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I go back to her fingers. The bruising and swelling have gone down a lot, and she tentatively bends her fingers. Her smile breaks out as she gives them a scratch.
“Much better,” I say, just as a meaty thud comes from beyond the entry.
Fern starts and looks toward me in alarm.
I smile, seeking to put her at ease. “Don’t mind them. Just alphas being alphas.”
Since Fern arrived, I’ve learned more about alphas, regardless of whether they be shifters or humans, than I really care to know. I can’t imagine how Doug would take to sharing me with another male, remembering how possessive he got that night when Bron carried me back after Rig had cornered me. So I have some idea of how difficult this is, but still…
A blush stains Fern’s cheeks, and she fidgets in the bed.
I’ve also learned something about omegas and how they respond to displays of aggression and dominance from their mates.
I throw a look over my shoulder toward the open passage leading to their day chamber. The hide covering that separates the two rooms has now been torn off—probably part of the altercation. “Do I need to bring my mate here to box your ears?” I call.
I’m not normally this bold before high-standing pack members, but I’m close to reaching my limit with their nonsense. The lass has yet to go into heat, and their claim is not cemented until this is done. Tensions are high all round.
The sound of retreating footsteps offers some relief. “They are getting worse,” I say. Turning back to test Fern’s fingers gently. “Any soreness?”
“No, just itchy,” she says.
I swear her cheeks are so red there’s a danger they might catch fire. “Are you well?” I ask, holding her eyes.
She shakes her head, swallows, and blinks rapidly against the glisten of tears. “I’m confused.”
My heart swells with sympathy for her.
I reassure her as best as I can but there is only so much that words can do. As I leave their chambers, however, I’m reminded why Fern’s mates are the least of her concerns.
Since Tavion brought Fern into the Oberon den, he has clashed verbally with his father several times. Travis wants his son to mate with a strong shifter bitch and Tavion is angered that his father will not recognize that Fern is Tavion’s mate. I’ve heard rumors Travis is ready to exile Tavion from the pack over this. Even Fern’s status as an omega, a designation that is usually revered, has not cooled Travis’ anger at having his plans thwarted.
And now, as I step out into the central corridor to start making my way toward the lower part of the den and our quarters, I see one of Travis’ enforcers speaking to another shifter. Their voices are low and their demeanor is circumspect.
I’m not one for gossip. However, as a former bondservant, I know the importance of keeping my ear to the ground and listening to what is going on. Now that I’m with child, I have an even greater sense of vulnerability, which brings with it a deep-seated need to ensure that all around me is safe. It is not only about my life but the life I will one day bring into this world.
There is something about their manner of speech, their shifty eyes, that have all my senses clamoring that this requires my attention. Shifters are naturally bold. They speak plainly and with no mind to who might hear them, particularly not a lowly member of the pack such as myself.
Something is happening here. Acting on instinct, I slip into one of the side passages, where I pretend to inspect the contents of my bag.
“… with Travis now… big bastards … stinks of …”
By the sounds of it, those in the delegation that Travis is meeting with are unknown to the enforcer or, at the very least, are from outside the pack. Perhaps this is to do with the mysterious secret alliance that Jim mentioned.
The two shifters pass, heading the way I just came.
I emerge from the shadows, and follow the passage they emerged from. It is one which leads to Travis’ audience chamber.
What I do is foolhardy, but every sense in my body is on alert.
Danger is coming. I can feel it.
“Doug?”
Nothing. He cannot hear me in this way. For once, I wish he could.
* * *
Doug
