Claimed For Their Pleasure (Omega Prey #6) - L.V. Lane Page 0,95

that encompasses both Jessa and me.

Jessa is our precious mate. She carries our child. It is her duty to protect the baby in her belly, to nourish it, and Goddess-willing, deliver it into the world. My job is to be close to her and defend her should Gage fail. His job is to protect us both.

My sense of place and purpose is rocked by this determination. For all I am a Beta, I am as prideful as the next man. Yet, pride has no place in this. I am Gage’s now, and he cares for what he considers his.

He is not a monster.

He is not even a bad man.

I think he might be one of the very best, truth be told.

I am humbled by this understanding.

He is still a grumpy bastard with strange notions of coddling the lass. He is also fucking fierce and brave. But for the first time since two became three, I can start to see my place.

Gage

“Come out, and answer for your crimes!”

I am greeted by a wall of Alphas keeping an enraged Jack at bay. He has not come alone. No, he has Fen, Glen, and a dozen Ralston warriors with him.

At my nod, my men step aside.

“I let you into my fucking clan, and this is how you repay me,” Jack roars. “Where are they?”

He has his fabled ax in hand and looks fit to bust someone open with it.

“They are inside,” I say calmly. A lifetime of dealing with my father’s rages has paid off, it would seem. “And if you stop waving your ax around like a mad man, I will let you see them both.”

“Both?” he says, ax lowering a notch.

“Aye, both.”

“They are well?” he asks tentatively.

I nod. “They are well.”

With a grunt, he shoves the handle of his ax through his belt. Fen, I notice, has folded his arms and is smirking.

“Jessa’s mother said as much,” Jack says, swiping a hand over his short beard and looking uncomfortable. “I thought the woman had lost her mind with the stress of losing her daughter twice.”

“Well, happen she’ll gain a grandchild after this one. Don’t know a woman who doesn’t lose her mind with excitement when a baby is involved.” Turning, I call over my shoulder, “You can come out now.”

It is only when they emerge that I remember Jessa is only wearing a fur. Cheeks pink, she doesn’t know where to look. Thank fuck Brandon has his pants on.

Jack cuts me a glare.

“We only returned yesterday, and I don’t have any fucking clothes for her,” I say.

Fen chuckles. “It covers more than the dresses Jack has Hazel wear—uff!” His words are cut off when Jack thumps his shoulder.

At least Jack is no longer glaring.

“I am well,” Jessa says. “Please, tell my family not to worry about me. Tell my mama I have gotten my heart’s desire.”

Jack’s face softens in a smile. “Aye, lass, I will.”

Jack and his men do not linger for long, keen to return home before night falls so that they can ease the mind of their clan that no wrongdoing has occurred. Not that Jessa’s mother was worried, according to Jack.

Jessa and I return to the hall, where I sit at the table with her on my lap. We share a cuddle, both of us relieved that Jack’s visit went well.

Outside, Brandon is saying his final words to Fen. He has been the Alpha’s second from a young pup, but that bond was broken when I claimed him.

It is a strange responsibility and one I do not take lightly. Shifters naturally form much tighter bonds within their pack. Beta shifters who do not bond to an Alpha, be they shifter or human, can turn feral and become stuck in their wolf form. It is hard to bring them back once that has happened, and more often, they must be killed.

I can sense Brandon’s mood inside me, in the same way I can sense Jessa’s. Strong and conflicted emotions are swirling through him as he says farewell to Fen. One chapter of his life is closing, and another is opening.

As it is for all three of us.

I understand from my new perspective that when a shifter bonds, it is based upon love and respect that grows ever deeper over time. Unexpectedly, I am jealous of what he once shared with Fen. It will take time, even with the mate-bond in place, for Brandon and me.

There is longing in Jessa as she watches the hall door and a rawness inside