by Nora Phoenix
"We hate to bring this up this soon, but who will take over Jawon's job?" Ori asked. "Servas and I are anxious to get back to work, but we need to know who's in charge."
The fact that the introverted alpha spoke up in public showed how big an issue this was for them, and Kean's heart went out to them all over again. They hadn't just lost their cousin. Jawon had also been their boss and their best friend, and those were some pretty big shoes to fill.
"You're absolutely right to bring this up," Palani said, his voice soft and understanding. "We haven't had a chance to discuss this with you yet, Servas, but we were hoping you'd be able to take over."
The look of complete surprise on Servas's face rivaled the intense relief on Ori's, and Kean realized that once again, Palani had made the right choice.
"But, but Ori is the alpha," Servas said in protest.
"I don't want to be in charge," Ori said quietly. "Besides, you've worked in construction longer than I have, and your skills far outweigh mine."
"But who will listen to an omega?" Servas asked, a hint of desperation lacing his voice.
"Everyone, if they want to have that job and keep it," Lidon said, a hint of alpha dominance in his voice. "You have the skills for the job, and we have every confidence and faith in you. If you want it, it’s yours, and if you run into any issues with anyone, you'll let us know and we'll back you up."
"My younger brother just lost his job," Isam said. "He's a beta, and I can assure you he's a hard worker who will do whatever you tell him. He would have no trouble working for an omega."
Palani nodded. "Good. Give me his name after, and we'll check him out." He turned his attention back to Servas. "You don't need to decide now. Just think about it and let us know. You'll have a job and a spot in the pack no matter what you decide."
Kean had no doubt Servas would accept the job. If all that was holding him back was his fear of not being taken seriously as an omega, Palani would make sure to eliminate that. It made Kean proud all over again to be a part of this, and he couldn't wait to see the pack grow.
They walked back together to Omega One, Jax asleep in the baby carrier. He was getting so big, Ruari marveled. He couldn't believe how fast his son was growing, his face changing already and losing that newborn look. He was a healthy baby now with rosy, chubby cheeks and a pair of gorgeous brown eyes that were a miniature version of his dad's.
"What do you guys think about the idea of living in the main house?" Bray asked, then corrected himself. "Jawon's House."
"I think it mostly depends on the two of you, since you could both run into family members in compromising positions," Ruari said. "For me, I only see the benefits of being close to Sven and Vieno, as was pointed out. Plus, you know, it's not like I would be opposed to seeing a live porn show every now and then, just saying. So yeah, no complaints from me."
Kean shrugged. "I have no problem with it. I can definitely see the benefits of being close to the others, especially for you, Ruari."
"It wouldn't be awkward for you if you had to witness your brother having sex?" Ruari asked, curious.
"Not really. I know this sounds super weird, but Palani and I have always been close, and he used to talk to me all the time about sex stuff. I don't really care one way or the other, though I have to admit he picked some pretty damn good-looking guys. Besides, I've already seen it a few times, and it's not like I've been scarred for life. It's not me you should be worried about," he said, jerking his head in Bray's direction.
Bray let out a deep sigh. "That's a tough spot you guys are putting me in, having to make this call."
They'd reached Omega One and Bray opened the door, then held it open for Ruari and Kean.
"You said before you didn't want to see your father with his boys," Kean said. "Is that still something you feel strongly about?"
Bray waited to answer until Ruari had taken Jax out of the carrier and put him into his crib, luckily without waking him up. "I think it's fair to say I've mellowed a bit," he said, and Ruari appreciated his light tone.
Bray kicked off his shoes, then found a spot on the bed, leaning with his back against the wall. It made Ruari realize that Lidon and Palani had been right. This house, as amazing as it was, felt more like a dorm than a place for three grown men and a baby to live. They only had this one room and the common kitchen, but not a cozy place where they could sit or hang out in private. And what about when Jax would get a little bigger and needed a playpen or room to crawl?
