Part Four

I sent the Omega, whose name was Catherine, with Max who would take her to the Council for relocation and also inform them about our recommendations with regard to the pregnancy and the penalty I had already imposed.

“You were very lenient today,” Jared remarked as I drove towards the next location on our list.

“Not in the long run,” I said to him with a smile.

“What do you mean? You gave him a pass,” Jared said.

“Did I? He’s going to pay for the next eighteen years and if that baby’s a boy he can challenge Winston for the Alpha seat one day,” I said as Jared looked at me.

“Do you think he realizes that?” he asked me.

“Not yet,” I said

“Are you going to tell the Omega that?” he asked me.

“She has a name Jared. I will most definitely be seeing Catherine again and I might even extend her the courtesy of visiting our pack to train that baby if he’s a boy and reaches the age of ten,” I said to him.

“You really don’t like this guy, do you?” he asked me.

“Not in the slightest,” I said.

“Neither do I, I really don’t get these Alphas who think they are above it all,” he said.

“Most higher ranking children are raised that they’ll take over one day, raised as royalty, not all of them though, but most,” I said.

“So who’s up next?” he asked me.

“The Thoreau lair,” I said to him.

Jared opened the folder and read up on the lair we were visiting next. Dragons were very different to wolves, they didn’t live in pack houses and their territories usually consisted of whole towns or parts thereof. Their members lived throughout that town and they would have their meetings and ceremonies at the Sire’s mansion or a specific building allocated for that.

Security was different because their borders were open and Sires were more reactive than proactive unless they were aware of a certain problem. There were usually less problems with lairs as the members had more freedom. Sires tended to be more wary and Dragons over all had trust issues but they were mostly friendly, compromising and very open.

“Ajax Thoreau!” I yelled as I climbed out of the car and Jared looked at me as I leaned against the driver’s side.

“Damon Woods, look what the cat dragged in,” Ajax said as he opened the front door and smiled as he descended the steps down from the porch.

“Is that you or your chameleon talking?” I asked him as Jared started to laugh.

“Easy tiger, let’s not get personal,” he said as we both laughed. We hugged and slapped each other’s backs as I turned to Jared.

“This is Jared, my Beta,” I said to him.

“And you must be Sire Ajax,” Jared said as they shook hands.

“If you brought your Beta then this is official Enforcer business,” Ajax said.

“Yes, inspection time and with that get us some stiff drinks, we’re coming from the Booth pack in Bennington,” I said and Ajax grimaced.

“Never liked that guy,” he said.

“You’re acquainted with the wolf pack?” Jared asked him.

“I like to know who lives around me, I don’t just forge alliances with dragonkin,” he said as we followed him into his house.

“Michelle!” he yelled and I heard movement from the kitchen.

“Damon?” she asked as she flung her arms around me and I picked her up slightly as we hugged.

“Geez, you really do know the whole world,” Jared said.

“Damon introduced me to Ajax after saving my life as part of one of his first assignments,” Michelle said as she hooked her arm into mine.

“Okay kitty cat get your paws off my wife,” Ajax said jokingly as he led us to a bar room and started pouring drinks.

“She might prefer a smoother finish than your reptilian hide,” I said as he handed me a glass.

“You two can fight it out later but first I want to hear all about this mate of yours,” Michelle said as she went to go sit next to Ajax.

“She’s actually Jared’s sister, so that was a bit of a surprise,” I said as Michelle smiled.

“And you haven’t consummated the bond yet? Your scent hasn’t changed,” she remarked.

“She turns eighteen in a month, so still patiently waiting,” I said as Ajax laughed.

“And you Jared?” Michelle asked him.

“I still have another year to go, she was sixteen when we met,” Jared said and I placed my hand on his shoulder.

“Before you know it, Charlotte will be integrated into our clowder and you’ll be attending your own ceremony,” I said to him.

“Damon, you know the way to the office, open records, you know how I work, if you need anything just shout, Michelle and I’ll be around, I know you prefer to work in silence and go through the files on your own time,” Ajax said.

“Thanks, if everyone was more like you my job would be much easier,” I said to him.

“You do realize there’s a reason you only have like two friends,” he said to me.

“Asshole,” I said as they all laughed.

Jared followed me through to Ajax’s office with our drinks and I settled in the chair behind the desk where Ajax would normally sit. I knew the layout of his office and where he kept what. He was one of my first assignments ever and we’d been friends for about three years now.

“So you and Ajax are actually really friends?” Jared asked me.

“He’s a good contact to have, sound businessman and a great friend, very loyal,” I said to him.

“How come it’s the first I hear of this?” Jared asked me.

“I’ve told you about Ajax,” I said to him.

“Not that you were such close friends,” he said.

“Are you jealous?” I asked him.

“Don’t be an idiot Damon,” he said to me as I smiled.

We worked in silence for the next two hours as we went through files and statements. Ajax was very meticulous and tonight we’d attend one of his lair meetings to get a general feel for his members. Jared sat back after a while and closed the file he was busy with.

“I hate to admit it, but this guy’s good, everything’s in order and his businesses are booming,” he said.

“Yeah, he’s a good Sire, he takes very good care of his lair,” I agreed.

“Come on, let’s go get another drink and head over for the lair meeting,” I said to him.

We found Ajax and Michelle in the kitchen where they were both busy preparing dinner and I sat down on one of the barstools at the counter as Jared stood next to me.

“You don’t have servants?” Jared asked him.

“We have employees, but on Sundays we give everyone off so they can also enjoy a family day,” Michelle said.

“You hear that Damon, people get off days,” he said as he looked at me.

“You’re a Beta, we’re never off,” I said to him as Ajax laughed.

“Well Sire Ajax I’m happy to report that unless your lair members are filled with hate for you, your lair passes with flying colours,” Jared said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said and winked at me.

“Let’s eat and then we’ll head over to the auditorium,” Ajax said.

Ajax and Michelle weren’t pretentious and we ate homemade hamburgers at the kitchen counter with glasses of juice. They were down to earth people and even though their house was nice it didn’t scream luxury and I knew that Ajax had money, but he spent most of it on his lair, their housing and projects and none of them suffered.

After dinner we headed to their auditorium and we sat in the back as Ajax led the meeting and we randomly read a few minds. The general consensus was one of happiness and most of the lair members knew me and they welcomed Jared to their ranks.

Jared and I opted to walk back to the house in the middle of the meeting and we observed a few warriors posted throughout the forest. It was all men I knew and there had been no breaches on their borders for months now.

“I’m going to head to bed and I still need to call Iris,” I said to Jared as we headed upstairs.

“See you in the morning and Damon…” Jared said.

“Yeah?”

“I like them, he’s got a good lair here,” he said and I smiled as I closed the bedroom door.

“Hey, you,” Iris answered the phone.

“What are you up to?” I asked her.

“Not much, planning my birthday party and acceptance ceremony,” she said.

“So not missing me at all,” I said.

“Nope, I’ve got plenty here to keep me busy,” she said with a laugh.

“Then I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I said to her.

“Sleep tight and I do miss you,” she said.

“Miss you too,” I said.

We ended the call and I lay down on the bed as I thought about how my life had turned out. My mother was doing better and Kat was practically all grown up. The clowder was doing well and I’d met my mate which meant the clowder would benefit from the added strength that a female equal adds to the equation.

“Axel?” I said.

“What?” he asked me.

“Why aren’t we happier?” I asked him.

“I was wondering the same thing,” he said.

“I want to be,” I said to him.