"I know it's not ideal," I admit. "But it's the best I could do under the circumstances."
Kade studies me for another long moment, his dark eyes assessing my fucked up state. "I think Solana will kill us if we push you out, so when you have a plan, let us know."
The casual statement catches me off guard. "You're serious? You're willing to let us stay? With Solana going into heat? An Omega doesn't want anyone but her Alphas near during a heat," I continue, voicing the concern that's been eating at me since I woke up this morning. "How the fuck is this supposed to work?"
Kade's expression shifts into something I can't quite read. There's a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, like he knows something I don't. "You know, when Dustin became my mate, I always thought I was supposed to be attracted to you."
"What the fuck?" Shock coats my words, confusion washing over me.
Kade leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Dustin had these ideas of grandeur that you and him would be in the same pack. He talked about it sometimes in the early days, how perfect it would be to have his stepbrother as part of our family." He pauses, his smirk widening slightly. "But we're both a little too Alpha to be each other's. You and me, I mean."
"Agreed," I say immediately, because that much is obvious. Kade and I would clash constantly if forced into that kind of dynamic. We're too similar in all the wrong ways, both of us used to being in control, both of us too dominant to submit to another Alpha.
"But that instinct never left me," Kade continues, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Because Dustin doesn't just say things. When he wants something,reallywants it, there's usually a reason even if he can't articulate it properly."
I have no idea where this conversation is going, but the intensity in Kade's gaze makes my stomach twist with unease.
"And then you came into my house last night," Kade states, the Alpha dragging his tongue along his upper teeth. "With your Omega bleeding and terrified. And Solana just kept asking if you were alright. Not just once, but multiple times. She went so far as to make you and Ashton breakfast during her preheat. It’s the first time she’s done it."
I shrug, trying to downplay it. "She's just trying to be nice."
Kade laughs, the sound full of amusement. "I swear both you and Dustin are equally stupid when it comes to Omegas, just in different ways."
The insult stings, but I don't respond, waiting for him to get to his point.
"Stefan," Kade says, leaning forward even more. His voice drops, taking on an edge that makes every hair on my body stand up. "Dustin would have never fucking asked, or even let you through that threshold with Solana in preheat. I don't care if you're family or not. Hell, I would have ripped your fucking head off for being anywhere near her. But I didn't," Kade continues. "And Dustin didn't. And Solana is in the kitchen making breakfast for you and Ashton like it's the most natural thing in the world."
Confusion swirls through me, mixing with a growing sense of something I can't quite name. "I don't understand what you're saying."
Kade sits back, his expression becoming unreadable again. "I think we'll have a lot to fucking talk about in the upcoming weeks because our biology seems to be building things for us."
The statement hangs in the air between us. I open my mouth, then close it, then open it again. "I don't... that's not..."
I can't even finish the sentence because I don't know what I'm trying to say. The idea forming in my head is impossible, ridiculous, even. Kade and Dustin have their Omega. I have Ashton, even if he's not officially mine. There's no room for whatever Kade is implying.
"I'm not saying it is," Kade muses. "I'm also not saying it isn't. I don't fucking like it, to be completely honest. But Solana's choice comes before everything else.Always."
The emphasis on that last word makes it clear this isn't negotiable. Whatever Kade thinks might be happening, he's willing to go along with it if that's what Solana wants.
"Did you speak to Solana about this?" I ask, grasping for some kind of solid ground in this conversation that's spiraling beyond my comprehension.
"No," Kade admits. "Because I don't even think she realizes what's happening. She's too new to all of this, too focused on learning how to exist outside Harmony House. The instincts are there, but she doesn't understand them yet."
He stands, moving around to lean back against his desk. From this angle, he's looking down at me, the position deliberately dominant. "All I know is that I've extended a place in my house and in my pack to you. Don't fuck it up."
I swallow nervously and nod, not trusting my voice to stay steady.
Kade's expression shifts, the intensity fading into something more businesslike. "Now, that you're in here, however, let's talk business. We've got a few fucking horses to move, and I need it done before Solana completely goes into heat. However, I think we might be doing thisduringher heat and I really need to make sure all our ducks are in a row."
The sudden change in topic gives me whiplash. We just went from discussing pack dynamics and possible bonds to horse smuggling in the span of a breath.
"Morrison's shipment," I say, grateful for the familiar territory. "Five horses instead of three. You mentioned it when you called last week."
"Exactly," Kade confirms. "They're arriving in the next 48 hours, though the exact time will be sent via text. Transport needs to be coordinated, paperwork needs to be in order, and everything needs to happen fast and clean."
I sit forward, wincing as my injured leg protests the movement. "What do you need from me?"
"The documentation you were handling," Kade says. "Forged registration papers, health certificates, transfer documents. Can you access those from here?"
