by RJ Blain
“She’s submissive,” the Shadow Pope said.
“She has those traits, sir.” Desmond smiled at me. “It took me a few weeks to start suspecting it, although Wendy knew right away. She, however, didn’t see fit to tell me.”
“Don’t ruin my fun, Charles.”
“Get on with it, Desmond,” the Shadow Pope ordered.
“I suggest Seattle’s pack get their shit together and do it fast, because the instant the other packs find out Sanders will petition to leave Seattle to keep his mate happy, every pack on the continent will be after him, with Yellowknife being the most dangerous contender. When they find out his mate is an Omega, there will be a full-scale war between the packs to have them, sir.”
My mate sat stunned and quiet, his pupils dilated as he stared at Desmond. The silence stretched, seconds slipping to minutes. My wolf worried, and whining, I grabbed hold of his shoulders, tugging on him. When he didn’t respond to me, I whimpered. Desmond sighed. “We’re going to need a few minutes on our end. I’m muting the phone, so keep on talking, I’m listening.”
“Hang up. I’ll call you back when we need you again,” the Shadow Pope ordered. “I think I’ve heard enough from you to be able to handle the majority of the discussion from this point.”
“Yes, sir.” Desmond reached over and hung up. “That was delightful.”
“Sanders?” I pulled on my mate again, and when he continued to stare at Desmond, I nipped his chin at my wolf’s insistence. He flinched, ducking away from my teeth.
“Sorry, I’m okay. Really,” he muttered, shaking his head as though to clear it. “Desmond, did you say what I think you said?”
“That your mate is an Omega? Why, I do believe I mentioned something like that. Is there a problem?”
My mate spluttered. Confused, I turned to Desmond, baring my teeth at him. “Explain.”
Sanders took hold of my hands and brought my fingers to his lips, kissing each one in turn before sliding his way up my arms to pull me to him. “You are the most marvelous, radiant creature on Earth.”
“Even when Sanders isn’t leading the pack, he’s still an Alpha; it’s the type of Fenerec he is. He’s so dominant he has developed a whole new set of instincts above those possessed by normal dominants. Most Fenerec are dominant or submissive. Omegas aren’t exactly the opposite of Alphas, but it’s close. They’re the Alpha form of a submissive with a few notable differences. Unlike regular submissive Fenerec, you don’t have a set rank within the pack. You’ll often fall to the bottom, but when it’s needed, you can dominate anyone, including Alphas like your mate. If you’re really desperate and know what you’re doing, you might even be able to take me out for a while. Omegas are rare, but they’re truly invaluable in a pack. Unlike Alphas, no one can work to become an Omega. You’re either born one or you are not. Because of that, Omegas are even more prized than True-born. If you had not mated to Sanders, when people found out you existed, every unmated male would have been competing for you and the right to bring you into their pack.”
It was my turn to stare at Desmond, baffled by his explanation. “I don’t understand.”
He chuckled. “You will fit any role in the pack to keep things balanced and in order. When a Fenerec needs someone more submissive to protect, you’ll fit that role. Once the pack issues are settled, you’ll be invaluable to Chrissy, who is always at the bottom. She’ll come to you when she has the desire to protect someone. Submissive Fenerec without someone beneath them have a bunch of instincts they have to suppress. Most importantly, Omegas don’t the run risk of actually running wild and completely losing their humanity to their wolf, not like other Fenerec do. Because of that, you’ll eventually be able to help other Fenerec control their wolves even better than witches can.”
I scowled at the thought of having to go anywhere near the other members of Seattle’s pack. “Wonderful.”
“When Sanders becomes unhinged—which does happen from time to time—you can take over his responsibilities as Alpha temporarily, keeping the rest of the pack in line while he rests. In short, I won’t have to come kick his ass quite so often, and if you’re having trouble with him, it means I really need to come straighten him out.”
My mate huffed. “I do not come unhinged, thank you.”
“Don’t make me count the number of times this month you’ve lost control, Matthew. Of course, all of them were directly related to your mate jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, but that’s a different matter altogether. At least you’re easier to handle than Richard. But, with you around, Sara, neither Sanders nor Richard will be nearly as much of a problem to deal with.”
