Page 25 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

“Good,” I said, leaning back in my chair, which signaled the end of the discussion. “Then we’re done here.”

The elders rose from their seats, chairs scraping across the floor as their murmurs filled the room. One by one, they began to file out. Grayson started to follow, but I called him back before he took a step.

“Grayson, stay.”

His brow furrowed, but he gave a curt nod and sank back into his seat. I waited patiently, listening as the elders’ footsteps faded into the distance. When the last echo died, silence wrapped around us. Grayson looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear the reason I told him to stay back.

I straightened and met his gaze. “I have an assignment for you.”

His expression hardened with suspicion. “What kind of assignment?”

“I want you to lead the escorts accompanying the healers to Silver Fang.”

“That’s it?”

“No.” My voice dropped, firm and deliberate. “While you’re there, I need you to gather information about Tala’s stay in Silver Fang—who she’s been with and who she’s close to.” My jaw clenched. “Especially if she’s been with anyone else.”

Grayson’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing. “You’re sending me to spy on her?”

“It’s not spying,” I countered. “It’s intelligence gathering.”

He let out a dry laugh. “Call it what you want, but you know how the pack will see it when they find out their Beta is doing a spy’s work.”

“They won’t find out.” I leaned closer, my tone low and commanding. “This stays between us.”

Grayson’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded grudgingly. “Fine. But I have to ask. Why does this matter so much to you? What are you hoping to find out?”

I hesitated, considering whether to tell him my theory. But Grayson had always been loyal, and if anyone deserved an explanation, it was him.

“Seeing her again…” I exhaled slowly. “It brought back everything I thought I’d buried. I realize now that I never stopped caring for her, Grayson.” My voice softened, but there was a sharp edge to it. “But now it’s not just about her.”

Grayson’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“It’s about the little girl she came back with,” My throat tightened. “There’s a chance she might be my daughter.”

Grayson’s expression flickered with surprise, his brows furrowing as my words sunk in.

“You really think Tala would keep your daughter from you?” he asked quietly after a long pause.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I need to find out.”

Chapter 12

Tala

Being in Stonehart’s council room, surrounded by the very people who had fueled Omega’s oppression in the pack for so long, made my blood boil. I’d rather be anywhere but here, forced to strategize with these hypocrites. But it was my duty, so I had to swallow my anger and make this alliance work in Silver Fang’s favor.

The room was silent, but the tight expressions and cold glares on their faces spoke louder than any words. I could feel the hatred in the air, but it wasn’t until one of the elders, a man with gray hair, whispered that I knew for sure. He leaned in close to the person next to him and muttered, “She must have warmed the Alpha of Silver Fang’s bed. That’s the only reason she’s sitting at his council table. She sleeps with Alphas to climb her way up.”

Then the Elder he whispered to replied, “Thank the Moon Goddess, it didn’t work on our Alpha.”

I kept my face neutral despite the disgust his words stirred in me. I couldn’t stop my jaws from clenching. One of the reasons I had keptmy distance from Kael was to shut down any rumors like this. But it didn’t matter what I did or didn’t do. Gossip would spread as long as people didn’t like you. I had learned this long ago and trained myself not to be affected by what others thought of me.

The scornful silence in the room was broken by Damian’s heavy footsteps as he entered. Great, I thought. The man we’d all been waiting for. Now, we could finally get this meeting over with, and I could get the hell out of the space with these hypocrites.

Damian walked into the room with his usual confidence and took his seat at the head of the table. I remembered our dinner with Serena yesterday, where he had casually mentioned the issue of sending fewer patrols than required to join Silver Fang’s warriors. Of course, I hadn’t taken the news lightly. Silver Fang had entered this alliance under the belief that Stonehart had enough warriors to deal with the rogue threats. Now, it all felt like it had been built on empty promises. But there was no use dwelling on it. We’d made the alliance, and now the only option was to make it work.

I’d left the dinner with a storm of thoughts in my mind. I wasn’t about to fail Kael and Silver Fang by bringing back this news. My priority was securing my daughter’s future in Silver Fang, and that drove me. I spent most of the night turning over options in my head, knowing today’s meeting was coming. By the time I walked into the council room, I had a solution ready. Though I doubted any of them would like it. But honestly, I didn’t care.

---