Page 17 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

“I appreciate the hospitality Stonehart has shown,” he began. “This alliance is vital to both packs, and to ensure its sanctity, we have decided that my sister, Serena of Silver Fang, will mate with Alpha Damian.”

The wine in my glass went down the wrong pipe. I choked, the liquid burning my throat. A few concerned glances were thrown my way, but I managed to apologize with my eyes, hoping no one noticed the panic surging inside me. No wonder Serena had seemed so chipper the day before yesterday. She must have been informed that she was to mate with Damian.

I had been present in plenty of council meetings lately, but I had never heard any mention of this. Kael must have discussed his terms with Damian in private. I recalled him saying that marriage was a sanctity that preserves alliances, but I never really thought about what he meant by that until now.

I turned my gaze toward Damian, only to find his eyes already on me. His expression was unreadable, neutral, his lips pressed into a thin line. A shiver of discomfort ran down my spine as I quickly looked away, my heart racing. My thoughts scrambled, fighting for control.

Damian was moving on. The words echoed in my mind, each one like a hammer striking at my chest. Damian was going to mate with someone else, and that someone was Serena fucking Fang.

I glanced at Serena, sitting across the table, her expression smug and self-assured. A sharp pang of jealousy pricked my chest, but I shoved it aside. This wasn’t about my past with Damian. This was about the alliance and about securing Silver Fang’s future and Aria’s well-being. I had to remind myself of that.

But Kael wasn’t finished with his announcements. “While I return to Silver Fang,” he continued, his tone unwavering, “I’ll need someone here to oversee the terms of our agreement and protect Silver Fang’s interests.” The room fell silent, everyone waiting for his next words.

In a million years, I would have never anticipated what came next.

“Therefore, I’ve decided that Tala will remain here for the next three weeks as a delegate from our pack to ensure the smooth execution of our alliance terms.”

My heart stopped. The words hit me like a blow to the chest, and I froze, stunned.

No way. No fucking way.

Chapter 8

Tala

My brain was moving at fifty miles per minute.

Three weeks? Three whole weeks in Stonehart, working closely with Damian every single day?

No, no, no. This cannot happen.

I needed to speak with Kael and reason with him.

There were so many things that could go wrong. First, Aria. She wasn’t accustomed to being away from home, and I wasn’t sure how she’d handle being in Stonehart for so long. Second, I’d have to confront the past I’d tried so hard to leave behind. And third, being so close to Damian every single day? That was a nightmare waiting to happen.

I hadn’t planned on staying this long. I hadn’t even packed enough for three weeks. But that, in the grand scheme of things, was the least of my problems. The real issue? The pack mystic’s potion to cloak my scent. It wasn’t supposed to last this long. It wasn’t supposed to last for three weeks. Five days—maybe a week at best. But now I was staringdown the reality of spending weeks in this place with the scent magic eventually wearing off.

And when it did?

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how I would confront things when that happened. What would Damian do when he finally realized the truth about Aria? How would he react to the scent of his daughter, so unmistakably his? The very thought made my heart race and my palms sweat.

As flattering as Kael’s decision was, and as much as it showed how much faith and trust he had in me, there were far greater things at stake, things he didn’t know, things he shouldn’t know. There were things I had carried with me for years, locked deep inside because pushing them aside was the only way I could keep my peace of mind. For seven years, I’d managed to live with that peace. I wasn’t about to lose it now. Not with everything I’d worked so hard to build, not with the fragile stability I had fought for. Not now. Not ever.

Since Kael announced his decision, I’ve been unable to settle down. He casually mentioned that Serena would also remain in the pack with me to get to know Damian better while preparing for their mating ceremony that was scheduled for two weeks from now. That was yet another reason why I didn’t want to be in Stonehart. How was I supposed to watch as the man who nearly destroyed me got his happily ever after by marrying another woman? And to my nemesis, no less. The more I thought about it, the more everything about this situation seemed terribly wrong, and the more I realized just how badly everything could go.

I really, really needed to reason with Kael.

I downed the remnant of the wine in my cup, hoping the alcohol would dull the unease and tension gnawing at me. My gaze drifted to Damian, and I caught him staring back at me. Maybe I was just paranoid, but I could swear there was a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I tightened my lips, making it very apparent that I was not okay with this decision. Then, I tore my eyes away from him. I sat and waited as Kael engaged in conversation throughout dinner, biding my time until I could catch him alone to table my request to reject hisdecision, politely, of course. Normally, an Alpha’s decision was never questioned. No one dared to. But I liked to believe that Kael and I had built a relationship over the years that allowed me to speak freely with him. The weight of his position was never lost on me, and I always treated him with the politeness and respect he deserved.

The night went by in a blur of chatter, and I had to wait until the very end to speak with Kael. After he and Damian shook hands and exchanged their goodbyes at the gates, I fell into step behind him, gathering my thoughts.

I cleared my throat softly and called out to him before he reached the cars. “Kael,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Can I speak freely?”

He turned to me, a hint of confusion in his expression. “Since when haven’t you?”

I paused for a beat before answering, and he gave a nod. “Go ahead.”

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