Page 3 of Taming The Omega

Just like Liam can’t deny his omega anything, Caleb thought. The devotion his pack members showed their respective mates was touching. He had seen precious little of it in his old pack and knew Will would say the same.

“How are you feeling?” The question came out of nowhere, and it wasn’t as if Will’s health was any of his business. Not really. It was just because they’d grown up in the same pack and had come into the Rogue Pack together, he felt a certain responsibility for the boy.

He knew the answer anyway. Unlike during his first pregnancy, Will glowed with good-health. Finn, the omega’s mate, took excellent care of him. Anyone with eyes could see that, as well as how much they loved each other and Annie. There had been a time when Caleb had thought he’d be required to mate with Will. He would have done the duty gladly, but there was no denying that the omega had ended up with someone who was truly destined for him.

“I’m fine, thanks. Everything’s great.” He frowned again at his daughter, although without any obvious conviction. “I just wish Annie would grow up enough to control her shifting.”

Because Annie’s biological sire and former alpha had failed to turn her in infancy, she was an anomaly—a pre-pubescent pup who could shift at will. And, holy crap did she have a lot of will! It drove her parents a little crazy, but frankly the rest of the pack, including Caleb, was captivated by it.

Caleb’s stomach growled, making him grin sheepishly. “I hope there’s some dinner left.”

“Lots. It’s set up buffet style. Come on, I’ll fix you a plate, given that you’ve got your arm full of my pup.” Will spun on his heel and headed back to the great room. “Would you mind taking Annie to her sire?”

“Sure thing.”

Caleb’s sight homed in on Finn immediately. The beta was standing by the alpha, and the two of them were focused on the large, sectional sofa that dominated one wall. Propped up on a small mound of pillows, Joey lay with this new pup snuggled against his chest. Little Craig had already returned to the human form he’d possess for the next thirteen years or so. The proud father looked tired, but immensely happy. The sire knelt by his small family, feeding his mate morsels of food. The sight of the formidable gamma doting so gently and lovingly on his mate was too touching to ignore. It was no wonder Lorcan and Finn were captivated.

Caleb sauntered over with Annie still dangling under his arm. “Hey, Alpha. Congratulations on the new addition to the pack.”

The alpha spared him a glance, although it wasn’t a dismissive look so much as a distracted one. “Thanks. I can’t believe how many pups have been born since we’ve settled down. It’s a great sign of our pack’s long-term survival prospects.”

Being a gamma meant never having to ponder the more complicated aspects of their species’ existence, but he did know that shifters had a hard time surviving in a world dominated by humans. Inter-pack rivalries and competition for scarce resources often meant short lives for both individual shifters and packs alike. The thought led him back to his recent encounter with the black-furred omega.

“Alpha, I’ve got a security report if you have a second.”

Lorcan turned his attention in an instant. He gave Caleb a hard look. “What is it?”

Before Caleb could answer, Finn reached around to pluck Annie from his arms. “Let me take her, and thanks for playing defense.” Holding his pup up, he shook his head. “Damn, Annie, another ruined dress. Your poor father is going to be beside himself when he finds out.”

Caleb released his hold and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m afraid he already knows.”

Finn shook his head again, although he was obviously not really mad at his pup because he cradled her against his chest. Annie gave a big, wolfie yawn before snuggling in close and closing her eyes. She was clearly not afraid of her sire, which was as it should be. And, it led him back to his alpha’s question.

“Sorry, sir. It’s nothing major. I came across a male omega on pack lands when I went for my run.”

Lorcan frowned. “An omega?”

“Yes, sir, and he seemed feral to me.”

“How so?”

Caleb scratched his neck again, trying to formulate in words the impression he got. “He looked underfed, real skinny.” Before he could continue, Will came up with a plate loaded with all kinds of meat and vegetables. “Oh, thanks.”

He took the offering and tried not to be distracted by how Will snuggled up to Finn much as Annie had done. The three of them were such a beautiful sight, it made his chest hurt a little to see them. Uncomfortable with the reaction and not fully understanding why we felt it in the first place, he fell back on duty. That was something he understood. Ignoring the enticing aroma of his dinner, he turned his full attention back to Lorcan.

“It’s hard to say exactly, Alpha. His coat was dull and dirty, and he just didn’t seem okay. You know?”

Lorcan nodded. “I think I do.” Caleb believed him. Lorcan had spent years collecting stray shifters out in the wild. If anyone could understand his reaction, it would be this guy. “What happened?”

“I tried to approach him, except he ran away. I pursued him at a distance because I didn’t want him to think I was chasing him.” He grimaced. “He went into Haldon’s territory, so I had to stop.” He looked down at his plate. “I felt bad about that. I don’t think he’s from that pack and from what I hear, I wouldn’t want any shifter to run afoul of those guys. Especially an omega.”

Lorcan placed a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “I understand how you feel, but you did the right thing. We don’t want to start trouble with Haldon unless it’s absolutely necessary.” He sighed and lifted his hand. “That being said, if you see the omega again, I want you to try to approach him. Although his being on our lands is probably purely happenstance, if he needs help, I want to offer it to him. Omegas need care. There is no way he’ll last out on his own.”

A grin broke out on Caleb’s face before he could register his own expression. This was exactly the response, he realized, he’d been hoping for. “Yes, sir. I’ll do that, and with your permission, I’ll spread the word with the others in case the poor, little thing gets closer to our perimeter.”

“Good,” Lorcan confirmed with a nod. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, seeing the new happy family reminds me that I have a pup of my own and it’s her bedtime.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

---