Page 14 of Loving My Omega (The Perfect Designation Trilogy #2)

Chapter

Fourteen

T ouching down, I shifted back into my human form. Rubbing my hands together, it was well below freezing this high up on the mountain. Grabbing my bag, I slipped into the designated dressing rooms before shoving my empty bag into one of the cubbies. I doubted anyone else would be showing up today but that didn’t mean I wanted to carry around my bag. After I had my slacks and button-up on, I went back out to stare at the building.

My father’s current title was the Keeper of the Archive. He’d taken it over from his father who took it over from another dragon family. The building was nestled in Pinnacle Peak close to where my family resided. So it made sense that our family would watch over the archives. The whole building looked like someone’s idea of what Mount Olympus would look like from Greek mythology. Huge white columns surrounded by the ever-white landscape.

Even the biggest dragon could fit easily under the entrance, but there was magic that no matter how out of control you were, you shifted into your human form. Really, the amount of magic that they used and was still active after thousands of years was more impressive than the building itself. It could easily be in the top three for most spells in a condensed area.

Colton would love it. Not just the outside architecture but everything inside. There were scrolls that dated back over five thousand years. Most related to dragon history but not everything. History of witches, shifters in general, maps of the world before the land broke apart. His love of history would go into overdrive. I’d probably lose him for weeks in here.

One of these days I would bring him. It would be almost impossible to get here as a human. By dragon or maybe by wolf, you could make it. However, I wasn’t about to put Colton on my back with how cold it was right now. Not in his condition. Plus, I wasn’t here for fun.

My dad texted me late last night telling me to meet him at the archives. This was not a request. It was an order. Keith had shown up at six-thirty yesterday and picked up the kids. He didn’t say a word to me and I didn’t say a word to him. The kids noticed the tension, but the moment he or I opened our mouths, it would end in a dragon fight. We knew that. So we kept our mouths shut.

Wrinkling my nose, I didn’t really feel like getting chewed out. Colton already gave me a serious talk after the kids fell asleep and I stepped out to make sure he was okay getting into his apartment. At least Colton knew the whole story. Keith notoriously only told his side like he was the victim and did nothing wrong.

I couldn’t stand out in the snow and avoid it forever. Sighing, I stepped past the magical barrier. The temperature immediately warmed up and I knew it was the ideal temperature to keep books. Just enough humidity but not too much. Not too hot but not too cold. This building was a marvel in spell casting.

Walking up to the huge twenty-foot doors, they automatically opened when I got close enough. It lead into a huge entryway that had inlayed gold and precious gems into the floor depicting the birth of the first dragon.

Stepping around the empty center desk that was carved out of marble, I started to step through the rows and rows of bookshelves. While this building was huge, it was far larger on the inside. It continued to grow as well based on the necessity of room for new books and scrolls. Honestly, I might lose Colton for months rather than weeks.

After walking for a few minutes, I finally found my dad. He had his record book out with a box of scrolls that he was putting away. Pursing my lips together, I leaned against the bookshelf and waited for him to say something.

He didn’t. He continued his work, marking off his records and putting scrolls in their correct cubbies. I wanted to get this over with but there was no pushing my dad. One thing we learned very quickly growing up. Closing my eyes, I listened to the paper shuffling and the scratch of his pen on the paper.

“Did you apologize?”

My eyes opened but my dad was looking down at his notebook. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I wasn’t wrong.”

Dad lifted his head to finally look at me, his eyebrow raised. “Marcus, you threatened to take away your brother’s children.”

“And it won’t be a threat next time he drops them off without asking me first. I already talk to him about it. This isn’t the first time. Or even the second, Dad.”

He sighed and stood up from his hunched position. It was always so weird when we were having serious conversations like this. I remember as a kid getting in trouble and looking up at him, this huge Alpha dragon figure in my life. Now, in human form, Dad was about five or so inches shorter than I was. Though, with how wild his hair was, it added another two or three inches to him.

“That doesn’t mean you are right in threatening to take kids away from their parent.”

