Chapter 10 #2
“Hmm.” The mage glided to his feet, a pale face appearing beneath the cowl like a disembodied spirit as he approached. Two sharp eyes scrutinized me for what seemed an interminably long time.
There was a moment when I thought he was going to dismiss me without further thought.
“Can you shift?” he asked, suddenly, cocking his head.
Both the question and the voice startled me.
His voice, because it was unlike what I might have expected – it was grave, yes, serious, yes, but it had a light timbre and sounded youthful – and the question…
well, that was decidedly odd. I was in a pack of shifters.
The Pack Alpha had just announced me as his mate, hence the Alpha Mate.
Obviously, I was a shifter. Of course, I could fucking shift.
“Of course,” I snapped, perhaps more abruptly than I should have with an unknown mage.
“Hmm,” the mage nodded, slowly, more to himself than to me. “I see.”
He inclined his head. “Welcome, Alpha Mate.”
“Thanks.”
Then turning to Darius, he said, “Congratulations, Alpha.”
I couldn’t see his face, but from the tone of his voice, I felt sure a smirk was hidden beneath that cowl. “I’ll be seeing less of you for a while, then. You’ll have your hands full, I imagine.”
Did he snort? Goddess, I think he snorted! Fuck him !
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” I snarked, “I won’t be taking up any of his time at all.”
The cowled head turned my way, and a pair of luminous eyes fell on me. I scowled, expecting a reprimand, but the eyes studied me for a moment, then turned back to Darius who was standing there looking, if I cared to be honest, a little hurt.
“Unsubmissive omega,” he murmured. “How very interesting. You will have your hands full.”
I wasn’t going to stand there being dissected like an insect. I spun on my heel. I was at the door when I heard Xeres say in a low voice, “He’ll be a challenge…”
I didn’t wait. I pushed the door and it swung open in the opposite direction to before. “But a good choice, Alpha,” the words followed me out the door.
*****
I stormed away from the mage’s room, scuffing my feet hard on the floor as I went.
Yes, I know, very mature. The truth was, I wasn’t as mad as I was acting, but I felt I should be.
After all, I’d had no real choice about this whole mating deal.
I hadn’t asked to come here, hadn’t wanted to be an Alpha Mate, nor to be scrutinized and somehow found ‘difficult’ by the pack’s mage.
And I didn’t want to be attracted to this man who’d basically taken control of my life in very much the same way my uncle had.
True, he didn’t actually mistreat me – yet – and he did seem to be a good pack leader.
But I wasn’t important to him, other than as a commodity.
His trusted second-in-command had made that very clear, and I needed to remember that.
No matter that my body quivered in his presence and responded to him despite my reluctance.
I couldn’t give in to my hormones, and I certainly didn’t want to admit to desiring him.
He was undoubtably attractive, apparently my ‘type’ - though with my cloistered life, I hadn’t realized I had one - but if I gave in to that, well, that was the way heartache lay, and I wasn’t going there .
Better to harden my heart now, than encourage any false hope or illusions within myself.
The only way I would find happiness was by striking out on my own.
That I had been mated might be a problem, since that was something that couldn’t be undone.
But maybe I’d find someone who wouldn’t care about that.
And if not, well, I was fine on my own. I’d been emotionally on my own for at least the last 10 years.
“Hey!” I jumped as a calloused hand landed on my forearm and Darius appeared beside me, puffing slightly. “Don’t be upset by Xeres, he behaves a bit mysteriously, I suppose, being a mage, but he’s a good mage and we’re lucky to have him. He likes you, by the way,” he added, a twinkle in his eye.
“Sure.”
“True,” he said. “You just have to get used to his ways. He’s a good guy. Come on, I want to show you the classrooms.”
“Classrooms?” I asked, eyebrows shooting up.
“Yeah,” Darius grinned. “It’s another one of our innovations. We run a trade school here. Anyone from the pack can get the certification by studying here. It’s a really popular program.”
“Where do you get the instructors?”
“A few of our older betas and alphas are highly skilled in their trades, and they’re more than happy to pass on their skills.
In fact, the program serves a double purpose.
