Page 32 of Dream Mates (Into The Parallel Omegaverse #2)

She paused. “Can only an alpha be king or queen?”

“It depends on the country. Though traditionally, for many years, the answer was yes. There was once a great war that was fought over succession because the king only had an omega child and no alpha children. She had the knowledge to be queen, just not the designation,” I told her as we entered the great room.

Grace bowed and twirled around the great room like she was at a ball. “What happened?”

“I think people underestimated what alphas would do for an omega, especially then. She rallied an army, won the hearts of the people, got herself a pack of alphas who made up for what she was lacking, and became the most beloved queen their nation had ever seen. Katie and Lexi would love to watch the movie made about her with you.” I wasn’t about to offer because I’d seen it more times than I cared to remember.

“Are only alphas political leaders?” She peered out the window.

“Many political leaders are alphas, but most places no longer have laws prohibiting other designations from running for positions other than the ones specific to them.” I came up behind her. “Nice view, right?”

“Yes. Oooh, look at the chandelier and the ceiling. This would be a lovely room for a party,” she breathed.

“Absolutely.” I led her out of the room.

Her look went pensive. “Wait. When the president’s omega goes into heat does he just dip for a week? Like who runs the country? Does he or she have a pack? Do we have a president?”

Oh, fuck. Not having designations would change a lot of things. For example, why did people even come to this country if it wasn’t for designation freedom?

We wandered into a library, which still had some books and furniture.

“Yes. We have co-presidents for that exact reason. The current ones both have packs, and their omegas coordinate so that they aren’t going into heat at the same time.

Your co-president is very important because you have to trust them enough to run everything when you’re away.

Same with your vice president, because they’d take over if something happens to both.

It works pretty well, though, because it allows them to not just have heats but take vacations and ensure their pack and families aren’t neglected for the sake of the country,” I explained.

“Traditionally, one of the presidents is usually a beta, for parity, but it’s not a law.

Given this nation was founded on designation freedom, betas have always been able to run for office.

After the omega rights act passed, omegas can run as well, but we’ve yet to have an omega president. ”

I looked around. The family had only taken what they wished and left the rest. Someone had been going through everything left, determining if it should be thrown out, sold, or potentially kept.

“Well, at least if you have co-presidents they can’t use the excuse of not having an omega president because he or she would be irrational around their heat.” She rolled her eyes.

Mmmm, people did say that. Most of it stemmed from a fear of other countries using their alpha barks to sway an omega president. Beta politicians usually worked long and hard to overcome that and had alpha staff members whose jobs were to keep that from happening. Omegas had a harder time of it.

“There are omegas in the other branches of government, not to mention, we have omega judges in all courts, including the Assembly, which is the highest court in the country,” I added. It was a dangerous, but necessary job.

“Omega judges. As there should be. Ooh, a ladder.” Grace climbed up on the wheeled ladder in front of the tall bookshelves. She flung herself out, making the ladder careen across the shelves as she started singing.

“Grace.” I rushed over and caught her just as she nearly crashed into the wall. She was laughing. Laughing!

“Don’t do that,” I growled. “Wes will beat my ass if anything happens to you.”

She rolled her eyes as she opened a door and walked into the adjoining study. “Excuse me, but the boys and I are going to retire for a cigar.”

I surveyed the dark paneled room, which smelled faintly of cigars. It most likely was exactly that–the alpha study. “Pretty much.”

“How did you and Jett meet, will you tell me?” she asked.

I paused. Should I? Though if anyone would understand it would be her.

“Oh, is it embarrassing? Jett said it wasn’t his story to tell. Sorry, not trying to pry.” Her head bowed.

“It was a very dark time in my life when I met him. After I graduated from university, as you know, Caroline and I broke up, and she went to travel the world. I went to business school–much to my mother’s chagrin, since it wasn’t for accounting.

My undergrad was and she wanted me to handle accounts for her company.

She said that she didn’t see me actually managing properties, just handling numbers. ” My voice went bitter.

No, I wasn’t good enough to follow in her footsteps. My brothers, but not me.

