23. Contract

Contract

Dalton

A lmost as soon as my heat ended, I knew I wasn't pregnant. I should have felt crushing disappointment, and while it hurt to fail, I'd already accepted it just wasn't our time. It gave me a couple of weeks to become accustomed to the idea before it was confirmed with tests.

I finally went to the clinic the day after I officially moved in with Larken. No more hiding from the truth. I wasn't pregnant, but eventually I would be. All I had to do was stay on the path I'd forged. Mixed metaphor or not, it felt right.

Gerry made that difficult. He was persistent in his attempts to get me to work with him. Nothing he tried worked, though. None of the gifts, the expensive toys he gave to the pack, or the mild threats.

Once I'd had enough and knew he just wouldn't leave me be, I went to the one person he would listen to: Alpha Blake. To my Alpha, I poured out all my secrets, my past, and my temptations. Blake, proving he was the right person to lead the pack, spoke to Gerry, and in one phone call, ended the harassment for good. It was rather anticlimactic, really.

I just hoped it hadn't ruined my standing in the pack, or my reputation with Alpha Blake.

"Dalton," Alpha Blake said as he put down the phone.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for coming to me with this. It shows a fair amount of trust. I won't repay that with doubt. You've treated me and my family like we are your own since you joined us. We wouldn't have been able to get through all this without you."

"I—" Being lost for words was new to me. I didn't get to dwell on the thing with Gerry because Blake dismissed it like it hadn't happened.

"I best let you get back to work. Deke really appreciates the alternative routes. Chase too."

Done and minor panic over, I thought it best to do what he suggested, and get something done with my day.

When I returned to the office, Chase was waiting for me. "ívarr wanted to go over your results in more detail. He has a theory."

"Alright." I took it as the excuse it was. Axel was creeping all his things out of the space. Though he shared the Second job with Chase, we all knew he couldn't do it for much longer. The alphas, even some betas, were pushing back too hard against him.

If he wanted me out of the way while he took the last of his stuff, he was in for a surprise. Sure, I'd go see ívarr, but I'd make it back in time to see Axel and clear the air between us.

As I'd intended, ívarr was not expecting me. Fine, it gave me the opportunity to ask him about some of the red flags when he went over my first batch of results. He had ordered more tests, which I'd grudgingly taken.

"Give me your theories, and quickly please, I have a friend to corner."

ívarr frowned. "I do not pretend to understand." He sighed. "This is pure conjecture, however, you, and a portion of the other betas who have transitioned to omegas…"

I tuned him out briefly, thinking how unfair it was. The bite was the only way to change a beta and only worked on those who were omegas. Alphas did not want to bite alphas, especially after Asher's aggression. We had no clue if that was a one-time thing.

"Sorry? Did you say I have an ability?"

"Yes. I am not at liberty to discuss names, yet I have one who is showing signs of being able to scent intentions. It's fascinating." ívarr looked like the proverbial kid in a candy store.

"And mine?" If I didn't keep him on track, I feared he'd talk for hours and I'd miss Axel. I was curious what ability I got, though.

"We believe you are invulnerable, or rather, you have such accelerated healing, you appear to be."

"Excuse me?"

"There also seems to be some transference."

"What?"

"I believe there is some quality in your um… bodily fluids, that allows your ability to heal others."

"Huh?"

None of this made any damn sense.

"Larken has no trace of his fractures, in less than a month since his injury. No scar tissue, the bones show no signs of extra density around the breaks. To anyone else, the bones would appear to have never been broken in the first place."

Okay, that was kind of freaky and cool at the same time. I'd done that to Larken?

"So, what does this mean for me?"

"Well, if you were to look closely at you, there would be no way for you to differentiate you from someone born as an omega."

"Will this affect my fertility? "

"Unfortunately, that is unknown. If you cannot conceive after a year, then perhaps immunosuppressants will be the answer. We have to give your body time. I am sure Michaella could work some magic to suppress your ability."

Well, fuck. That could be a serious problem. I didn't really want to have to wait so long to have a baby, though it did mean I'd get to keep Larken longer.

"Thank you for your honesty. This has given me a lot to think about."

Far too much, in fact.

"I would like to study your ability further. Perhaps find a way to use the transference."

Of course he would. Did he hear what he sounded like? My bet was he was just thinking of the end results: all the healed people. ívarr wouldn't be thinking of the practicalities.

"Feed my… ejaculations or saliva to other people? Pass."

ívarr reddened so deeply I worried all the blood in his body had moved to his face. "That is not what I meant!"

I left ívarr spluttering and hurried back to the office.

"Ah-ha!" I cried as I turned the corner and found Axel packing his things into boxes. "I knew Chase was keeping me away for a reason. Explain yourself!" I demanded.

"I—uh—fuck!" In his surprise, Axel dropped whatever he was holding into the box. I hoped he didn't break anything.

My expression shifted at the panic on his face. I thought we'd understood each other. Things weren't awkward between us, at least on my end. Perhaps I was wrong.

"Axel, please don't avoid me now. I thought we were friends!"

