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I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He was only a couple years older than me, but he’d taken on the position of protector from the day of my birth.
“Yes,Father.”
I couldn’t help the jab. This wasn’t the first time we had gotten into an argument because he thought he could order me around like I was his child instead of his sister.
A sister who’d already been mated and took care of her own house for more years than he had.
He frowned down at me, heavy brows drawn together over dark eyes.
“Perhaps you should come with us after all. The forest isn’t safe, and you’ll be vulnerable.”
My response was immediate.
“No.”
Anothernoechoed mine. His mate and I had both contradicted him, and his brows lowered further as he tensed. I knew if I didn’t come up with something to convince him, I’d be getting dragged to the village with them whether I wanted to go or not.
“I still need time to prepare my things before Edar arrives. If I lose a whole day going into the village with you, I won’t be ready when he comes for me.”
It was a lie. Besides my bedding and a small trunk of clothing, I had little left. My brother had sold everything from the home I’d shared with Nearden.
My brother’s mate curled into his side, pouting up at him. “You promised we could go into the village today to get those berries I like from Atta. Your sister will be fine for a few hours. You keep this whole area safe.”
I wanted to gag at her whining and the way she rubbed herself against him, but I reminded myself she was coaxing him toward what I wanted.
“I have to launder my things and pack them to be taken to Edar’s home. I also need to make adjustments to my mating gown if I’m to wear it for the ceremony.”
It was ridiculous to go through another mating ceremony as if I was some young, untried omega, but my brother insisted on it. I still had my mating gown from the ceremony with Nearden, but I wasn’t as slim as I’d been then, and I needed to let out the seams. With the signs of my coming heat getting more obvious by the day, I couldn’t put it off any longer.
My brother still looked on the verge of ordering me to come with them.
He enjoyed his peace and had built his cabin a half day’s walk from the village to be sure he wouldn’t be bothered. He usually went into the village only once a moon, and he hadn’t left either of us behind the entire time I’d been living with them.
Usually, I looked forward to the chance to escape the pair for a while. It was a joy to wander the village alone while they ran errands, but with my heat already making me uncomfortable, I didn’t want to make the long trip or be under the scrutiny of other alphas.
“Edar might get upset if I go into the village now, Brother, with my heat so close. Another alpha might get ideas…”
I trailed off and my brother growled low under his breath before cutting off with a sigh. He knew I didn’t want to take another mate, but it was unheard of for an omega to be on their own, and he didn’t have the space or resources to continue providing for me, even if his mate and I had gotten along.
“The cellar—”
“If I see so much as a bunny twitch its nose at me, I’ll hide until you return.”
Eyes narrow, he stared at me a moment longer before grunting and turning away. It took all my control not to laugh as his mate made a fool of herself stoking his ego over howprotectivehe was.
I stood in the doorway, waiting in case he turned back to check on me, holding my breath until they disappeared around the bend in the trail. Even then I hesitated, counting breaths until I was sure there was nothing short of a disaster that would turn them back.
I let out a sigh filled with a tangle of emotions, none of which I wanted to deal with. It was a relief to have some space, and I looked forward to taking advantage of it until they returned.
I dragged my bedding from the mattress in the corner of the main room, tossing everything into the wash basin outside. The water hadn’t had time to warm in the sun, but I couldn’t wait if I wanted my linens dry in time for bed.
Nearden’s scent had already faded from the bedding, lessening with each wash until I couldn’t even remember what he had smelled like. Still, I had to be sure there was no trace of another alpha on the blankets and pillows for my mating nest.
I’d met Edar a few times in the village, and all I remembered was the stench of ale that followed him, and the paunch hanging over his belt. I knew my brother was getting a handsome reward in exchange for me, and I trusted him not to trade me to someone who would hurt me, so while I held no particular attraction to Edar, I had no real argument against him according to my brother.
Resigned to my fate, I tried to remind myself that the bond should assure we found happiness in time. I hadn’t known Nearden before being mated to him, Father having chosen him when I was approaching my first heat, but we’d grown to care for one another. Even after learning our lack of children was because of the hidden illness that eventually took him from me, I didn’t regret our mating.
Hopefully, I could grow to feel the same about Edar.
