Page 164 of Omega's Heart

“Nowadays, it’s Maglocks. The Bureau checks them. If a shifter family wants to live outside walls for whatever reason—work, access to medical care, access to schooling—the place they live in has to be equipped with Maglocks on all exterior doors. All windows have to be fixed-barred. Do you know what fail secure means?” He stared at each of them in turn. “If the power goes out, the lock stays locked. Now imagine a fire that blows the power to the house.” He lurched to his feet and began to pace like he was caged. Well, he was, wasn’t he? Kind of. “What happens if your pup gets sick in the middle of the night?” Oh, Lysoon, please let the pup be healthy. “What if there’s an accident?” He made himself stop and go back to his chair, took a deep breath and reminded himself that these weren’t the people who had written those laws. Hopefully, these were the ones who could unwrite them. “Sorry. It’s more of a sore spot since I got mated.”

Adam put a hand on his shoulder. “You know, I thought I’d done the research on your people when this idea first got floated. I’m getting the idea I didn’t even get half the picture. You and I, we’ll talk about the expenses after and figure something out.”

Kaden looked up and gave him a grateful nod. “Thank you.”

Adam squeezed his shoulder, then went back to his seat. “So, now that we know why this is so important, let’s put all this brain power to work figuring out how to get what the shifters need, so we can get what we need.”

Mike pulled the table over to give them all access, even the ones sitting on the bed.

Adam passed out a notepad to everyone there. “Let’s get started. Kaden, you’ve been around to about, what, half the packs so far? What kinds of resources do they have that you’re aware of?”

C H A P T E R 8 8

A t nine-thirty, Kaden called it quits. “I have to be checked-in and inside the room in half an hour. I’ve gotta go.”

“We can continue this at your hotel if you want,” Alan said, standing up and gathering up his papers.

“Not unless you plan to spend the night with me once the locks come on,” Kaden said dryly. “And no offense, you’re a good-looking man, but I’m a mated shifter. Felix would have my hide on the wall.” Not likely. But the humans laughed, not knowing his mate like Kaden did.

“I’ll drop you off,” Adam said. “We can talk on the way over.”

Adam tore out of the parking lot in much the same manner as he’d left the airport parking lot. This time, Kaden didn’t even try to make his grab for the bar above the window look casual. Adam’s smile grew wider, but he slowed down once they were off the main road. “I hadn’t realized you were staying at that hotel because of legislation. I assumed the pack was giving you some money. My understanding is that the packs have a kind of basic income scheme going on?”

Kaden shrugged and, with the car going a more reasonable speed, let his hand fall to his lap. “If you get work outside walls, your stipend goes back to the pack. In some cases, some of your income over and above the stipend amount as well. Abel probably supports two families other than his own with what he brings in personally. There’s a tithe from any businesses as well. It’s complicated. We try not to discourage industry within the enclave.” He frowned out the window. “Only certain hotels can put in the kinds of locks that meet the Bureau standards for security, usually the more expensive ones. Not that it’s not enjoyable. I wouldn’t mind bringing Felix here sometime, give him a little treat. But it’s not sustainable. We’re building a house back at the enclave and while the pack is providing for the basic costs, there are certain adjustments that needed to be made and I have to cover those costs myself.” He saw Adam glance down at Kaden’s leg. He didn’t bother correcting the assumption.

In reality, he’d found a bathtub. A big bathtub. Not only would Felix be able to get entirely under the water in it, but if he’d measured right, there might be enough room for him to join his mate. To scrub his back, obviously.

So when he’d looked at the plans available, he’d negotiated with Quin to make some changes to this one. To put his and Felix’s bedroom downstairs and the pups upstairs. To make space for a bathroom of their own, with that bathtub, and a tiled shower. It was a luxury like no one in the pack had ever seen and it was going to cause gossip and he didn’t care.

He couldn’t wait to see Felix’s face when he showed it to him.

It was going to take him forever to pay this amount back into Felix’s prydaya. If he didn’t get on top of these expenses for work, he might never manage it.

He should have been a plumber.

Adam turned down the street Kaden’s hotel was on. “Then this might make things a little easier. We wanted to make sure that you’d be okay here in Washington, that the staff would accept you and that you could accept them. It’s not perfect—the senator has fielded a few complaints—but we’re confident that we could transfer you permanently to Washington and have you become a more visible face on the staff.”

“To what purpose?” Damn, more money down the drain.

“Did you think he was planning to just drop you once he’s elected? You bring the shifters to him, you’ll have a place with us where you can really put some change in motion.”

This put a new spin on things. “I’d have to talk to my mate. This is his money I’m spending, technically, to stay here.” He hated the thought that he couldn’t support his mate, despite have two income streams coming in. That wasn’t what an alpha was meant to do.

“Yeah, well, if you’re going to be here for six months or a year, we’ll get one of the interns to find you an apartment. That’ll be cheaper than this place.” Adam pulled up in front of the hotel and jumped out to get Kaden’s bag out of the trunk of the car. “You’re keeping your receipts, right? It’s all a tax write-off.”

Kaden took the bag and popped out the handle so he could drag it behind him. A thought hit him— this would be the perfect time to ask. “Would it be a problem if I brought Felix up with me every once in a while?” Damn, but he missed him.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with work. You’d have to warn him that you won’t have a lot of spare time for him.”

“He’s good about that. I’m not concerned.” But with Felix here, they could grab a few minutes whenever Kaden was free, maybe go out in the evening before his mate grew too heavy with pup. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. “He’s never been anywhere except the enclaves. I think he’d enjoy seeing a human city.”

“As long as he’s okay exploring it on his own,” Adam said dryly. “This isn’t a nine-to-five job we’re offering you.”

“Neither were any of my other ones,” Kaden replied, equally dry. “Are you offering, or just spitballing?”

“Offering. Well, telling you. We want you out front and friendly. Genial and easy to get along with. Helpful, hard-working, not a threat.”

Kaden laughed. “What you’re saying is that you actually want to hire my mate.”