Page 24 of The Beta: Part Three
Devon laughs. A full belly-laugh. “I'm sorry, cupcake. Really. I didn't think that would change for you.”
“And now I live at a distillery” I whine.
“I don't think I can take it if you pout, sweetheart. Are you feeling any better?”
I nod, “I am. The fries and you helped more than the shot.”
“I helped?”
“You did. You wouldn't let him see me or talk to me. I might have puked or passed out or something else equally stupid if I had to deal with him. I don't know what that was, but I hope it never happens again.”
He studies me for a few moments, then he says, “you carried too much for too long, Talia. You're still carrying too much. I think Reid's right, you had a panic attack. Jonas Pratchett's old ass isn't scary, but what he represents, what he's responsible for, is. You're so strong all the time, you're used to just pushing through. But everyone has a limit, and I think you've reached yours. Do you think you can let us take care of you? I know I don't deserve it, but I swear you can lean on me. I'll never be able to make up for what I've put you through, but I can do everything I can to prove myself to you from now on. I promise I can be a good alpha for you.”
The thing is, I know he can. Devon is a good alpha. He was terrible to me because he was afraid for Jasper and his pack. He was afraid for himself,too; and I won't fault him for any of those things. I'm not even upset with him for any of it. I make my own choices, and I chose everything I've done up to this point knowing full well what the consequences and rewards might be. I don't regret any of it. I have the pack and the home I always wanted, and Devon is part of that.
“You're a good alpha, Devon. You take care of Jasper the way he should be taken care of, and you take care of your pack. You're a good alpha.”
“I can take care of you, too, Talia.”
Chapter eight
Trent
Talia did have a full-blown panic attack while she was out with Devon. We all knew, we could all feel it. Reid and Corso were adamant that Talia would know whether or not she really needed to come home, but me, Nathan, and Jasper wanted Devon to bring her home when the first tendril of fear and anxiety coiled down the bond. I can't imagine how Jasper felt without a bond and having to go on our descriptions.
All seven of us were sitting in the main room waiting for Talia and Devon to get home. Devon was irritated. Talia just laughed and kissed Devon's cheek before she dragged Jasper up to her room.
It's been almost a week and things between her and Devon feel a whole lot easier than they have been. I hope he figures their shit out soon because Jasper is due to go into heat in about three weeks, and it is very likely to align with Talia's next cycle. At the very least they'll overlap. The biggest problem we're going to have is breaking Talia's rule about someone staying out of the nest on guard duty. There's no way in hell any of us are going to volunteer to stay out of the fray when both omegas are pumping out pheromones in waves. I called Marcus myself to ask him to arrange the best and most trustworthy team he can to watch the place. He promised to help with coordinating Elizabet's people with the COTs being sent, so that will help. When I asked him to talk to Talia he just fucking laughed at me and wished me luck.
The second biggest problem is Devon. He hasn't marked her. As far as I know, and I would know because nobody in this house tries to hide anything, he hasn't even tried to fuck her since she came out of heat. He'd never push her into it, but he'd feel like complete shit if he ended up marking her when she's in heat and he's in rut. Consent is everything to Devon, especially with Talia. She's had so many things happen to her without consent, Devon would rather spend the week she and Jasper are in heat in another state than mark her without her consciously agreeing to it. And that would hurt Jasper. Which would hurt Talia. There would be a complete circuit of hurt feelings and unmet needs, so Devon and Talia need to get their shit settled.
~
“Did you call my father?” Devon asks, looking at me over his coffee.
I bite the inside of my cheek and nod. He was my second call after Marcus laughed at me.
“I was going to call him, but thank you. I don't know if he told you, but he got with Elizabet. They are collectively sending three teams here for the alignment, that's what they're calling it. I think three is excessive, but Elizabet wouldn't be swayed. I think she's anxious about Talia and Jasper being in heat at the same time, but I can't see why. She was happy, excited even, when she knew Talia was going into heat the last time. I don't know why this time would be worrisome.”
I don't either, but I got the same feeling when I talked to Marcus. “Yeah, I don't know. Marcus said she was worried about something when I talked to him. I'm glad they're sending the teams, though. All three of them. Have you heard anything from Dennison? I want to trust him, but I don't know. At this point, the only people I really trust are us and our immediate families. Well, not mine, because my dad's a dick. But everyone else's.”
Devon puts his cup on the counter and takes a breath. “Their beta called me. They've got a lead on the omegas that were at the compound. They're being moved around pretty quickly, probably so nobody can get a fix on them.When Dennison gets a hook in them, they're gone by the time he and the COT he has with him gets to the location. He wants to get Nathan on it. He thinks Nathan can pin them down so we can get to wherever they are and get them out.”
“Nathan has nightmares about the omegas. I don't want him touching this.” Nathan has slept with either Talia, Jasper, or me since we've been at the manor. He might fall asleep in his own bed, but before the sun rises he's in bed with one of us.
“I don't, either. But I think he might be the best person for the job. He's really fucking good at that type of thing. The best, actually.”
“No,” Talia says as she comes in carrying a massive basket of towels; obviously having overheard us. “Nathan isn't ready to deal with something like that. I won't let him. If he couldn't find them it would eat him alive, and he's already in bad shape over it.”
“What if he's their only hope of being found? Would you really risk thirty or so omegas? To keep Nathan happy?” Devon's expression is neutral, but he's weighing her answer. Devon doesn't like it, but he knows we can help Nathan weather the backlash of a potential failure. What he doesn't know is that Talia's priorities have shifted. She might worry and mourn for those omegas, but Nathan is hers to protect and the rest of the world can get fucked.
I feel her answer pour through my bond with her before she ever opens her mouth to speak it. “I'd risk more than that to keep Nathan safe. And his happiness is more important to me than most things. I won't let him do it. And you better fucking not, either.” Then she stomps out of the room with her basket of fluffy yellow towels.
“So much for progress,” I say, “but I don't disagree with her. I know Nathan's stronger than he puts on, but you weren't there at the compound. You didn't see what he did, what he was like. And you haven't been waking him up when he's crying in his sleep. If he takes on this job, and he can't find them, it will ruin part of him and I don't think we'll be able to bring him back from it. Think long and hard before you ask him to do this, Devon.”
“I know. He hasn't come to me, but I know about the nightmares, Jasper told me about them and you know I weigh all risks. I just keep thinking about how much it would help him if he could help Dennison find the omegas.”
He's right, of course. He's as right as Talia is. If he could find anything, pinpoint any solid location in time to save them, I really think it would help him. But if he couldn't...I don't want to think about it. “I don't know what to say. I agree with you. But I don't want him hurt, either. And if you ask him to do it, he will. And if it goes wrong Talia might never forgive you for it. You're already having a hard time with her as it is.”
