Page 62 of The Beta: Part Three
“I like surprises,” Corso says, a smile still taking up most of his face.
Talia doesn’t let Trent sleep. And he only partially got his shit together. I stayed with them for about an hour, but her appetite for sex has surpassed mine exponentially. When I left her room for Nathan's, Trent was taking his time to work her to another orgasm. Hopefully this one wears her out enough to let her sleep for the night.
She's exhausted, but she says everything from her nipples to her toes is so much more sensitive that she spends half her day wishing she could hump somebody's leg. As much as she complains about that, she says that this kind of omega bullshit is still better than going into heat every few weeks because she's able to make the conscious decision tonothump anybody's leg. I think any of us would thoroughly enjoy her humping any part of us, but I didn't tell her that.
“You smell wonderful. A mix of all three of you. Like orange truffles with a mug of coffee, so rich, so decadent,” Nathan says when I crawl into his bed. He pulls me into his body and I immediately feel so warm and taken care of. That's the thing about this pack, the dynamics between us all shift so easily. I'm not expected to be a needy omega every second of my life, but when I do feel like a needy omega someone is always there to take care of me. I can fluidly go from a level plane of dominance with Corso or Alex to soft and cuddly with Nathan or Devon and right back to whatever Talia needs me to be and nobody thinks anything of it. It's amazing to let myself be more than an omega being well cared for by my pack. Now I get to be the omega, but that’s not my only role. Talia actually has a harder time of it. I have always been an omega, so being treated like an omega is normal and comforting for me. Talia is only just now letting herself try to be the soft omega that lets herself be taken care of, and I'm pretty sure she hates it most of the time.
“You smell good, too.” Nathan always smells like a walk through the woods in the middle of fall. I needed his soothing energy tonight.
His arm tightens around me, “you okay, baby?”
I wriggle closer, enjoying the way his chest feels against my back. “I'm alright. I think I'm a little nervous. I've never heard of anybody having three babies at a time. And the only accounts I've read about are presented in a mostly vague and negative light. Obi isn't worried. He says all three are fine, and that Talia is doing amazing.”
Nathan starts a gentle purr and kisses my shoulder. “It'll be alright. Everything's going to be okay. If anybody can have three babies at one time, it's Talia. We need more cribs. We need more of everything.” He goes quiet, then after a few minutes he asks, “are you sure you're okay? We went from not considering kids, to having one, to having three pretty quickly. That's a lot for all of us to process.”
He's right. It is a lot for us to process, some of us more than others. Trent is a nervous wreck. He's excited, but he's terrified something will happen to Talia. Devon and Kaleb are their usual solid selves, even though they’re every bit as afraid as Trent. They will coast through anything that happens and keep us all from sinking despite the fear and anxiety. Not that we would sink in the first place with Corso's joy spinning around all of us, as well as Alex's excitement. Reid is stoic, but he's very quietly thrilled. The moment he registered that Talia would be having three babies a flood of pure happiness rushed down my bond with him. “I think we just need to get used to the idea. I'm alright, Nathan. I'm tired, though. Give me extra cuddles and sleep with me and I'll feel a lot better.” He kisses the back of my neck and I fall asleep to the sound of his purr vibrating in his chest.
Chapter twenty-five
Nathan
We have to get these sideways fucks off the council. That's the only way to keep any of this shit from happening. I sifted through all the files. Every one of the alpha transfers came from either the wilds near the coast or from obscure places in other territories. All with numbers for birth places. None with mothers listed. And all signed off on by Crane. From a distance everything looks squeaky clean, but if you give it even a quick second glance you can see how off it is. Nobody thought to give it a second glance, though, because Crane put real effort into building a name and reputation that wouldn't lend to the idea that he'd be involved in anything nefarious.
Marcus and Thaddeus have said on more than one occasion that they stopped trusting Crane years ago, as far back as when Trent and I were kids. But there wasn't a tangible reason to request an inquiry, it was just a feeling they had and talked about. And now that he's dead because of all the backwards, dishonest, treasonous bullshit he put together, lined up, and executed, so many things are coming to light. We just don't know who else is involved. Yet. At least one other major player on the council is involved, hopefully no more than that.
The second I find out who it is I'll have to decide if it would be better to report them and go through the proper, slow-ass channels, or just lace up my boots and take Trent and Kaleb on a little road trip. The more I think about it, the more I think this is one of those better to apologize than ask permission situations. Then, there's no link to Marcus or Thaddeus that anyone can use to accuse them of plotting or sabotage or anything else. We need them in the clear. I've discussed it with Devon, Kaleb, Corso, and Anthony. I think Marcus, Thaddeus, and Anthony should take point on the East Coast Council. They wouldn't rule, obviously, but their seats would hold more weight than the others, and we'll need that weight when we eventually figure out exactly what the fuck is going on with all these missing omegas and mysteriously appearing alphas. It's all connected.
“Let's get them over here for a dinner. Her parents, mine. Our moms can have a blast talking about baby stuff and getting all over Talia's shit, and we can talk shop with my dad and Talia's dads. I don't know if they'll go for it, but if we can convince them it will go a long way when shit hits the fan.” Devon is pacing the length of the main room.
