Lost Omega

by Noah Harris

  Lucy smiled, fondly mussing Lily’s hair. “I don’t see why not.” Lily grinned and was already charging off toward the gardens around the castle, Katie in tow. Lucy chuckled, watching them before turning back to Dylan. “I guess that’s my cue to go.”

  “Guess so. Oh, Marcus said he’d be late for dinner tonight.”

  Lucy just smiled, rolling her eyes. “Of course he will. He works too much.”

  She was suddenly swamped with kids, grabbing her hands and calling her name as they tugged her away. She laughed, turning to look at Dylan over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Dylan.”

  He lifted his hand in a silent farewell, watching them go before starting up the steps to the castle. He made his way through the ground floor, opting for the stairs rather than the elevator. He wasn’t that round just yet. He could still manage the stairs and as long as he could manage them, he was damn well going to take them. It took some time, but he wasn’t in a rush.

  Once he reached the right floor, he set off down the hall, intent on going to the room where Blake had set up camp. It was across the castle from where their room was, but thankfully on the same floor.

  He paused when he rounded a corner, spotting one of the witches. She was recognizable, as they all were. They wore similar clothing: dark colors, loose and flowing. They all wore plenty of jewelry, bracelets, necklaces, all with strange designs or symbols. She sat outside one of the rooms, back pressed to the wall beneath a hallway window that was cracked open slightly. Whatever was in her hand, she was smoking it, and the smoke curled lazily toward the window.

  She opened her eyes as he rounded the corner, her head was tilted back against the wall but her eyes remained on him. Her lips curled into a small smile, not unfriendly but undoubtedly tired. “Hey there, soldier boy,” she said, her voice an easy, low drawl.

  He quirked a small smile, stepping closer until he was standing right in front of her. “I’m afraid I’m not as good with names as my husband,” he said apologetically.

  She waved him off, pushing herself to her feet and wiping her palms on her clothes before holding out a hand to him, cigarette still held loosely between the fingers of her other hand. He recognized her from the first day they had met the witches. She had been the one perched on the arm of the couch at Adalaide’s side. “Name’s Cynthia.”

  Dylan took her hand, nodding with approval at her first handshake. Her fingers were littered with rings of all shapes and sizes. “Dylan.”

  Cynthia nodded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the wall. She looked him over, eyes hovering curiously on his belly before looking up to his face, eyebrow raised. “So I suppose I should offer congratulations?”

  Dylan gave her a small, awkward smile. “Thanks.”

  “Sorry if we stare a bit too much,” she said, taking a drag and letting the smoke seep out from between her lips. “We don’t spend a lot of time with shifters, so we’re not used to seeing…” she waved her hand around vaguely, face twisting as she searched for words.

  Dylan raised an amused brow. “A pregnant man?”

  She snapped her fingers, pointing at him. “Yeah, that! It’s crazy. Is it uncomfortable? Weird?”

  He shrugged, hands dropping to rest on his stomach. “No more so than a woman being pregnant, I would think.”

  “Fascinating. We don’t get to learn much about shifters because of the whole solitude thing. We learn some, but like...nothing in depth. I bet most of our info is out of date, too. Shame, really.”

  “We don’t know much about witches either,” Dylan said, tilting his head to the side, brow pinching. “I don’t really even know what you’re capable of, and I only vaguely know the difference between you and druids or other magic users.”

  She scoffed, waving him off. “What we can do depends on the individual. Everyone’s magic being different and all that. I could go into the details of how our magic is different and shit, from everyone else, but that’s a long lecture that I’m not really willing to give. Jordan is better at all that anyway, so if you’re really curious, you can ask him. He’ll go on for hours if you let him though, fair warning.”

