“Which means they wouldn’t have to be leave their family when their true nature shows,” she said.
“That’s right.” Gail graced her with a wide smile. “I think you’re going to be a wonderful addition to the Boundarylands, Paige. And I think you’re going to be a magnificent mother.”
Chapter Eleven
Kian had been walking Randall’s property for two full hours. The older alpha showed him some recently finished projects: the new brickwork around the well, a larger chicken coop, Gail’s autumn vegetable garden. All of it was impressive, built with the same care and craftsmanship that went into his house.
That didn’t mean it held Kian’s attention. Not really.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about Paige. He hadn’t been away from her this long since her first heat, and the longer he stayed away, the worse the uncertain feeling in his belly became.
His rational mind knew she was fine in Randall’s home with Gail, but his animal brain was a different story. It demanded that he get back to her. That he see that she was fine with his own eyes. That he feel her with his hands. That he pull her close and…
He should probably wait until he got her back to their own house before he acted on that last impulse. It was one thing to want to get back to his omega. It was another to fuck her on another alpha’s kitchen table.
“Do you think we’ve left them alone to talk long enough?” Kian asked.
“Probably not.”
Randall let out a long breath. For the first time, Kian realized that he wasn’t the only one anxious to get back to his woman. It was written all over Randall’s expression. Even after all these years, he still longed for her.
“Think we should we head back anyway?” Kian tried.
“Definitely.”
Kian smiled to himself. It was good to know he wasn’t the only one suffering. “What do you think they’ve been talking about for so long?”
“Us, probably,” Randall said with a shrug. “You should have seen the way Gail’s face lit up when she heard there was new omega in the area. She’s been missing female companionship.”
Walking a step behind the older alpha, Kian cocked his chin to the side. “She doesn’t see the other omegas often?”
“There aren’t that many out here to see,” Randall said plainly. “Two to the north and one to the east, but the closest is still over fifty miles away. We don’t see any of them more than once or twice a year. News of your Paige meant Gail had an instant community.”
Kian pressed his lips together. He’d been so wrapped up in the changes in his world, heats and claiming bites, that he hadn’t thought about social impact on Paige. Somehow it was easier to believe that she wouldn’t need anyone other than him, that she would be fine on her own. Shit, even he had Ty and the brotherhood at Evander’s Bar.
“I’m grateful Paige has Gail to help her get used to her new life,” he said.
Randall gave a soft laugh. Two steps ahead of Kian he shook his head slowly. “I’d save that gratitude until after you hear what they’ve been saying about us,” he said. “For all I know they’ve been in there swapping tips on how to avoid bed play.”
Kian’s eyes widened. “Do you really think—”
“It’s a joke,” Randall cut him off. “I forget how serious you young pups can be. Do yourself a favor and learn how to laugh, or else that omega of yours will have you wrapped around her finger in no time.”
Kian bristled. It had been years since anyone had called him a pup. Even longer since they’d dared to laugh at his expense. If it had been anyone other than Randall making the joke, Kian would have ripped his head off.
But it wasn’t anyone else. Randall was a mature—and mated—alpha. He commanded respect. More than that, he knew what the fuck he was talking about. Kian knew he needed to swallow down the sting of a bruised ego and listen to the man.
Silence descended as they trekked the last quarter mile out of the woods and back into the clearing in front of Randall’s home. Some of the strain lifted from Kian’s shoulders the moment he spotted Paige on the porch next to Gail. She raised her head and waved at him a second later.
He breathed a sigh of relief when a blushing smile spread across her face. That was the kind who invited a man to take her to bed, not the kind who tried to keep him away. Kian shifted his gaze for just a second and noticed that Gail was giving a similar look to her alpha.
“Looks like you can give me that thank-you after all,” Randall said, his voice heavy with humor.
“We were just wondering when you two were going to make it back,” Gail said, rising from her chair as her mate climbed the steps.
“You two ran out of things to talk about that quickly?” he teased her.
“Not hardly.” Gail wrapped her arms around Randall’s neck and gave him a squeeze. A loving light shone in her eyes as she looked up into her alpha’s face. “Turns out we have a lot in common—where we went to school, the books we like to read, stuff like that.”
“Then I’m glad we stayed away so long and gave you two the time you needed to get to know each other.” Randall turned toward Paige. Bowing his head slightly, he said, “You have an open invitation to visit this house any time you like.”
Paige smiled and thanked him. It was obvious she didn’t understand the honor he was giving them.
But Kian did. Tucking his chin down, he said, “You both are welcome at ours as well.”
“Just don’t wait too long to come see me again,” Gail said as Paige stood up.
“Of course, not,” she said. “Maybe we could have a weekly tea date.”
Gail’s face lit up. She clasped Paige into a deep hug, holding her tight for a few long seconds before finally letting her go. “Oh, I would like that.”
The omegas said goodbye to each other what felt like another dozen times before Kian managed to wrangle Paige back in the truck.
“That was nice,” she said as they drove toward the Central Road. “Gail wasn’t anything like I expected.”
