“Wasn’t just for you, sweetie. Did it for my President, for my nephew, for my family.” The others at the table nodded their heads.

  “Yeah, about that. It’s the reason I stayed so late at the cop shop. Elsbeth testified that she and Grey knew what Gavin and his buddies did to you. Told them how far they could go. They figured that since you weren’t really related that it could be a treat for Gavin. Sick fuckers.” Theo froze and just stared at me. “Teach! Get Owen in here, NOW!”

  Owen walked into the room and rushed to Theo’s side the moment he saw him. “It’s OK honey, whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. It’s OK.” He petted Theo’s hair and rocked him side to side.

  Theo’s breathing calmed a bit, and he looked at me from over Owen’s shoulder and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’ I nodded my head at him before I continued. “That’s the other thing. Regarding the disappearance of Gavin and 2 of his friends, the feds determined that under the circumstances, the boys went into hiding to avoid charges of assault on a minor. They knew his parents were gonna go down for everything, so they took off and disappeared. If Gavin is found, they’ll file charges, but they don’t really expect to find them.”

  Bear let out a heavy huff of breath, as did Clip, Spuds and Teach. It really was over. Not one thing involving the Mossdales was gonna be able to touch us. Theo and Owen giggled behind Bear’s back. “Mister President, can I have a vote or bring things to the table?” Theo’s serious tone worried me a bit.

  “Yes, you can. As fated mate of the club President, under the guidelines, you have the same abilities and rights at the table as a patched officer.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He was up to something.

  He moved back to my left side and dragged Owen to stand behind him. Interesting. “Well, Gates let me read a copy of the club rule book.” Oh, this wasn’t gonna be good. “Mister President, Officers of Rogue Nation, I would like to formally table a request that Owen Michaels be permitted to attend Church when it’s called and doesn’t involve sensitive club business.” Every mouth at the table gaped open, and Theo grinned at me before he continued. “I understand that under current federal laws, omegas may not hold any power in matters of finance or politics. Therefore, I would like Owen Michaels to be able to vote on club matters that do not involve those 2 things or any sensitive club business. Just the stuff that involves our day-to-day lives. For the betterment of the family, that is.” Holy shit, my mate was making a fuckin power move. I wasn’t sure if I was impressed or scared. Maybe a bit of both.

  “Well brothers. It seems we have motion on the table to be voted on. Since this motion involves membership rights, only patched officers may vote. My mates opinion will be taken into consideration with my vote. We will now discuss before votes are cast. Owen, please step out of the room.” Both Theo and Owen stared at me, slack jawed.

  “Formality, baby boy. We don’t let prospects stay when we discuss and vote on them, either. It saves feelings and avoids conflict.” Leave it to Bear to soothe our boy. Theo reached around and hugged Owen tight, whispering in his ear. Owen nodded his head and shyly smiled at everyone as he left the room.

  Once the door closed and it was just the 9 of us around the table, I looked to Theo. “What the fuck, baby?” I pointed around the room. “Did any of you know he was gonna pull this shit?” A chorus of nos reverberated across the table. “I guess I got me a smart one for a mate.” I couldn’t help but smile.

  “I’m not the only smart one, mate.” We all stared at him. “Are any of you aware of Owen’s history?” We all shook our heads, except Bear. I knew that Bear knew. “Well, it’s not my or Bear’s story to tell, so if Owen wants to share it, he will. BUT… I will say, your ‘baby boy’ has a history of bookkeeping and finance under his belt. Not formal school, but kind of ‘on the job training’ if you will. Guys, he’s smart. He’s proven he’s loyal. And he’s my best friend. Not that the last one should really matter. I know that he’s not any of yours fated mate, but he belongs here. In this room. With us.” He took my hand. “You even told me when I came here that Owen was officially in charge of ‘the troops’. He handles stress better than most alphas I’ve met, and he’ll fight for this family to the ends of the earth.” He dropped my hand and waved his own in a dismissing fashion towards us. “I’m done, discuss.” We all burst out laughing.