“You are not giving my mate to Richard,” Sanders growled, hugging me possessively.
“If you, in a freakish fit of desperation, decide to leave Seattle’s pack, I’ll be giving both of you to Richard to prevent the packs from going ballistic. If Yellowknife’s pack didn’t give people nightmares before, adding you to it certainly will. For now, I will only temporarily borrow her to stop my daughter from electrocuting his fuzzy ass when he loses his shit. I’ve had enough burnt-fur smell in my house to last a lifetime. It’s better for everyone involved.”
“I will consider a temporary loan of my mate for Richard’s sake, but it’ll cost you the keys to your Mercedes until she’s safely home. I may also steal Richard’s Porsche for the same amount of time in retaliation.”
“Richard is your son-in-law, isn’t he?” I asked.
“He’s also Yellowknife’s Alpha, the second strongest Alpha on the continent, second to me. Sanders ranks number three, nipping right at Richard’s tail. Number four is a far cry below Sanders, and I don’t think Jeff could take out Sanders under any circumstances. Alone, Sanders is more than a match for Jeff even with his pack backing him.”
I considered my mate, watching him through narrowed eyes. “Who is Jeff?”
“Atlanta’s Alpha.”
“Why are you, Sanders, and Richard so much stronger than Jeff?”
“I’m a True-born, as is Richard. Sanders is simply a freak,” Desmond replied.
“My freak,” I murmured, leaning against my mate and resting my chin on his shoulder.
My mate sighed and leaned back against the couch, tilting his head back. “Necessity, Sara. Seattle is a large pack. When I took it over, there were twenty of us. There were a lot of rogues in the area. My predecessor didn’t control his territory well. When I moved to Seattle, I had no idea what the situation was. I was under orders from the Inquisition to clean up the rogues, subjugate the ones who weren’t too wild to save, and integrate them with Seattle’s pack.”
I eyed his exposed throat, licking my lips.
Desmond cleared his throat. “No morning snacks, Sara. You can wait a while, surely.”
“So, what happened?” I asked, and instead of using my teeth, I ran my fingertips along the line of his jaw, enjoying the roughness of his morning stubble.
My mate snorted. “Seattle’s Alpha didn’t like me in his territory cleaning up his mess. I hadn’t even subjugated my fifth Fenerec before he came after me with his entire pack in tow. We fought. He died. I didn’t. A temporary assignment turned into a permanent one. I rounded up the rest of the rogues and made a proper pack of them; the ones who didn’t like me, I sent to the Inquisition to be dealt with. Those who didn’t want to go to the Inquisition were killed.”
Chuckling, Desmond propped his feet up on the coffee table. “What he’s not telling you is that he didn’t know who or what I was, and in his effort to clean up Seattle, he came across me and picked a fight. The Inquisition forgot to mention I was around. I cleaned the poor pup’s clock before returning him to his pack. He didn’t speak to me for at least ten years after that.”
“Really?”
Desmond smirked. “Normally, new Alphas will work their way up the pack ranks. Some stay as Seconds or Thirds for a while and then forced to take up the mantle of Alpha when theirs is killed in some dispute or an
other. Sanders wasn’t even all that dominant when he came to Seattle—he was dominant enough to subjugate some rogue puppies who had no idea how to defend themselves. He’s now a far better Alpha than his predecessor to say the least. At the time, I was so amused by him I may have harassed him a bit while he was settling in.”
“A bit?” Sanders growled. “The fucking freak is you, Desmond. You stalked me for ten years until I got tired of having you for a shadow. Sometimes, I’d come home from work and find you sitting on my doorstep. Other times, I’d get ready to pick Mary up from work only to discover you had done it, dominating her to get her into your car. She did not appreciate that at all, by the way. When I finally got tired of it, Mary and I made it halfway though Oregon before you caught me, hauled me back to Seattle, and locked me in your house. You left Wendy to collect Mary and take her back to our house. What a pain in my ass! If I had known all you wanted was some poor son of a bitch to have coffee with you, I would have surrendered sooner.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
I couldn’t help myself; I giggled at the thought of Desmond chasing after my mate.