A lot of these guys are too old to be out in workshops in town or trying to do hard labor anymore, but teaching gives them a new interest and a purpose.
And it’s hard to find really skilled tradespeople these days, so our young ones are learning from the best.”
“What trades can they learn?” I couldn’t help but be interested, even though, as I kept reminding myself, I wouldn’t be staying.
“Motor mechanics, landscaping, construction, electrical and plumbing.”
“Wow! All of that,” I blurted. “That’s a lot for one pack!”
“Sure, but these are all trades we need for the pack too, so even if not everyone goes out and gets a job outside, their skills will be put to use here.”
I chewed on the inside of my lip. Here was one more example of how smoothly run the pack was.
They didn’t need my input. I was just a cog in the machinery, a tick in the correct box.
I could see why he’d decided to tick that box though.
The pack was perfectly setup. It would have been heartbreaking to let the Council commandeer part of it.
Not my problem , I reminded myself. Anyway, Darius had done his part, fulfilled his obligation.
He’d taken a mate. That the mate wasn’t going to stick around, wasn’t relevant - he’d met the Council’s stipulation.
“Darius! You’re needed in the office.” Zendius came rushing up to us.
He was red in the face from the exertion, and his brow was wrinkled as if carrying too many worries.
He certainly seemed to do a lot around the pack.
Any time I’d seen him, he was handling something, running here, running there, bringing a message, or organizing someone.
Darius scowled. “Can’t it wait?” he asked, irritably. “I’m showing Xander around.”
“No, it’s important. I’ll finish taking him around,” Zendius offered, cutting him off. “Go. You’re needed.” He waved the big alpha away.
Darius hesitated, his handsome face twisted in annoyance. Goddess! Almost as if he cared! I started to go weak at the knees. Fuck it, I had to get rid of him before he broke through my self-control.
“Go on, I’ll be fine,” I told him, nodding along with my words and hoping I sounded convincing.
“But I…”
“It’s fine. I’m a grown ass man. I can take care of myself,” I told him, snappily. “You have responsibilities.”
“I’m sorry, Xander,” Darius looked both apologetic and reluctant.
“It’s fine,” I said, expression deliberately neutral. “Business calls, right? Anyway, Zendius is here. He was already showing me around earlier, he can keep doing it.”
That now familiar look of hurt flashed over Darius’ face and was gone again, but I hardened my heart against it. I was not going to be some weak-minded omega, susceptible to wanting to please my – correction, an – alpha.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. It annoyed me that he looked so genuine. I funneled that annoyance into strengthening my resolve, and shook my head at my weakness.
Once Darius had turned away with one last rueful look, and was striding down the corridor, Zendius asked, “Where were you headed just now?”
“Darius was about to show me the classrooms.”
“Ah, yes, the classrooms,” Zendius said, half to himself as we watched Darius stride away down the corridor, his footfalls heavy and brisk over the linoleum floor.
“Well, there’s not a lot to see, but I can show you.” I jumped as my elbow was grasped by a firm hand, and he steered me in the direction of another corridor running off from the main one.
Zendius seemed oblivious to my discomfort, and I didn’t want to upset him since he was being kind to me, so I accompanied him without saying anything.
But what I was experiencing wasn't simply annoyance at an alpha wanting me to do his bidding, I felt physically uncomfortable with his touch.
I had the strangest notion that my body was screaming at me 'No! This is not your alpha!'
I shook my head to clear it of this ridiculous notion.
“So… this is Darius’ little project,” Zendius told me, poking his head into a small room, apparently oblivious to my unease.
There were six two-person desks arranged in three rows in the cramped space.
A whiteboard presided over the room. A couple of flyers advertising jobs in town were stuck to the walls.
“As you can see, it’s pretty small.” He leaned in closer, and dropping his voice, added, “I don’t think we’re achieving much here, but the boss wants the program, so we have to do it…"
I was a little taken aback. Surely the pack’s second-in-command should be supporting his leader’s initiatives?
Maybe my face reflected how I felt, because Zendius’ grey eyes met mine, his expression serious.
“Everything is about business here, you’ve got to remember that.
