Kick Back - Susi Hawke Page 0,8

mate. That alone is enough to make me curious because someone in his position could have his pick from any of the best families. And a mate like that wouldn't require a dowry as payment. I know a lot of wealthy shifters would happily mate him for free. So why would he contract a mate from an unknown family from your small country? No offense, but do you see my point?"

"I do. Now you've got me wondering because when you put it like that, it does seem suspicious. Do you think someone is trying to flush out the underground railroad?" Darius looked concerned as he stared off into the distance.

We sat there quietly for a few minutes while we all considered both Darius’s and Gib's questions. My mind wandered and I thought about how we should fight back against the SPTA and put an end to these forced matings. Omegas should have rights over their own bodies. And most importantly, they should be able to say who they mated.

Fuck the system that allowed contracts and arranged matings done without the omega’s consent. Hell, they were being sold like cattle to the alphas, and usually by their own parents while the people in charge either supported it, profited from it, or turned a blind eye.

We needed to make it public knowledge in the shifter communities, show them the money changing hands for their brothers and sisters to be mated and sent to live with the strangers who’d basically bought them with a “dowry” to the parents. And once they got wherever they were sent, they’d have no support system or way to escape.

But to make it public, we’d need proof. It was easy to pretend it wasn’t happening in our shifter communities when nobody knew what the contracts entailed. Proof. How would I get that, though? I reached out and grabbed Darius by the forearm, excited as something occurred to me.

"Darius, I can't help but wonder if your father, or at least his assistant, would have kept records of the money paid to the crown from its portion of the mating contracts. I think it would be good to have proof tying Saul to this if we need it later, but maybe… hmm. I hesitate to suggest it but if the records go back far enough, we might even find answers for Father Clarence. You know, like where he might find his brother?"

Gib quirked an eyebrow. "We still haven't talked about this whole mating thing or how you're able to ignore it. But can I ask why you’re sitting there worrying about past history when we're supposed to be saving Father Clarence's life? Sure, we need to help him find his brother at some point but saving his bacon comes first, I would think."

I shrugged as if that would explain it. "So let me get this straight. On the one hand you're wondering how I'm able to ignore the mating pull but on the other you want to remind me that saving his life comes first? Duh. That's why I'm waiting and my puma agrees completely. I'd imagine it's the same on my mate’s end. First safety, then discuss the mating thing. As for his brother, it’s just that I was thinking about how these contracts need to end and we’d need proof if—when—we take that challenge on. And then it occurred to me that the king probably has records and then I remembered about Clarence's brother. See, it all makes sense."

Darius snorted. "Dear, I would be afraid to get a glimpse of how your mind works. I must say, though, that does all make sense." He paused, looking skeptical as he shook his head. "I don't know that my father has records, but this is the one time of the week that you could find out with an extremely good chance of not getting caught. That is, if you're willing to take a chance and go snooping in my father's private office. It’s attached to his private quarters so if you’re found there, it’s not going to end well."

Gib groaned. "Hon, noooo… never offer my brother a challenge like that. Now he'll have to do it just to show he's not chicken." I laughed because he wasn't wrong. Normally. Right now, I would do it because it was the correct thing to do. I felt that strongly to be true. I knew it from the center of my gut that never led me wrong.

Darius chuckled at my brother's dramatic groaning