Talia is at the piano plunking keys in a way that hints at an actual song, but her eyes are following Devon's path. “I think they'll do it. My dads already don't trust half the council. I can't speak for Alpha Johnson, but I like him, and he's been right and fair about a lot of things. But if you think I'm going to be trapped in a hen-huddle talking about baby stuff you're going to be disappointed. I can't do it. I don't care about the nursery, the babies won't be in it regularly until they're older, anyway. They're going to be in one nest or the other, or with one of you. The only thing I actually do care about is what we're going to do with them once I start having heats again. They can't possibly stay here while their mother loses her mind to heat. My parents either left for what they called their honeymoon cottage or they sent us packing to friends’ houses. I don't know what they did when we were babies.”
“You could always talk to them about that. Merris might even survive the conversation if Elizabet and you can contain your sarcasm and blunt honesty,” Kaleb says as he throws his feet up on the coffee table.
Devon stops pacing and gives Talia a harried look. “I don't think my mother has ever discussed her heat with a person who wasn't my father, Arthur, or Steven. My family isn't like yours, Talia. My dad thinks you're wonderful, and he loves your mother's lack of bullshit, but my mother is almost painfully polite and private. Please don't give her a heart attack.”
“I would never.” Talia crosses her heart. I don't miss the smirks and mischievous glances spreading through the room.
I actually have a suggestion for the heat predicament, though. “So, I've been thinking about it, the situation with you and Jasper going into heat. Jasper's heat might not be that big of a deal because it's more infrequent, but we can be pretty loud.” Snorts and chuckled agreement resounds. “If we can stand it, we could go to the farmhouse when they're in heat. We could take it in shifts or turns, or whatever. But the farmhouse is an option. I also talked to Becca. She said that she'd take care of any kid that was mine whenever I needed her to. She offered. She also offered to come help when it's time to have the baby, but I didn't know how you'd feel about that, so I told her I'd give you her number.”
Talia sighs, and plunks a few more keys. “I think that's a sound plan, the farmhouse is a good option. I hate being apart, though. It feels wrong for us to be separated like that, in different locations that far apart. Just thinking about it makes me fucking anxious.”
“We wouldn't separate. I'm not putting that much distance between us ever again if it can be helped,” Jasper says quietly. “When they're small it won't matter, but when they're older we'll send them to stay a few days with any one of their grandparents or aunts and uncles. They have quite a few. I'll call Becca and thank her, but it would probably be good if you called, too. Actually, we need to have some kind of family thing here before the babies are born. You haven't met my parents, except overhearing them when I call. I don't think you've officially met any of their parents, except for Alpha Johnson.”
“I agree,” Corso claps his hands and rubs them together. “Let's have a gathering. We can do a big dinner and invite all the parents and whoever else. I might even be able to convince my parents to fly in. There will be a slight language barrier, but they already adore Talia, and they've met Jasper through video call.” Corso loves a good party, and he loves the idea of a huge family gathering even more. My parents are the same.
But someone has to put a damper on things, and this time it's unfortunately me. “It's getting colder. If we're doing it, we need to do it before it starts getting icy. And please don't take this the wrong way, cupcake, but we should probably do it before you get much bigger. The belly, I mean. We're not trying to have anyone know there's three in there, and if you're much bigger than you should be somebody's going to ask some questions and there will be too many alphas around to lie. Another thing to consider is keeping it quiet. With all this shit going on with the council and the rogues, all we need is for someone to find out that we're having all our families over for a party. Which brings me back to the point, we need to have a meeting with your dads before we plan anything with our families.”
“When do you want the dads here? I'm assuming we want the meeting here, since we know this is the only clean and clear location.” I nod, and she takes out her phone. “I'll call all the dads. Mine and Devon's.”
“I can call my father,” Devon stops pacing, but then cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow. “Actually, cupcake, I think you should call him. If I call, he'll come, but if I don't say it's an emergency he'll come when he comes instead of when I want him to. If you call him he'll go out of his way to be here whenever you tell him to be.”
“Six tomorrow evening?” When we all agree as she dials up Devon's dad. “Hi...Yes...No, I'm fine, we're all fine...No, really, we're okay...Can you come over tomorrow evening, around six? My fathers are going to be here. I know it's a drive, and I'm sorry, but it would be... Yes, I'll make the soup...You'll pick up rolls? Thank you...If she wants to come of course she can... I don't know, I hope not...You're sweet, but yes she is. She's been my mother my whole life, she's a lot to handle...I really am fine...Yellow or green, you don't get to know before Devon knows...I'm sure you can. I'll think about it...No, no hints. You're too smart for that, and I'm surrounded by people with big ears and bigger mouths right now...Okay. I'll see you tomorrow.”
“See?” Devon smiles. “I'd still be on the phone with him explaining why I want him over. And he's bringing you rolls.”
“He's not that bad. I'll text my mother about my dads coming over. It sounds like your mom wants to come, and for some ungodly reason Merris would be happy if my mother came over, too.”
“I could say the same to you, your mom's not that bad. But she's, well, she's a lot to deal with, but she's someone you definitely want on your side. It must be a family trait,” Devon says and winks at her. He's not wrong about that, on either point.