Everything he does, is to further the aims of the pack.
Not all his ideas are good. I mean, he’s trying with this trade school thing, but I’m not convinced it’s what we need.
And just for the record, I really don’t think what he did with you was fair, either.
But anyway, what would I know? I’m just the second-in-command. ”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing.
“Anything else you’d like to see?”
“I don’t know what else there is to see,” I replied, finding my voice again, relieved for the segue.
“Have you seen the special houses for the elders?”
“Oh yes, Darius showed me those already. They’re a great idea.”
“They were my idea,” Zendius told me, puffing out his chest.
I raised an eyebrow. “Really? Darius said it was his.”
“Well, he would.” Zendius lips pursed in a grimace.
Then he sighed heavily. He was a giant of a man, but he diminished considerably as his shoulders sagged.
“The Alpha gets the credit, and the minions do the work. Ah well, it strengthens his position in the pack if it looks like he’s coming up with good ideas, so I suppose that’s as it should be. ”
“Credit should go where it’s due,” I insisted, angrily, annoyed that my new mate had been lying to me. Had he actually said it was his idea, or had he just implied it? I couldn’t be sure now. Not sure that the distinction even mattered.
“Come on, I’ll take you back to your rooms now. Lunch won’t be too long away. As Alpha Mate you’ll be expected to make an appearance in the food hall.”
"Oh, okay.” I lifted my chin. I wasn’t sure about attending a pack lunch when I hadn’t even found my feet here yet, and with all the uncomfortable emotions of the previous evening still circulating through me, and Darius being…
not what he portrayed. It was unsettling, and I needed to be on top of my game to navigate my situation here.
Besides, I wasn’t staying, I didn’t need to care what the pack thought of me.
We retraced our steps down the corridors.
Although they all looked pretty much the same, I recognized when we reached the offices and most specifically Darius’ office.
I couldn’t fail to notice that. His alpha scent was dominant here, making my nose twitch and…
ugh, no…that was embarrassing, stupid omega.
I shook my head, trying to ignore my stupid omega body, so I nearly missed the scent of another omega as we approached the doorway.
Without thinking, I sped up. And stopped as the room came into view.
Darius was sitting with his back to me, shoulders pressing up against the omega sitting beside him.
There was an easy intimacy between them that sent cold shivers down my spine.
Even from behind, I recognized the omega.
It was the female who seemed to lead the omega house, the one who’d introduced me to the other omegas.
She’d been friendly and welcoming, but maybe that had been because she was secure in her position…
she was obviously very comfortable with Darius.
Zendius’ rough skin grazed my elbow as he gripped it and hurriedly pulled me past the open door and down the corridor. Distracted by what I'd just seen, I barely registered his touch, beyond a slight feeling of revulsion.
When we’d gone a few yards down the hall, he said in a gruff voice, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
I couldn’t look at him. I quickly blinked away the moisture pooling in my eyes.
I reminded myself I hadn’t expected a real relationship, I’d even suspected my mate would take other omegas, based on Zendius’ original comments to me about how this being an arrangement of convenience, but I had not anticipated his dallying would occur so close to home.
Or so soon after our mating. It was humiliating.
I stuck my chin out, lifted my head. “I really don’t care what Darius does,” I told the alpha beside me.
“Just try not to let it bother you, but he does spend a lot of time with her. Dayla’s the top omega here. She makes all the decisions for the omegas, and Darius just rubber stamps them."
"They’re very close,” he added.
I kept my face neutral, not betraying the slightest emotion, though my nostrils flared, and my chest expanded as I dragged in a steadying breath. Low in my chest, my wolf whined.
“The Alpha Mate is just a figurehead position in this pack,” Zendius went on, seemingly oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Dayla is the true omega leader. You’ll have to get used to her spending a lot of time with Darius, he’s very fond of her.”
As if I hadn’t caught the implication the first time. It didn’t matter, I told myself, as the little green monster dug its pointy knife into my heart.
‘Fuck him,’ I thought angrily. ‘If he thinks I’m gonna tolerate being treated like that, he’s gonna have a big surprise.’