Page 61 of Feral Alphas

I nod, a happy thrum vibrating through my chest. “They say the omega is the soul of a pack. I don’t know what shape a soul is, but the only thing that came to mind was the way stars cluster in a galaxy like they’re drawn to a center. That’s you, my galaxy center.”

“The stars,” she murmurs softly as she lifts the pendant out of the box. The chain trickles over her fingers and her bottom lip draws in under her teeth.

Her free hand twists in my damp shirt and her green eyes lift to meet my mesmerized gaze. “Help us save them, Kye. Please.”

I lift my hand to stall the woman seated across the huge mahogany desk. “Director House, have I understood correctly? The other alpha is preparing for two feral males to live with us? Dangerous men who’ve spent all their life in underground fights?” I sputter to a stop, my brain turning fuzzy.

Rose’s scent lingers on me, which makes it hard enough to think to begin with, but the story the Omega Center director laid on me is straight out of a sci-fi movie.

I jump to my feet and pace the blue and white flecked pile carpet. “How can the Omega Center even entertain such a dangerous possibility?”

The polished woman sighs. “Believe me, I understand your concern. The only reason we’re even willing to consider it is because Agent Colt Nesters is certified to rehabilitate dangerous alphas, although even this is a stretch.”

She drums a French-manicured nail on the desk. “But put yourself in Rose’s shoes, if you can. She spent weeks in the proximity of those wild alphas, with them as her only companions during captivity. Whether it’s some kind of Stockholm syndrome, or an astounding true scent match, our priority is always to accommodate the omega, if possible.”

I swing around and slap at my chest with both hands. “But she has us now!”

“Yes, indeed. But she’s only just met you.” She pours water out of a blue-glass decanter for both of us in a not-so-subtle hint for me to calm down. “In fact, it’s my belief that in a few months to a year, Rose will acclimatize to a normal life, and we can move the feral alphas to another location. Reports coming in from Alpha Lodgings say they’ll never be tamed.”

Well, there’s an idea I can maybe work with. I hum under my breath and return to the white chair in front of her desk. “So, six months to a year while we teach her to trust us, and then we’re done with these ferals?”

Director House nods. “If Rose agrees—without compulsion.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. Rose seemed completely at ease with me so I’m sure I’ll be able to convince her to give up on the savage mongrels soon. “Alright. I can agree to that.”

“In order to make it happen, either yourself or—” she checks her notes and her face sours like she’s not a fan. “You or Mr Luka Nesters will need to undertake training for a provisional rehabilitation license. Under no circumstances will Colt Nesters be permitted to be responsible for more than one on his own.”

It galls me that my new pack mates carry the surname of the composer Rephnelium, but it’s a common enough name. “Surely Luka—?”

She shakes her head. “Actually, Luka Nesters is housebound, and on-site training will be required to become licensed.”

“I’m not exactly the fighting type,” I mutter, grabbing the glass of water and sculling it. Rose’s gentle plea to save them comes to mind and I set the cup down more firmly than I intended. “What happens now?”

She slides a card across the table. “Here’s the contact details of the alpha Rose will be released to. I suggest you get acquainted. On Wednesday Rose will visit Alpha Lodgings to identify which of the ferals are supposedly hers. Both her current scent matches should be present for that.”

“Of course.”

The director slides a booklet across the table which is basically a project management file on the steps necessary for Rose to be allowed to come live with the pack, and the checks that will be in place for twelve months of ‘monitored’ support.

The long and the short of it is, it’ll be weeks if not months before we can bring Rose home. Somewhere among all that, I need to hire a new manager and get logistics sorted for my upcoming concert out of state.

Ms House highlights the dot point that says bonding will be forbidden for the first year, and the same goes for pregnancy. Well, that’s not going to be easy, but now that I’ve held her in my arms, I know I will commit.

I just need to figure out how to negotiate with my two new pack-brothers.

Chapter twenty-four

Luka

Colt and I pace the house, trying to figure out how we can possibly manage the space. At least Rose has a room, and Colt and I share, but the rest is a mess.

“This Kye fellow will take the guest bedroom,” Colt says, worrying a hand through his beard. “But where are the cages going to fit?”

I peek into the laundry. “How about we get the washing machine out on the back porch? The Omega Center said they’ll pay for the installment of bars, so we can remove half of this wall.”

He leans over my shoulder. “Fuck, that’s a small space. But still bigger than the ones they were in.”

“What’s the minimum size in the book?”

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