The Omega Queen

Eighteen

Alexander sighed, running a hand through her hair as he tried to focus. As soon as he arrived at the packhouse, he had sequestered himself in his office to catch up on his paperwork. It hadn’t gone as he had hoped. The first hour hadn’t been so bad with Erin’s scent in his nostrils, but that didn’t last long.

“Knock, knock,” Nathan said as he stepped in. “Hard at work, I see.”

Alexander grunted.

“You don’t sound happy,” Nathan smirked.

Alexander sighed, leaning back in his chair, “How happy would you be to be struck in your office knowing your mate is still asleep in bed?”

Nathan chuckled, “Actually, I just saw her.”

“What?! You saw Erin?”

“She’s in the dining hall having breakfast with your mother teaching her sign language.”

Alexander let out a slow breath. That was right, his mother said he would show Erin around the pack. He hesitated a moment before asking, “How did she look?”

“Fine,” Nathan shrugged. “She didn’t seem uneasy. The rest of the pack looked curious about her, and they were practicing the signs she was teaching your mother.”

Alexander nodded. That was good. It sounded like his mother’s idea of acclimating Erin and the pack with each other was turning out as she expected.

Good.

When he revealed Erin was his mate, it would be less jarring for the pack. It would be even easier if they grew accustomed to her shadowing the older Luna. None would complain since he was certain she would quickly endear himself to everyone she met.

That was something he noticed. There was something about Erin that made others want to befriend and protect her. It wasn’t just because she was his mate either. Why else would a Fae go out of its way to help and shelter her?

Was it because she was an Omega?

Alexander frowned. Omegas were the weakest rank and required the most protection. Because of that, upper ranks often felt the distinct need to watch over and defend them. Of course, there were some who felt the opposite. They hated weakness and used it as an excuse to bully the lower ranks. However, those wolves were far rarer.

“Something wrong?” Nathan asked.

“No, just a passing thought,” Alexander pushed aside his concern. “You’ll need to organize a selection process for the Luna’s guard.”

Nathan thought about that. It made sense. He needed to create a short list of prospects. From there they would have to compete in some sort of trial and sparring to make the final cut. They would have to prove their strength and endurance. He wouldn’t want them to tire themselves to the point of collapse, but they would have to prove their combat prowess. Alexander would not settle for second best when it came to Erin’s protection.

“All right,” Nathan agreed. “I can make a short-list based on past performance and create some kind of trial-contest to whittle down the prospects. How many were you thinking?”

“Start with the top fifty and take them down to ten,” Alexander said after some thought.

That seemed like a manageable number. Erin would be uncomfortable with too large of an entourage. She needed to be protected but not stifled. He wanted her to be able to act and move freely without worrying about her safety. It was a fine line to walk.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Anything else?” Nathan asked.

“Yeah, can you take care of the rest of this,” Alexander gestured to the paperwork spread on his desk.

Nathan chuckled, “Not a chance.”

Alexander sighed. He assumed that was the case. But, at least, Erin was assimilating into the pack. He hoped more pack members would approach her and get to know her properly.

It had been a long time since Erin was in a pack. He wanted her to feel the comradery of her fellow packmates. Her happiness and comfort were paramount. What else could he do for her?

It was frustrating not to know more about his mate. They really hadn’t had time to talk and learn about each other. She could write questions and answers, and he could learn more signs as they went. There was so much he wanted to know about her and her pack, but he wasn’t sure how to talk about it without bringing up her traumatic past.

“So, how was last night?” Nathan finally asked.

He had left the alpha to finish his drink before heading to bed. Alexander had already said he was going to avoid marking Erin for now and that meant maintaining a certain distance from her. It was probably killing him.

Alexander growled, confirming Nathan’s assumption. Gripping his chair’s armrests, Alexander tried to relax as he said, “It was torture…for most of the night.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I went to sleep in my own bedroom. I don’t know how long I tossed and turned, but I woke up in bed with Erin.”

“Say what now?”

“My wolf must have taken over as I was falling asleep and crawled in with her.”

‘Only because you refused,’ Argo complained.

Alexander rubbed his temple, ‘You know why.’

‘You had the best night’s sleep of your life last night,’ Argo huffed. ‘How about a thank you?’

“Wow, so your wolf just went rogue, huh?” Nathan asked.

“Well, he didn’t mark her,” Alexander sighed. He supposed he should be grateful for that.

‘I would never mark Mate against her will!’ Argo huffed.

Well, that was something. Still, it did leave a question of what he should do the coming night. Alexander could hardly just lock himself in his own room. If his wolf took over his body again, he would simply unlock the door. Wolves taking over a human-shaped body usually lacked the dexterity of their counterparts, but with practice and determination they wouldn’t have a problem gripping and turning a doorknob.

“So, what are you going to do?” Nathan asked. “Do you think your wolf will try again?”

Alexander groaned. It was practically guaranteed. Alexander had to fight the temptation himself, but they had to be gentle with her. From her scent, he knew she was untouched. They would be her first and only. The thought thrilled him to the point he was aroused by the mere thought.

Nathan sniffed, “Really? Now?”

Alexander growled and tried to marshal his thoughts. There was a time and place for everything and now wasn’t it. But soon…