"The attack made me realize how much I love my dad," Bray said, his voice uncharacteristically soft and gentle. "And I guess I also came to the conclusion that I want him to be happy, and as Kean so rightly pointed out weeks ago, it's hard to deny how much those three love each other."
"I'm proud of you," Kean said, and Ruari marveled at how he managed to pull that statement off without sounding condescending. You could feel that he meant it.
"Thank you," Bray said. "I know I still need a lot of work, but I'm trying."
"We can see that," Kean said, and if Ruari hadn't been looking at Bray when Kean spoke those words, he would've missed the wince of pain on his face.
He kneeled in front of him on the bed between his legs. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"Nothing," was the quick reply, and Ruari could see him pull up his defensive walls.
"Bray," he said in a pleading tone, "Don't close yourself off again. I could see something hurt you in what Kean said, so please, talk to us."
Bray shook his head, his face once again that of the stern, aloof alpha. "It's nothing. It's just me being an alpha asshole again."
It was hard to imagine at times how easily they had misjudged Bray's attitude for arrogance, rather than an attempt to hide his true feelings. He hid behind it again now, but the fact that he used the term they'd labeled him with said enough. It had hurt him, that expression, and while that had been the intent to some degree, Ruari regretted how deeply it had wounded him, how hard it had impacted his self-confidence.
"We don't think you're an asshole," Kean said.
And there it was again, that nano-second flash of pain on Bray's face. What was he reacting to? Kean had just made a simple statement, and a positive one at that, and his previous remark had been equally short. What, then, had been the common denominator? When he realized the answer, Ruari could've slapped his forehead for not seeing it sooner, because it was so blindingly obvious.
"It hurts you when Kean and I talk about we and us, as in the two of us, because you feel like we're excluding you," he said, his voice understanding.
Oh, that got a reaction from Bray, his face darkening even more. "I told you it was nothing."
"It's not nothing," Ruari insisted. "If it's big enough to hurt you, it's important enough to talk about."
"I'm not good at the whole ‘talking about my feelings’ thing," Bray said, though his tone was a little less defensive than before.
Kean pushed out a short laugh. "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. Trust me, we're aware."
"Don't make fun of him," Ruari said. He switched positions, finding a different spot on the bed where he leaned against Bray's legs for support. He loved the casual intimacy it brought, plus the fact that he could look at both his men without craning his neck.
"I wasn't. I was merely pointing out that…" Kean suddenly stopped talking, his brows furrowing. Ruari looked at him inquisitively. "I get what you're saying," Kean said, looking at Bray. "It feels like Ruari and I are taking position against you, like we're excluding you and ganging up on you."
"Yes."
That simple statement from Bray felt like a victory.
"Do you feel like that more often, like you're not on the same level? I don't know how to describe it, but like you're not equal?" Kean then asked.
The struggle on Bray's face was easy to spot, myriad emotions flashing over his face before he finally answered. "All the time, but I told you, it's just me being an asshole."
This time, Ruari reacted. "No, i
t's not you being an asshole. It's you being insecure of your role and position in our relationship, and it's us falling short of communicating with you and being flippant about deliberately including you."
He could see the alpha swallow. "You don't think I'm overreacting?"
Ruari shook his head. "No. I think it's a legitimate concern, and like I said, this is on us as well."
"When Kean was sleeping and we kissed, you said we needed to talk about how we could make this work," Bray said. "I want that. I don't know how to do this talking thing. I'm not good at it, but I want to learn."
Much to Ruari's surprise, Kean got up from his spot and crawled over toward Bray, offering his mouth for a kiss. The alpha leaned in hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure why, but then he took him up on the offer and kissed him. Kean cupped both his cheeks. "You humble me, you know that? God, you can bring me to my knees like no one else."
Bray looked confused. "He's floored by your willingness to learn," Ruari said with a sweet smile. "And so am I."
Bray slowly shook his head. "I honestly don't understand the two of you at times."