  Dylan’s mouth turned up in a small smile. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” He glanced up and down the hall, smile fading and curiosity taking over. “So why are you out here alone?” he asked slowly, picking his words carefully. “Not that you’re not allowed to be, but…”

  “But we usually all hang out together?” she finished for him, not in the least bit offended. In fact, her smirk widened and her brow rose as her eyes danced with amusement. He gave her an abashed shrug, and she waved him off. “No, it’s fine to say it. It’s true, after all. We’ve pretty much been attached at the hip since we left our coven. Now that we’re here, even if we might finally be safe, it’s still hard to let go of the precautions, you know? It’s new territory, with people we don’t know, and we’re not exactly well acquainted with shifters, so everyone’s a little on edge. Plus the whole Abel thing has everyone worried and paranoid. We pretty much clump together more for comfort than actual concern about our safety, but a girl needs some space, you know.”

  He nodded, understanding a little too well. He, too, often needed and wanted his space. Unlike his husband who thrived in crowds and lived for the attention, Dylan preferred a much quieter existence. He spent a lot of time with his team when on missions but even then, he needed to take moments to simply remove himself and have his own space. It helped him recharge. He loved Blake with all his heart and soul, but he even needed space from him on occasion. He could imagine how being in the constant and never ending presence of your friends could get tiring after a while.

  “So what’re you doing...here?” He asked, gesturing to the hall. This was the wing of the higher end guest rooms, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they were staying around here.

  She nodded toward the door across the hall, and he turned to eye it curiously. “That’s where Adalaide is staying. She and Blake got into it again earlier—“

  He sighed loudly, muttering as he exhaled, “of course they did…”

  When he glanced back at Cynthia, she was giving him a knowing, amused smile. “Yeah, they agreed to each try it their own way or whatever. So she moved into a different room to try to search using her magic while he kept all his tech stuff in their original room. And I know you don’t know much about magic and all, but it is exhausting.”

  She reached behind her, flicking ash out over the windowsill. Her brows furrowed, smile fading as she looked at the floor, taking a long drag before letting it out with a sigh. When she continued, her tone was grave and seemed more tired. Searching her face, he could see the bags under her eyes and the lines around her mouth.

  “Especially this kind of magic. We’re trying to track someone where spells have been specifically cast to keep them hidden. We can help by adding our power to Adalaide’s to take some of the strain, but since Abel is her brother, it has to mostly come from her. Their magic is alike enough that she’s the only one who stands a chance of getting through his spells. But she keeps trying and trying. She’s even gone so far as to use her own blood to make her magic stronger. She’s determined and she’s desperate. I admire her for being strong, but she’s letting this take over. I know she thinks it’s more important than herself, and maybe it is, but we still need her, and she’s not taking care of herself right now.”

  “Sounds like my husband when he gets frustrated and obsessed with his work,” Dylan muttered, idly rubbing his stomach.

  Cynthia looked up through her lashes, amused smirk back in place, even though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I kinda picked up on that. Maybe that’s why they’re having a hard time working together. They’re both too stubborn, thinking that their own way is the right way. Too stubborn to listen to the other, and so alike that they constantly butt heads.”

  “Sounds about right,” Dylan mused.

  “Yeah, so we had to intervene, especially when she nearly pass
ed out after her last spell attempt.”

  Dylan glanced over his shoulder, frowning at the door. “Is she alright?”

  Cynthia waved him off. “She’s fine, for now. We just forced her to go to her room and relax, and hopefully sleep. She’s been up most nights since we got here. Abigail brewed up a sleeping draft so hopefully that’s helped to knock her out.”

  Dylan looked back to her, eyebrows raised. “So why are you here?”

  She smirked. “I’m on guard duty. Despite us convincing her to take a break, she’s stubborn, and none of us trust her to stay in her room. I told the others I’d stay and watch over her since I needed some time alone anyway.”

  “Where are the others?”

  She shrugged, glancing over her shoulder and out the window. “Not sure. I think Jordan and Zyra were doing more research in the library, ’cause your dragon king has a lot of old books that we never thought we’d see, let alone get to read. It’s a treasure trove of forgotten witch knowledge. Then I think Abigail, Sombra, and Liam were going to explore the grounds. I know Abbi was looking forward to seeing the kitchen set up and Liam wanted to see the gardens.”