“Traitor,” my mate accused, flicking his fingers along my side where he had discovered I was particularly ticklish. I squealed, arching to escape him. He shoved me hard enough to send me sprawling on the couch. Grabbing my ankle in a vice-tight grip, he stroked a finger along the bottom of my foot. I shrieked, thrashing in my effort to free myself. With each touch of his hand, I gasped until I finally burst into helpless giggles. “That’ll teach you to laugh at Desmond’s cruelty, woman!”
“Hey, I make good coffee,” Desmond said. “I only smacked you around a little. I wanted to see if you had solidified your hold on your pack. I am pleased to report you did a very good job with them.”
“Mercy,” I choked out, gasping for breath.
Sanders released my foot, grabbed me by my waist, and hoisted me back onto his lap. “I suppose I will be merciful, but only this once.”
Once I caught my breath, I asked, “So you went through all that just to bring him home for coffee?”
Smiling at me, Desmond shook his head. “Not quite. The Inquisition had asked me to intervene with Yellowknife, and considering the circumstances at the time, Sanders was the best choice to establish a relationship with their Alpha—Richard’s predecessor. After that, I insisted he join me every Sunday morning for coffee, right up until my daughters were born. Once they came around, I wisely invaded his home. His coffee is an abomination compared to mine, dear, so prepare yourself for a lifetime of suffering and misfortune for your tastebuds.”
The phone rang, and heaving a sigh, Desmond lurched forward, answered it, and then activated the speakerphone. “Desmond.”
“We’re ready to go over the operation details,” the Shadow Pope said. “Is everything fine over there?”
“We’re set, sir,” Desmond replied. “What are the changes to our plan?”
“Considering Miss Madison’s situation, I want her participation limited. I will be having papers couriered to your hotel. They should arrive within the hour. Mr. Sanders, Miss Madison, I expect you to sign all of them. Desmond, you and your mate will serve as witnesses. The courier will be fully qualified to oversee the entire process.”
“What’s this about?” Desmond demanded, and for a brief moment, I was aware of a heat in the back of my head, which my wolf identified as anger.
“Insurance,” the Shadow Pope replied. “I’m protecting Miss Madison as much as possible. You’ll understand when you see the papers. You have some signing to do yourself. Considering I was up half the night making these arrangements, I expect an appropriate amount of gratitude. I’ll enjoy listening to you choke while you express it, Charles.”
With a scowl, Desmond flipped his middle finger at his phone. “How do you plan on using my pack?”
“You, Wendy, Mr. Sanders, and Miss Madison will attend the gala tonight. You will arrive in pairs ten minutes apart. Sanders and his mate will arrive last. Mingle and draw attention to yourself, Miss Madison. Your only job is to flush out our quarry. Once we have him—or them—identified, you and Sanders will leave the party. That will be the signal for the ops teams grab the rogues we’ve identified. Desmond and Sanders, you will be responsible for photographing the targets with your phones.”
“What about me?” Wendy demanded.
“You’re on guard duty. While you can photograph suspected targets, I want your full attention on Miss Madison. She does not leave the main areas without you shadowing her.”
“That sounds very…simple,” I said, unable to keep the worry out of my voice.
“Your part is very simple, Miss Madison. Unfortunately, over the years I’ve learned that even the most simple of plans can blow up in our faces. Normally, I would say I’m not expecting any trouble, but someone has invested a very substantial amount of money to acquire you alive. Someone able to finance such an expensive endeavor is a dangerous enemy. Until we know who wants you and why, you’re the one at risk. I can’t guarantee your safety. While your role is the most simple, it’s the most likely to have something go catastrophically wrong. Make no mistake, whoever wants you is extremely dangerous, and I have the feeling they will not stop until we catch them and put an end to them once and for all.”
Chapter Twenty-One
When Desmond left the suite, I groaned my relief, stretched out on the couch. I hung my head over the arm, staring at the floor in a numb daze. “So tired,” I whined.
