Dedric stretched out his back and thought about it. He’d spent all of his time worried Laura would change her mind that he hadn’t even allowed the happiness to seep in. He’d been chosen, after living two hundred and five years, and waiting almost as long for an omega to choose him as mate. He would be having children now. He’d almost given up on that.
“You’re right my friend. We’ll celebrate tonight since we’ll all be together. Let the pack know.”
“Yes…about that. You see, the women of the pack wanted to do that tonight,” Samson answered with a slight grin on his face.
“So it is already planned then.”
“Yes.”
“Good enough. Thank them for me,” Dedric said as he put the papers away.
“They know you appreciate them, Dedric. They love their alpha and would do anything to see you happy with Laura.”
“Let them know we are on our way,” Dedric ordered.
“On it.” Samson strode out of the office.
Dedric went in the opposite direction feeling lighter than he had in days. He had a mate, someone for him to love and cherish. The other half to his soul, the mother of his children, and a leader to their pack to stand beside him. The one person that he would share his life with completely, as well as sharing her gifts. That was one of the amazing aspects of an alpha and omega mating. The alpha gained a few gifts of his own in relation to his omega’s gifts.
He truly loved Laura; she was tough as nails and soft as cotton. She could give you blue skies or bring down a deluge of rain. She could heal and calm those in need; she was the giver of light and protector of life. Moreover, she was Dedric’s and he’d do anything to keep it that way. But again, it wasn’t his choice.
Dedric walked up to the main pack house and was happy to see two of his warriors standing on guard alongside Alpha Aldric’s men. Laura may think she was safe, but he knew the awful truth about those willing to steal an omega for her powers. Unfortunately, it happened more often than people realized.
“Alpha Dedric, all is well,” General Jensgar announced while the warriors brought their right fist up to their chests, a sign of respect and honor for alphas.
Dedric intended to hand over training and leadership of his warriors to Jensgar and Drune. The general had hundreds of years of experience leading in times of war. He would be the perfect man to train Dedric’s warriors, and the pack would be happy to have him.
“All’s good. We have a Newton pack meeting to attend and I’m here to collect Laura as well as the two of you,” Dedric said as he knocked on the large front door.
He didn’t have to wait long before the door swung open and he had his arms filled with a wiggling Laura. “Hi, Dedric.”
He couldn’t help himself; Dedric began laughing and spinning her around. She brought so much light into his life after years of darkness. How could he not be happy? The scent of wildflowers surrounded him and he noticed she had the flowers braided throughout her beautiful blonde hair. She was such a free spirit and loved by those she met. He was a lucky man.
When he set her down, he cupped her delicate jaw and leaned down to kiss her. His would-be mate’s lips were so soft, like the rest of her, but looks were deceiving. Dedric knew better than to underestimate Laura. She could easily knock each of the men here on their asses. Though he noticed she chose to try to calm people so she didn’t have to fight them. That could put her in danger.
“Hello, my love. Ready to go meet the rest of your pack?” Dedric asked, knowing that she had only met a few members so far.
“Yes, of course. I’m excited. I only hope that they accept me,” Laura said softly.
This was the first time she had been anything other than confident, and it shocked Dedric for a moment before he pulled her back into his arms. “I’m positive everyone will adore you as I do.”
That brought a smile to her pale, lightly freckled face. Her milk chocolate eyes showed her every emotion. How could anyone not accept her? With her heart so open and loving, it wasn’t possible.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Laura said with a nod. “Let’s go meet my new pack.”
So far, the only people she had met were his parents; his beta, Samson; and a few farmers whom she’d healed of their minor wounds after the ogre attack. He held her hand tight as they walked down the path leading to the hall where everyone was meeting. Following were Jensgar and Drune, one of his oldest and most trusted warriors. Dedric hoped he would work well with Jensgar to lead his warriors.
He wasn’t sure what his pack had planned to welcome Laura but he trusted them to make it perfect. They had all been waiting for an omega to choose their alpha. Until now, he’d felt like a disappointment to his people, but that all had changed. Dedric listened as Laura told him about what she’d done today. It always amazed him how much she managed to cram into a single day.
As they neared the hall, he could hear his pack talking and laughing. Gabi wrapped her arm around Laura’s in a sign of support. He may tease his love about bringing Gabi with them but in truth, he’d thought it was a good idea. Living with a new pack will be a great change for Laura and he wanted at least one person from her past to make it as easy as possible.
The lights filtered through the trees and led them on. “I love you, Laura.”
“I love you too, Dedric,” Laura replied with a big smile on her face. “There’s nothing to worry about; we’ve got this.”
“Damn right we do, my omega. We can handle anything as long as we are side by side.” While he had his trepidations about offering her so little by way of a town and a new pack, he believed what he’d said to his core.
The hall came into view, the big barn doors opened wide so its occupants could enjoy the warm night air. Tables were filled with food and his pack members were talking, but as soon as they entered the hall, silence fell and everyone returned to their seats. Dedric brought Laura to the head table where his parents and beta sat. Everyone stood and Laura took her seat gracefully, Gabi still at Laura’s side. Samson immediately pulled out a chair for Gabi and sat down beside her. If Dedric wasn’t mistaken, she was blushing.
