"So what exactly is going on in there?" I bounced my head back against the wall as I waited with Titus outside the Midfield alpha's office. We had been standing outside for nearly half an hour.

He shrugged. "Negotiations."

"For what?"

"Mating between packs is a pretty complicated process. You're taking a member so compensation is expected."

"Storm was from another pack. How'd that work out?"

"It was to strengthen ties between us. Our alliance is very strong with her birth pack now. It wasn't too complicated that time. They liked each other from the beginning, and Storm's father was sure Darius was going to be the next alpha. He didn't need much more of a motive to agree to the pairing."

"Hmmm... he should have taken more time getting to know Darius. It would have saved his daughter the trouble of being stuck with him." I stared at the ceiling.

Titus chuckled. "You may not be a fan of Darius, but Storm does love him."

"Whatever," I breathed. "River doesn't know this guy?"

"Exactly why they're in there." Titus slid to the floor, and I followed.

I leaned against him. "So your dad making some lucrative arrangement?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not exactly, but it's a pretty big deal to be the birth pack to a dominant's mate. My dad's been trying to build a relationship with Midfield. River is the first step."

"These guys are pretty powerful, then?"

"Well yeah," he motioned around the hall. "They're self-made. They don't rely on the human government, so they don't have to follow any regulations. They also one of the largest packs in the world, and as you can tell by this fancy house, one of the wealthiest. Everyone's trying to get on their good side."

I peered up at him. "So is your dad scared of them?"

Titus jerked back with a repulse expression. "They're domestic. They may have money, but Northern Ridge werewolves are true fighters." He folded his arms with a scowl on his face. "We could take them."

Shaking my head, I patted his arm. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."

He peered at me from the corner of his eye. "That sounded a lot like something your mom would say."

I scoffed. "Excuse me."

"Just saying." He shifted his weight around.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath.

The door opened, and we both quickly stood. Xavier exited first with a smile on his face.

"Things went well?" asked Titus.

"Yes, they did."

River appeared, and the alpha squeezed his shoulder.

"Tonight David is celebrating finding a mate, and Troy will announce his engagement to River. If things go well, they'll have my blessing to mate."

River swallowed hard.

"When he's ready," Troy stated, smiling down at the boy.

I pulled my packmate into a hug. "I'm so happy for you," I whispered in his ear. Leaning back, I looked Troy up and down. "So tall." I winked at River and moved to Titus's side.

The blond's face heated up, and he bowed his head.

My mate narrowed his eyes. He scanned the other dominant and then himself. "I'm tall."

I gave him a grin and put my arm around his waist. "Of course, you are, but River is tall for a sub, so he needs a taller man."

The golden haired boy's mouth fell open. Troy's eyes grew large at the statement. Both looked a little unsure how to respond. River hugged his arms around his chest, peeking up at the man.

"I think they're a good match." Xavier shook the boy gently. "He's all yours, Troy. Let me know when the decision is made." The alpha started down the hall.

Titus followed. River was close to panicking. He looked so lost standing there, clearing wanting to go with us.

"This isn't goodbye, right?" I asked.

Xavier glanced over his shoulder. "No, we're attending the banquet tonight."

River relaxed.

"We'll be leaving early tomorrow, though."

The tension returned to the omega's body.

"Come along, Aden. It's time they spend some time alone," said the alpha.

The two turned a corner.

I sucked in my lip and met my packmate's gaze. "I'll see you tonight, alright?" I gave him an one armed hug. "He's a good guy. You'll be fine."

River nodded.

"Hey." I flicked his chin. "If this works out, I'm going to visit a lot." I leaned in close. "Your house is sweet. I want one of those showers."

"Aden," called Titus.

"Coming!" I waved, backing away from the couple. "Take care."

"Bye." River gave me a small wave in return.

I jogged down the hall. Troy had grabbed River's hand and was leading him in the other direction. I really hoped this worked.

***

I laid across the bed with my head resting on Titus's leg. He was on a laptop doing beta training bullshit. It was numbers, and I sucked at math, so I didn't really care to understand it. From the look on his face, I don't think he was thrilled to have to do it either.

"You think River is doing alright?"

Titus shrugged. "Probably not. He's in a room with a dominant of Midfield. That's enough to almost send him into a panic attack."

I sat up and smacked his side. "Asshole, now you got me worried about him."

He smiled and typed away on the keyboard.

Falling onto the pillows, I folded my arms. "The dominants here are different."

"When you're a top pack, you have the pick of the bloodlines. Midfield has been for centuries." He turned towards me. "River's isn't very good."

"You're point is?"

"Troy must really like him, because this isn't a strategic move to produce a strong heir."

"Oh." I crossed my legs and bounced my foot. "Good point."

There was a knock on the door before Xavier entered. "How's the report coming?"

Titus shook his head. "It's there," he muttered.

