Page 15 of Omega's Pretend Mate
“Whichever.”
He nodded and walked into a kitchen that had to be close to half the size of my whole apartment, then grabbed a couple of bottles from the fridge. He returned, handed one to me, then sank into a plush chair.
I looked around, and finally perched on the edge of a couch that probably cost as much as a small car. Then I twisted off the cap of the bottle, noting a hiss as the water inside started to fizz.
“Have you ever heard of Pinnacle Publishing?” Gabe asked after a moment.
I nodded. “They specialize in educational and non-fiction books, right?”
He returned the nod. “That’s right.” He took a deep breath. “My… my family founded the company over a hundred years ago. My dad is the current CEO, my grandfather was the CEO before him, and so forth. When my dad retires, my brother is expected to take over.”
“Wow…”
“It’s still a family-owned company. Grandfather never saw the need to take it public, and both he and my dad have done well. The company is successful, and respected. Between that, and how long it’s been around,” he paused. “Let’s just say that nobody in my family will ever want for money.”
He sighed and looked at the bottle of water in his hands. “Except for me.”
“What do you mean?”
He took a deep breath. “My parents and grandparents are rather old-fashioned in their mindsets. They supported my attending law school because they thought it was a good place for me to find an alpha. They’re less happy that I have a job, but believe it’s just a matter of time until I settle down. You see, to them, omegas shouldn’t have to work, especially since we’ve got fuck-you money. Omegas shouldn’t have to deal with finances either. That’s an alpha’s job. Their ideal would have me already mated and with several children running around while my alpha handles all the serious work.”
“Ok…” I said, not completely understanding yet, but allowing him to lead as he saw fit.
“I love my family,” Gabe continued, “but I needed to get away from that mindset, and from the nagging. It was tradition that grandfather bought a house when somebody either got mated or married, or when they finally graduated college. I’d visited Harris Cove several times and loved it. So I applied to firms here, and when I was hired grandfather bought me this house. I love it here. This is my home.”
“So what’s changed that you’re worried about it being taken away?” I asked. “And how will that even happen if it’s in your name?”
“Do you remember when I had to shuffle my caseload at the last-minute back in December?”
I nodded.
“We’d all been summoned home. Aunts, uncles, cousins… everybody. That’s when grandfather told us that he has less than a year to live.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
He gave me a weak smile. “Thank you. They’re trying off-label and other options, so I’m hoping that he makes a full recovery.” He grimaced. “But… and it makes me feel dirty to say it… I suddenly find that I have a financial interest in his well-being.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everybody in my family has a trust in their name, and grandfather has always been the trustee. I’ve never had a problem with it. I get a monthly stipend, which lets me live comfortably, and grandfather has never refused a discretionary funds request as long as it was reasonable. I never felt the need to ask for much, because with the house, my stipend and salary, I didn’t need much. I’m not out here schmoozing and making connections for the family by throwing extravagant parties. I’m not taking the family jet here, there and yonder for lavish vacations. I just want to feel useful and not be the house omega everybody else thinks I should be.
“In fact, I only make two big discretionary requests each year… for property taxes. Grandfather has never had a problem with this.”
Gabe paused and slumped in his chair. “However, that will all change when grandfather passes.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “During the family meeting, we were all informed that alphas over thirty, and anybody over twenty-five who’d been mated or married for at least a year would be named trustee on their own trusts.”
“Ok…”
He blew out a long breath. “I… am neither. Remember how I told you that my grandparents believe that omegas shouldn’t have to worry about money?”
My stomach started to sink as I finally started to catch on. “Yeah?”
“Apparently that applies to me as well, even though I would have thought that I’d proven my responsibility with money by now. Not to mention that I’m over the age cutoff that my single alpha cousins will enjoy.”
“So your trust…?”
He nodded. “My aunt Evelyn will be named trustee on the funds that won’t be immediately transferred to their beneficiaries, including mine.”
