The Omega's Mate: (5 page)

Chapter Six

Carly hurried to the Sheriff’s station.  Her Alpha, Adam, had summoned her to soothe Mrs Martin.  Apparently someone had tried to rob her whilst she was home, and she was understandably a little shocked.  However, they wanted her calm, not screaming the station down.

Pushing the door open, Carly waved hello at Liv, her Beta’s mate, before hastening in the direction of Mrs Martin’s strident voice. 

The pack did have another Omega called Kira, who had recently mated with her pack mate Gabe.  Kira had taken some of Carly’s responsibilities, to allow her to spend time opening the cake shop.  But Kira had trouble deciphering non-pack mate’s emotions.  Kira had no trouble with pack members who weren’t wolves, and could even sense pack member’s non-wolf mates before they bonded, but she struggled with anyone not associated with the pack.

Carly, on the other hand, was subject to everyone’s emotions.  If they weren’t pack the connection was a little hazy, but it was still there.  Although she blocked it out as best she could, she was able to sense every single member of the pack at any given time or place.  Carly was a very strong Omega
.  It was a gift and a curse.

Mrs Martin was sat fanning herself, whilst the female Deputies, her pregnant pack mate Mac and a bobcat called Deanna, tried to reassure her she was safe and plied her with water.  “That ogre just burst into my house!  He knocked me to the floor and said he was going to rob me blind!”

“That’s a lie!” rumbled an enraged voice.

Carly stopped.  The voice was coming from the cells.  The others winced when they heard it, but to Carly it had a deep, comforting quality that enfolded itself around her, and made her whole body hum.  She inhaled deeply and shuddered at the delicious, earthy scent.  Her wolf yowled pleasurably.

Without thinking, her legs moved toward the voice.  There were others now arguing with it, her pack mates, but she barely registered them.  She tiptoed into the cells and found her bruised and battered looking pack mates, Deputies Gabe and Jake.  The disheveled Beta and Sheriff, Alec, along with the Alpha, Adam, stood in front of the cell door, engaged in a heated argument with the occupant.

Carly trembled when she saw who it was, partly in fear and partly in excitement.  She was right; it was Cain Moran.  Her mate.  Her wolf was ecstatic. 
Yes, he has found us… sort of.
  Was he in Rose for her?

The bear suddenly straightened and let out a lusty growl.  Fear danced over the eyes of the Deputies, but Cain ignored them, he looked past them to the only thing that mattered. 
His mate.

A predatory grin spread across his face, as his eyes blackened.  His fangs and claws descended and his beast roared in contentment.  Arousal more potent that he had ever experienced surged through him.  The cell bars groaned under his tightening grip.

Carly gasped at the wildness of her mate.  Her pack mates spun round in surprise.  Alec moved to her and took her arm to lead her away.

Cain howled at the other male touching his mate. 
My mate, mine!
  “Don’t touch her!”

Adam looked between Carly and Cain with fearful suspicion.  “Carly?”

“Carly…” crooned the bear. 
Yes, a name at last.

The Omega wrung her hands.  “What’s going on?”

Alec dropped his hand and jutted his chin at Cain.  “This gentleman was apparently knocking on doors, demanding to know who lived there.  When Mrs Martin wouldn’t tell him, he forced his way into her home and started searching it.”

“Oh.”

“I was trying to find you baby.”  Cain told her proudly.

“Ohhhhh…”

“Carly?  Explain now,” ordered Adam, impatiently.

Cain bristled at the tone this male used with his mate.  “Don’t speak to her that way!”

Carly rubbed her neck.  “He’s uh… he’s my mate.”

The four male wolves gaped at her in disbelief, whilst Cain and his bear roared in satisfaction.  Their mate acknowledged them.  Now all they had to do was bond. 
If these idiot wolves opened the cell, they could get onto it straight away.

“This bear?” asked Gabe, gesturing to Cain.  “This bear is your mate?”

Carly nodded embarrassed.  She could see Gabe and Jake were trying not to chortle with laughter. 
The idea of the tiny Omega mated to the behemoth of a bear was priceless
.

