“What were some of them saying?” Ramon asked.
Bell closed his eyes in dismay. “One female vampire who clawed at my hand said that her life mate had been missing for six months. Another said she and her beloved were homeless. Also, I heard from a shifter that his little brother was being abused by his alpha. A female shifter says her alpha forces some of the omegas in heat to lay with him… sometimes against their will.” Bell pressed his fist against his forehead. “There were humans too. An elderly woman said her building is being terrorized by vampires at night and she’s afraid to sleep.”
Wick walked in a wide circle with his hands on hips, his chin resting on his chest. “I knows there’s still much to be done. We’ve been so consumed with defending against uprisings that other areas of concern have been overlooked.”
“Not anymore,” Bell said sternly. “Our people need help, Chadwick. So do Alek’s. And because we’ve been neglecting the order of the covens, things have gotten bad. Now, they’re turning to us again.”
“We can’t do a million things at once, Bell. Your job is to oversee the elders of the covens, ensure they’re doing right by their followers. If any of their members are having a problem then that’s where they should be seeking help. I’ll need you to find out which coven leaders are no longer performing to the standards held by my rule.”
“I will be doing that,” Bell confirmed.
“Then it means you’ll have to end your obsession to exact revenge on Alessandro Giuliani. I fully need your head in the position as the Lord High and to trust when I say I have all resources at my disposal still hunting for the traitor who tried to kill you.”
Bell had to admit Wick was good. He knew Bell well enough to know this would be the perfect opportunity to get him re-focused on the real priority. The reason fate had led them both to a shifter’s land high in the freezing mountains of western Maine. For the prophesy. They should only be focused on reuniting their people to live in harmony once again.
“Where is my brother? He needs to know about this immediately.” Alek clutched Bell’s hand, and he could feel the effect those grievances had on his cherished’s compassionate heart. “An alpha… forcing Omegas is unheard of. It’s one of the highest moral crimes we have. No wonder a shifter of that size would be in a parking lot at eleven at night, practically crawling towards a vampire to touch his hand. Completely humble.”
“Justice went with your brothers to a burial at the Saratoga mountain pack. They’re choosing a new alpha so he won’t be back until the morning.” Wick sat in one of the armchairs positioned around an oval center table. “What’s with Omegas that makes it so immoral to take them against their will versus anyone else? I’m just curious, because it’s despicable no matter what.”
“Of course. But, Omegas are wolves born with a completely submissive spirit. Their aura brings peace to any habitat they’re in. If an omega is born into a pack, it’s usually a major celebration. They’re highly favored and adored. They never get angry, they can’t. They’re never rude or selfish, or any of the other things we have to work at not to be. Most alphas favor mating with them because of their passive nature and the way an Omega’s wolf eases the stress of their position. But, no alpha should…”
“Are there only female omegas?” Ramon asked.
“Mostly. Every now and then there’ll be a male born… and he’d be treated like royalty. But an alpha wouldn’t want to mate a male omega because he can’t give him any pups.”
“I see.” Wick nodded. “I’ll make sure this is the first issue on the agenda tomorrow morning. And second will be Bell’s selection for a Lord of Arms. You need someone to manage your security, Belleron. Especially after what happened tonight.”
Bell pulled at his torn lapel and the now fraying hem of his sweater. His friend may have a point. He was going to start forming committees, then visiting covens as soon as possible. He’d never get anything accomplished if he was met with that kind of chaos whenever he went out. “I understand. We’ll have to brainstorm heavily on that, because I still have no one to recommend.”
“Wolf can protect you himself,” Alek said.
Wick interjected before Bell could. “I know you can protect Bell when the two of you are together, Alek, but what about when you’re not? As you can see, it’s impossible for Justice to be with me at all times. Sometimes we’ll go a couple nights without falling asleep together. It’s called life. You two will see soon enough.”
“I may be able to find some senior lieutenants in the guard interested in the promotion,” Ramon stated.