I threw up my hands. “They are my kids too! I raised them! For years, Dad! I’m not saying I was better, but I sure as hell tried harder than he is now!”

Dad opened his mouth but I put my hand up.

“If you’re about to say that he is Alpha, and he’s raising kids, and he’s dealing with Queen, and the new hatchling, and that it’s hard juggling all that, I’ll leave now. Keith doesn’t need someone else to make excuses for him. He does fine all on his own.”

He frowned and put a hand on his hip. “What has you so worked up? Yes, he should call and tell you. The only one he doesn’t need to that for is your mother. However, usually , you grumble about it but you never snap. So what is going on?”

Sighing, I leaned my head back against the bookshelves. “I had plans. I needed to be somewhere. Luckily, I could rearrange them and the kids ended up having fun.”

“While you completely disregarded your brother’s parenting.”

Shrugging, I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m their uncle. It’s my job to spoil them.”

“These plans couldn’t be saved for another day? Was it work related?”

“No…I’m…seeing someone.”

His eyebrows disappeared into the mess of his hair. Blinking at me, he sat back on the table that was in front of the bookshelf he was working at. He stared at me for a moment, but I didn’t say anything else.

“Marcus, explain.”

“I…found someone. Someone I really like.” I shrugged, chewing on my lip for a moment. “It’s…complicated though.”

Dad narrowed his eyes. “Complicated? What do you mean complicated ?”

I rubbed my face for a moment. “I just…I was supposed meet with them. They are struggling right now. Someone they loved died and Friday I nearly lost them. My dragon was up in arms. Is up in arms. Even flying here was struggle with it being the opposite direction. The feeling like we failed him…” Closing my eyes for a moment, I took a breath.

“Your dragon ? Your dragon wants them? Are they your fated?”

Shaking my head, I opened my eyes and stared down at the books. “No, we aren’t fated. It doesn’t matter though. I…I love him. I think I knew it way before I gave him the courting gift but…”

“Oh-kay. Slow down. Are you seeing someone or are you courting someone, Marcus?”

“I’m…courting someone?”

Dad threw his hands up and walked out of the bookshelf. “I think I need to sit down for this.”

He snapped his fingers and a huge brown leather club chair appeared in large gap between the bookshelves. Falling into the chair, Dad rubbed his eyebrows as he leaned back. I moved out of the aisle but leaned against the side of the bookshelf facing my dad. Tapping the chair with his pointer finger, a table appeared next to the chair with a mug of something steaming. He took a sip before speaking.

“You dropping this information like it means nothing is not appreciated, son.”

“I planned on bringing him and surprising everyone during Thanksgiving. Except he ended up being sick and I didn’t want to force him into a situation that he already would be overwhelmed in while he wasn’t feeling well.”

Dad took another sip before setting down the mug. “Let’s start from the beginning. Because I can’t possibly get everything by you just throwing nuggets of information at me.”

Frowning, I shook my head. “Dad, it’s complicated. Like…it’s a mess. There is so much and I don’t…I honestly don’t know right now if I feel comfortable telling Keith or Peter.”

His eyebrow rose. “Beatrice already knows?” After a breath he scoffed, “Never mind. I know the answer to that. I don’t know what you could possibly not trust your own family with though. Marcus, we may have our faults but we are family first.”

“ Are we ? Does Queen count as family? Or is she just using information or even our own flesh and blood against us?”

“Marcus.” Dad growled low. “That’s none of your concern.”

I stood up and stalked over to him. “It is when it puts my mate at risk. When she tries to use my mate to get what she wants. I’m already dealing with enough. I don’t need extra with Keith trying to appease her. Or trying to feel like he has one up on me and blabs to her who my mate is. I won’t do that. If he finds out, I will command him not to tell anyone.” My gold eyes reflected in multiple places, lighting up the white marble.

Dad snapped his hands and another chair appeared across from him. Sitting down on the edge, I leaned forward and buried my face in my hands.

