Page 27 of Taming The Omega

“Anyway,” he added with suspicious sniff. “It’s not only Joey. Will, Mabel, and the alpha mate look happy and healthy, too. Obviously being an omega in this pack isn’t a bad thing. If you have the right mate. A powerful one.” The boy trained those dark brown eyes on Caleb’s, his request clear.

Oh, shit.

Seth held up his hand once more, as if to ward off Caleb’s words, not his body. “Before you say anything, I know you’re not in the market for a mate or pups. I’m the last person to dismiss your feelings about controlling your life and not mindlessly following pack custom.”

The omega sniffed again and looked down. “I wish I had the kind of choice you do, but there’s no controlling or changing my omega physiology. I’m going to go into heat and breed whether I want to or not.”

Unable to simply sit there and watch Seth sink into misery a moment longer, Caleb pulled him into his lap. Far from fighting him, the boy melted into his embrace.

“I know there are sigmas who could maybe breed me. Some can manage to with omegas as well as other sigmas I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, we have two pups who were both whelped and sired by sigmas. Lorcan is cool with that. He doesn’t give off any territorial hormones to suppress other males’ fertility, so that helps. The pack is also male-heavy, so there are a few guys to choose from for a mate.” Even as he said it, though, the thought of Seth with another male caused his wolf to become restless.

He sighed at his own foolishness. “Omegas are always different, of course. You’re more fertile than the average sigma female, yet harder to impregnate. Or so I’ve heard.”

Seth nodded. “I know. I was taught that my future belonged to a powerful shifter out of necessity. I need potent seed to get pregnant. What if I go into heat and a sigma can’t breed me? I could die.”

Just hearing that made Caleb cringe in horror. He squeezed Seth. “I won’t let that happen.”

“That’s what I’m hoping. There’s no one else who could save me who isn’t already mated, and well, I trust you, Caleb.” He hugged him back tightly. “Please will you do this for me? I don’t expect you to mate with me or even raise the pups. I’m only asking for mounting service, nothing more. Please?”

What was there to say? There was only one answer. Part of him knew this was where his path had always led the moment he’d first entered that cave to care for this omega. His long-held resolution to guard his heart wasn’t something he could let go of, however. The pain of watching his sire drink and neglect himself into an early death haunted him still. Nothing frightened him other than seeing that same kind of slow disintegration in his own future.

His sense of duty to the pack, and his personal obligation to Seth after having brought him into this situation, wasn’t sufficient to wipe out his life plan. But, by the same token, he’d pledged to serve the Rogue Pack in whatever way necessary. He also couldn’t disrespect Seth by only mounting him and walking away as if he meant nothing. As if any pup they created together meant nothing and didn’t deserve having their sire there to help them become healthy, productive pack members. He would not be so cold-hearted and dishonorable.

There was a middle road to be taken that satisfied all the concerns. He could mate with Seth, giving the omega and their pups the status and protection that came from belonging to a gamma. Nothing required him, though, to offer more than the physical. He could still guard his heart. He liked Seth, but he didn’t have to ever love him to make a good mate. Even the idea of such affection was something newly recognized by their species. Mating had always been more about pack health and social order. And, he already knew that the two of them found pleasure in each other’s touch. A proper mounting would finally allow him and Seth to scratch the itch that had been building.

Yeah, he liked that idea, all of it. So did his cock.

Feeling relieved at having worked out a solution, he kissed Seth’s head. “I won’t provide mounting services, as you call it.” He chuckled. “Where did that expression come from?”

Seth stiffened in his arms and tried to pull away. “I understand,” he said in a low, ragged voice.

Holding him tight, Caleb said, “No, sweetheart you don’t. I’m saying I’m going to mate with you, if you’ll have me.”

There was no response for so long, Caleb began to worry.

Finally, “You don’t have to do that. I told you I know you don’t want to mate. You said so.”

Caleb struggled to find the right words. It was critical that he didn’t make Seth feel like a burden. “That’s true. I said that, except I hadn’t met you yet. I may not like the idea of mating and siring pups, but I know I want you. And, I want whatever pups you whelp to be mine, no one else’s.”

As he said the words, part of him nagged that he wasn’t being entirely truthful. What good would it do to tell the boy that he couldn’t let him into his heart? He’d give what he could, show his soon-to-be mate the measure of his devotion. It would be enough. It had to be because it was all Caleb had to give.

Chapter Eleven

Seth sat through his first meal with the pack, as an official member no less, with a sense of unreality. Except for that morning when they’d stayed safe from the intruders, it had been a long time since he’d been among so many shifters. It felt strange to eat in front of anyone other than Caleb. He wanted to run back to the shed. It had quickly become a place where he felt safe.

Really, though, that was only because Caleb was usually with him. And, the gamma sat in the chair to his right with a hand on Seth’s thigh or across his shoulders, a constant reminder that he was there. It helped with Seth’s nerves, although the attention he was getting from the others still left him jittery.

After Caleb had agreed to mate with him, Seth had stayed in the shed resting and eating lunch and a couple of snacks. Caleb had gone to speak with the alpha, then had spent the rest of the day with Seth until dinner time. He’d told Seth that Lorcan wanted them to eat with the pack now that Seth’s status had been settled. When Seth had demurred, the gamma had done what higher-ranked shifters did best—he made it a command. Although it had immediately raised Seth’s hackles, part of him also felt relieved. There was no more decision-making for him. From now on, his life would be dictated to by his pack and his mate. There was a sense of freedom knowing your limitations.

In the end, he needn’t have worried too much anyway. Lorcan’s announcement was brief and met with a cheerful reaction all around. The other pack members seemed to be genuinely happy to have Seth join them. Feeling wanted helped ease his worries, as did Caleb’s dutiful attentiveness. The only thing that rattled his poor wolf and himself was knowing that when he returned to the shed, Caleb would claim him.

The pain of both the mounting and the mating bite was something that worried him. He wasn’t sure how bad it would get, but he’d never heard anything positive about either of those events. Caleb would be as careful as possible, he knew that. The gamma had always treated him gently. There was only so much he could do to avoid hurting Seth, and that was the plain fact of life.

Fretting over the night to come wasn’t going to help any, so he concentrated instead on how amazing his dessert was. Joey had only overseen the baking of chocolate pies, his mate having put his massive paw down about the omega restarting his cooking so soon after whelping. The sigmas had done a great job under his watchful eye, though. Chocolate was an unheard of delicacy for a shifter. Rumor had always been that shifters, like dogs, couldn’t handle the human treat. Andrea said that was nonsense, and Seth was delighted by it. He savored every forkful.

As he scraped his plate clean, Caleb leaned over and spoke softly into his ear. “Are you ready to retire? It’s been a long day even with that nap you took. I think we should call it a night.”

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