Page 221 of Omega's Heart

The hair stood up on the back of Kaden’s neck and both Quin and Cas went wide-eyed and exchanged uncertain glances before Quin reached into his pocket and pulled out two phones.

He set his aside, then turned his attention to Holland’s. “You might as well get it from the wolf’s maw.” He tapped at the screen a couple of times, then Mitchel Buffalo Gap’s voice, sharp as acid, filled the air around them.

Part way through the second voicemail, Kaden had to leave. Flashbacks to some of his less than positive experiences in the Army kept breaking through, leaving him dazed and a little confused about when and where he was. The phrase, “We should have snapped your neck right after birth, it would have been kinder to everyone,” kept ringing in his ears, drowning out the world around him.

He found Felix in the kitchen, sitting at the table with the rest of the omegas and a half-dozen of the youngest pups, Abel’s little boy Ryker on what was left of Felix’s lap. Lysoon, he was so handsome sitting there, casually feeding bits of cucumber and tomato to their nephew while they discussed… Ha, he almost laughed out loud. They were already planning what help they could offer Green Moon. And just that little bit of normalcy set his world back mostly right-side up again.

Still… “I love you so much,” he blurted, interrupting the conversation, and bent to kiss his mate as if they were entirely alone.

Felix gave a startled laugh and accepted the kiss in a bemused fashion. “What’s going on?” he asked when their lips finally parted.

Kaden stroked his thumb over Felix’s cheek, but it was Holland he looked at. “Quin let us hear a little of what your father has been saying. I’m appalled and ashamed on behalf of all alphas and I truly hope you know that not all of us are like him.”

Holland’s head had come up like he’d smelled a deer. “I know for a fact that you’re not all like him. But I’m about to nail my mate’s hide to the wall.” He handed Madoc off to Raleigh and got to his feet, his movements sharp with frustration as he strode out of the kitchen.

“Shit,” Kaden muttered. “I set the wolf in among the chickens with that, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Felix murmured. “Go make sure no blood gets spilled, okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. It made me so sick.”

Felix kissed him, short, sharp, and fierce like he was going into battle. “Best mate,” he whispered. “Now go keep your mom from blasting Holland.”

“Shit,” he said again, with more feeling, and beat a hasty retreat back to the porch.

By the time Kaden got back to the porch, Holland was already well into a low-voiced but tense conversation with Quin on the torn up grass in front of the porch. Cas was valiantly trying to keep up a conversation with their mother and looking incredibly uncomfortable with it.

A phone vibrated against the top of the small table. Kaden reached for it, but his mother was faster. She stared at the screen for a moment, then glanced down the steps toward her oldest son and his mate.

“Mom, leave it alone,” Kaden began, but she shook her head and accepted the call, darting out of the chair before Kaden or Cas could grab the phone from her. Seconds later, Mitchel’s voice boomed out of the phone’s speaker.

“Have you decided to grow up and act like an adult finally?” he snarled.

“Hello, Mitchel,” Kaden’s mother said, her voice cool and Southern pleasant.

Kaden knew that voice and by the sudden tension in his two brothers, they remembered it too.

Nothing good ever came from that voice.

“Who is this?” Mitchel demanded.

Holland stormed up the stairs. “Give me my phone!” he gritted out.

Their mom flicked a glance in his direction and shook her head. “It’s Veronica Salma Wood. I am entirely appalled at your behavior. This is not how the Alpha of a pack behaves.” She deftly avoided Holland’s attempt to snatch the phone out of her hand, and then Quin was there, holding Holland back and whispering in his ear.

Mitchel’s voice snapped out of the phone’s speaker. “What do you know about it? This is between me and my son!”

Her reply came in a flat, hard tone that still somehow managed to have an edge like live steel. “I’ve heard your messages, Mitchel.”

The pause stretched on the other end of the line, then Mitchel said, in a quieter voice, “That is not your business.”

“He’s mated to my son.”

“Which you’ve made no secret of your disappointment in. Put my son on.”

“No. You’ll stop this now, Buffalo Gap.”

“You seem to forget you’re not an Alpha’s Mate anymore. Even if you were, I am an Alpha and I am not subject to your authority. And this is none of your fucking business!”