After what Drax told me about his late presentation, I now fully understand why he needs to be here. I don’t want to deny him the support he needs at a time like this. I’ve already messed with his head enough. “No!” I find my voice again. “Drax stays.”
Although I’m primarily doing it for him, just the thought of being away from him forms a deep ache in my chest.
“Drax leaving is probably for the best, Sabs,” Luca sighs, not aggressive or forceful, staying level-headed. “You and Adler should be focusing on your bond right now.”
“I don’t care how things usually work.” I plant my hands on my hips, refusing to back down. “Drax stays, or I go too.”
“You’d go withhim?” Adler goldfishes at me. “But you can’t. We’re bonded.”
“Well, I’ll set up a tent in the garden, then. That should be close enough to avoid going through bonding sickness again, right?” I’m not budging on this one. “Drax didn’t start this. I’m the one who kissed him.” At the sight of Drax’s lips quirking into a smug smirk, I glower at him. “Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.” My tone softens as I approach Adler. “Drax needs to be around a pack right now. Orin promised to help him.”
“You kissed him?” Adler’s ire turns to anguish. The fight seems to leave his body as his limbs go limp.
Out of everything I said, that had to be the part he focused on.
“I…” I look at the floor. “It just happened.”
“Kissing aside, Sabs is right,” Orin says. “Drax should stay.”
“W-what?” Adler looks at Orin like he can’t believe his pack leader’s words. “Didn’t you hear what happened? He kissed my newly bonded mate! What kind of alpha does that?”
“Wait!” I step back. “You knew that Drax is an alpha?”
Adler looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “From the way he’s been causing a stink around here, he’s made his status pretty damn obvious,” he snarls. “An alpha should know better than to stake claim on a bonded mate. That goes against all of our instincts and everything we’ve been taught!”
Exasperated, Orin runs a hand through his thick hair. “Now is probably the time to talk about why I asked Drax to stay with us.” Orin’s gaze strays to Drax, the two of them appearing to be communicating without saying a word. Drax’s eyes are pleading as Orin shakes his head. “Under the circumstances, my pack has to know.”
Drax opens his mouth to argue then seems to have second thoughts, snapping it closed again.
“Drax only presented as an alpha a month ago,” Orin explains. “That’s why I asked him to stay with us.”
“A full month?” I’m beyond surprised, my eyes bulging. “You had plenty of time to tell me. You should have told me sooner!”
Drax buries his hands in his pockets. “I…” His Adam’s apple bobs. “I wanted to be sure.”
“You can’t expect me to believe that!” Adler huffs. “Look at him! He looks like an alpha! How did nobody know?”
Drax winces. We all—including Drax and his family—assumed that he’d present as an alpha, like his father and grandfather before him, which made his designation as a beta even more shocking. While Drax always maintained that he was happy to be a beta, I always got the feeling that he carried some lingering insecurity underneath it all.
“He designated as a beta.” I raise my chin in defiance. “He didn’t have any alpha pheromones or have a…” The thought of his massive, but very much knotless, cock causes me to perfume, making it very clear to everyone else in the room what I’m thinking of.
“I’ve heard enough!” Adler throws up his arms. “I still don’t understand why a late-presenting alpha is our problem, Orin. We’re not a fucking charity! Why do you have to be the one to help? You’re his boss, not a doctor.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.” Orin tips his head back, rubbing his forehead “I think that Drax is part of our pack.”
The entire room seems to draw a sharp intake of breath. “What?!”
Luca rubs his chin, muttering under his breath, “You know, I had a feeling…”
“I was hoping that we wouldn’t have the conversation like this, that it would be a natural transition, but now that we’re here, we may as well get everything out in the open,” Orincontinues. “Do you remember how I was able to stop you from breaking that guy’s nose in Club Knotty, Drax?”
“Great!” Adler’s cheeks are so red, he looks like a powder keg ready to explode. “And he’s violent too!”
“I… I’ve had less control of my urges lately.” Drax fidgets with the hem of his tee. “And he disrespected Sabs. I couldn’t listen to him talk about her like that.”
“Maybe you and Drax have common ground after all,” Luca snickers.
“You didn’t need to do that on my account, Drax,” I chime in. Being the only omega in my program, I’ve got thick skin. “You know I don’t care what other people say.”