  “How’re you enjoying being here?” Dylan asked, quietly and earnestly enough to convey honesty, and silently letting her know she didn’t have to lie.

  She smiled, letting her face relax and the worry lines stand out. “It’s...nice. It’s really cool, honestly. I wish we were here under better circumstances, and I hope we can stay a little longer when this is all said and done. I’d love to learn more about you guys.”

  Dylan smiled kindly. “I’m sure once you help us get Rajiah and Remi back, Arulean will be glad to have you stay for an extended visit.”

  She smiled, a small and sad twitch of her lips. “I hope so. I hope this all goes well. But I just...have this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Feels like a warning…” One of her hands went to her middle, pressing into her stomach as she frowned, eyes on the ground.

  Dylan stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. He wasn’t any good at giving comfort, and he wasn’t good with words. He was a man of action, after all. He waited for her to meet his gaze, and then gave her a look with as much confidence in it as he could muster. “Everything will be fine,” he said, voice firm with conviction. “We’ll get them back and no one will be hurt.”

  Her eyes searched his for a moment, brows pinching in thought. “You’ve done stuff like this before, haven’t you?” she asked softly.

  He smiled, stepping back. “All the damn time.”

  “Well, I hope you’re right about this time.”

  5

  He found Blake in the work room, exactly where he expected him to be. The room itself was set up like a conference room. The majority of the center space was taken up by a large table surrounded by chairs. One of the long walls was lined with windows, casting the room in the muted warm shades of late evening. Off to one side was a couch with a coffee table, flanked by two cushioned armchairs.

  Blake sat in one of the office chairs at the big table, back to the door. His equipment was spread out across the table top. He had dragged in several computers from other areas of the castle, setting them up along with the equipment he had brought with him. He had two of his own laptops and three monitors stolen from the castle. That wasn’t even counting the various other gadgets and gizmos he had squashed in the spaces between.

  Dylan didn’t even know what most of them did. Blake had tried on several occasions to explain it all to him, but it had done nothing but make Dylan’s head spin. He had only asked about it all in an attempt to give Blake a break. He was hoping, in vain, that distracting Blake from the task at hand by having him explain his devices would help alleviate his stress. It wasn’t a secret that Blake loved explaining things. This time, however, it wasn’t enough to get his mind off of things.

  Before the witches had retreated to their own room, the other half of the table and floor had been cluttered with their things: books, bottles, and bags of powders and liquids. Symbols had been drawn on the floor in chalk and scribbled across the table top. The room had been an odd mix of burning incense and the whir of computer fans. It was a combination of technology and magic, two opposites working in tandem.

  Or at least trying to.

  That hadn’t quite worked out as planned.

  Dylan cracked the door quietly and poked his head into the room. Blake didn’t seem to notice. He sat hunched in his seat, fingers alternating between two keyboards and several mice. His eyes darted from one screen to another. Dylan, having been married to the man for several years, knew when he was working himself into the ground. He saw the sag in his shoulders and the odd sluggishness in his movements. When Blake turned his head to look at something on the table beside him, revealing his profile, Dylan caught sight of the bags and lines beneath and around his eyes and mouth. His brow was in a near-constant frown, worry lines etched into his forehead.

  Dylan’s smile softened. His chest warmed and a calm settled over him with his rising need to protect his alpha, even if it was from himself.

  Protect his alpha. Claim his attention and force him to, in turn, take care of Dylan. Spend time together now, while they could. While everyone was busy, while Blake wasn’t getting anywhere with work, and while Lily was being looked after.

  They rarely had opportunities like this, and Dylan’s patience was wearing thin.

  He’d never been a very patient man, and he wanted his husband. His mate. His Blake. He was tired of waiting.

  He slipped into the room, silently shutting the door behind him before making his way across the room. He picked his way over the plethora of wires, extension cords, and power cables that littered the floor, idly thinking that this had to be a fire hazard on some level.

