“You were protecting an Omega…. No, you were protectingyourOmega, even if itwasagainst someone who hadn’t done anything.” Alpha Donnelly patted my shoulder. “Nothing could make me prouder than knowing I helped bring the two of you together. Your actions only highlight the bond the two of you have shared for many years.”
I tensed. “Wait, you knew?—”
“Alpha John told me. I was surprised I didn’t see it in advance. Fortunately, he did. There was no way I could take Mason away from someone who so obviously loved him like you did.”
Knowing others saw this humbled me. And it had taken me getting my head out of my ass for me to see it too.
“I love Mason.” My voice sounded uncharacteristically soft to my own ears. “He’s my entire world, condensed into a tiny little package.”
“Hey!” Mason protested. “I’m notthatsmall.”
Alpha Donnelly glanced at him, his lips twitching. “You are, but that’s okay. Omegas are supposed to be.”
Mason scowled, and it was adorable. Then he sobered. “So where do we go from here?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He sighed. “You attacked an Alpha. He could have you put to death.”
I swallowed hard, because I hadn’t given any thought beyond kicking the snot out of him. My idiocy had gotten us to this point, my absolute refusal to listen, to think rationally. I’d done some stupid things in my life, but this?
It was the worst thing I’d ever done.
Alpha Donnelly let out a sigh. “Relax. Someone orchestrated this, and I don’t blame Kip at all. Someone hurt a pack member. Worse, they nearly killed an Omega, one of the most egregious sins there is. They even managed to manipulate Mason into believing it was me. In his shoes, I would probably have done the same.”
He humbled me. I wouldn’t have been as forgiving. “Thank you, Alpha. I?—”
“Oh, knock it off,” he groused. “You’re forgiven. Exonerated. Pardoned. Whatever word you wanna use, that’s what you are. Besides, hurting you would also impact Mason, and I won’t be the one to bring pain to an Omega. But….”
“But?” I asked.
“There’s a price for my good will.” He smiled at me, the swelling in his face already subsiding.
Wow, Alphas heal fast.It was nothing short of miraculous.
“Which is?”
“I need you to promise me you’ll always be there for Mason, in good times and bad. He has to have someone who will always protect him and guide him in a world that wasn’t made for him.”
“What do you mean?” My anger started to ratchet up again.
“Kip, calm down.” Mase slid his hand over my arm, and I did my best to suppress my rage. Why was it that perceived attacks on Mase pissed me off so badly?
Because he’s yours, idiot. You’ve always watched out for him, but once the two of you kissed? Yeah, then everything became about protecting him, keeping him safe.
That made perfect sense. My annoyance at others who had denigrated him, who tried to get him to do their work, who treated him as though he wasn’t good enough for them, had always bugged me. Mase was better than all of them, and he should never have been looked down on, Omega or not.
“He’s mine,” I declared. “I will never allow anyone to hurt him as long as I can stop it.”
Alpha Donnelly smiled. “That’s all I could ever ask for. Mason is a treasure, and deserves to be treated as such. John is a lucky son of a bitch to have someone like Mason in his pack.” He gave me a warm smile. “And someone like you.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” I said with all the sincerity I could muster.
“Think nothing of it. Anyone who can hand me my ass like you just did? I want to stay on your good side.” He winked. “You’re strong, kid, and one thing wolves appreciate is strength.”
Maybe that was my in to discuss my secret with Mase.
I hoped.