God, he could be so freaking clueless it was adorable, Ruari thought. "I know you don't," he said. "And part of that is because we don't talk enough. So, let's try and lay down some ground rules and expectations."
There was no other word to describe Bray's expression than eager, and it made Ruari realize again that he really wanted to make an effort, but that he just didn't know how.
"I think we need to spend more time together," Kean said. "Both with the three of us and in pairs. I know you have a crazy work schedule," he told Bray. "And obviously, we understand completely, but we want to spend time with you."
"Okay, I can do that," Bray said. "I've been talking to Palani and Lidon about adding more guys to the roster, and about officially naming someone as my right hand. I want to reduce my hours and have at least one full day off per week, preferably two."
Ruari smiled at him. "That sounds good. Not just for us, but it would also mean you could spend more time with Jax."
"I would love that, but do you trust me with him?" Bray asked.
Ruari frowned. He would've thought that problem had been solved the moment Bray had realized they were fated mates. How could he not trust his own mate with their son?
"Not because of how I behaved," Bray added quickly, probably reading the confusion off Ruari's face. "But because I don't know anything about babies."
Kean slapped him on his shoulder. "No worries, it's not as hard as it looks."
“You’ll learn,” Ruari assured him, earning him a grateful look from Bray. "So, we all agree that we want to spend more time together. What about sex?" Ruari said. "Do we want to make any rules about sex?"
Bray held his hands up. "This is up to you. I am not saying anything, because I don't want to seem like I'm putting pressure on you. Whatever you guys decide, I'm in."
Kean grinned. "Of course you're in. In us, to be precise."
Bray's face split open in a big smile. "So I'm a horny alpha, sue me."
Ruari looked at Kean. "What do you think? Do we need any rules?"
Kean sobered. "Considering what we talked about before, I think it may be wise to agree that for now, you and I won't have sex without Bray being there as well."
Ruari was grateful they were on the same wavelength, because he had come to the exact same conclusion. "I don't mind if you have sex with him when I'm not there," he said.
"Same here. But for now, let's hold off on private encounters between the two of us."
They nodded at each other, then looked back at Bray. He closed his eyes for a second, letting out a sigh as his shoulders dropped low. "Thank you both for that. It means a lot to me."
Ruari leaned in for a kiss first, and Bray quickly took him up on it, brushing his lips with his own in a sweet kiss, then doing the same with Kean.
"That's quite the responsibility you now have, keeping both of your men fully satisfied, alpha," Kean teased. "I hope you're up to the challenge."
“Oh, trust me,” Bray said dryly. “I’m up.”
9
When Palani had proposed his plan, Vieno had thought he was absolutely bat-shit crazy. How the hell could he expect Vieno to face the prime minister? It wasn't even that he was an omega, though if he were honest, that still played into it. He just didn't figure York was going to take him seriously, regardless of the man's pro-omega platform. Well, pro-shifter platform, more accurately, but the fact was he'd done more to improve the positions of omegas than anyone else had in a long time.
But that wasn't the point. Even if the man could somehow overcome his natural resistance to taking an omega seriously, there was still the fact that Vieno was convinced he wasn't the best man for the job. It had nothing to do with him being an omega and everything to do with the fact he wasn't that good at public speaking, he wasn't that good at confronting people, and he sure as hell wasn't good at stepping outside and facing strangers.
Which was why it was surprising that when Bray's men announced the prime minister had arrived, Vieno did walk outside toward the gate, his heart galloping in his chest. How the hell had Palani talked him into this? And Lidon, that sneaky bastard, had aided him, appealing to Vieno's pride. Granted, he hadn't even come close to putting pressure on Vieno, but he'd felt the weight of their expectations nonetheless.
In the end, it hadn't been Palani's arguments or Lidon's more subtle approach that had convinced him to do it. It had been his own conviction that it was the only thing that could work. They needed York off their backs, and if this worked, it would result in a resounding victory for them. And so he'd swallowed back his anxiety and had agreed, which was why he now found himself waiting for the small gate to open, that sleek, black limo on the other side.
