been happening for centuries,” I explained to him. “Mistresses were chosen this way, pleasure slaves, all so the omega would not be left to die in the street.”
“Well, tell me this; is the alpha who sponsored the party in there somewhere, or does he just leave when the festivities start?”
“As I told you, he’s responsible for the health and life of every omega at the party. Wouldn’t you stay if your life was on the line?”
“Hell yeah I would,” Wade admitted.
“So the omegas choose to be there, no one forces them—outside of familial duty, and that’s a discussion for another day—but in many respects, they are physically safer at a sampling party than in a variety of other circumstances.”
“Okay, point taken,” he replied, squinting, still concerned I could tell. “And what if a female omega gets pregnant?”
“As lupine females enter a cycle of fertility only once a year, much like their wolf counterparts in the wild, avoiding an unwanted pregnancy is a simple matter of forethought and planning.”
“Yeah but––”
“Also, to be allowed to participate, female omegas must sign a contract stating they’re not in their breeding cycle.”
“I see,” Wade said, exhaling a deep breath.
“Now then,” I stated gently, “beyond your own personal distaste, over which I have no control, I believe that covers it.”
“It does, yes.” He gave me a hint of a smile. “Thank you for your patience with me.”
“Your concern for others is an admirable trait.”
He grunted. “Avery and I get in trouble for worrying so much about people, victims, when we’re supposed to have moved on.”
I could see that about them. Avery was made to nurture others, and Wade was a knight. They probably got in a lot of trouble.
“All right,” I announced, and both men turned to me. “Are we to adjourn to Bridget’s home to meet Detectives Peck and Ness?”
“No,” Avery told me. “We’re done for the night.”
My heart leapt. “We’re going home?”
Avery smiled at me and nodded. “Yeah, we’re going home.”
“I’m gonna take a cab,” Wade told us, yawning. “Marcie’s place is––”
“Meggie,” Avery corrected him sharply.
“Hah, I was just testing you.”
Avery scowled at him. “You were not. You’ve said it wrong enough times now it’s stuck in your head like that.”
Wade grimaced as though, yes, perhaps. I liked watching their interaction quite a bit.
“Shit,” Wade groused, “I think my phone is in the back seat of the Jeep.”
“I’ll go get the car and drive back and pick you up.” Avery leaned up for a kiss, which I gladly gave him; then I passed him the keys and he bolted down the street, turning the corner a moment later.
“I sincerely do appreciate you explaining the omega thing to me,” Wade admitted, putting a hand on my arm. “And for the record, I know he’s an omega. I’m not stupid. All the parties he’s gotta go to, I know what that’s about. I just didn’t want him to think I thought any less of him because of it. He’s kinda weird about anything having to do with being a wolf.”
I nodded. “He is, but I hope to work on that with him.”
Then we talked about real estate and how he wanted to buy a house, but his apartment was so easy to take care of, and centrally located. We talked about a couple restaurants I wanted to try, and a Korean place that he and Avery loved.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly.”
“You’re a cyne, and that’s above an ordinary alpha, right?”
“Correct.”
“But what does that mean?”
“It means I lead a holt.”
“Which isn’t a wolf pack.”
I nodded. “Natural wolves have packs; lupines do not.”
“You have families, like Avery’s dad is the alpha of his family.”
I nodded.
“And holts, which is several families, right?”
“Exactly.”
“But how does that work?”
“It’s like a vassal system. I take care of large numbers of people who, collectively, make small payments to me that I then disperse at my discretion, based on need.”
“So like, if my kid needs college tuition.”
“Yes.”
“But what if one family doesn’t have kids?”
“There are other factors. Consider medical bills, retirement, buying a home,” I replied, and then smiled. “Buying a home in Paris or Tahiti.”
Wade grinned at me then, and I liked that we were getting along. He was important to Avery and so to me as well.
“There are businesses that might need a bailout: farms, law firms, restaurants. Or a doctor who wants to open their own practice, a mechanic who wants their own garage. There are a million things people need, but instead of going to a bank, or some