Dedric looked down at Laura to find her smiling at her friend. That was something he’d think about later; right now, he had a few announcements to make.
“My pack, please sit,” Dedric called out. “I have a few announcements and then we can have our final feast here in Black Ridge. I’m honored to present Omega Laura whom has chosen to come back to our lands and possibly become my mate.”
With that said, the place erupted into cheers, bringing a proud smile to Dedric’s face. He loved his pack; he’d give his life protecting them as they would him, and now his mate, Laura. Of course that depended on how she took to his home. It may be small, but he loved every inch of their land and his people.
“Thank you my pack. She is very special to me,” Dedric admitted as he laid his hand on Laura’s shoulder. “To all of us.” He raised his glass. “I’ve fallen in love with her, and I know you all will as well.” They applauded and everyone took a drink. Dedric continued, “In addition, I’m happy to announce that General Jensgar will be returning to Newton along with us. He will be training and leading our warriors alongside Drune, and we are fortunate to have him.” Dedric looked over to the two men, who nodded their agreement.
“We are set to leave for home tomorrow.” Another cheer rose up. “Please make sure each and every house we’ve been given is spotless. We owe our friends here in Black Ridge a debt of gratitude for helping us when it was needed the most. Extend your thanks to everyone you have been in contact with before we leave. We will meet up at six in the morning packed and ready to go. There will be buses for those without vehicles. No one needs to worry—no one will be left behind.”
Dedric lowered his head before he continued; this was the inevitable part. “For those of you who wish to stay here in Black Ridge, please contact me privately so that I may approach Alpha Aldric on your behalf. Now let’s carry on with the fes
tivities.”
He sat down beside Laura and immediately pulled her close. A group of older women came forward. “Alpha, we wish to honor Omega Laura with something the women of this pack worked hard to prepare.”
Attention turned to the back of the building as the doors opened from the kitchen to reveal a large, heavily decorated cake covered in blooms. It was beautiful as it began its journey toward them, rolling on a small table.
Chapter Two
The stunning cake rolling toward them in celebration shocked Laura. Bright blooms covered and cascaded down the three tiers with lacey icing along the edges. The time it would have taken to create something so intricate was unimaginable, and it would’ve taken quite a few women to get this done by today.
She tightened her hold on Dedric’s hand in her excitement, and she knew her omega jewel was glowing bright yellow in happiness. They were going to welcome her into their pack and this was the first sign of their acceptance and happiness. Both she and Dedric stood as the cake got closer to the head table.
That’s when she noticed the slight wobble in one of the two front table legs. As if in slow motion, Laura watched the table leg break in half and her beautiful cake headed for the floor. On instinct, Laura raised her hands, brought a stream of air from the room, and syphoned it under the table to keep it standing. Several men and women rushed over and carefully lifted the cake and placed it on another table. When they had finished Laura released the wind and the table went crashing to the floor.
At the same time a man held up the broken leg, Dedric took her into his arms and tried to bury her face in his neck, but it was too late—she had seen the leg had been sawed through. She shoved the hurt aside and carried on as if nothing had happened. Releasing Dedric, she walked over to the table holding the cake.
“It’s beautiful; thank you everyone for making this for me. I’ve never seen something this stunning before,” Laura told the pack while sharing her joy. People began talking again and smiling, which made her happy; she didn’t want this moment to be ruined.
“Thank you, Omega Laura,” an older woman said as she approached. “My name is Rayanne.”
“Please call me Laura. Truly it is lovely.” Laura stepped forward and hugged Rayanne in thanks.
She seemed a bit surprised but Laura refused to change how she behaved; she was a hands-on person and wanted to share her happiness. Soon Rayanne began hugging back as others began to gather around. Before she knew it, Laura was at the center of the large group.
She spoke with everyone who came to introduce themselves, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself when Dedric gently pulled her away.
“You must eat, my love. There’ll be plenty of time to get to know everyone in the pack.” Dedric led her back to the head table.
Dedric’s mother, Mary, and his father, Wilhelm, stood and hugged Laura before she sat down.
“Good work.” Wilhelm nodded briskly.
“Thank you. This has been most welcoming,” Laura told her future in-laws before digging into the food that had been piled onto her plate.
The remainder of the night was spent with introductions and everyone seemed happy that she might be joining them. But somebody had cut that table leg, ensuring her gift would be ruined, and everybody knew it. Rayanne seemed to be a spokesperson of sorts, presenting pack members to Laura and advising her as to who was talking, and what their profession was.
In private moments Laura tried to bring up the table leg incident to Dedric, but he’d switch the topic of conversation, which was starting to bother her. If she were his equal then he should have been up front about the fact that that wasn’t an accident and that not everyone was happy to have her there.
Aldric and Helena, the alpha and omega of the Black Ridge pack, arrived halfway through the night to say their goodbyes. They had been more than generous in providing the Newton pack with a safe harbor while preparing to set their lives and town to rights. The door to this part of her life was closing, which made Laura a bit sad, but she was gaining a mate, a family and a pack of her own, which meant the world to her.
