren’t drunk.
At the door, I turned to face Kirion. “Wait here.”
Kirion glanced up, eyes big, and backed up toward the wall.
I pushed the door open all the way and stepped into the room. The boys were playing pool. Beer bottles sat half-full on a side table. All looked up as I entered.
I recognized one of the two guests. Blaze.
Not my favorite of Malin’s friends. He was rude to my servants while putting on airs with me.
I saw right through him. His father was a gambler and a cheat, though the family was still well-off.
Or pretended to be. They had substantial debt, though, and I knew Malin paid for Blaze to go with him on some of those expensive trips he always took.
The other friend was someone new.
Malin stood up straight. “Hi, Dad.”
Blaze took a step forward, smiling large. “Hello, Mr. Summit. So nice to see you again.”
I did not smile back. “Hello, Blaze.”
“Dad, this is Kristo.”
The other friend nodded toward me and grunted.
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
Kristo ignored me and bent over the table to take his turn.
Malin did not have great taste in friends. Another reason for Kirion to come into his life.
“May I see you alone?” I asked.
Malin frowned. “Dad, we’re in the middle of a game.”
“It’s important.”
“What do you want to talk about?” He waved at his friends. “They don’t care.”
“Please, Malin.”
Malin shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Guys, keep playing without me for a few minutes.”
I walked back into the hall, Malin following. Kirion hadn’t moved from where I’d left him.
“Dad, what is this about?”
As soon as he came into the corridor, he stopped short. “Oh. Hell. Who’s this?”
Kirion jerked his head up as if startled.
I moved to Kirion’s side. “His name is Kirion.”
Malin sniffed the air. “He’s an omega. Dad, are you dating—”
I held up my hand. “Before you make any assumptions, let me speak. His name is Kirion and he’s a set omega from wolf country.”
Malin’s mouth dropped open. “What? A set?”
“It’s not that unusual and you know it,” I said.
“But Dad, you said you never wanted—”
“Malin.” I swallowed hard. “He’s not for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Son, it’s time you settled down a bit.”
Silence.
“Don’t you think it’s time? You’ve been goofing off too long. You need to settle down. I need grandchildren.”
Malin’s face got that look it always did when he took a bite of something he didn’t like. “Are you kidding me?”
“Malin, just hear me out.”
“Dad, you can’t just plan my life. You can’t just—just buy me an omega because you’re ready for me to have kids. What the fuck?” Malin shook his head, then let out a harsh laugh. He wasn’t happy and I hadn’t expected him to be. At least, not at first.
“He’s a prince. He’s educated. What’s the problem?”
“What’s the problem? Dad, get with it. You’re so old-fashioned. This is why we don’t get along lately. You think I should live the life you want or wanted for yourself. But I’m not you!”
It wasn’t why we didn’t get along, but he could believe as he wished.
Malin took a step forward and looked Kirion up and down. “He is cute. At least you have good taste.”
Now Kirion looked like he’d swallowed something bitter. The little set was strong, though. He held his ground.
“Malin. This gift I have for you is not something you can just throw over your shoulder. There are contracts in place.”
“Are you saying I’m already legally connected to him? Dad, really?”
“No. You’d have to sign the papers and all the agreements first.”
“Well, he’s nice looking and all that, but I’m not ready.”
If I could reason with Malin, he’d see what I saw, how things needed to be. “He’s not going anywhere. You don’t have to sign right away, of course.”
“Great. That gives us time to date, then, right?” Malin spit out a gush of air. His tone bordered on disgust.
“You’re being sarcastic, now. This is a person. He has feelings, too. I never expected either of you to marry tonight. He’s going to live here and you can have time to get used to each other.”
Malin rubbed his forehead. “You sound like you’re from another century.” He grunted. “Fuck. My friends are going to freak. I’ll never hear the end of it.” He took a deep breath. “You want him to live here? I can’t stop you. But he’s not living in my room.”
I took it as a partial win.
“Of course, Kirion will have the third-floor suite. And I’ll provide whatever he needs. But will you at least make an effort to get to know him?”
“Sure, Dad.” He turned away from me. “Whatever. Your house, your rules. You’re always reminding me of that, right?”
I kept glancing from Malin to Kirion. What I did hadn’t been wrong. My reasons were sound. But Malin was too spoiled to see what I had done for him. Too fulfilled on being the gallivanting playboy.
But the good thing was they would both be here. They would not be able to avoid getting to know each other.
“Good.”
Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster. Maybe they’d hang out, come to like each other. They were only two years apart. Both sons of wealth. Plus, the alpha/omega dynamic was always in play. Malin would come around. He’d see and scent the young omega every day. Soon, he’d want him.