Kian raised a brow. “What did you think she was going to be?”
“Small. Timid. Shy.”
“Gail is certainly none of those things,” he said with a nod.
“I was taught that’s what omegas were.”
“Sometimes they are.” He gazed at her out of the corner of his eye. “But what you have to understand is that Gail isn’t just some omega. She’s Randall’s omega. All of those subservient emotions and actions, they are for him and him alone. She doesn’t owe them to anyone else.”
Paige leaned across the bench seat until she was pressed firmly against his side. “Just like I’m yours.”
A triumphant surge of possessiveness burst in Kian’s chest.
Yes. Exactly like that.
She stayed draped over him, the low vibrations of her contented purrs massaging his body, until he passed the turn to their property. Slowly, she raised her head.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Evander’s Bar,” he said. “I promised Ty I’d stop by.”
Immediately, her purrs stopped. Her body stilled. “Don’t you want to drop me off at home first?”
“No.” Why the hell would he want to do that? “I just gave up two hours of your time. I’m not giving up any more.”
She pulled herself up to a sitting position, her spine going straight. “Maybe I could just wait in the truck while you go inside.”
“I said no, Paige. You’re my omega. You go where I go.”
Her lips pulled down into a frown. “But…”
“But what?” he asked when her voice faded out. He didn’t want to ruin what was the first real good mood he’d ever seen her in, but he needed to know what was going on. “What is this really about?”
Paige drew in a deep breath and held it for a second before letting it out. She didn’t want to have this conversation. Then again, she didn’t want to go to Evander’s Bar either. She searched her mind for the mos
t diplomatic way to state her fear.
“The last time I was out around your people didn’t end so well.”
“They’re your people too now,” he reminded her. Were they? She wasn’t so sure. “Besides, nothing like that is going to happen this time.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because you’ve been claimed. Everyone knows you’re mine.” His voice was so certain. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind.
“Maybe some alphas have heard, but not everyone,” she countered. “Am I just supposed to flash the scar on my shoulder to every one we pass just in case?”
He surprised her by giving a laugh—not an angry one, or even a mocking one, but one with actual humor. The unfamiliar sound brushed some of her unease away.
“They’ll know by your scent,” he explained. “It’s changed.”
Well, that was a weird thought. That a simple bite could change her body chemistry. Then again, after the week she’d had, how could she think anything was strange?
“For better or worse?” she asked.
Kian’s smile deepened. “To me you smell like the ripest fruit on a summer day. You make my mouth water.” Paige blushed as he continued. “But to every other alpha you’ll smell like a warning to keep their distance.”
Paige narrowed her gaze. Warnings were great, but she’d seen enough punks ignoring No Trespassing signs to know they didn’t mean much to some people. “And you think that will be enough.”
“I know it.” Again he sounded absolutely certain. “You have to understand that alphas are a different breed than the betas you’ve grown up with. We’re territorial. Fiercely possessive. What’s ours is ours. And everyone respects that. ”
“And I’m yours,” she said. It wasn’t a question. It was more like a mantra now. One that made her feel a deep sense of security.
“Totally and completely. And with that comes my complete protection. Everyone that you meet from here on out will know that if they harm you in any way, the penalty is death.”
Paige’s eyes widened. “That seems a little harsh.”
“Then they’d better be fucking careful.”
A week ago, a statement like that would have scared the crap out of her. Rightfully so. But she wasn’t beta Paige any longer.
She was an omega. The claimed omega mate of a powerful and virile alpha. And his words only made her feel cherished and safe.
A few minutes later, Kian pulled the truck into the dirt parking lot in front of Evander’s Bar. Paige glanced around for her car—the one she’d driven here what felt like a lifetime ago—but it wasn’t there.
“Did somebody steal my car?”
Kian shook his head as he stepped out. “Why? You thinking about running again?”
“Of course not,” she answered. “It’s just that it’s my car.”
“See,” he said with a teasing twinkle in his eye. “You can be possessive too.”
“I guess I can,” she admitted. Funny, she’d never thought of herself that way. “But seriously, where is it?”
“I’m sure Ty just drug it around the back where it wouldn’t be so obvious,” Kian said. “A missing woman’s car can attract a lot unwanted attention. You can drive it back home if you want.”
“I will” she said, following him Kian up the stairs to the heavy door. “But Ty could have saved his energy. The only person who’d be looking for me is Craig, and he already knows where I ended up.”
Craig.
Strange, she hadn’t thought about him in days. Sure, every now and again the horrific memory of him pulling the trigger in the warehouse popped into her head, but her thoughts were always for the poor man who’d been murdered, not for her ex-fiancé.
It was almost as if her old life was slowly fading away. There were parts that were almost gone entirely. Little things, like the color of her bedspread or the name of her favorite brand of cookie.
Apparently, her new omega brain didn’t care about mundane things like that. Maybe it was pushing out the old memories to make way for the new. She liked the thought of that.