  Once everyone calmed down, Gates spoke first. “Well, I can tell you, he helped me get Theo’s financials situated and helped me understand the codicils of his Poppy’s will. I can attest that he’s smart, really smart and he’s level-headed. Prez, when you were arrested, he explained everything to Theo better than any of us could have. Without him, your mate would have hauled ass to the cop shop within minutes of you being put in that car.”

  Trashcan, the man who rarely speaks jumped right in. “He’s been helping me figure out how much of what chemicals and other supplies I need to keep on hand to take care of what I do. He never asks details though. It’s like he just knows.” Well, shit. That’s some high praise from the man who never talks.

  Clip sat up straight in his chair and folded his hands together. “He’s the first one to help me, Spuds and Doc if something happens to one of us. No matter how bad it is. He plays nursemaid and mother hen when it’s needed. I know he doesn’t have the best rep in the clubhouse, but none of that should matter. If you’ve ‘had’ him, it was consensual and if you’re thinkin it matters, it don’t. Not to me. He’s a brother, even if it’s not in name.” Doc and Spuds nodded their heads in agreement.

  Teach sat up. “I’m not gonna say anything about Owen that any of you haven’t already said, even if it’s not out loud. I respect the hell outta that little omega and that’s that.”

  Everyone in the room put their eyes on Bear, who hadn’t even looked up from his hands on the table. “I’ll speak after you, Boss.” He still never looked up.

  “Well then. You all know that I was the one who found Owen on our doorstep that night, so long ago. I’ve watched him heal and not just grow but thrive under our protection and care. Owen is what my Gramps envisioned when he founded Rogue Nation. Hell, Owen is the reason we exist at all.” Theo leaned over and kissed my cheek and took my hand and squeezed.

  Bear, still looking at his hands, cleared his throat. “Theo. I’m glad you were the one to bring this to the table. All of you know my story. You all know that Mako and I are brothers in all but blood. Owen is the same for me. He is the little brother my parents could never give me. I’ve wanted him at this table for a while now and once everything with Theo was cleared up, I was gonna bring it. There’s nothing more to say…LET’S VOTE!” his last 2 words were a loud, clear growl.

  Teach leaned out the door. “Owen, come in here, please.”

  Owen entered the room and stood next to the door. Quiet as a mouse, hands folded in front of him, eyes cast down. He looked scared. “Owen Michaels, come to the front, please.” I couldn’t look at Theo or I would crack a smile. Once he reached head of the table, I spoke again. “Mister Vice President, it is your duty to inform Mister Michaels of the results.”

  Owen looked up at Bear. I could tell my brother almost broke seeing the tears welling in the boy’s eyes. “Yes, sir. Owen Michaels, a request to have you, a non-mate omega, be permitted a place at the table of Rogue Nation has been requested by Theodore Sharkey, mate of the President. That request was tabled and, after discussing, voted on. The results are as follows…” Goddess, I fuckin hated the formality of this. But it was the one thing that Gramps instilled in all of us. Tradition. Without it, we have no past, therefore no future. He loved to say shit like that. I had to grip Theo’s hand to stop him from bouncing on the balls of his feet. Owen still hadn’t taken his eyes off Bear. “By unanimous decision, you will be seated to the left of Theodore Sharkey, holding a permanent seat at this table. You cannot cast votes regarding finances, politics or sensitive club business, but your opinion will hold weight with the voting members.”

  I felt a shift to my left and looked over. Owen and Theo were hugging one another in a death grip. When they let go, Owen plopped into the chair beside Theo and bounced. “Do I get a name? Do I still get to do all the other stuff I was doing before? Am I a real member now? Ooh, ooh, do I get a cut? I want a cut. That would be so awesome.” Shit, he was regressing, and he was excited.

  Clip laughed. “OK, little buddy. Calm down or no snacks.” Bear growled at him. “Shut it brother. If you think none of us realize he’s a little, then you’ve lost your mind.” Owen froze and stared at Clip. “No one cares, little buddy, we love you just the way you are.” That seemed to relax him. “Alright, you get to choose. You’re Little Man or Little Brother, you decide. We’ll decide on a cut later and no, none of your other duties will change. You just get to hang out for the important stuff.” With all the grinning going on, it looked like a shark feeding frenzy in the room.

