I feel on edge when she’s near me. My instincts go wild, insisting that I bite, claim,mate. Interestingly, I don’t feel possessive over her with the pack, but the thought of her being with anyone else… my teeth snap together in agitation.
“It’s been a lot to adjust to,” Dev mutters, and I look over at him in concern. With everything snowballing the way it has, I’ve barely checked in on him, and a ball of guilt creeps into my stomach.
“How did you sleep last night?” It’s no secret that Devlin has night terrors. We’re all used to it, and I’d listened out for any activity last night in case it woke Harper.
Dev grimace, a hint of guilt crossing his face that confuses me. “Not bad, really. Finished the scotch and crashed pretty late. I probably got in a few hours.”
“That’s not a coping mechanism,” I chide him mildly, leaning against his shoulder. We’ve been there before, with Dev using alcohol as a crutch to avoid his feelings, and it took a long time for him to come back to us.
He groans. “I know. It’s just… she’s inside my head, you know? Two days ago, I thought I hated all omegas without question. But seeing her there, and now she’s here… part of me really wants to be involved with that, but there’s a voice inside my head that’s telling me to question everything.”
“In what way?” I want to understand his concerns. Devlin rarely opens up like this.
“That this all feels really… convenient,” he shrugs. “Since we were kids, we’ve been told that omegas are dangerous. That they use their influence to manipulate alphas and packs into difficult situations. She already has Ace and Gabe under her spell. I think Gabe would jump off a cliff if she asked nicely.”
His tone is joking, but there’s a thread of soberness in his voice. “What if there’s a thread of truth in that? What if she doesn’t even mean to do it, but she is? What does that mean for us?”
I think over his words for a few minutes as we sit quietly. As much as it feels like Harper has slotted in perfectly to our pack dynamics, I can’t deny that his words have struck a chord. Have I been irresponsible?
Finally, I turn to him. “I’ll be honest, I don’t see that happening with Harper. I know what you mean – we’ve all fallen under her spell a little. But I genuinely don’t think there’s any manipulation happening here. If there’s any, I think it’s coming from my father and the OC.”
Dev nods slowly, his mouth twisted as he considers my words.
“But,” I continue, Dev’s head snapping up towards me. “You’re right. We don’t know for certain, and maybe something could happen without her even being aware of it. I’ll speak to Gabe and Ace and remind them that we need to be careful, maybe keep a little more distance until we’re all more comfortable. We should be able to find a balance that works for everyone.”
I don’t miss his small sigh of relief, and his shoulders relax. He’s clearly been worried about this. Leaning in, he rests against my arm, and I savor the contact with my packmate. My best friend.
“Thanks for not ignoring me,” he mutters, and my heart twists. “Never,” I swear, and it’s a promise I intend to keep.
After we finish up in the gym I head back upstairs towards my office to get some work done. I call out to Ace as I pass the snug and he pulls himself up. Harper’s head pops up and my heart does a flip in my chest. Her bright smile dims slightly when I only offer her a polite one in return, and I hate myself a little.
“Got a minute?” I ask Ace.
“Sure.” He follows me into my office, and I close the door behind us.
“It won’t take long. It’s about Harper.” Ace sharpens and he focuses on me.
Crossing my arms, I lean back slightly. “I know that she’s settling in well, but it’s still early days. We all need to be careful.”
Ace’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that as much as we might like her, we also need to remember that the creed is in place for a reason. That means we need to be careful about how much we let her… influence our actions.”
Ace swears. “That’s bullshit. You know the Omega Creed is a pile of—”
“Iknow,” I cut him off abruptly. “But regardless, whatever we think of the current set up, those rules were put in place to protect alphas and omegas, and I intend to make sure we do that, even if we’re not following them to the letter. It’s not just us I’m thinking of, Ace. It’s her too. We don’t have all of the information, so we need to tread carefully.”
Frustration colors Ace’s face, his lips pulled into a scowl.
“You’re letting Dev get into your head.” When I bristle, he backtracks. “I don’t mean it in a bad way. I get what you’re saying. But c’mon, Rogue, do you really think she’s some sort of master manipulator?”
“No, I don’t,” I sigh. “But I need to protect our pack, Ace. And I need to protect her, too. I’m not saying you need to ignore her or avoid her necessarily. Just be careful.”
He nods at me, and I ask him to send Gabe in. Gabe’s face falls in disappointment when I tell him, but he doesn’t argue. I watch him slide out the door, his shoulders slumped in disappointment.
This is the right decision for all of us. It’s my responsibility as pack leader to make those tough calls. Even when my pack brothers don’t necessarily agree with them.
When dinnertime arrives, Harper drops into her seat with a grin that tugs at my heart. I steel myself. I have to lead by example.
