Page 49 of Rome's Mate: Hunted Omegas

“I did. The need for freedom and fresh air not polluted by the emotions of the pack drew me to the forest where I met Black Night. That wasn’t what I wanted or was looking for.” She rubbed her arms as goosebumps rose. It was a reminder of how she felt when Dark Night casually tried to force her will on Amelia.

“Did she hurt you?” Rome’s voice was rough as he wrapped his arms around his mate.

“She didn’t.” Amelia laid her head on his chest. She glared at her belly; her daughter was keeping her from the intense snuggle she could use right now.

“Stop glaring at our pup, you know you love them.” Them, because Rome wasn’t willing to rule out having a male pup, a son.

“You’re right. There’s so much going on, I wonder if now was the time to have a pup, who will be totally dependent on us.” The thought had been bothering her for months, but she kept pushing it down. Today it refused to be ignored. It wasn’t like she could go back in time and decide not to get pregnant, right? She shook her head, disgusted with herself.

“I’m not sure if there is ever a good time to get pregnant. Every pup birthed brings new challenges. It doesn’t matter who the parents are. The same is happening with our pup. What matters is we love them and will do our best to give them a perfect life.

She went to her toes and kissed him. He was right, they could spend forever waiting for the right time and never find it. Now was the time. Together they would face whatever problems cametheir way, that included Black Night, hunters, Brittany, and any unknown horrors.

“We have a pack meeting.” Rome nodded; he led her back to the forest to sit on the bench she was beginning to think of as theirs.

“I’ve been thinking and there are some decisions I plan to make, but I want your input. Immortality is nothing to be careless about. There are some members of our family that I don’t want to lose. I’d like to offer them my gift, if they are willing.”

“You can make others besides me immortal, like a vampire? You suck their blood and watch them die and wait for them to reborn from your dark kiss?” Amelia clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at the look of horror on Rome’s face.

“The only person I’m kissing is you. The kiss can be dark or light, but they all belong to you. Why would I want to suck anyone’s blood out of their bodies?”

“Sorry, too many vampire books as I was growing up. Don’t you think it would be great to meet a vampire?”

“Not after what you just described.” Laughter won; she couldn’t help it.

“You might have a point. Who did you have in mind?”

“Our son after he reaches his majority.” She threw her arms around him and planted a big kiss on his lips.

“Thank you, I didn’t want to think about losing him. Who else?”

“Sheela and Todd, Pierre, Janice and Mark, and Ariella once she reached her majority, depending on who she becomes.”

Amelia nodded, agreeing. Immortality wasn’t something that could or should be carelessly handed out. It needed to be given to the right person.

“I agree with your list, but I want to get to know each of them a little better before we approach them.”

“Let’s put that on the back burner for a year or two. When I make Malcolm my son, I will exchange blood with him. That will make him a child of my line, and he will have the same blood as I do. I will seal his immortality the day he reaches his majority.”

“We’re really doing this, creating a family.”

“We are, and I have you to thank. Amelia, you brought me out of a hole I didn’t know I was drowning in. I have lived for centuries with my brothers, never daring to bring another one into our world. I thought it was a curse, and I didn’t want those I loved to live with it. You’ve made me see it differently. The excitement you have to see our pup born and to watch them grow has given me the desire to see the same thing happen. I want to see them when they are several hundred years old. I want to watch their eyes light up as they see the way I love you after so many centuries have passed.”

Amelia moved closer. Rome picked her up and put her on his lap. They had their heads pressed together, hearts beating as one. It was priceless to have this time before they faced the pack.

“Whatever the future may bring, it will always be you and me against the world,” Rome whispered into her ear. She wiped at tears trying to flow before she stood.

“Shall we?” Rome nodded and they swiftly shifted into wolves.

This was the second time she’d been to this area where the wolves met. It looked more like a fighting pit than a meeting place. She knew that all pack challenges happened here. She was standing beside Rome and looking up in the stands surrounding the pit. The seats were made of clay that had been formed centuries ago and molded into the shape they were. Whatevertechnique that formed the seats was lost over time to mankind. She was betting that Rome and his brothers remembered the secret.

Rome let out a howl in his human form that sounded eerily accurate to his wolf howl. The pack settled down.

“I called you here for a reason.” His voice carried to the last row of seats without the need for a microphone. It has come to my attention that some of our pack have forgotten what they swore when they became a member. Does anyone remember the oath?”

Randy stood up. His shoulders were shaking before he squared them. “I remember the oath.”

“Randy.” Rome, speaking his name, meant that whatever he had done to be afraid of standing wasn’t to be held against him.

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