Page 12 of The Brooding Alpha’s Mate (Omegas of the Shifter Mafia #9)

Alex

I’d seen how happy my cousin was being mated, and the other guys too, for that matter. They walked around like their life was filled with glitter and sunshine. Looking back, I’d never really understood how different their life was from mine. It was so much more than just sharing a life together.

Though they repeatedly saw the darkness of this world in a way I hadn’t. Because while I witnessed my mate’s situation personally, I’d been removed from all the others. Whereas they had, time and again, seen the horrors of this world and were still managing to enjoy the good.

I wasn’t foolish enough to think that some of the cases they’d dealt with didn’t weigh on them, or that they didn’t have nightmares from time to time. But their days were filled with such love…a love that made everything worth it.

But now? Now that I was mated to Colson, I got it. Just being around him had me feeling like I was home for the first time, like I was no longer alone.

Which wasn’t fair to my cousin and the guys, because they worked hard to make me part of their pseudo pack. I hadn’t been alone while at the same time being completely alone. And I still had them and I always would. Only now, I had Cole too, and he was the center of my universe.

Marking him, connecting our beasts in that way, formed a connection so deep that I expected to wake up and discover it was all a dream. Could something this wonderful be real? And yet it was.

I could sense him rooms away, and there were times when his emotions reached me before he said a word or came into my view.

It was amazing and perfect and fabulous, but also terrifying. Because no matter how we sugarcoated it, the two of us were here hiding—hiding from real danger. And until Dean and his crew were dead, we couldn’t begin our life together, not our real life.

“Morning, mate.” Colson walked into the kitchen, his eyes still sleepy. “Why are you up so early? I wanted to snuggle you and you were gone.”

“That’s because I had really important things to do.” I picked up the bowl of batter I’d made. “This is my father’s pancake recipe, and it needs to sit for at least two hours to get the right texture.”

At least my dad had always told me that. I’d never had it any other way, so it could be a myth.

My mate chuckled. “How long has it been here?”

I glanced at the clock on the stove. “About five more minutes and it’s go time.”

“Excellent.” He stepped on his tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “I’m gonna go clean up, and when I come back, I’m expecting pancake goodness.”

I preheated the griddles and put the butter on it, loving the way it smelled as it sizzled.

My phone went off, only it wasn’t really my phone. It was one that my cousin had stashed in with all of our supplies. Even if I hadn’t lost my phone, this was better being far less traceable.

All that was on it was the encrypted messaging app and phone service. There wasn’t internet beyond that. They weren’t taking any chances, and I was glad for it. Taking chances with my mate was unacceptable.

The text told me that the guys were leaving for here in a couple hours, that they had some information.

Them coming over and not saying “come back” wasn’t the best news I could be getting. But given that they were waiting a couple hours to leave, it couldn’t be that bad.

I worked on the pancakes, putting the ones that actually were circular in nature on one plate, and the ones that were more of a jumbled mess because I flipped them poorly on the other.

When Colson came out, I put the good pile in front of him and took the other.

He eyed each of them and then reached for my plate, holding up his other hand. “Don’t even think of stopping me.”

“I would never.” And it was the truth. Denying him was all but impossible. “But can you tell me why?”

He smooshed his lips, wiggling from left to right.

“I could say it’s because I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for me all the time, and that would be true. I don’t. But that’s not why.”

I leaned back, very curious about what was coming next.

“It’s because growing up, when my grandmother made pancakes, they always looked like this.” He said it as one word.

Adorable.

“Well, you’re in luck. They’re my specialty.”

He reached for the butter. “Your dad really knew what he was doing with this recipe. They smell delicious.”

As much as I’d have loved to talk about my father, we had more pressing matter

“And speaking of knowing what they’re doing, the team’s coming here. I don’t know how many, and I’m sorry. I know it might be overwhelming, but they have news about Dean, and if they’re coming here, it means we’re not quite safe yet.”

He put his hand on mine on the table.

“It’s okay. I may be scrawny, but I’m tough.”

“Oh, you’re the toughest omega I know, 100 percent.”

They arrived hours later. It wasn’t everybody, only Hammer, Sloan, Maverick, and Aziz. We all sat around the table.

Maverick was the one who explained in detail what they learned about the lions’ “businesses” and that they had a plan. They were going to take them apart from the inside.

I didn’t understand the ins and outs of the technology component of it, but the end result was that they would be bankrupt and looking at some federal charges.

That was ideal, because the shifter powers that be would never allow them into prison. The chances of us being found out were far too great. A timely death before the verdict was given. And I was glad for it. They deserved it. They deserved to suffer.

Whatever that made me, it made me. I didn’t care. They abused my mate, and for that, I had no mercy or grace.

“Sloan,” my mate, looked across the table. “Can you go over the part about the house slaves again?”

“Well, there’s nothing specific, just to the house slaves, we’re going to make sure that we get all the slaves out before the arrests.”

“Do you have the names? Can you tell me, is Chad okay?”

Sloan shook his head. “We don’t know that much detail about any of them. Most of the information we have is through computer hacking, and they didn’t really keep records on that.”

“Okay.” My mate grabbed my hand.

He was very much not okay, nor was the information he gleaned. But when he told me he was strong and pushing through…he’d meant it.

“I want to help rescue the omegas.” This was important to my mate. There was no way I could sit around and not try and help.

A chorus of noses came at me.

“Let me restate it. I’m going to help rescue the omegas.”

Hammer stood up. He was taking his position as leader and wielding all of its authority. I’d only seen him do it twice, but standing up meant a command was coming.

“You need to stay here with your mate. That’s your job. That’s your responsibility. No one can protect him like you, and right now, this is the safest place he can be.”

Colson stood up next, not even pretending to be intimidated by our leader. Everyone, including Hammer, looked at him like he’d lost his ever-loving mind.

And maybe he had, but if they had a problem with it, they’d have to go through me.

The room filled with my bear’s scent, and Hammer gave me a look and said, “Do. Not. Even.”

Great. Things were going from bad to worse.

“I need to go.” My mate was not backing down.

“I know that place better than anyone, and I need to get Chad out of there. I’m sorry if I’m breaking whatever protocol you have here, and I don’t mean disrespect.

I need you to understand that Chad and I promised each other.

I could never live with myself if I didn’t at least try. ”

Hammer sat down with a long sigh. “As much as I want to win this one, I’m not going to, am I?”

He looked directly at me. “No. I’m pretty sure none of us are, other than Colson.”

“Fine. But you will obey when we’re there and not do anything reckless.”

Colson squeezed and squeed, which was not the same as saying he would obey, but I had a feeling it was as good as we were going to get.