Kian opened the door, and they stepped into the bar together. There weren’t as many alphas as there had been that first night. It wasn’t too surprising. Not many bars were busy on a Monday afternoon.
Ty looked up from his work behind the bar. He was every bit as dark and massive as she remembered. That part of her memory was still good, it seemed. At least this time he wasn’t glowering at her.
“Kian,” he said. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming in.”
Kian shook his head as he strode over to the bar and sat down. “We stayed a little longer than expected at Randall’s.” He looked over at her and patted the cushioned stool at his side.
Paige hesitantly climbed up beside him. She still wasn’t so sure about this, but to her surprise she didn’t flinch when Ty turned his attention her way. He threw her off even more when he gave her a respectful nod. “It’s good to see you again, Paige.”
It was? The last time he’d spoken to her she’d had the feeling the only thing he wanted was to never see her face again.
But that was before. Before her true nature had come out. Before she’d Kian had claimed her. And she’d claimed him.
Apparently, Kian was right. Being his omega made all the difference in the world.
“Did you bring a list for me?” Ty asked Kian.
Her alpha nodded and pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket. Paige caught a few words scribbled down in pencil: flour, sugar, butter. Ty took a look and nodded.
“This’ll only take a minute,” he said, wiping his hands with a bar towel. “Be right back.”
Paige looked up at Kian, confused. “This is where you do your grocery shopping?”
“Evander’s is close enough to the boundary that a few of the braver suppliers will deliver here,” he answered. “Over the years it’s ended up being where we do just about everything that involves interaction with the beta world.”
“Including protecting damsels in distress?”
“I’d be eating only what I could catch if that was how I earned my living,” he said. “You were my first client. And my last.”
“How do you make your money then?” she asked.
“Same way everyone else in the Boundarylands does,” he said. “We get all we need trading with the few betas who come through. Little things like woodwork, furs, distilled spirits. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much cash to live the way we do.”
Just then Ty came out of the back with a paper sack loaded with essentials.
“Here you go,” he said, setting it down on top of the bar.
“Thanks,” Kian said, starting to rise from his stool. “Just deduct it from my account.”
“Sure thing.” Ty hesitated, giving her a quick glance before looking back at Kian. “I should fill you in on some news before you go, though.”
Kian froze. “Go ahead.”
Another darting glance from Ty. “This would be better in private.”
“No.” Kian’s voice was firm. “My omega stays by my side no matter what. Understood?”
After a second, Ty nodded. “There’s been talk of outsiders straying from the Road.”
Kian froze at her side. A full second later, he sat back down again. “Talk by who.”
“Samson,” Ty said. “And Maddox.”
The names meant nothing to Paige, but it was obvious Kian knew who they were. “You’re telling me Maddox caught wind of a beta sneaking around on his property, and he let him walk.” Kian shook his head dismissively. “I don’t believe that for a second. That crazy bastard has a hair trigger on the best of days. There’s no way he’d let an outsider get away with an insult like that.”
“The betas weren’t on his property,” Ty said. “They were on Samson’s. Maddox just sniffed them out.”
“And where was Samson?”
“Here,” Ty said. “Spending some time with one of the—” He shot her an apologetic look. �
�—ladies on Friday night.”
Paige resisted the urge to laugh. Did Ty really think she was scandalized by the existence of prostitutes?
“You know we have those ladies in the city too, you know,” she said. “A lot more of them than you have here.”
“Just trying to be polite,” Ty said.
Well, shit. Kian was right. Being a claimed omega made all the difference in the world. Until this moment, she didn’t know the word ‘polite’ was even in an alpha’s vocabulary.
“And Samson confirmed it?” Kian asked.
Ty nodded. “Two days later they were back on the fringes of his property. By the time he made it out there, they were gone.”
“How many?”
“Four,” Ty said. “Both times.”
“I’m sorry,” Paige interrupted. “Why is this important?”
Kian was silent for a moment. He didn’t turn toward her as he answered. “Samson is our neighbor. His property line butts right up against ours.”
Instantly, she understood. Her blood turned to cold in her veins. An icy shiver shot up her back. “You think it’s Craig.”
“It doesn’t matter who it might be,” Kian answered. “The second they set foot on my land, they’re dead. Every last one of them.”
Chapter Twelve
Craig wasn’t out there.
He wasn’t.
A few weeks had passed since Ty had told them about the betas sneaking around, nothing had happened. There had been no more sightings, no more news. Kian hadn’t caught a whiff of anyone straying onto their land. It had been dead quiet.
Which meant it couldn’t have been Craig. If he was going to come after her, he would have done it already. Even if he was still laid up in the hospital with a shattered jaw bone, he would have hired someone to do the job for him.
But no one had come. Which meant it wasn’t him.
Chances were it was just some idiot college kids out on a dare or a stupid fraternity hazing ritual. No doubt they ran like hell when they heard a real alpha coming after them. Paige hadn’t met their neighbor Samson yet, but Kian assured her he wasn’t someone betas would want to screw with.
Kian: The Boundarylands Omegaverse: M/F Alpha Omega Romance Page 10