“I…I knew what I was signing up for. I didn’t even know everything but I knew…it’s just…he’s falling apart. Even Beau saw it. I don’t know how to help and I feel like I’m failing before I’ve even begun. He fights me at everything and while we end up compromising, it’s at a cost that is hard to swallow as an Alpha. I have to just… watch .”

“Son, I need you to explain who the hell this is.”

I nodded, sitting up and back into the chair. “He’s an Omega.”

This had my Dad sitting up. His small side table was replaced by a much larger one. He looked at the shelves before a book appeared on the desk. Opening it up, he flipped through the pages. Again, his brow furrowed and he shook his head.

“Marcus, there hasn’t been a male Omega in over three hundred years.”

My eyes widened. “Three hundred? No way. I thought it was a few decades, maybe.”

“Marcus, there is no record of a male Omega.”

“I know. He’s been hiding his designation.”

Dad blinked at me for a moment. “What is he registered as?”

“A Beta-1.”

“Officially?”

I nodded.

Dad leaned forward on his elbow and covered him mouth. “So, you’re courting a hiding Omega. Alright. Well, it could be worse, I guess.”

“It is?”

He glared at me. “Marcus.”

“He’s a Fisher.”

Another long period of silence followed. A very long silence. Dad stared at me and I wondered if he was waiting for me to tell him it was a joke. It was never going to come though. His chest rose and fell before he laced his finger together.

“ The Beta wolf shifter family. Those Fishers?”

I nodded again.

“By the old gods, Marcus…what the hell have you gotten yourself into! Which branch?”

“Frederik.”

He cocked head to the side. “Their children are…Samuel and Heather.”

“They had a third, Colton. Though, after testing as a Beta-1, they originally treated him like he didn’t exist. Or if he did, he was a blight on their family. There hadn’t been a non-leadership level Beta in their family for almost five generations.”

“Except that he’s not a Beta.”

Shaking my head, I frowned. “No. He’s not. Though, he acts like it. You probably wouldn’t know the difference if you met him under normal circumstances.”

“An Omega acting like…” Dad shook his head and took a quick breath. “Okay. So, he’s a wolf shifter. His name is Colton. How did you meet? How old is he? Give me some details.”

“I met him at the college. He originally took a class of mine a year ago. However, we started to run into each other since he’s taking classes on campus.” I smiled, all the times we’d run into each other felt so much like fate now. “And he’s nineteen.”

Dad spewed the drink he’d been taking the sip from. “ Excuse me? ”

“What?” I looked at my father, confused as to why he was looking at me like I just told him aliens were invading. “I know he is young but…”

“Marcus, do you know how Omegas are born?”

My brow wrinkled. “Is this a trick question? Because I promise I know where hatchlings come from…”

“No. You…you… stupid boy. Not what I meant.” He got up and the chair disappeared, allowing him to pace. “To birth another Omega, you must be a leadership Omega. If you are a leadership Omega, then it depends on the other Alpha if you even succeed in having another Omega.”

I nodded. “Okay, I knew that. Loosely.”

“Did you ever stop to think where Colton came from?”

Really, I hadn’t. At least not in depth. His mother, who Colton did say birthed him, was a perfect Beta. She was the blood Fisher that Frederik married into. That at least I knew. I figured that Frederik wasn’t his actual father but it didn’t occur to me to think further than that.

“I mean, I would assume that his mother and another leadership Omega had come together. Even thought his birth certificate says otherwise.”

Another book appeared on the desk and it rose up as my father stood at it. “No…it’s not that simple Marcus.” He flipped through the book. “Right now, what I’m about to tell you is top secret. No one outside a few know this.”

“Dad?”

He stopped at a page and scanned it with his eyes before tapping his finger on the book. “Son, right now, there are only four leadership Omegas still alive.”

My eyes widened. I had no idea that it was that bad. There was talk about the dwindling population of Omegas, but it was said in passing. The fact that a leadership Omega was needed and there were only four of them left meant the extinction of Omegas, was a lot closer.

“So, one of those four is his…blood parent?”

Dad shook his head. “No, Marcus. None of them can have children anymore. They are all barren now…and have been…for the last twenty-eight years.”