Straddling my knees, Sanders ran his hands over my back, massaging at my sore, tense muscles. I groaned, going limp as he kneaded away the tension. “Thirty minutes until the courier is supposed to show up, then we can get some sleep. They better let us sleep, or we’ll be useless tonight.”
“It’s all your fault. You’re irresistible, and you kept nipping me, you fiend,” I mumbled.
“Says you, my delightfully evil temptress. I think you were experimenting to see how crazy you could drive me with your biting. I was simply retaliating, finishing what you started.”
“You passed out first,” I replied, smug. “After all of that posturing, too.”
“I underestimated how insatiable you are, darling. I will make efforts to appropriately exhaust you in the future. I accept your challenge, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it almost as much as I will.”
“What I don’t understand is why everyone thinks tonight’s party is where we’ll find these rogues,” I grumbled, plunking my elbows on the arm and swinging my hands back and forth restlessly.
“The Shadow Pope did the investigative work, so I can’t tell you the why. But, the party fit the timeline for what your asshole ex-boss said about New York, and this was the most expensive, elitist shindig the Shadow Pope could find. It’s a good fit, so we’re trying it. If the rogues are here, we’ll find them. What I hate is the fact you’re the fucking bait to lure them out.”
“I’ll be all right. You, Desmond, and Wendy will be there.”
“I’ll worry every minute, especially as you have this horrible tendency to get kidnapped whenever I turn my head. Obviously, I need to lock you up, since you’re so damned beautiful everyone wants you even though you’re mine.” Continuing to massage his way up my back, my mate dropped kisses on the back of my neck. “We’ll find whoever was behind what happened in Vegas. When we do, they won’t bother us anymore. I’ll take you home to Seattle. If you don’t like my house, we’ll sell it and buy one we both like. You’ll go to school, get that degree you want, and the only person you’ll dance for is me. I’ll even buy you a pole if you want.”
“Flamenco,” I stated.
“Flamenco?”
“I like it. I like waltzing, I like ballet, I like flamenco, and I like swing dancing. Swing dancing requires a partner. We could take classes together.”
“I have two left feet, darling.”
“I refuse to believe it. You simply haven’t had a good teacher.”
“If you want a
partner with two left feet, I suppose I will have to humiliate myself for you,” he conceded. “I don’t suppose you know how to use a gun, do you?”
“Point and pull the trigger. Beyond that, no. Never shot one in my life.”
“That puts giving you a weapon to carry firmly in the not happening department,” he grumbled. “I’ll get on my knees and beg Desmond, Amber, or Lisa to teach you.”
“Amber? Lisa?”
“Amber is a witch. Lisa is one of Desmond’s daughters. Both of them are frighteningly good with guns. Nicolina, Desmond’s eldest daughter, is likewise terrifying, but she’s a bit more volatile. Amber is Nicolina’s witch. Nicolina is also Richard’s mate, and easily one of the most dangerous women alive.”
“Desmond has a scary family,” I stated.
“They’re good people. Slightly twisted, but good people. I think you’ll like them. Honestly, I’m regretting I didn’t call Richard about this fucking operation. This is far more up his alley than mine. His mate gets into almost as much trouble as you do. Please don’t team up with her.”
“You’re the only one I need,” I grumbled.
Laughing, Sanders kissed the back of my neck again. “Give it some time.” The doorbell rang and my mate sighed. “I bet that’s the courier. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Grumbling complaints under my breath, I sat up, adjusted my bathrobe to make certain I was fully covered, and waited.
When Sanders returned, it was with Desmond, Wendy, and a young man in a suit with brown hair and eyes. Like my mate, he had a rugged edge to him, and my nose informed me he was also a Fenerec. I tensed, shifting my gaze to my mate. He smiled at me, taking a seat at my side.
“Mr. Sanders, Miss Madison, I am Peter Menoir. I have some paperwork for you to sign. I’ll try to keep it as brief as possible.” Setting his briefcase down on the coffee table, he opened it, and began spreading out documents in front of me.