"We are!" he replied. He came towards me, ready to smooth my ruffled feathers. His belly had swollen with the miracle baby neither of us thought he'd have. Me, because I'd stupidly thought he was an alpha. I still didn't get why I'd thought that about him. It was obvious he was supposed to be an omega.

"So friends avoid each other?" I held myself firmly, resisting the hug .

"No. I… I just didn't want to hurt your feelings." He looked ashamed of himself.

"I don't want you avoiding me because you have what I don't. You know that, right?" I looked him square in the eye so he could see how truthfully I meant it.

"Even if I never get to have a baby, I'm still an omega." My dream was a reality. Okay, it wasn't all my dream, but it was getting there. "I'm a step closer than I was before. It doesn't mean I don't want to experience it through you."

What Axel didn't realize was having Larken made it so much easier to bear. If I was alone in this, I wouldn't have been able to stand it. Not getting my wish was an excuse to keep him for longer.

What if I didn't need that? What if I asked him to keep me?

"I… never thought about it like that." He was rubbing my arm subconsciously. Wolves and their need for touch was adorable. I couldn't stay annoyed at him, especially since I understood why he'd been avoiding me. He hadn't wanted to hurt my feelings.

Poor Axel didn't get how much I loved this for him, even though I wasn't experiencing it yet. There was still time for me.

Closing the gap between us, I reached out a hand. "Can I? "

Axel nodded, took my hand, and placed it on his bump. He looked so happy!

"Oh! She kicked!" It was the most wonderful feeling. Almost like she was accepting me. Letting me know she knew who I was.

"Of course she did. She's happy to meet her Uncle Dalton," he said without thinking.

"Uncle Dalton?"

Tears pricked at my eyes. Being an omega was so damn emotional. I wanted to give into the feelings when I realized what he was saying. Family. Axel was inviting me into his family. Giving me a place, a role. It was more than I deserved after the stunt I'd pulled, but there was no way I'd turn it down.

"Outside of my family and my mate, you're the closest thing to a best friend I have. So would you be her honorary uncle?"

Axel was the sweetest human being sometimes! I threw my arms around him and just cried against his chest. He let me hug him awkwardly, baby girl kicking us, until I calmed down.

"I'm going to be the best uncle ever!" I could feel how wide my smile was. Emotional whiplash or what?

"Just don't let Chase hear you say that, okay? That's starting a war you can't win."

"This is going to be fun! "

Determined to be brave like Axel and get what I truly wanted, I turned to leave the office. They didn't need me. Someone else did, though. Or at least, I hoped he did. Before I left, I paused.

"Ax?"

"Yeah?"

"Just… don't avoid me anymore, okay? I'm not jealous of what you have because I don't, yet. I can be happy for you and sad for me at the same time, alright?"

"Yeah. Besides, it's early days. Plenty of time for it to happen."

I shot him one last grin. "Exactly."

Nerves ate at my stomach. This was it. I was putting all my cards on the table and getting this out in the open.

The front door opened.

"Dal?"

"Kitchen!"

I sat, trying not to pick at my nails, not that it did anything, stupid ability. Instead, I fussed with the tiny pieces of paper littering the table.

"What's going on?" Larken asked as he approached the table.

"Could you let me speak for a minute, and not interrupt even though I'm sure you'll have something to say?" My voice shook.

"Is everything alright? You said you went to the clinic." I saw his panic setting in.

"I'm fine." Quickly, I explained what ívarr told me and then before I lost my nerve, I started.

"This is our mating contract."

"You've shredded it." Larken's face paled. "Please… what does this mean?"

"Yeah, I tore it up because this was supposed to be a temporary thing. You were a convenient alpha willing to help me become an omega—"

"I—"

"Please, let me finish." My throat was clogged with emotion. I went to the sink to get a glass of water.

Behind me, I heard Larken slump into a chair. He looked so utterly defeated it gave me hope about what I wanted to say next.

My hands shook as I took a sip, then set the glass down on the counter. Here goes , I said to my alter. They were rooting for us.

"Nothing about what we have is temporary to me, Lark. Over this last year, longer really, I fell in love with you. "

He gasped but didn't speak, letting me finish. I went to my knees at his feet, begging with everything that I had for this to go right.

"I want to burn the contract. To forget it ever happened. I don't want an end date, a goal to reach, after which we would end." I barely took a breath as I rushed to get the words out.

"What I want is you, all the time, every night and every morning, by my side as my alpha, as my mate, for as long as you want me."

Larken gently stroked my cheek and cupped it. "And if that's forever until The Luna calls us home?"

"Then that's what I want too. I love you so much I can't even stand to think of not being with you." Leaning into the touch, I kissed his palm.

"I love you too. It was never temporary for me either. When it started, I knew I wanted to keep you beside me. All I want is you."

Larken pushed the chair out and hauled me into his lap so he could wrap his arms around me.

"Even if we never have a baby?" I whispered into his neck.

"Even then." He squeezed me, reassuring me with his tender touch. "I loved you as a beta. If you hadn't changed, I still would have loved you." Larken pressed a kiss to my hair. "I know The Luna wouldn't let you become an omega and not bless us. We just have to be patient."

He was all I could have ever hoped for and more.

"I can when I have you."