Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Mason
The three months following that talk with Kip brought one important change, in the shape of Dr. Allison Briggs.
We’d told John about wanting to go through therapy, and he’d recommended her. She was a werewolf, an older woman, with gray hair and bright, sparkly eyes. She proved to be a good listener.
She also had boxes of tissues placed about the room, which I made liberal use of. And my first private visit with her had dropped a mega bombshell.
I’d talked about everything: how my childhood had been, how life changed after meeting Kip, and all the events up to the present. She listened, asked questions, but made no judgments. When I’d finally dried up, she studied me for a moment.
“Now I understand why it was suggested that I work with you. After all, we have so much in common.” When I frowned, she smiled. “Didn’t your Alpha tell you? I’m an Omega.”
I was stunned into silence. I always thought an Omega could only do what their Dominant agreed with. It was like that when Jerome had given me permission to go to college.
Dr. Briggs arched her eyebrows. “You seem shocked. Why?”
“I… I’ve always thought an Omega had zero choices. That we were meant to be a ‘housewife’,” I air-quoted. “You know, looking after the home. But being a doctor?”
Her gaze grew kind. “I’m not surprised you have such a preconceived notion of what it means to be an Omega.
Everyone does.” She leaned back in her chair.
“The thing is, our Dominant shapes our world. When I met Chris—my Dominant—he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I’d never thought about it because, like you, I was told my place was to serve.
He said that was true, but that service comes in many forms. I was the first in his polycule.
After that, we added Courtney, Melanie, and Doug. ”
I blinked. “Doug?”
She smiled. “Chris has certain… itches he likes scratched from time to time when it comes to bedroom fun. Plus, Doug makes an amazing peach cobbler we all love.” She shrugged.
“I won’t deny relationships like ours are a lot of work, but it’s made easier by being honest with each other.
For instance, if we feel that Chris is favoring one of us over the others, we talk about it.
” She gazed at me. “It doesn’t do any good to let things fester, because that only leads to harsh feelings. ”
My face heated up. “I…I don’t want a polycule. I know it’s selfish of me, but—”
She raised her hand. “You can stop right there. Not everyone is cut out for a polycule. It takes so much effort to make it work, and in some cases that never happens.” Dr. Briggs tilted her head to one side. “Has Kip asked for you to be part of one?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then take him at his word. Not all Dominants want the same thing, even though society would tell you otherwise. If Kip says he only wants you, then work on believing him.” She smiled at me once more. “You’re more than enough to hold one man’s attention.”
“Do you really think so?” I’d never felt like I was enough for Kip.
“I know so. Kip wouldn’t lie to you.” She locked gazes with me. “And I’m pretty sure you’re well aware of that.”
I was, but after everything I’d dealt with growing up, I didn’t always find it easy to believe.
That conversation was the start of unlocking the feelings I’d held in my heart for years.
I worked on the shame I felt because I couldn’t give Kip what I’d been told all Dominants deserved.
I also worked hard to accept he was being honest with me about not wanting to have multiple people in our family.
We had joint sessions too, and they were all about building trust between me and Kip.
My favorite exercise was when we’d face each other, put our foreheads together, and breathe together twenty times. At first it was funny, because either he or I would mess up on purpose for fun. Then Dr. Briggs reminded us, with no sign of anger or annoyance, that what we were doing was important.
“You’re doing this to make things work better for you as a couple.”
We’d settled then, and tried to make it work. After a while, we’d easily pass the twenty times mark and instead discovered the joy in working as one.
The hardest exercise, for me at least, was talking for five minutes about anything while Kip stayed quiet. It sucked, because all I wanted was for him to give me feedback.
One conversation stuck in my mind.
“Only you can decide the type of submissive you want to be, Mason.”
When I gave her an inquiring glance, she continued. “People change throughout their lives. What works for you now might not work in a year’s time, or five years, or ten. By then both you and Kip will be different people. You might have a family—”
Okay, that concept sent butterflies rampaging through my stomach.
“Or you might be doing different jobs which will require you to adjust your lives.”
That made sense.
What it boiled down to was that I needed to stop stressing. Well, as much as I was able to. Dr. Briggs told me to focus on one thing I could control, and let everything happen in its own time.