“Oh.” The corners of her lips tugged in a frown as she ran her fingers across the panels.

I put a hand on her shoulder as we left the room and entered the hallway. “She thought my idea for a luxury hotel business was a waste. I’d acquired my first hotel in undergrad and was working on turning it around.”

“You acquired a hotel in college.” Grace nodded. “How?”

“In a card game. I figured out my niche. I acquired partners, invested, and found a corner of the market. Each of my properties are very special. Unique. Private. By the time I graduated from business school, I had three hotels and was considering a fourth. While my mother still thought I’d work for her company, perhaps fold my hotels into it, she was proud of me.

So was my father–and Katie, who was still in law school,” I explained as we walked through the formal dining room.

“My older brothers were pretty indifferent.”

But they always had been. There was a decade between them and us. We were not only an oops, but surprise twins. Mother had always wanted a girl, though.

“I’m glad your parents were proud,” she said softly, looking wistful, like she’d never been told that.

“Me, too. Those moments are fleeting with my mother. Anyhow, I graduated with honors. We had a lovely party. Caroline even called me from her travels. Katie and I decided to meet some friends for a night out. I’d gotten a new car as a gift, and Katie desperately wanted to drive it, so I let her… ” I winced, hearing the glass shatter.

Grace put a hand on my arm. “Oh. The car accident.”

“It wasn’t Katie’s fault. It was a drunk driver.

I was thrown through the window and onto the expressway.

Katie was trapped in the car but ultimately was relatively unscathed.

Again, not her fault. The model of the car was new, and the safety system on the passenger side failed.

” I looked away as we went into the kitchen, which would need a lot of work to make it into a commercial kitchen.

My fingers ran across the countertop. “Jett was part of the responding team. While Katie was cut out of the car, I was brought to the hospital. I remember him holding my hand and telling me that it would be okay. I recall him being there when I woke up. Unable to move.”

“Oh?” Grace’s arms wrapped around me and for a moment I just let her hug me.

“They told me that I’d probably never walk again. I went from having one of the best days of my life to that worst. That cute beta police officer that smuggled me treats didn’t even help,” I replied as we went into the pantry and wine cellar. It had been crushing to wake up to that news.

“I… I’m so sorry that happened to you.” She squeezed my hand.

I squeezed hers back. “Jett was very persistent. After I was released, I eventually agreed to go on a date with him. We had sparks. Oh, did we ever have sparks. He also was trying to get me to go to therapy, take my meds, do my PT–even sue the car maker, which my mother didn’t want because we don't sue. ”

Those sparks. When I was still in the hospital, we may have done a few things that could have gotten him fired.

Grace rolled her eyes. “If it was their fault they should pay. So, things with Jett were good?”

“So good. Who would have thought that a beta police officer who boxed and liked spicy food would have been a match for me?” Taking her arm, I led her upstairs.

Much better than I deserved. He gave me a reason to try. Especially since my parents pretty much neglected me after the accident, and initially I was angry with Katie.

One at a time we peeked into the bedrooms, most unfurnished, dusty, and neglected.

With a sigh, I went back to the conversation at hand.

“My recovery was long and hard. Sometimes it felt impossible. Eventually, I got so frustrated with everything that I ignored my business–which would’ve failed if not for Terrance.

I refused physical therapy. One day I ghosted Jett, because I felt that I had nothing to offer him.

He was so amazing, I was nothing. I just…

wallowed. My mother suddenly took interest and tried to convince me to move back home–and sign everything over to her so that she could take care of me since I refused to take care of myself, ” I confessed.

“This would be mostly the assets I’d come into eventually. ”

“You ghosted Jett? Poor Jett.” She frowned.

I put my arm around her as we continued the tour. “It was wrong of me. Everything was dark and I couldn’t find the light. I felt like I didn’t deserve him.”

Oh, how I regretted doing that. Everything had felt so bleak and hopeless, why drag him down with me?

Grace buried her face in my chest. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“I confided in Katie. For all our differences we were really good friends. I thought maybe, somehow, she could help me.” I winced.