  “I wanna be Little Brother. That’s what I am, Uncle Bear says so.” Well shit, way to throw himself under the bus.

  Once the laughter died down, Spuds punched the nail in the meeting’s coffin. “Well, Little Brother, you’re not mated, so your official title will be Bear’s Emotional Support Omega.” I grabbed my gavel and banged once to officially end the meeting. I’m surprised anyone heard it over the roar of laughter and Bear growling ‘Fuck you’ at everyone.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Mako

  I pulled Theo to the side as we all exited the room. “First, Happy Birthday. I didn’t forget. I’ll never forget.” He smiled shyly. “You wanna do this in the office or here in front of everyone?” I kissed his nose.

  “Well, that depends on if it involves one or both of us getting naked.” Yep, he went from shy to coy in half a second flat.

  “No naked… yet.” I growled and he giggled. “Fine. Here goes.” I dropped to one knee and pulled the box from my pocket. Owen’s celebration noise didn’t fade into the background. It stopped. Halted. Absolute silence. Kinda scary knowing everyone was looking at me, but none of that mattered. “Theodore, I love you. You are my fated mate and you carry our child in your womb. I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you, supporting you and doing my damnedest to make you happy. Marry me baby?”

  Tapping his finger on his chin. “Hmm, rest of your life, huh?” Little shit. “Well, I suppose, since you just vowed to become my love slave for life. I have to say…” Way to drag it out. Yeah, let’s play that game. How long can I tease my mate before I let him come later? Nope, not the time to get hard. “YES!”

  Hoots and yells shook the room. Somewhere in the back, someone yelled, “Damn, Mako met his match.” I grabbed Theo’s hand and raced to the doors.

  “Let’s go. We’ve got an appointment with a judge.” More yells and hoots and random celebration noises that I didn’t pay attention to. I had a mate to marry. Engines revving, we made it to the courthouse just in time for our appointment.

  The waiting room in the small office in the building 2 doors down from the courthouse was as unassuming as possible. It could have passed for anything from a clinic waiting room to waiting room you’d sit in while your vehicle was being repaired at a dealership. Generic coffee pot on a nondescript console with creamer and sweeteners next to the stack of paper cups. Flanked on both sides by 2 artificial trees or shrubs, you couldn’t really tell what kind of foliage it was supposed to be. Plain white walls with a smattering of generic art prints in basic black frames spread across the walls. Two small sofas and a scattering of single chairs surrounding a round coffee table covered by out-of-date magazines from every conceivable market. The only thing that gave away this place was the reception desk by the front door with a plaque saying, ‘Byron DeLuca and Associates, Attorneys at Law’.

  Theo sat quietly, staring at the ring on his left hand, as he had been for the last half hour. “You sure you’re alright, baby?” He nodded his head for the millionth time since we left the courthouse 2 hours ago. “It’s been a huge couple days for you, love. We don’t have to do this today. We can reschedule and go home. Stay in our rooms for a couple days and just let it all sink in.” I leaned over, nuzzling into his neck, both seeking and giving comfort.

  “No. I want to get this all done, so there’s nothing hanging over our heads later. I want to move on from all of this and concentrate on growing your son. I want to give him the best of everything, starting now.” Goddess, leave it to my mate to power through his discomfort for the sake of a child that was only a bundle of cells at this point. I couldn’t think of one decent person in the world who wouldn’t love my mate. He was so giving and so loving. “Besides that, I have to have all my ducks in a row for church when we get home. Then we get to celebrate our marriage in the best way possible.” A sly grin formed on his lips and his eyes sparkled.

  “Oh, I plan on trying to get you pregnant again.” I said with a low growl as I licked over the shell of his ear. His body shivered all over. “I can smell you, mate. You sure you don’t want to leave now?”

  “Make no mistake Alpha, I want to leave. Trust me, but we need to stay and get this over with. I have plans. Lots of plans.” His giggles made me grin against the skin on his neck.