I chose to focus on my love for Kip, to trust in his guidance, to believe in his love. We both agreed working with Dr. Briggs had helped, although neither of us talked about what happened in our own private consults.
And I couldn’t argue with the results. I was able to breathe easier.
I made short trips into the backyard, letting the intoxicating scents of the garden wash over me.
On occasion I would get a twinge of fear and retreat to the house, but I’d call Mom who would remind me I was safe, and after that I’d usually feel better.
It was about that time that I made a decision.
I waited for the right moment, except there was never going to be a perfect time. I just needed to say what was on my mind.
“I think you should go back to work.” Before Kip could say a word, I plowed ahead. “With Mom constantly checking in with me, you don’t need to be here too. And we do need the money, remember?”
He’d stared at me in silence, and my heart sank. Then he smiled.
“Okay.”
I stared at him with wide eyes. “I didn’t think it would be that easy.”
“Of course, I have conditions.”
Of course he did.
“If you ever feel like you’re in danger or even if you just get scared, you call either me or Mom. Immediately.”
Of course, I’d agreed wholeheartedly, but looking back?
That was nearly the end of everything.
Kip
Life changed completely after we started therapy. Mase was sleeping better, laughing more, and as for the sex? Fuck, there were times I worried my dick would fall off because we used it so much.
But Mase was happier, and because of that, I was too.
He was more settled in his skin, and he’d taken to pleasuring me pretty much all the time.
I don’t mean just sexually, although those times were off the chart.
He spent more time in the kitchen, humming softly as he set to creating culinary yummies for our food.
He packed incredible meals for my lunch every day, still keeping within a strict budget.
The other guys would stand around salivating as I dug in.
One of them even asked if I’d be willing to allow him into our polycule so Mase could cook for him too.
“Sure,” I’d said with a grin, and his face had lit up. “But you’d also have to bottom.” He’d replied that for food that delicious, it would be worth it. When I’d repeated the conversation to Mason, he’d gotten real quiet before saying “No, absolutely not.”
As for money, the town had released enough funds to give me a little extra, but I was still pretty far from where I should’ve been. But Mase and I discussed it, and he agreed what I was doing was a good thing for the pack, even if we were cash-strapped too often.
And then there was Mason.
This Mase was a melding of the Mason I’d known since I was a kid and the one I’d fallen in love with as an adult. He acknowledged he was my submissive, but that didn’t stop him from having his own opinions, even if he deferred to me.
This Mase was, quite literally, the best of both worlds.
As for me, finding out Dr. Briggs was a werewolf Omega and a submissive helped me learn a lot about being a Dominant. She didn’t back down if I raised my voice, but showed she had authority she wasn’t afraid to wield. That kinda surprised me.
She’d smiled. “I’ll be honest, it took Chris a few years to break me of the habit of giving in simply because of who I was.
He worked with me constantly, reminding me I was important not only to the packs, but also to the individuals.
” Mase was the only other Omega she’d ever met, and she said he reminded her of the person she’d been before she’d met Chris.
During one of our joint sessions, Mase asked again if I wanted a polycule, only this time his voice didn’t waver.
“Because if we do, I can work on that.”
That was when it hit me. He was still hung up on what I’d considered a throwaway comment by my coworker. Mase hadn’t seen it that way.
Man, my boy is thick as a brick.
I took a deep breath.
“I don’t want anyone but you, Mase. And I’ll let you know something right now.
I would get jealous as fuck if I found someone touching you.
” I managed a shrug. “It’s okay, though.
I will tell you every single day until we’re old and gray, if I have to.
” I looked him in the eye. “You. Are. Mine. Period. End of sentence. Please get it through your delightfully pretty cranium.”
Dr. Briggs had nodded. “Listen to him, Mason. Hear his words. Do you believe what he’s saying to you?”
“I do. With my whole heart.” That lift of his chin allowed a small amount of defiance to creep into his words, however.
Finally. We’d made a small breakthrough, but an important one. He had to believe what I said, because that was the one thing preventing me from telling him my own secret.
The thought of which scared me to death.