“This… this is the part where I understand you being afraid to talk to people. Now, Katie had no malicious intent, she wanted to help me. So, even though I told her not to tell our parents, she did.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “They put you somewhere.”

“Yes, and my mother tried to get me legally under her care. This wasn’t what Katie had in mind.

She’d been thinking more of a fancy physical rehabilitation facility where I could learn to walk again and get some counseling.

Not a psychiatric unit where they’d try to declare me unfit.

” I winced. This was the root of my current issues with Katie–even though it wasn’t her fault.

She’d trusted our dad, who apparently regretted bringing our mother into it.

“Oh no.” Concern crossed her face.

“Katie and my father tried to check me out. My mother then had me moved to someplace else. She had me locked down, so that no one could see me but her–not even Katie and my dad. While he thought I needed help, he didn’t think I was unfit.

” It was part of why I did what my mother told me.

She had a lot of power and I’d seen what she could do when you angered her.

“I can’t believe they did that to you.” Grace started crying.

“I promise, no one harmed me. But in the second place she sent me to, they didn’t help me the way I needed,” I assured, trying to comfort her.

“The drugs were the worst. That’s what they tried first, to make me less rebellious and bad at math.” Her voice was muffled by my shirt.

“I’m sorry they did that to you.” Yeah, we were going back to that.

We went up the stairs to the next floor, which was mostly storage.

“In the meantime, Jett, being a persistent asshole, got worried about me, and showed up at my place. When he found out that I wasn’t there, he tracked down Katie and she told him what had happened,” I said.

“Please tell me he busted you out.” Her look went hopeful.

“He did.” My chest shook a little.

I didn’t deserve it. I’d ghosted him. And there he was, rescuing me.

“It involved getting a favor from a friend of Jett’s that’s an ambulance driver, Katie dating a judge’s son, and Terrance doing some browbeating.

But yes, they got me out of there–and, much to my chagrin–into the place Katie wanted me to go to.

There, the three shitheads assholed me into learning to walk again to spite my mother who was pissed at us.

I also got my shit together there, both personally and regarding my business. ”

I’d needed that ass-kicking and was grateful to have people in my life that cared enough about me to do that–even when I was being a knothead.

“I’m so glad,” she told me while we went down the backstairs.

“Me, too. Jett was by my side the whole time–not just while at the rehab facility, but after. Also, a lawyer at the firm Katie was interning at took my case and I sued the fuck out of the car company. That money helped to buy the resort Jett and I got married at.”

My mother never did quite forgive me for that–and certainly she never completely trusted me again. Which was why she was always forcing me to play the good son to ‘prove’ my loyalty to her and the family.

“You’re better now?” she asked.

“I still get headaches, but I recovered more than they ever thought I would,” I assured her.

We were now in the main ballroom, which opened out into the gardens.

“Thank you for opening up to me.” She hugged me again. “Sorry, not sorry, you feel nice to hug.”

“Jett and Evan would agree.” I patted her back.

“It’s a hard story to tell. It was a long journey.

There were times I hated Jett, especially when trying to get my life back together.

He hated me sometimes, too. But in the end his persistence saved me.

He believed in me, pushed me.” Loved me.

Gave me a way to heal–and a way to regain the control I’d lost.

“I’m glad you shared it with me.”

“I had a feeling that you’d understand,” I told her. Wes had resonated with it as well. Even though Wes had been in the military at the time, he’d really been there for me, too.

There were a lot of people that hadn’t.

We entered another room. “This would probably be the room where you’d have the party after your wedding–or be the backup in case of rain. He’s looking for the ceremony to be outside in the gardens. Evan’s set on a May wedding. Though June would be better because the flowers would have more time.”

Something about his parents being married in May.

“This is beautiful. Look at the moldings.” She looked up at the elegant ceiling. “This could be something so special, Bren.”

“It really could,” I agreed. “Would you like to see the gardens? Or have we done enough walking?” Though she’d been doing well. Maybe she was fine.

She smiled and took my hand. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to see them.”