The prime minister got out of the car before the gate was even fully open, craning his neck to look behind Vieno. No wonder, he had to have been expecting something and someone else entirely.
Vieno raised his chin. "Good morning, Prime Minister," he said politely. "I'm Vieno Hayes, one of Lidon's mates."
"I know who you are," York said, his face polite but not more than that. "Where's everyone else?"
Vieno feigned stupidity. "You were expecting the entire pack to show up?"
York gave an irritated wave. "Of course not, but I wasn't expecting…"
Vieno smiled when he stopped talking. "You weren't expecting an omega, is what you wanted to say? It's not so easy to put your big principles into practice, is it?"
He wasn't even sure where he got the courage to say something like that. A year ago, he wouldn't have dreamed of it. Maybe Palani had rubbed off on him, because god knew that man never lacked words and wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
York didn't respond, which Vieno thought was smart. He could only dig a deeper hole for himself. "My alpha has asked me to convey a message to you," Vieno said.
York's jaw ticked at that message. "I'm listening."
Vieno doubted that, but he would give him the message anyway. "Our official response to your ultimatum is that we kindly decline."
York's eyes widened for just a second. "I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. Did you just say you want me to start an official investigation into what happened here at the ranch?"
Vieno shrugged in a studied gesture. This was where he had to play the part Palani had suggested. "If you feel that's in your best interests, then we won't stop you."
He refused to back down when York took a step toward him, telling himself that four of Bray's men were within shooting distance. They wouldn't allow anything to happen to him, or so Lidon had assured him over and over.
"Are you sure you understood the message correctly?" York asked, and that question was so insulting that Vieno got pissed off for real.
"What, because you don't like the message I’m bringing, you’re accusing me of being stupid? I have a brain, you know."
“My apologies. It was by no means my intention to insult
your intelligence," York said between clenched teeth.
"Try convincing yourself of that," Vieno spat out. "Because we both know that's a lie. But no, I didn't misunderstand the message. In polite terms, we refuse you access to the pack, the ranch, to us. And in not-so-polite terms, you can go fuck yourself."
He got lightheaded for a second as it hit him what he had just blurted out to the prime minister, and judging by the utter shock on the man's face, he was just as surprised. Well, there was no taking it back now.
"You would do well to remember who I am and address me with the respect I deserve," York said, his voice dark. "I can't imagine your alpha accepting this utter disrespect from you."
"You knew what was about to happen, and you didn't do a damn thing to stop it. We lost one of our own because of you. You don't deserve respect," Vieno shot back. "And for the record, Lidon is ten times the man you'll ever be. He doesn't need to demand my respect, he's earned it."
York took another step forward and jabbed his index finger in Vieno's face, who fought hard with himself to stand his ground. "You will regret this. You, your alpha, and anyone in the pack. I'll come after you with everything I've got, and I will not rest until you've been put in your proper place. I'm in charge, not you, and don't you forget it. You're nothing in the bigger scheme of things. I will crush you and not think about it twice. Decades, I've been dedicated to bringing back the shifters, and this ragtag group of insolent misfits will not thwart my plans, do you hear me?"
Spit was flying from his mouth, and Vieno had to ball his hands into fists to prevent himself from wiping off his face. But the man wasn’t done yet, and so Vieno listened, because that’s what Palani had told him to do. Listen and let the man reveal as much as possible. That last part was easy now.
"I will not allow it. We’ve worked too hard for it. We deserved to be the first ones to shift, not your arrogant alpha who thinks he's so much better than everyone else. You’re all so small-minded, unable to see beyond your own little world. And yet you feel like you're so much better, so much more honorable and ethical, all because one of you can shift. Well, guess what, I don't care about one man. I'm looking at the bigger picture. The shifters will rule once again, and it will be because of me. We did what we had to for the greater good of our species, and that's something you'll never understand or appreciate."