In spite of Cain’s snarls, Adam put his hand on Carly’s shoulder.  She soaked up his rays of calm, allowing her inner turmoil to dissipate.  “We’ll give you a few moments alone.”

Adam motioned to the other wolves, who quickly followed him out the room, Alec somewhat reluctantly.

Cain inhaled her scent and moaned. 
Mmmmm cookies
.  Now that the four males had left, he could smell her delicious fragrance, unspoiled by their sweaty musk. 
Although, the scent of the Alpha and the Beta did linger on her skin
.  His bear didn’t like that.  He needed to get out of this cage so he could rub himself all over her, and cover her with his fragrance.

Carly raked her fingers through her hair.  She quivered under his intense gaze.  Nobody had ever looked at her like that that, like he wanted to devour her body and soul.  “So uh hi I guess.” 
Smooth Carly, real smooth.

Cain beamed at his nervous little mate. 
She was adorable
.  “Hello Carly.”

She gulped and spoke quickly, stumbling over her words.  “I’m Carly Finlay by the way.  As I’m sure you can tell, I’m a wolf shifter, and I‘m a member of the Grey wolf pack.  And I uh, I know you’re Cain Moran.”

The bear cocked his head. 
She already knew him?
  Had they met before, and he’d been too stupid to see who she was and what she meant to him?

“I saw you fight last night…”

Cain puffed out his chest; he was pleased his mate had witnessed his dominance over the larger shifter.  She had already seen what a strong and fierce protector he would be.  “Yeah?  You saw me take down that rhino?  Guy was pretty big, but he went down like a pussy cat.”

“Well, actually I umm, left after the first round… I wasn’t feeling well.”  Maybe now wasn’t the time to mention the reason she wasn’t well, if they were to have a relationship, she didn’t want it to start with him knowing what a wuss she was. 
That could be an unpleasant surprise for later.

Cain frowned as his bear whimpered.  He didn’t like the sound of her being sick at all.  “Baby I’m sorry, come here so I can check your temperature.”

He reached out through the bars, keen to get hold of her.  It had been at least fourteen hours since they met, and he still hadn’t felt his skin against hers.  Both he and his bear were getting antsy.

Heat suffused her face.  “That’s okay; I’m fine now.”

Hmmm she sure was a skittish little thing.  Perhaps she was a virgin?  His bear was elated at the thought.  The idea of any other man having touched his mate was intolerable, but the thought made the man blanch.  He wasn’t sure his animal nature would allow him to be gentle with her, not the first time they were together. 
If she were a virgin, it could be pretty damn rough on her…

“Look Cain, I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night.”

“It’s fine, why don’t you come over her, and shake my hand in apology?”  Cain again reached out to her.

Carly ignored the waving meaty paw and continued.  “I shouldn’t have run out on you like that… I was just upset.”

The bear cringed at her hurt laced tone.  He had wounded his mate. 
Admittedly it was unintentional, but still.

Cain rubbed his hand over his face.  Scraping back an inch of control, his eyes shifted back to their usual dark brown.  “No, I’m sorry.  That wasn’t how I wanted to meet you.  My behavior was inexcusable.  I don’t blame you for running.”

“Those women…”

“Meant nothing to me, I don’t even know their names.”  He interrupted quickly.  “They were just two women I met in the bar, and they wanted some fun, that’s all.”

Carly mulled this over.  “Is that the kind of thing you often do?  Pick up women to have sex, and don’t even bother to learn their names?” 

Carly’s tone was neutral, but he could tell by her words that she was stung.

“It’s the kind of thing I used to do before I met you… I won’t be doing it again, if that’s what you’re concerned about.  I only want to be with you.”

“You don’t know me…”

Cain leaned his head against the bars.  “I know fate chose you for me because you’re the perfect woman for me.  Fate was right; you are perfect in every way.”

