Page 9 of The Beta: Part Three
“Do you enjoy your work with the council?” Corso's question is jarring. I don't really want to think about all the stress about the council, the rogues, the betrayal, fucking Seth. I'd much rather walk in this warm sunshine with these smells enveloping me without any of that shit tainting it.
But I blow out a breath and answer. “It has to be done.”
He's quiet for a while before he asks his next question. “I understand that. And I don’t mean to overstep, but do you have to be the one who does all of it? Is there no one else who could take over some of it? I understand that you will eventually have a council seat, so you will still need to do a fair portion. But I have been wondering if you and the others couldn't do a little less for the council. Surely you can still work toward a solid position without being sent on so many COT missions.”
“You aren't overstepping. I've actually been wondering the same thing. My father is trying to make sure I'm prepared for the seat, but he also sends our unit on the jobs that he can't trust anybody else. We're tired, though. We're not yet in our thirties and we're exhausted. Now that we have a bigger pack, and Talia, I want to shift our priorities. I just have to see this shit with the rogues through.”
“So,” he bends over and picks up a rock from the road, “you're planning to step back with COT duties?”
“I think so. I haven't talked to the others yet, but I know they've had enough. Nathan will still work with the council on the tech side of things, but that's not the same thing as being expected to march into a fight you didn't start every other week.”
We walk in silence again for a while, watching the building that is the distillery grow larger the closer we get. My stomach muscles are beginning to ache, but not hurt. Corso keeps glancing at me, studying my face. If he notices my pinched expression he doesn't say anything.
“What if you did some work at the distillery? I can take care of most of the issues that come along with running it, and I'd never ask you to do paperwork or anything like that. But we need someone who we can trust to handle the machinery instead of outsourcing.”
I can't believe Corso is asking me to work with him at the distillery. The Zaphir distillery is the best and most successful one in the country. It was passed down to him. It is an actual treasure. And he would trust me to work on the machines, even knowing that I don't know much about them.
“I am incredibly honored. Of course I'll do what I can for you at the distillery. Whatever our pack needs is what I'll do. I already know that our pack needs less COT and more down time to form solid bonds with each other. Kaleb and Trent will be glad to have the break, too. Our future needs us all to be more here and less there. Especially if our kids are anything like their mother.”
“I don't know how much of a break they will get. I won't feel comfortable leaving the manor, even to go the short distance to the distillery, unless there are three of us there keeping watch over Talia and Jasper. After everything that has happened so far, I can't help but think we need to be on guard. Not many packs can boast two omegas, and Talia and Jasper have already been the target of so much.”
I hate that I have to agree with him. Truly and genuinely fucking hate it. “You're right. Fuck, you're right. I agree with you. And I'm sure Trent and Kaleb will be more than happy to stay home with Jasper and Talia.”
Corso gives me another of those sideways smiles, “I might be a little jealous of them.”
“I probably will be, too.”
“Will your father be upset with you? If you explain the situation to him, I can't imagine he'd find fault.”
I feel like he might fault me for making my pack such a priority, but I will just have to make him see. And if I tell my mother that I need to focus on my omegas, she will do all she can to help me get him to see that is the right thing to do. “I’ll talk to him.
Working on a still isn't all that different from working on a car. Well, that's a lie. It's completely different, but a machine is a machine. I don't know what most of the parts are called, but I can understand well enough how everything is supposed to work. It doesn't take long to get the thing running smoothly again, then Corso and I stroll back down the road to home just in time for lunch.
Talia is cussing and scrubbing down the kitchen when we get there.
“Oh, bellissima, Trent didn't leave that much of a disaster. He did his best. Nothing is broken, and there is still food in the cupboards. Let's call it a win.”
“I know,” she huffs, and wipes her hands on the back of her shorts. “It just doesn't feel right unless I clean it. Trent did a good job taking care of everyone.” Then she looks at me with her eyes narrowed, “you walked. Your shirt is sweaty.” Then she turns that hard glare on Corso. “You let him walk to the distillery?”
He doesn't bother looking remorseful. “Bella, Devon needs exercise. How will he ever heal if you don't let him get strong again. We didn't go too fast, and I needed his help with one of the stills. He's going to come take care of them with me.”
Her eyes shoot back to me, “when will you have time for that, Devon? You already have COT and council duties. You can't overwork yourself.”
Over the past few weeks, Talia has gone from a beta with the sole purpose of keeping her omega happy to an omega with her entire pack's well-being in mind, and apparently none of us are safe from her wrath.
“I'm not going to overwork myself by helping out at the distillery. I really enjoyed being there this morning. And I feel really good.” Her mouth draws to the side and she huffs a little more, but she stops fussing over me.
Later, before I turn in for the night, I knock on Corso’s door frame. He’s propped up against his headboard reading. “Sorry to interrupt. Thank you for taking me to the distillery today. I enjoyed it. I needed the walk, too.”
“I know you did. I go several mornings during the week. You should come with me, you could get a good feel for it. And the walk will be good for you, too.”
“Talia was right about you.”
He raises an eyebrow, “what do you mean?”
“You are a good alpha. I’m glad we joined together. I know I have a lot of making up to do before everything is okay with all of us, but I’m glad it worked out this way.”
He nods slowly, “yes, you will need to put in some work with Talia. And possibly with Jasper, as well. He and I are of one mind about several things. I like him very much.”