The walk back to the pack house was quiet. Dedric looked like he was trying to find something to say, but she wanted answers. “Are we equal, Dedric? I mean completely equal in power, respect, expectations, work…everything?” Laura asked.
Dedric stopped in his tracks and took both of Laura’s hands. “Of course we are, sweetheart. Once we’re mated you will have as much power to lead the pack as I do.”
“Then why pretend everything is all right, and avoid my questions? You dishonor me when you treat me as though I am weaker or unable to handle the truth.” Laura laid it out. “And the truth is someone in the pack doesn’t want me to feel welcome.”
Dedric looked down. “You’re right. We are a team and I shouldn’t have tried to protect you from the incident. I have Samson looking into it. I’ll make sure to tell you everything when he has a report or any answers.”
“Thank you,” Laura said as she and Gabi, who had been trailing quietly behind them, climbed the stairs to the deck. Laura’s two warriors took up their positions in the area and Gabi stood by the front door, all giving Laura and Dedric a bit of privacy.
“I’m sorry for being overprotective. I know you can handle whatever we have to deal with,” he murmured. She sensed his sincerity.
“I know you only had my best interests at heart, but you can’t protect me from the world or my responsibilities as omega to the Newton pack. If this is going to work I’m going to have to trust that you tell me everything, and you need to trust that I can handle it,” Laura explained as she ran her fingers through her soon-to-be mate’s thick dark hair.
Dedric’s eyes turned a touch golden as his wolf came closer to the surface. “I trust you, my love. You’ll have to give me a little bit of time to calm my protective instincts, but I promise to do better in the future. You did a wonderful job with the pack today. They responded well.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I think most of the pack is happy to have me here, but we’ll see if there are any more incidents. Now, what time will I see you tomorrow?”
“I hope to get on the road early, so around six.”
“That sounds perfect.” Laura smiled before Dedric leaned down and kissed her with a bit more fire than he had the last time. She responded in kind, running her fingers up his muscled abdomen and chest before wrapping them around his thick neck. Dedric’s kisses remained soft as if he were afraid of hurting her. It would take time but she’d make sure he let go of that fear.
“Okay you two, break it up,” Gabi reprimanded them from across the deck. “Until you’re mated you have to keep this rated PG. We’ve talked about this.”
Laura knew that Gabi was right, but damn if it wasn’t torture to pull herself away from the man she loved. His strong arms held Laura tight and she melted into him as he lifted her off the ground and carried her over to where her chaperone was standing before putting her down.
“You are temptation personified. Good night,” her alpha whispered in her ear before he turned and walked back into the forest.
Laura watched as he walked away until she could no longer see him. Then she turned around. It was time to get to work. “We need to find out who’s not happy to have an omega, or me in particular, join the pack.”
Gabi came to stand beside Laura. “Or who doesn’t want you with their alpha?”
Maybe this had nothing to do with the pack but everything to do with Dedric. Damn, she hadn’t thought of that. Well whatever it was, she’d have to figure out who it was first, and then maybe the why would be answered. Gabi grabbed Laura’s arm and they walked into the house. Her guards would remain in the living room until they were relieved by two other warriors. It was Dedric’s right to protect the omega with whom he was in a courtship, so she couldn’t protest that he was being overprotective.
The most important thing was that Alpha Aldric wasn’t taking offense; he’d been supportive from the beginning.
All the people of the Black Ridge wolf pack had been welcoming to the Newton pack. Both packs were lucky to have come out of the ogre attack relatively unscathed, if you didn’t count Newton being half burned to the ground. Nevertheless, as for member losses, they’d suffered only a few, which was still too many.
Laura grabbed a bottle of water and headed for her room. Gabi’s room was right beside hers, and Lily’s, another omega, was down the hall, but she tended to stay to herself. Laura was surprised that Lily had asked to go to Newton along with them, but Laura didn’t mind—the more the merrier, and it helped swell the numbers of the small pack.
Laura said her goodnights and closed herself in her room filled with boxes, some empty, most full. She hadn’t arrived in Black Ridge with much, considering everything she ever knew and loved had been taken away from her in the ogre attacks. That constant stab of pain in her heart dug a little deeper, but the more Laura tried to push it away, the more it burrowed in. Her baby sister’s sweet smile or their mother’s soft laughter haunted Laura daily. Her brave father had sent her away to the Omega Celebration, and she didn’t know whether to be thankful or angry at not being able to follow her family into the afterlife. Having to carry on without them felt like a burden, their memory an ever-present reminder that she survived. She understood survivor’s guilt, but it was one thing to know that she would get better; it was another thing to feel it.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It did her no good living in the past, and she had to keep moving forward. Helena had given Laura some clothing, as had Gabi and Lily, and Laura was thankful for every piece. After a long, hot shower, she lay in her bed running the evening’s events through her head. Privately, she’d be the first to admit that she knew someone wanted to ruin her welcome and hurt her. She wanted the pack to accept her, and over time, come to love her, but she needed to maintain her public face; nothing was wrong, and the welcome had been a complete success.
Laura's Legacy Page 2