by Emma Knox
“I’m sorry, grandfather,” Kyle apologized.
“What are we going to do about the issue at hand?” Rodney asked.
Alpha Post nodded. “Right,” he said assertively. “Apparently, he was frustrated and finished with trying to pull answers out of Kyle, so he addressed me directly. “How do you plan on rectifying the situation with the visa?”
I stood my ground. I didn’t care if there was outrage among Kyle’s pack members. I promised Kyle to protect and defend him no matter what animosity we faced, and that’s what I planned to do.
“You can choose a beta to take Kyle’s place.”
Alpha Post grumbled. Clearly he wasn’t sold with my proposition, but he didn’t verbally have a comeback in protest.
“It’s honestly not any of Kyle’s concern,” I added bravely. “He shouldn’t spend the rest of his life trapped. Kyle is too nice to say it out loud to any of you,” I said and gestured around the room with my hands. “He always seeks out everyone else’s approval and nobody puts his needs first. I’m an Alpha who is willing to do that for him.”
Kyle flashed me a look of pure love and respect. I was upholding my image and promise to him, but we weren’t out of the woods yet…literally and figuratively speaking because I still had ground to break with Alpha Post.
“This was not part of the plan,” Alpha Post said gruffly, trying to tower over me. It was clearly a battle of the Alpha’s in here.
Kyle stepped in between us, ready to become the whipping boy once again, but instead, he surprised me with what he suggested next.
“We don’t have papers or anything yet, Father,” Kyle reminded him. “Any other person in this pack can be used in my place to have the arranged engagement with the female shifter.”
Alpha Post’s eyes flashed in heat and anger and his jaw squared, locked.
Kyle got another burst of confidence and ran with the streak. “It would be different if I’d already signed my life away with the documents, but it’s still early enough that we can find someone else to take my place.”
“It’s not a matter that’s up for debate anymore,” I told the pack in front of me. “Kyle is pregnant, and we are keeping the child. We are ready to start a pack of our own and Kyle is not going to go through with the engagement.”
It should be the end of the story.
Alpha Post’s face relaxed and his demeanor softened slightly. He glanced at Rodney, his Omega partner. “What do you think?”
Rodney shrugged. “You are the Alpha of this pack. You have the final say.”
“Fine.” Alpha Post looked between me and Kyle. “You will have my blessing.”
Kyle and I glanced at each other and hugged, purely elated for the change of heart coming from his father.
“However,” Alpha Post interrupted our celebration. “I have one condition.”
I should have known there would be a catch. “What is it?” I asked with suspicion.
“You must agree to marry Kyle if he is to bear your children.” Alpha Post looked stern.
I chuckled, and my heart skipped a beat. I didn’t even have to think before responding. “Absolutely. I would love to marry Kyle, because I am in love with him and we have already soul bonded.”
Chapter 12
Kyle
The wedding was to take place tomorrow, in a canyon owned by Riley’s pack. He spoke of his family having acres and acres of owned property that kept getting passed down from generation to generation.
In the case of my pack, Alpha Post was smitten with the idea that he wouldn’t have to fork out a dime to pay for any of the celebrations.
It would be a Pagan, Hand-fasting type of ceremony, not like the traditional American ceremonies that the rest of the nation saw, but up here in the wild wilderness of Alaska, shifters tended to drift and conform to their own sets of rules.
I was nervous for tomorrow, but not in an anxiety tackling way. I had butterflies, and they were only partly because of the baby fluttering and doing Olympic twirls inside of my belly.
I couldn’t wait to become bound with Riley, officially and on paper. Making it legal would be the seal of approval in my heart and all my dreams would finally be realized.
We were staying at a lodge that Riley’s grandparent’s owned and rented out to tourists, but in this case we had the booking all to ourselves.
I was surrounded by friends and family that I loved and trusted, as was Riley. It was going to be a large celebration with wild antics and boisterous laughter that I was certain would be talked about for years to come.
The feast alone was going to be enough to feed an army, and I couldn’t wait to hold Riley’s hand in the canyon as we professed our love for one another for the gods and all our guests to hear.
Yes, Riley would be my life long partner and the soul bonding was just the first part of how we were going to begin our lives together and blend our packs once and for all.
Relief still rushed through me when I thought about how lenient Alpha Post had decided to be with me and the fact that I got pregnant at a time he wanted me to serve him.
Riley was good at showing me that I was worth more than that, and the more he tried to prove it to me the more acutely I began to believe in myself.
Even as an Omega, Riley let me know that I could stick up for myself in the trying, conflicting times of life.
It was time to put all that behind us now and move forward on a new journey together. I glanced outside and inhaled a deep breath of that Alaskan mountain, crisp and snowy air.
I knew I’d want to stay around here to raise our pup and the litter I was sure we would eventually have.
I grinned at the memory of Riley confessing his yearning to have an enormous pack of his own someday, and I had to agree with him on that front.
As I rubbed my swelling belly, I knew we were going to be great parents.