Carly scoffed.  He’d soon change his tune.  Just wait until the first time he wakes in the middle of the night, to find her having a meltdown, and crying on the floor of the bathroom
.  Let’s see how well he handles that!

“I just couldn’t imagine sleeping with someone I didn’t care about, even a little.”

Cain’s face turned stony.  “How many men have you been with?” 
He aimed for nonchalance but came up somewhere between antagonistic and livid.

Carly rolled her eyes, a spark of willful playfulness appearing.  “Don’t get snippy with me.  I’m guessing you could multiply my number by ten, and it still wouldn’t put a dent in how many women you’ve been with.”

Cain tried for a softer approach.  “I just can’t imagine any man taking you to bed, and ever letting you go again.”

Her wolf preened, but Carly fell back to self-deprecation.  “Maybe you should sleep with me before you say that…”

Cain’s eyes lit up.  “Invitation accepted.  Now if you could just open this cell, we could run back to my room at the Bed and Breakfast.”

“What?!  No I wasn’t…”  Carly blustered. 

Her body tingled at the thought of taking him inside, and she couldn’t fail to notice the impossibly large bulge the bear was sporting in the front of his trousers. 
He should cover that up, he might scare children.

“Too late pretty wolf, you already offered.  Let’s seal it with a hug, come here!”  Once again, he reached out his arms to her through the bars.

“I can’t let you out of that cell anyway; that’s up to Adam or Alec.”

Cain sneered at the mention of the other males.  “The two that touched you.”

“They’re my Alpha and my Beta; they wouldn’t hurt me, and they’re definitely not interested in me that way…” 
So few wolves had ever been.

“I don’t like you touching other males.  You are not to touch anyone else.  Ever!” 

Cain knew he was a hypocritical ass, and he didn’t care.  Since meeting Hans and Don’s mates he had hugged, made sly innuendos and kissed the women on the cheek repeatedly. 
All to piss off the two possessive wolves
.  It mostly only worked in Hans’ case, but Don only had so much patience.  He laughed at how ridiculous their attitudes were to their women. 
But now with his mate, he was even worse than them!

Carly tensed a little.  “That doesn’t bode well for our future then… I’m an Omega.  It’s my responsibility to soothe my pack members.  I have to touch them.  It’s not sexual.”

“I don’t like it,” groused Cain.  “Can’t they find some other chump to be the Omega?”

“What?!”

Chump?!
  Her wolf forgot about her desire for the male and snarled at his arrogance.  Okay, so over the years Carly had complained about being an Omega.  A lot.  But that was her right, who was this bear to say anything about being an Omega? 
What did he know?!

“I don’t want my mate to be an Omega.”

Carly placed her small hands on her hips; her cheeks burned with fury.  “You think I’m a chump?  Clearly you’ve no idea what it means to be an Omega.  I’m sorry that I’m a disappointment as a mate.  I’m sorry that I’m an Omega and that I’m not like other she-wolves.  I know I’m not tall, and skinny, and beautiful, and strong like them.  But do you think I won the lottery in the mate department either?  Do you think I wanted a horny, insensitive, overgrown bear for a mate?  You don’t want me, fine with me!  Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”

Carly breathed heavily; she’d never been so forceful.  She wasn’t one to argue or fight back, but her perceived slight, by the one person in the world who was supposed to love her unconditionally brought out her fighting side.

His bear whimpered.  “Carly baby…”

“Don’t baby me!” shrieked Carly, eyes flashing. 

Carly spun on her heels and stalked out of the room, ignoring her pack mates as she went.  Dimly she was aware of her mate roaring her name, and throwing himself against the bars, but she was too angry to look back.

As soon as she could she started running and didn’t stop until she got home, and crawled into bed to cry into her pillow.

*

“What the fuck did you say to her?”  Hans paced up and down in front of Cain, berating the pitiful bear.

After Carly had stormed out, Mrs Martin decided she wasn’t actually interested in pressing charges against Cain.  It had all been a misunderstanding.  Instead, she hightailed out of the station, keen to pass on the gossip about what happened between the bear and the Omega.