The Omega Queen

Nine

Erin was pensive as she packed the hardshell suitcase. It was scuffed and had been found at a thrift store. She never imagined she would make use of it in this circumstance. What were the chances of her mate stumbling into the diner?

“Almost done, honey?” Laverne asked as she entered.

Erin turned and nodded.

“Good. Here’s a gift I prepared for you,” Laverne handed her a small satin satchel.

It was light and seemingly empty. Opening it, Erin pulled out a y-shaped bone carefully cleaned and polished. It smelled like chicken, but it wasn’t bad. Confused, she looked up at Laverne, tilting her head.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Laverne chuckled. “It’s a wishbone. Break it and you can make any wish you want. You could even wish to come back here.”

Erin blinked, surprised. Was that true?

“Think of it as your exit strategy,” Laverne smiled. “Just in case.”

Erin threw her arms around Laverne and held her tight, fighting tears. With a short laugh, Laverne returned the embrace. She had gotten quite fond of her long-term guest. Saying goodbye was far more difficult than she thought.

Erin stepped back, wiping her eyes. She touched her chin with a short gesture.

“No need to thank me, sweetie. You know how much I love you. Don’t jump to conclusions and save my gift for a last resort when no other options are available. I can’t go with you, but I want to help you any way I can.”

Erin nodded.

Laverne stroked her hair fondly with a sigh before saying, “Now, let’s not keep that mate of yours waiting. He is not a patient man.”

Erin grimaced.

“Oh, don’t you worry. He’ll have all the patience in the world for you. He has much less for me, but I don’t mind.”

Erin smiled. The Fae were considered tricky to deal with. Even her elders warned her about being wary of them despite the fact Kweo packs generally had good relationships with their neighbors.

Erin turned and added the gift to her bag, carefully slipping it into the pocket of one of her skirts. Closing the suitcase, she latched it, took a deep breath and picked it up. Turning, she followed Laverne back downstairs. Once they reached the diner again, they found the two males staring each other down. Alexander’s presence was domineering and intimidating. Erin hesitated, not sure if she should interrupt.

“Oh, Luna,” Nathan spotted her first. “Please, save me from your crazy mate.”

Alexander immediately spun around and the tense atmosphere evaporated. Erin blinked at the sudden change. She felt she was entering the eye of the storm. It was like a protective vortex, swirling around her. His gaze shifted to amber, indicating how close his wolf was to the surface. Yet, she didn’t feel intimidated at all. Was it an effect of the mate bond?

“Are you ready?” Alexander’s voice was gentle.

Erin nodded.

He frowned at her single bag. Stepping forward, he held out a hand, offering to carry it before escorting her to the door. Nathan hurried ahead to prepare the SUV. Laverne followed as far as the door. That was the end of her domain, and she couldn’t step beyond it. She waved as Erin paused and looked back.

“You take care, honey,” Laverne said. “You live a good life now.”

Erin hesitated before touching her chin in a gesture for thank you before sliding into the vehicle. Alexander frowned, looking at the Fae. Laverne gave him a playful, benign smile.

“You take care of her, Alpha,” Laverne said. “That is the greatest treasure you’ll ever find.”

With a curt nod, he climbed in after Erin. Normally, he would have ridden in the front passenger seat, but this time he would ride in the back beside his mate. He couldn’t stand the thought of her being out of his sight.

“So, I’m chauffeur, huh?” Nathan asked as he settled in the driver’s seat with a smirk.

“That’s right,” Alexander glared at him. “And make sure the flight crew adds another to the passenger manifest.”

“Right,” Nathan nodded. He had already sent a text while he stowed Erin’s suitcase.

Luckily, they were wolves and, as such, weren’t beholden to the laws of other countries since they were considered a nation onto themselves. Even so, wolves preferred to stay under the radar and most avoided drawing attention to themselves. As King, Alexander enjoyed the added benefit of diplomatic immunity. This meant they didn’t have to worry about needing identification for Erin.

That was a good thing because Alexander certainly wouldn’t tolerate a delay in getting his mate back to their territory, and he certainly wouldn’t tolerate anyone trying to detain her. Nathan still wasn’t sure how they were going to handle the situation when introducing Erin to the pack. He doubted the pack’s acceptance of her would be smooth.

He doubted anyone would openly question their king, but certain wolves might make it difficult for Erin to integrate. It would be especially difficult since she wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone directly. That would change once she joined the pack and could access its mindlink.

But was that the best choice?

Nathan still wasn’t sure. He didn’t like the fact he and Alexander didn’t have any recollection of Erin’s pack being wiped out ten years ago. Even if she was from a wendigo pack, there should have been some sort of report. Something wasn’t adding up.

A pack couldn’t simply disappear. He refused to believe that. Their best course of action would be for a full investigation, but it wouldn’t be wise to let anyone else know about it until they found answers. Others would question why the King was investigating an event from so long ago, which could lead to questions about his leadership and authority, but they might also attack Erin’s past.

They couldn’t afford that sort of scandal when her place was not secure. Nathan knew the Council would stick their noses in the middle of it. They had been pressing Alexander to take a chosen mate for some time. All of them were pushing various relatives on him in hopes of increasing their own standing. Just because Alexander found his Goddess-given mate meant nothing to them. So, they had to tread carefully.

It was up to Nathan to navigate this tricky business. Alexander wouldn’t care and would press on ahead, not worrying about the consequences. Winter Moon was a strong pack, but it couldn’t go up against the world, especially when they didn’t have a clear idea of their enemy. Their best option, therefore, would be a covert investigation. He knew just the wolf to use. He glanced in the rear-view mirror, hoping to catch Alexander’s attention, but the alpha was wholly focused on his mate.

Erin’s attention was on the city passing by. Her expression was difficult to read. Alexander reached over, gently touching her hand to draw her attention back to him. Her dark brown eyes were like two undisturbed pools.

“Are you going to miss the city?” Alexander asked.

Erin shook her head and signed, then stopped with a frown. She dug into the pocket of her cardigan to remove a small writing pad and pencil. It seemed she was used to this kind of situation and prepared. Jotting down her answer, she held it up to him.

“You’ll miss…the fairy,” Alexander read.

He wasn’t particularly pleased with that, but he understood. The Fae had saved and protected her. For that, he would be grateful, but he still didn’t trust her.

“Well, perhaps, she can come and visit you sometime,” Alexander finally said.

Erin shook her head before writing a response.

He sighed, “Right. I forgot she can’t leave her domain.”

Alexander didn’t want to admit how difficult it would be to see the Fae again. Not only could the Fae not leave its realm, but it was unlikely Erin would be able to leave their pack’s territory, at least in the beginning. Keeping her safe was paramount and until he could eliminate the threats to her, she was safest on land he fully controlled. Perhaps once he eliminated those threats, they could discuss options for travel, but that was a long way off.

“Well, I’m sure you will see her again,” Alexander assured her, though he didn’t want to make promises.

Erin nodded with a grin, thinking of Laverne’s parting gift. She knew enough to understand it was important and would come in use no matter what the future held. At least she could meet this new pack knowing she could return to the security of Laverne’s domain any time.