“You are getting bigger by the day.”
I jumped and spun around, sighing with relief. It was only Alpha Henry, one of my best friends.
“Yes,” I said and clutched my stomach. “He’s growing like a weed in there.”
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Henry asked curiously.
I took a deep breath and nodded out to the snow-capped mountains. “Yes,” I chuckled, “I think so.”
“You’ll be fine.” Henry glanced out at the mountains too, a look of nostalgia pressed against his soft eyes.
“Yeah well…” I chuckled with the irony. “I only wished I wasn’t as big as a cow for my wedding.”
“You look gorgeous.”
Henry and I spun around to notice Riley standing in the doorway, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed. He wore a deliciously flirtatious look on his face.
“Thanks,” I breathed out. “You are only saying that because you love me.”
“The clothes tomorrow will hide your bump if you really care that much.” Riley swayed over to me and placed an arm over my shoulder.
“I will leave you two alone,” Henry said and excused himself.
“Bye Henry,” I called behind him and he waved in departure.
I glanced back at my husband-to-be. He was so handsome. I wrapped my arms around him as I felt our baby kicking inside of me. It was one of the most romantic moments of my life and we hadn’t even said our vows yet.
The next day at sunset, I nervously paced the floor while my brother Max stared at me in wonderment. He was an Omega too and married to one of the world’s finest martial artist Alphas.
“Stop fretting,” he told me with a flare of annoyance. ‘You are going to be fine.”
“How do I look?” I stopped momentarily to allow him to size me up.
“You look…fine.” He grinned. He loved to tease me and as the eldest brother I begrudgingly knew he’d earned that right.
I heard the guitar music begin as the band began strumming away at the strings. I knew it was my cue to walk out in the valley and greet the officiant as well as my groom to be…Riley.
I was sweating and breathing hard, but I knew I could do this. Riley was waiting on me, counting on me.
I walked out to the crowd of beloved friends and family that stood in a circle surrounding Riley and the officiant to the ceremony.
Also, in the center, was a swelling and roaring bonfire that stood to represent our ignited love together and the burning flame that would shield us and last an eternity.
The weather was chilly but clear, and there was luckily no snow in the forecast. The sky was painted magnificent hues of oranges, pinks and purples as the sun faded into the horizon to light the next part of the world.
I would marry Riley at dusk, where the world glowed with radiance if only for a little while.
After the ceremony, the two blended packs would gather under a glass topped tent to enjoy the canopy of the star-lit sky above.
As I approached Riley, he was grinning from ear to ear. He was beaming, so proud to get his Omega soul mate after all the years of searching for someone who would make his heart beat with compassion and longing.
I knew Riley felt that way, because he turned my organs into putty. I was jelly in his loving, nurturing embrace and if he was as crazy in love with me as I was with him, then I would be surprised if fireworks didn’t erupt and sparkle in the sky above.
The officiant of the ceremony spoke to the crowd that had circled around us. Some were scowling, but most were smiling with delight and joy.
I happened to catch a glimpse of Alpha Post whose expression was caught somewhere in between.
The officiant bound my hand together with Riley’s with string, and we cradled our hands together as his touch sent electric volts up my spine and throughout my entire body.
It was a rush, getting married to Riley in this picturesque setting.
We stated our vows to love each other and be soul bonded forever, and then we kissed as the guests roared with approval.
We had a five-tiered cake and enough meat to feed an army. There was venison, elk, bear and even fish.
It was every Alpha’s dream wedding when it came to the food. I tried to steer clear of the fish table because my stomach would still get queasy every so often if my nose caught up with the wrong scent.
As I slow danced to a romantic song with Riley under the blanket of stars though, I felt protected in his masculine, spicy scent. His cologne floored me and made me swoon with desire.
I hoped that he would have his way with me later, even though he was worried about the pregnancy.
I tried to assure him that he couldn’t hurt us, but he still made love to me with tender, gentle care.
My brother made a toast to the happy couple and everyone except me drank wine and champagne with jubilant glee in celebration.
I felt triumphant inside as I clung to Riley. He was brooding, dark and naturally handsome. I was blond haired and blue eyed. We were yin and yang, opposites, but we had a wondrous pull of attraction to each other.
I wondered what our pup would look like, when I finally got the chance to push him from my Omega womb.
“Congratulations, you two.” Riley’s father Alpha Crow and his Omega Jack approached us with delighted smiles on their faces.
“Thanks Dad.” Riley grinned and drew in for a hug with his father, each of them patting each other affectionately on the back.
Alpha Crow turned to face me. He had kind eyes, something unusual for an Alpha.
“You are truly glowing. You have no idea how overjoyed Riley is to be starting a pack of his own.”
“Thanks,” I said with a blush. “I feel like a whale right now.”
“You have so far to go in the pregnancy though, you shouldn’t be complaining yet.” My brother Max’s Alpha came up to us, teasing me.
“The reminder goes without saying.” I rolled my eyes in response, but I knew it was all in good fun.