  Despite their connection, and despite their near constant awareness of each other, Dylan knew that when Blake was working and got into the zone, he was oblivious to anything physically around him. Given time, he might have noticed Dylan’s scent or felt the pulsing of affection through their bond. As it stood, however, Dylan wasn’t about to wait around for his mate to notice him.

  He stepped up behind Blake’s chair, reaching up to put his hands on the man’s shoulders. Blake jumped, sitting straight up, his whole body jerking in surprise. Dylan felt an amused smirk tug at his lips. As he had thought, he hadn’t noticed at all. Hands hovering over his keyboards, entire body stiff, his eyes staring across the room, it took Blake a couple of seconds to fully come back to himself and recognize Dylan. When he did, he relaxed, his body instantly slumping. He leaned back against the chair, hands collapsing onto the table, head turning to the side to look at Dylan.

  “Hey, babe,” he said, the exhaustion clear in his voice, which sounded hoarse from disuse.

  “Hey,” Dylan softly replied, bending over to wrap his arms around Blake’s neck from behind, hooking his chin over Blake’s shoulder and nuzzling into him. “How’s it going?”

  Blake sighed heavily, and Dylan felt it throughout his whole body. He tilted his head back and leaned against his omega, hands going to Dylan’s crossed arms. “It’s not. I’m stuck more than ever,” he grumbled, lightly running his fingertips along Dylan’s forearms. He let out a frustrated sound deep in his throat. “I can’t find anything. It’s like they’ve just disappeared off the face of the earth.”

  “Maybe you should have let the witches help…” Dylan said slowly, patiently.

  Blake scoffed, leaning his head against Dylan’s. “Magic,” he said, distaste in his tone and dismissal in his voice. “Their magic isn’t any more capable of finding them than my tech is. At least my tech is more reliable. I’m the one that found Rajiah’s phone, and that gave us a starting point.”

  “So your tech and their magic haven’t been able to find anything separately, but have you tried working together?”

  “Of course, we have! We’ve been trying for days. Adalaide is unreasonable and stubborn. She’s convinced magic is the be
st solution and ignores anything I have to say or anything I find out using technology.”

  Dylan quirked a small smile, turning his face toward Blake and pressing his mouth to his neck so he could feel it. “Sounds like someone else I know,” he said, voice gently vibrating against Blake’s skin, his breath fanning out across his neck. Dylan nipped at him playfully and could feel the way Blake’s body shivered in response.

  “I’m not that bad…” Blake tried to hold his ground but was obviously weakening as Dylan continued to pepper his neck with soft, chaste kisses.

  “Mhmm…” Dylan hummed, nosing up and nuzzling against his ear. “You are just as bad. You think your way is the best way, and I doubt you’ve listened to any of her suggestions.”

  “Her suggestions are—“

  “Not something you’d consider because you both have opposing strengths and knowledge where the other has none,” Dylan cut him off. “You’re both masters of your crafts, and it’s hard for you to see outside of that. However, neither of you is making any headway. If you actually worked together, you might actually accomplish something.”

  Blake scoffed again, but it was weaker this time, and when he spoke, Dylan could tell he was wearing him down. “Magic and technology don’t mix.”

  “Well…have you even tried?” Dylan asked, pressing a kiss to the hollow behind his ear.

  “I—well…well, she—“

  “You haven’t,” Dylan said, a sternness entering his voice. It was the tone he often had to use with Blake when he was being stubborn, as well as a tone he often had to use with Lily. Unsurprisingly, it worked on both. “You haven’t tried. Not really. You’ve tried working together as in working next to each other in the same room, but you haven’t really tried combining your efforts.” He kept his voice calm, level, and soft. He knew his scent was sweet, calming Blake and his stubborn alpha streak in a way only his omega could, in a way that was pure biology. It was a cheap trick and he knew it, but he wasn’t beneath using it if it meant being able to make his mate relax and listen to reason. “You say technology and magic don’t mix, but have you actually tried?”