Page 7 of Omega's Bears

“What were you going to do if we said no?” Jack asks.

“I don’t really have a Plan B,” I admit. “I guess...I guess I’d just have to leave and come up with something else.” I don’t like to think about this possibility. The reason I don’t have a Plan B is that I don’t know of any other bear shifter clans, so what am I going to do if I’m not welcome here? How will I go about finding someone else? And I’d have to do it with the wolves on my trail... I could be in a lot of trouble if this meeting doesn’t go well.

The men exchange glances loaded with meaning. I feel like something is being decided between them, something communicated in the unspoken shorthand that develops when people know each other well. I need to seize the opportunity to make my case. “I think you need me here,” I say. “I think taking me in would benefit you as much as it would me.”

That gets their attention. Ryan looks at me like I’ve just said something crazy, but Luka merely raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” Jack asks.

“You don’t have any women,” I explain. “How will you grow your clan?”

“Women are a dime a dozen,” Ryan says. “Shifting is a dominant trait. We could reproduce with almost anyone and grow the clan.”

“Women may be a dime a dozen, but omegas aren’t,” I say. “I can give you more than an average woman or a beta could. I can give you a whole generation at once. If you bring me into your clan, the Hell’s Bears have a future.”

There’s a long silence. I can tell all three of them are digesting my words, and it’s impossible to read the expressions on any of their faces. I think I’ve probably convinced Luka—he’s been kind to me since our conversation began. But have I swayed Ryan? And, perhaps, most importantly, does Jack see the value in letting me stay? For all he says about the Hell’s Bears deciding things democratically, I know the power of an alpha. I know his vote will carry the most weight.

“We’ll discuss outside,” Jack says finally. “Cami, please feel free to help yourself to some meat and berries while you wait. Luka, give her back her backpack.”

Luka reaches an arm out of the cave and grabs my backpack. I’m relieved to see it. I thought it had been lost in the crash, and if it had, I’d have forfeited all my resources. It would have meant losing all my cash reserves, as well as every article of clothing besides those I’m currently wearing. But I think the thing that gives me the most relief is when Luka hands over the keys to Berto’s bike. They feel like my last connection to my old family.

The men file out of the cave and I don’t hesitate before making my way over to the wall with the hanging jerky. I pull down a couple of strips and eat ravenously. It feels like it’s been forever since I had a meal, and even though I wish there were some starches involved, the protein does wonders. I quickly turn my attention to the berries and stuff a few in my mouth, knowing that the sugar will also help revive me. By the time the three men come back into the cave, I’m feeling much better.

It’s Jack, of course, who delivers the verdict. “We don’t have a unanimous decision,” he says.

“What does that mean?” I allow the last few berries to spill out of my hand and back into the basket, immediately feeling like I’ve been caught doing something wrong. Maybe taking them up on their hospitality was a mistake. Maybe it’s given them a bad impression.

Jack looks from Ryan to Luka and then at me. “We decide things together,” he says, “but when we can’t agree, the majority rules. There were two votes for you to stay.”

“So...so, you’re saying you’ll have me? I can stay with you?”

For the first time, Jack smiles. “That’s right. You can stay.”

A huge wave of relief settles over me. I have a new home. The Hell’s Bears are going to keep me safe. This is exactly what I was hoping for. But right on the heels of that relief comes a whole new set of anxieties. I haven’t been honest with them. They have no idea the wolves are still tracking me, and if they ever find out, I don’t doubt they’ll be furious. It might be enough to cause them to turn me out of their clan. My best hope is that, if the wolves do manage to track me down, they’ll decide I’m not worth a fight with the infamous Hell’s Bears. But this is a small clan, so I can’t be certain of that.

And then, there’s the fact that only two of them want me here. I don’t have any doubts about who the holdout was, either. Luka is giving me a welcoming smile, and I’m sure Jack was swayed by the fact that I’m an omega and can contribute so significantly to the clan. But Ryan’s face is still twisted in anger. I’ve never before lived with someone who so obviously didn’t want me around. Is there any chance he’ll change his mind, or is this what life is going to be like from now on?

It’s still the best option I have. I’ll figure out a way to live with Ryan. He’ll figure out a way to live with me. It’s the only way I can keep myself safe. I can hear Berto’s voice in my head reassuring me that I’m making the right choice. I have to hope he’s right.

Jack pulls down several strips of jerky and passes them around to all of us. Ryan builds a fire. Together, we settle in for my official first meal as a member of the Hell’s Bears clan.

---