  Before I could ask any more questions or reply, the phone on the desk beeped and the tiny omega sitting in the chair answered. “Yes sir, I’ll bring them right in.” The young man rose from his desk and walked to the sofa where we sat. “Alpha, Mr. Mossdale? Mr. DeLuca can see you now. Please follow me.”

  As we got up, Theo lifted his left hand into the omega’s face and wiggled his fingers. “Sharkey, Theodore Sharkey. For about 2 hours now.” The pride in his voice and the grin on his face made my heart skip a beat. The omega just nodded his head and walked towards the back offices. Stopping at a plain wood door engraved with Byron DeLuca, Esq. engraved on it, the omega lightly knocked and opened it.

  “Sir, I have Theodore Mossdale Sharkey and his alpha to see you?” He stepped to the side so Theo and I could enter the office. Theo’s grip on my hand tightened around mine and his breath caught.

  A squat, chubby alpha stood from behind his desk. “Ahh, I see. Andre, please bring me the estate transfer paperwork for Theodore and his Alpha?” Turning to me, he said, “I’m sorry, sir. I was unaware that Theodore would have an alpha to take over his estate. We’ll get the paperwork taken care of immediately.” Theo gripped my fingers even tighter, and I winced a bit at the pain.

  “Mr. DeLuca, you may address me directly. While Mr. Edward Sharkey here is my husband and therefore legally my Alpha, he is also my fated mate and the father of my unborn child. The name Mossdale is to be removed from all paperwork from now on. Your blatant disrespect in failing to address me, shows US how you feel regarding omegas and their ability to own property and be self sufficient. My mate and I are both aware that the laws of this country do not allow me to own property since I am married and have an alpha, but that does NOT extend to respect.” Theo stood in front of the desk with his fists balled at his sides. I decided to let him have this one. He deserved it. I simply crossed my arms and nodded my head as I plopped down in a chair beside Theo.

  DeLuca’s mouth popped open and closed like a fish out of water. Eyes wide and unable to stop staring at Theo. “As you wish, sir.” He coughed and sat back in his chair behind the desk, to fumble with paperwork. Theo sat in the chair beside me. I placed my hand on his left knee and squeezed. A few minutes later, another knock at the door sounded, and Andre appeared with a stack of papers. “Andre, please stay for the meeting and take notes on any changes the Sharkeys would like made to the paperwork.” I knew this would be an interesting meeting.

  Three hours later, paperwork typed up, signed and in hand, Theo and I left the office. I was confused and trying my damnedest to comprehend what just happened. I simply followed Theo’s instructions and signed on the dotted line where and when I was instructed to. Theo walked into DeLuca’s office, a broke and mated omega, and walked out the same way. I told him it was his money and having to put it all in my name still gave him access to and absolute power over every dime. I wanted none of it. After the paperwork was signed, I really got nothing, just as he planned. “Baby? What just happened?”

  “Trust me Alpha. I love you, and it’s exactly as it was planned. Let’s stop by the office store. I gotta make 10 copies of these papers, then we’re going to church. It’s gonna take more than one of us to explain it all.” He stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek. I decided to trust my mate as we headed around the corner to the office supply store.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Theo

  This was going to be the real test. I knew Mako wouldn’t give any real push back on what was planned. He may be upset with the real what and why of the situation, but I didn’t think it would be a real problem. Besides, if my mate thought I needed a spanking for going behind his back, then who was I to deny him that? Hell, I might even ask for that spanking as a preventative measure. Yum.

  We pulled into the gravel drive of the clubhouse and heard the music immediately. The guys were getting a head start on celebrating their president’s nuptials and it sounded like they were having a blast. I felt bad, knowing I was going to put a temporary plug in the party. All this needed to be taken care of. Besides that, there would be even more to celebrate after the meeting. Mako threw his leg over to step off his bike and I glimpsed his thighs and ass in those black jeans. I let out an involuntary squeak as my cock hardened. My alpha apparently heard it and let out a low growl. “Omega. I can smell you. I think that needs to be taken care of before your church session. Can’t have my brothers smelling my mate’s arousal.” He lifted me off the ground and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

  I nuzzled into his neck. “Hmm, but then there will be a whole different smell to me if we do that, Alpha.”