Page 145 of Omega's Flight

He took the seat across from me, leaving me and Cas in possession of the couch. "We finally got Roland to call us back. I'm not one hundred percent sure what's really going on, but the end of it is that Roland won't sign the papers to let them move here, and he won't approve a transfer for Degan. If you want the pups, he says you have to go back there. I'm not sure what Degan's role in all this is—you said he was coming back?"

I felt numb. "He said he was, but I didn't know whether to believe him. If Ann and Henry hadn't wanted to see their grandparents, I wouldn't have agreed at all." Poor Pip. My stomach was just sick for her, for all the promises I'd made when we were persuading her to go.

"If it helps," Holland said. "I talked to Mac, and he's pretty convinced that Degan wanted to live here. It might have been playing a bit dirty, but I made sure the prey was tempting when we set up his travel documents."

"You think Roland's keeping him there as a... a dig at us?" Cas asked. He sounded outraged and astounded, and I patted his thigh to comfort him. My moment of surprise had passed almost instantly; alphas tended to stick together, and it was common knowledge that Jackson-Jellystone held no fond feelings for Mercy Hills.

"It wouldn't surprise me. Things are getting tense." Holland frowned and appeared about to say something, then shook his head. "It's not my information to tell, anyway, and it doesn't have any bearing on this. Raleigh, can you wait a few days before we try to sort this out? You'd planned for the pups to stay over there for Blood Moon, anyway, right? That's what we made the papers out for."

I nodded. "I'm scared," I told him. "I don't want them there alone. Not that I think Degan won't look after them, but he doesn't see it the way I do, or notice the things that happen to packmembers who aren't alphas."

Cas got a thoughtful look on his face and he looked at me like he was just seeing me for the first time.

I didn't have time right now to try to figure that out, and it was likely he'd tell me later—he had his I have a question face on.

Holland nodded; he completely understood what I meant. "After Blood Moon, you and I will go over and we'll deal with this once and for all."

"I don't want you to pay for me!" I began and half rose out of my seat, but he shook his head and gestured at me to sit down again.

"No money. At least, not our money. But in our last meeting, Mutch asked us to consider which of the packs we would like to see have access to the trusts next, and he recommended it be a pack somewhere nearby."

"And you're going to pick Jackson-Jellystone."

"No, I'm going to make them compete to show me why it shouldn't be Honisloonz or Salma Wood." He said it with a fierce, almost-growl in his voice. "It's time to stop hiding everything. If Laine and Garrick can win this case with the curfew, then we'll be another step closer to challenging the segregation laws." He leaned forward and his gaze grew gentle. "I don't expect you to throw everything you have into this. Live your life, be a good parent, and make a future for yourself and my packbrother." His eyes flicked to Cas then back again, and a small smile appeared on his mouth. "But please remember that you're blazing a trail for all the other omegas who've been locked into loveless matings, who are unhappy to the point of death and just keeping going on because they don't see any other way. Quin and I have talked about this and while we're not quite ready to show the packs what they're losing by treating their omegas this way, we're not going to let our worries keep you from having your pups home with you."

"Will Degan still be welcome here?"

"Do you want him to be?"

"He's their sire. As long as this wasn't part of his plan, then yes, he should be." I paused and considered my next words. With Francine’s help, I’d straightened out some of my thoughts around Degan, and even more important, figured out a little bit of how his mind probably worked. “Even if he was behind this, I think he should have a place here."

Holland sent me a questioning look, but I glanced over to Cas and saw him nodding gently in approval as he followed my idea. "He should understand that we don't need to punish him for this. That we don't need revenge, because we're beyond that." I half-shrugged. "But he doesn't get to take them out of the enclave without an escort."

Holland laughed and slapped his knee, then practically lunged across the space between us to hug me. "I knew Cas had good taste in omegas," he said. "That's what we'll do, then. So you're up for a road trip after Blood Moon?"

"Yes."

"Good. Maybe Bax will go with us too. Though he might enjoy this too much."

I laughed, and thought he might too.

"I don't suppose any alphas are allowed on this trip, are they?" Cas asked casually.

I looked at Holland and he gave a tiny shrug, as if to say that it was up to me. I hesitated, then Cas came to my rescue with a peck on the cheek and the words, "You know what? I'm probably too busy right now. Garrick goes to court in two weeks and we're still in Discovery. You won't see much of me, except snoring on the pillow beside you for a couple of hours each day."

I hugged him and buried my face against his neck. After all the ways I'd fallen down since I'd arrived here, I needed to do this myself, for myself. Thank you, Cas, for not making me explain that.

"You'll do fine," he whispered into my hair. "My subtle warrior. I trust you, but if you need me, just say the word."

I held onto him like my life depended on it, and I felt Holland pat my shoulder. When I looked up, he was gone, and it was just me and Cas sitting on the couch. "We should go."

Cas shrugged. "I dunno. Quin's got better furniture than we do." He eyed the living room critically. "Think we could get this couch out the door before he caught us?"

That made me laugh and I was able to sit up again and think about my pups with less despair and more determination. "I think you might regret it if you steal his furniture." I stroked his cheek and ran my thumb over his lower lip. He took in a quick, sharp breath and his tongue darted out to touch the tip of it. I shivered then reached down to take his hand. "Let's go home. We both have work to get done, and I have a cleaning shift tomorrow."

He nodded, but there was a gleam in his eye that told me neither of us would get much in the way of work done this evening.

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