Riley gave me a nurturing glance. “Nobody would be mentioning your belly if you stop bringing it up every five minutes. You look stunning and you are hardly showing through your suit.”
I hugged my new Alpha husband. He always knew the right words to warm my heart and always used them at exactly the right time.
After the ceremony was over and the reception was well under way, I watched with elation as my guests danced the night away to their hearts content on the dancefloor under the tent.
“You really are glowing.”
Riley came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, giving me a tiny little tug.
“I’m glad you think so,” I said as I craned my neck to whisper in his ear.
“I hope you had an amazing night tonight. You deserve the best.”
His voice drawled into my ears, delicately grazed my neck with his cool breath.
“It was the best night of my life,” I admitted with elation. “One I will remember for the rest of my life.”
“Me too,” Riley said. “I am usually not one to go over the top or fuss about a party like this, but I must admit…it’s been a pretty spectacular night.”
I spun around to drape my arms around him. “The best part of the night was getting to marry you.”
“We are soul bonded,” Riley reminded me. “We will be together forever.”
I chuckled. “In just a few short months, we will have a little pup running around.”
“It will be awesome when I can take him hunting,” Riley said and stared off into space, adrift with a giddy expression as his dreams unfolded in his mind. “I honestly can’t wait.”
“You can wait a little while,” I told him and patted his chest. “You know I get nervous about things like that.”
“I’ll never put either of you in harm’s way,” Riley promised.
I squeezed his hand. “You and your promises.” I smirked, although I was only teasing him.
“Have I let you down yet?” Riley crooned with zealous appeal.
“No.” I shook my head. “We have so much to look forward to.”
As we stood there together, soaking in the night and the gloriously lively celebrations swirling around us…I was hit with a peaceful serenity in knowing that I’d finally found my place in the world, and would be getting the family I always dreamed of.
Defending His Omega
Alphas of Alaska - Book 3
Chapter 1
Dominick
I looked into the mirror at my frozen expression. This was meant to be a day of jubilation, or so all the people around me kept spewing, but I wasn’t feeling it. At all.
“Dominick!” someone called my name. “Get up quickly so we can finish getting you ready! It’s your big day today, you know. You don’t have a lot of time before you have to leave.”
Her name was Maria, one of the Omegas in our pack. Maria and I had a complicated relationship. As Omegas of the same pack, I was her competition for when she wanted a mate. It wasn’t something I could help, though. On top of it all, I had an advantage on top of her that meant I would get the best pic when it came to Alphas.
Even her voice, when she spoke to me, held a note of jealousy, but I could hardly give a damn about her problems. I was still worrying over mine. My expression may be frozen and look a little indifferent, but on the inside, my emotions felt a bit complicated.
“Maria, just leave Dominick alone, all right? There’s still plenty of time! And besides, you can't expect him to change with all of us in the room.”
That was Amber. She was an older Omega, yet still remained unmated, and in times like these, she was there to help out the younger generation of Omegas in the pack. When I heard her defense of me, I looked at her through the mirror and wondered how she could like me. I was still young and getting mated, she was nearly twice my age, and was alone. Shifters had longer life spans than normal humans did, but still. Did she really feel no resentment toward me at all?
Like she’d somehow heard my internal question, she looked up and our eyes met through the mirror. I felt a bit embarrassed, then wondered why when they were
technically talking about me, but I still pursed my lips shyly and looked away.
“Why not?” Maria argued. “That is absolutely ridiculous! We were all asked to come here for the sake of helping him, and he’s an Omega just like any of the rest of us, isn’t he?”
“No, he’s not, Maria,” Amber said, her voice coming a little sharper. “He’s not exactly like us, and that is why we are here.”
Her voice carried along a growl with it, and since she had seniority, Maria finally shut up and listened to her. I felt her presence move away, but did not bother to look up.
Really, if I had my way, I would not be in my current situation. And even if I couldn’t stop it, I would have rather not had a bunch of strangers helping me. Sure, they were Omegas of our pack, but I didn’t interact with them much. My Omega parent and siblings or relatives would have been there, but they were all too busy to attend me.
Are they all feeling guilty knowing I’m going to leave soon? I thought with a sneer.
In truth, I knew why they couldn’t be there, but that did nothing to lessen the annoyance I felt for them, since the moment I heard of this ordeal, until this morning when none of them even came to see me before the ceremony. It might have been my Alpha father’s command, I knew he could have told them to avoid me before the ceremony began, but I still damn resented it.
“While she didn’t have the right way of going about it,” Amber said with a smile, moving to stand behind my chair. “You do need to get ready soon, Dominick. You can't be late for your own wedding, okay?”
My throat twitched, and my lips trembled. I wanted to tell her, how I wanted none of this in the first place, so why on earth would I be putting in effort for something that hadn't been my idea? I’d just been told I was getting married not that long ago, and everything had been agreed upon before anyone mentioned anything to me. If I had an opinion on it, no one wanted to hear it. I hated it, but what could I do besides go along with it?
