Love Denied Vol.1 Of The Love Trials Trilogy

Chapter 9 "Decisions?!"

(Tori's POV)

I knew that I had a huge grin on my face, but I couldn't help it. My mate had actually asked me out! Of course if she hadn't asked me out, I would've asked her out.

"Well, it seems you've changed a lot since then." Baird remarked ending the silence.

I sighed, my grin slowly disappearing. Baird and Logan had come down here to discuss whatever it seemed we were keeping from their pack.

"People change Baird, you out of everyone should know that." I stated calmly.

Baird gave me a weak smile, but the sadness in his eyes showed me everything I needed to know. Baird still pined for me, he may have Logan, but he felt incomplete without me. Men of our kind were meant to mate with their females not other men. Still, men could mate men too, because such pairings were still made possible thanks to the soul-mate system. There are always four people connected by this system, and male shifters mating other males were starting to be all too common in our society now.

"See, I told you that our little wildcat was finally growing up." Logan said cheerfully, his smile wasn't weak or forced, but his eyes held that same sadness.

"I think it's time we emerged the packs like it should've been." Baird said surprising everyone but his mate.

"What?! Is this a joke?!" Jamie exclaimed as she left her hiding place in the secret back room.

I glanced at Cole and caught a furious glare that was directed at me.

'You'll pay later.' Cole mouthed at me trying hard not to snarl.

I gave him a weak smile. What could I do if my Beta didn't want to meet her mate?

"Jamie, we can handle this calmly without the need for violence." I said trying to sooth her from changing. "Actually, I want everyone else to leave. Baird, Logan, Jamie, and I will talk this over in the back room without any interruptions."

I used my Alpha influence on all of them, even Cole.

They left unwilling, but still obedient. Cole glared at me, but thank god, Dawn grabbed his hand and pulled him out. I felt rather than saw how Jamie bristled at another female handling her mate. Tough luck, those two were never, and would never be like that.

I'll just have to tell her about Dawn later, I wouldn't want her attacking Dawn because of a stupid idea.

"Now gentlemen, we'll discuss this in the back room." I said with a sweep of my hands.

Baird and Logan exchanged looks. Then when they'd come to a silent agreement between each other, they nodded. Jamie and I led them to the back room. Once inside, I closed the door. The room had a cot a, two chairs, and a desk with a chair.

Jamie took the bed, Logan and Baird took the two chairs, and I took the chair behind the desk.

"Okay, I've thought it over and I'm willing to accept...if you two agree to my terms?" I laid out.

They both frowned, and so did Jamie.

"What are your terms?" Baird asked weary.

"You both become co-alpha, and co-beta." I quickly added, "Think of the positions as step ins in case one of us can't be there to take charge."

"Why would we need such a stupid plan?!" Jamie snarled out.

"You never know when one of us might get caught by hunters unaware, and we most certainly can't be everywhere!" I growled out.

Jamie flinched, and so did Baird and Logan.

"We have one Omega in our school that we know of so far." I added after I had calmed down.

"Oh, I didn't know we had an Omega in the school. Has he been entered into your pack?" Logan inquired with a brow raised in disbelief.

"Why didn't I know this boss?!" Jamie growled frustrated.

I smiled at them.

"So who is this Omega?" Baird asked at last.

"She's my cousin, the female you all probably saw next to that tall lanky boy a couple of minutes ago. They're both my cousins, but she has just sworn herself into the pack." I said smugly as I saw them gape in turn.

"Cole didn't join the pack, did he?" Jamie asked in a dry tone that belied the hope in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Jamie, he only came to make sure that Dawn was sworn in." I said feeling like a slime ball.

"Oh." She said her eyes becoming guarded even as I caught a glimpse of pain in them.

Suddenly I felt like kicking the shit out of my cousin for causing that pain.

"I guess we can agree to your agreements, but I doubt we'll ever need to use our influence because nothing will ever happen to you." Baird said believing every word he said.

If only I could believe them too.

"We need a co-omega to even out the pack now..." I murmured to myself, and had Minori's face appear in my head.

I frowned.

Minori was as human as I was a beast inside!

"Let's make the announcement at this spring breaks meeting." I said remembering the first of the three meetings our two packs held together each year.

"That'll be in a two weeks, so I guess it's a good time to tell everyone..." Baird mumbled to himself, then said, "Fine, let's do it then!"

"Good, let's shake on it!" I said holding my hand out to him over the desk as I stood.

He didn't even hesitate, but shook my hand.

The tingles that he had once sent through my body long before he had mated to Logan didn't happen. A small part of me longed for those tingles but I was honestly happy that Baird and Logan had each other. And now I would have a mate of my own. Even if that mate was human, I was going to claim her sooner or later. I just hoped she'd accept my beast, because if she couldn't...

This time I would die.