Chapter 09 #2
“He took off this morning before I had the chance to take him around. I’m glad Zendius found him and was looking after him. But I’m here now.” I didn't want to admit to her that we were having relationship difficulties already.
She looked at me, only slightly appeased. “You’d better come in then,” she said, stepping aside and opening the door more fully.
“Thanks, Sis.”
“ Alpha. ” My sister always managed a slightly mocking tone when she acknowledged my status in the pack.
She was annoying as fuck at times, but as far as sisters went, she was okay.
She’d arrived here a year after I’d joined the pack and had been a great support to me and a real benefit to the pack.
I wanted to ask her how my new mate was going with the omegas, but I was too eager to see him again. Despite our rocky start this morning, I was hopeful we could bring things back on track.
There was a click behind me and the narrow hallway darkened as the door closed behind me.
I took the few strides to where the living room opened out beyond the first door on my left and paused on the threshold, my eyes scanning the room.
I barely saw the omegas, beyond the one that caught and held my interest. Xander was sitting on the couch with an omega on either side of him.
He seemed quiet but relaxed and was conversing.
The omegas around him had bright eyes and big eager smiles on their faces.
They clearly approved of the latest addition to the pack.
For a moment, I watched from the doorway, a silly half-smile twisting one side of my face.
Then the hum of conversation faded away, as the omegas noticed me standing there.
Xander looked up, a scowl creasing his elfin face as soon as he saw me.
His chin came up sharply, the mop of brown hair flipping up and settling on his head defiantly.
My heart sank, my shoulders slumping in sympathy with that disappointed organ; this was going to be harder than I’d thought. He really had an aversion to me.
“Hey. I’m glad you found the omega house,” I said, unsure how to proceed.
“Zendius said he’d show me around. I asked to come here,” Xander replied disinterestedly, turning back to the omega at his side.
An audible hiss told me the slight had not been missed.
The omegas on the couch around him stiffened, sitting rigidly and looking very uncomfortable.
The omegas respected me, I knew that, and I didn’t want them feeling awkward while my new mate and I worked things out.
“Come with me, I’ll show you the rest of the pack.
” For a moment I thought he was going to refuse.
I hadn’t compelled him, of course I would never do that to my mate, but there had been an implied command.
I held my breath. Further disrespect in front of the pack would be damaging.
A leader was only a leader while they held respect.
I released the breath with a silent sigh, as Xander unfolded himself from the couch and slowly got to his feet.
His reluctance was obvious, to me at least. Even under these circumstances I couldn’t help admiring his body.
He was smaller and shorter than me, naturally, but reasonably stocky in the torso and with strong hips, perfectly shaped and built to handle an alpha such as myself.
My cock stirred. I inhaled sharply, trying to get a grip of myself; now was not the time for those sorts of thoughts.
One of the bushy eyebrows arched. He knew.
I held out my hand. He glared at it, but a moment before rudeness, his hand slid into mine, the skin soft against my calloused palms. I felt a fluid connection running between us, but I blinked away the foolishness. I knew there was none. As much as he was my ideal mate, he did not consider me his.
We said farewell to the omegas, and as we stepped outside, I frowned, remembering I hadn’t seen my second-in-command.
“Where’s Zendius? Wasn’t he showing you around?”
Xander shrugged. “He went upstairs when we arrived. I don’t know what he was doing.”
“Never mind, I want to show you around. What would you like to see first?” I asked Xander, enjoying the feel of his hand in mine. It might have been smaller, but it felt strong, solid against my palm.
Xander looked around.
“Who lives in those houses?” Xander asked, pointing to some small cottages further down the compound to our right. They were tucked under some overhanging trees, half out-of-sight.
“Those belong to some of the older pack members. As they age, some start to find the summer heat distressing, particularly with the hot summers we’ve been having in recent years.
So, we built those houses for them last year.
The trees keep them nice and cool, and they have natural ventilation that draws the hot air up and out. ”
“Neat,” Xander nodded approvingly. My chest puffed out, stupid alpha that I was, wanting to impress my mate.
“What about those ones up there?” He pointed to a spot three-quarters of the way up the hill, where the roof of a building was visible peeking through the tree-tops.
There was another one further around the hill, only a green-painted wall visible, and another which he couldn’t see that was out of sight on the other side. “Is that pack land over there?”
“Yes, it is. And those are the vacation houses,” I told him.
“They have a number of different uses. Newly mated couples may choose to go there for the mating itself and stay on for the days of their luna-union - or mate-cation, as some of them like to call it. Omegas in heat, who’ve chosen to have an alpha take them through it, go up there for privacy.
Mated or unmated pairs, it makes no difference, they can all use the facility.
Basically, any time a little privacy would be appreciated, the pack can use them, even if that’s something as simple as a holiday at home, a staycation, as the humans would call it.
The houses are well stocked with basics they might need, and if they give us fair warning, we make sure the cupboards and fridge are stocked for several days so they don’t need to come down for supplies, and no-one needs go up there.
No-one is allowed up there anyway, if one of the houses is occupied. ”
“Do all the mated pairs go there for heats?”
“No, only a few. Mated pairs live in houses, though not necessarily alone, but most of the bedrooms are quite well sound-proofed.” Then I chuckled to myself.
“What?”
“Some of the younger dating couples choose not to go up there - for some of the alphas it’s a point of pride how vocal their omegas are.”
Xander flushed a deep pink color. “Doesn’t that get awkward?”
“As long as there’s a certain amount of discretion and the omegas are having fun, no-one really minds. It’s usually late at night, and any pups are long since asleep. All the nurseries have the best soundproofing of the pack anyway.”
Xander looked up at the vacation houses again.
"It's well thought out," Xander nodded his approval.
“Your input will be welcomed,” I told him.
“Most of these things have been thought up by alphas or betas. Not entirely. My sister contributed as well but I’m sure there’s more we can do.
As Alpha Mate, you have a lot of say in determining what projects we undertake for the comfort of, well, all designations in the pack really, but especially the omegas.
Here, let me show you the food hall where we have pack meals. ”
Xander didn’t seem to have noticed we were still holding hands. He even asked a few questions as we strolled towards the food hall, and I explained different aspects of how the pack operated.
All in all, and despite my earlier misgivings, I felt we’d made progress.