"Good to hear." He turned to me. "Aden grabbed your clothes for tonight. Troy asked if you would help River get ready."

"Sure, I'd love to." I jumped up and went to the closet.

Titus was visibly annoyed. He banged his fingers on the keys a little harder than needed.

"It's my last day with him before we leave." I kissed his cheek. "And I think we get to sleep in the same bed tonight."

He faced me and kissed me hard. "Bye."

I smiled. "See you tonight." I followed Xavier out of the room.

We went to the far wing of the mansion. The alpha knocked on an elaborating carved door. The hallway was a bit fancier than the guest rooms. Large frames hung on the wall and chandeliers ran down the ceiling. The door opened, and River peeked out.

"Alpha?"

Xavier opened the door and ushered me forward. "Aden is here to help you get ready. Is everything going alright with Troy?"

River bit his lip. "I guess."

The alpha patted his back. "With time, you'll get used to him. Going from an omega to a dominant's mate is a bit of a shift."

The golden haired boy nodded.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone." Xavier closed the door.

I sent my clothes on the bed. "Wow. Is this your room?"

River nodded. "It's Troy's."

"So it's yours." I sat down on the bed. The mattress was like a cloud. "Oh, this is nice." I fell back on it.

"I have to share it with him tonight," he said softly.

I rose up on my elbows. "You've never slept with someone before, have you?"

His face was pale, and I saw the tears coming.

"Hey." I went to his side and hugged him. "It's okay. There's nothing wrong with being a virgin. Titus was my first."

He hid his face in my shoulder. "But I'm not."

With a deep breath, I tightened my hold on him.

"I've never shared a bed with someone, but I've had sex." He wiped his face. "I was hungry. I never thought I'd get a mate. I didn't think it mattered."

"Oh, River." I led him to the bed and just held him.

"Do you think he'll send me away when he finds out?"

I shook my head. "The man has already fallen hard for you."

He let out a shaky breath. "But eventually we're going to have sex, and he'll find out."

"No, he won't." I squeezed his hand. "Not unless you tell him."

"I hate it." He blinked back the remaining tears. "It always hurt. He's going to be able to tell, and he'll send me away."

I turned him toward me. "No, he's not. Better yet, I say tell him. Just be honest and tell him flat out you've had some bad experiences. You were omega and things happened. If Troy doesn't understand, then to hell with him. He's not the man for you."

River smiled and wiped his face with his shirt. "You think?"

"Yeah, I do." I looked him square in the eyes. "Titus was no virgin, and I bet this guy isn't one either. So if he expects you to be one, when he's not, that's bullshit. There more to you than your sexual status," I said plainly.

He threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly. "You really are my best friend, Aden."

"I had to figure this out on my own, and it sucked. I don't want you to go through that. Growing up an omega is hard enough." Patting his leg, I stood. "Alright, let's get you looking good for your man." I walked over to the bathroom door and opened it.

A whole other room that was the size of my parent's master bedroom sat behind it.

"Good god," I breathed. Why couldn't Titus be from Midfield?

***

They last time we had worn a suit was our wedding. I was fine with it, while Titus just glared at his reflection.

"You look good, so stop it." I turned him to me and looped the tie around his neck.

"Do I have to wear that too?" He tugged on the collar. "I already feel like I'm being strangled."

"Yep." I started to tie it. "Unless you'd prefer one of those fancy bow ties."

He sighed. "This is fine."

I cinched it up and made his collar lie flat. "As the next beta, I think you're going to have to get dressed up a lot. You might want to get used to it." I turned to leave and Titus snatched me from behind.

"You're more suited to this than me." He kissed my cheek.

"I'm human born." I glanced back at him. "When we get back to Northern Ridge you can roll around in the dirt all you want. Until then, you're going to have to act civil," I teased.

He groaned.

"Aden, Titus," called Xavier.

Grabbing his hand, I led him into the room.

The alpha eyed his son. "When are you and Darius going to get over this? You're going to be taking over the pack. Looking presentable for formal occasions is a requirement."

Titus glared at the floor. I gave his hand a squeeze, and we followed the alpha from the room, listening to yet another lecture about responsibility. We went to the front foyer which was packed with people in formal attire.

The hall was decorated with white flowers and golden accents. The floor glistened and servants walked around with trays of fancy food. We stood next to the steps while a stream of people come to talk to the alpha.

"Xavier," said an older man. "I heard the good news."

"Yes, we are very happy for River."

We moved out of the way.

"There's a lot of people here." I stood on my toes.

Titus nodded as even more guests arrived. I stood in front of him, pressing against his chest. It was getting a little too crowded. Xavier disappeared from view.

"Where'd your dad go?"

"To be with River, probably." Titus grabbed a couple meatball skewers from a passing tray. "Let's hope they get this started. I'm starving."

I shook my head. "When are you not?"

