Monday, May 13th Pt. 2

‘Try to be available if she needs help. I will leave a note with instructions on what I would like her to do but she also knows she’s her own person here. She has her phone and knows to call you. She also has a link with me. I’ll link with Dr. Hammond for a late consultation appointment so we can get a better understanding of sex while she’s pregnant.’
‘Relax honey. You have this more under control than you think. Ari knows I’m available the same as you and if she chooses to shadow me then I’ll show her around the easier things we do.’
‘Thanks mom. I truly appreciate you.’
We break off the link as I exit the shower for the dryers, one of the quickest ways to get ready. I throw on some business casuals as I link with my beta, Braysen.
‘I’m very sorry for the short notice but I need you on point with the pack today.’
‘What’s going on now?’
‘Well I’m very sorry to interrupt your latest fling but Dr. Leroux stumbled upon a stray in need of assistance. Despite telling him I would lay low, my instincts proved correct when the young man tried to flee.’
‘Why didn’t you let him?’
I groan as I rub the side of my head. Why goddess is it so difficult to find a proper beta to help run this place? Braysen is my third beta in twelve years and I’m honestly ready to replace him. I just haven’t found a proper reason to do so.
‘I’m not asking you to attend meetings for the hospital or hotel. I’m just asking you to do your job and be available for the pack while I’m not.’
‘Fine, I’ll be in your office by ten.’
‘Braysen that’s not…..’
I can feel the link cut off before I can tell him how inappropriate that is. He’s lucky that I got tied twice this morning as I don’t think I could have handled such disrespect after going months without sex. I chuckle to myself as I realize sex has never been important to me until I met my mate. It was always enjoyable but not something I pined for when I got out of a relationship.
I wake my Ari gently, kissing her as she opens her eyes.
“I want you to rest today. Those cramps were intense and I’m going to get an appointment for this evening so we can get a better handle on having sex while you're pregnant. I don’t want you to lose the enjoyment and a full year without might lead me into killing my beta.” She smiles at my comment. “First big thing I need help on is finding a beta who will challenge my thought process without disrespecting me.”
“I thought you liked Braysen?”
“This is the third time his random fling in bed came before the pack. I don’t anticipate anything happening but I’m going to be at the hospital all morning and possibly part of the afternoon and I planned on taking the rest of the day to be with you.”
“I’m fine. I’ll help your mom.”
“No. I want you to relax.”
I’m serious with my request but gentle with the kiss I use to lay her back down. I straddle her body as I wrap my arms under her.
“Please Ari. You are your own person here. I would never take away your freedom to choose but I got caught up in how good things felt, took advantage of the situation and it led to you cramping up. I’m concerned about the twins and the possibility that being too active after we tied twice in less than fifteen minutes could create an issue. I’d love to stay here and treat you like the princess you are to me but I have another that’s been seriously injured.”
“Who?” She asks sleepily.
“All he knows is what he was told. He was told his name is Colton and he was in a life threatening battle three weeks before he woke. I’m not certain how his wrist got missed but it has not healed and it’s causing him a lot of pain.”
“I will rest but I will help you as well. I promise if I start feeling bad I’ll talk to the doctor.”
“Thank you.”
I stay with her until she’s asleep. I never imagined how hard it would be to tear myself away from her after something so minor but I know my duties and I promised this young man help. Something I will never go back on.
It’s difficult for me to pull myself away from my newly found mate but unlike Braysen, I know my duties well and I will not neglect them.
‘Dev, are you busy?’ I use the link with him as I quietly close my bedroom door.
‘Waiting for Cole to finish up. He’s having a very rough morning. Something has spooked him badly enough that I had to intervene in him trying to run away twice last night.’
‘Those dreams of his are going to get him into trouble. Has he spoken about them any?’
I find the motivation to walk towards the stairs as I continue the conversation.
‘No and I’m not certain that’s what spooked him.’
‘You have a different idea.’
‘The idea of going to the hospital has him so panicked he’s throwing up and he has nothing in his stomach to give.’
‘Have you tried giving him Valium?’ I try to ask in a way that doesn’t offend him.
‘After his second attempt to run resulted in him falling on his arm he agreed to the Valium but he’s now having a hard time metabolizing it. I gave him the average dose I give a beta four hours ago just before 4am. It put him out a lot quicker than I would have liked and it’s taken over an hour to get him awake. Now that his adrenaline has kicked into high gear he’s suffering some very nasty side effects.’
‘Wouldn’t his adrenaline mixing with a sedative cause a high like feeling.’
‘Yes and he’s not one who’s ever been high, I can assure you of that.’
‘I take it there’s no doubt that his bad veins have nothing to do with drugs?’ I ask as I’m trying to gather as much circumstantial evidence as I can to grant him sanctuary.
‘Between his severe aversion to needles and his current reaction to being high I would bet money that any drug use he might have engaged in isn’t voluntary.’
‘Involuntary drug use?’
I’m shocked by the innuendo towards the possibility.
‘What do you need from me beyond just being there?’
I change the subject to what I initially contacted him for.
‘You wanted to bring your laptop. You needed me to try and decipher the legalese of the current sanctuary laws.’
‘Yes sir I did.’
I step off the stairs and head to the hall tucked behind them. This hall used to be guest suits for when other alphas come to the pack but for six years after I graduated high school I traveled to the meetings that I was invited to and ultimately decided I didn’t want to open my land to them so I changed this hall into office space for those who work in the pack house.
My office is the first one on the right. The door is open indicating that the house omegas have come in and tidied up the place. Normally I would take my shoes off before entering but since I’m not staying I don’t.
I walk straight to my desk and open the bottom drawer where I keep my bag for my laptop. I pull out the bag, placing it on my desk as I close the drawer. I open the laptop and turn it on, leaning uncomfortably over the desk as I wait. There’s something I want to check on before heading over to Deven’s. While we never concluded our conversation I can tell he has let go of the link as it was easy to hear his struggle with the young man we’re trying to help. I quickly review the pdf I downloaded on the most recent laws released. I’m shocked to see the latest version is dated January 2nd. I easily realized that there had been major changes to them when the first thing I came to distinctly said that all rogues were to receive tracking devices no matter their gender, rank, or ferality status. It also distinctly says that no rogue is to be killed without proof of provocation. What I haven’t been able to read through is what’s necessary for filing for sanctuary status. This young man is in obvious need of help and my concern is that I won’t be able to keep him here until I have an idea where he’s going.
I reduce the window and put my laptop to sleep, shutting the top and unplugging it at the same time. I verify that I have my spare plug in the bag before packing everything away. Zipping the bag shut is the last thing I do before picking it up. I sling the strap over my shoulder as I quickly leave my office. My understanding was that we would arrive separately but I have the same feeling as last night; this lad needs me.