He chuckled in my ear and rested his head against mine. "He'll be okay, Aden. He's been an omega for years. He's a tough kid."

"Yeah." I was still worried, though. I just wanted everything to be perfect for River, and I hope Troy offered him that.

Trevor walked down the steps to the landing, silencing the crowd. He smiled and peered out over us. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate the mating and engagement of my packmates." He motioned in each direction. David came from the right with a white haired boy on his arm. Troy walked with River from the other, holding onto the boy's hand. Xavier stopped on the steps above the couple. My mouth dropped open when I saw Jet standing behind David.

"Are you serious?" I exclaimed. "Why is he here?"

Titus hushed me, glancing at the people around us.

I glared at my feet.

"I'd like to formally welcome Asher to Midfield." Trevor placed his hand on the sub's shoulder.

The boy almost fell to the ground and clung to his mate. He didn't look more than sixteen, and my age guessing abilities sucked, so he might have been younger than that.

"And hopefully soon," Trevor looked to River. "If my little brother doesn't mess it up."

The guests laughed as Troy scowled.

"River will also be joining Midfield." He pulled the boys forward, so they could clearly be seen. "We would also like to thank Northern Rocky Ridge and Bloodhound Canyon for letting us adopt these two into our pack. I'll ensure you that both will be well looked after and taken care of."

The gathering clapped. River and Asher shuffled to their dominants' sides.

"We have prepared a banquet in their honor. Please follow the staff, and they will show you to your table."

The doors to the banquet hall open, and the crowd started to trickle into it. I remained with Titus at the bottom of the stairs. David and Asher walked down the steps.

"Look like I found one of my own." He pulled the boy's shirt to the side to show the new scar. "I didn't have to take a chance on a human like you Titus."

I flipped him off, and I made it visible to everyone around. David looked completely shocked.

"Aden." Titus pulled my hand down. "What the hell?"

"I know what he said to River." I fought to get him off me.

A deep laugh sounded from above. "Still the same," said Jet as he went by.

"Why are you here?" I snapped.

"Aden." Titus tried to pull me away.

Jet glanced at the light-haired boy on David's arm. "Asher is from Bloodhound. My father's sent him away to Midfield Academy for the sole purpose he'd find a mate. We thought it would be better if he understood the civil lifestyle since that was where he'd probably end up. He's nearly a perfect sub and is even educated. We'll see how Troy does with his sub."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and even Titus stopped fighting me. I gave him a smirk. "River will do great. Thanks for not choosing him, so he could end up with a dominant of Midfield. I've heard they're top of the line."

Jet let out a deep breath through his nose.

"Aden." Titus tugged on my hand. "Stop. Getting into a fight right now is not going to look good."

"I doubt Jet would hit a sub," I stated, putting my hands on my hips. "It's not exactly manly to take on someone half your size."

Jet chuckled, shaking his head. "One of a kind," he continued toward the banquet hall. "You're definitely one of a kind, Aden."

Titus spun me around. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"He's a jackass. I was making sure he knew that." I started to walk away.

My mate snatched my hand. "Aden, what is going on?"

"Nothing, alright. I just hate him. He talks down to me. He talks down to River. I just don't like him."

Titus folded his arms. "So getting me into a fight is how you're going to solve this?"

I sucked in my lips and pointed my eyes at my feet. "No, I'd fight him." I shrugged. "I get a lucky punch in at least. That's how I did it with Chris," I laughed hesitantly.

His expression clearly said he was not impressed.

Groaning, I fell into his chest. "I messed up, alright. I'm sorry."

Xavier weaved through the crowd to get to us. "What happened? I heard Aden got into it with Jet."

"Everything's fine." Titus put his arm around my shoulders. "Just some sub pride issues."

My mouth fell open. "Asshole."

"Aden," said the alpha firmly. "No more. Tonight is about River and Troy. We don't need a fight right in the middle of it. You two hurry up and find your seats." He left us and went with River and Troy to the banquet.

I turned sharply to my mate. "Sub pride issues, seriously? Like you have room to talk, hormone boy." Shoving him back, I marched off.

Titus sneaked up behind me and dragged me off to a corner of the room. He kissed me hard, blocking us from view with his body. "You do the strangest things, sometimes. You know that." He kissed me again. "But goddamn it, you look hot doing it."

His tongues found its way into my mouth. We parted breathing heavily.

"Do you want to skip?"

I chewed on my check. "I thought you were hungry."

"Room service." He placed soft pecks along my neck.

"What about River?" I breathed. "I'm supposed to be supporting him."

"My dad will be with him the whole night and then he'll go back to Troy's room. We're not even sitting with them, and you can say goodbye in the morning."

He thought this through. It was River's big night, though. My breath caught when he bit my scar.

I pulled him back and looked into his eyes. "We make an appearance, and then we skip."

Titus smiled. "Deal."