Page 31 of The First Alpha on the Planet
“If all three of you need some time together—” I shrugged. “I’m here.”
The idea was a new thought, it seemed, as Fel’s eyes widened. Robard and Kris glanced at one another, tails flicking curiously. Group-think running its course, they came to a conclusion slower than most. The concept of having children and needing to balance that part of their lives wasn’t a consideration, ever. I’d grown up among families and people that could, so those things occurred to me, especially since I’d had a reawakening of those memories with Nexus and Noah running about.
“Well, you are friends with many of us, aren’t you, Wallace?” Fel blinked curiously.
“At this point, it might as well be my assignment to start setting up a daycare.” Wallace sighed. “Or at least managing the kitchen for one.”
Roan rubbed his chin, brow furrowed. “There’s a daycare basically being run at Noel’s. Perhaps we should borrow Nexus and Noah and make sure more omegas have the opportunity to be around children and learn.”
“That does seem like a good idea. I think that’s been Zurok’s intention in having omegas come to aid in Noel’s household. This would progress things.” Fel hummed. “And having our young socialize would be an ideal situation…”
“Let’s start setting it up, then.” I shrugged. I needed something to do. “Managing the scavengers’ meals has well prepared me for this.”
Kris and Robard snickered.
“I got plenty of uncle time with Nexus.” Kris saluted me.
“You were the one that helped him unscrew the vents to hunt the lyrets.” I glared at him, and Kris pursed his lips, trying to look innocent.
“Kris will need to learn proper parenting skills as well.” Fel glared at the male as Robard snickered. “Both of you.”
“I’m always around, and Noel enjoys children. Vil has no problems passing down his sage words of unwisdom.” I grinned.
Fel smiled, his opinion on Vil far higher than what it should have been. He was a great leader, the luckiest bastard I’d ever met, but he was far too rash and impulsive. Also, he was emotionally young. Like he never grew up.
I wasn’t certain he’d ever been allowed to be a child when he was one. Much like Noel, but he handled it so differently. Noel’s impulses had all been stricken, while Vil embraced them. Either way, his playfulness was adored by the omegas—likely because his childlike enthusiasm triggered something in their overwhelming, misplaced parental urges.
“I suppose I could facilitate such an endeavor. Being wealthy only has so much power on the outside. Here, I’m effectively worthless.” Roan frowned, and I flinched before resting a hand on his lower back.
“All I can do is cook and wrangle brats. I’m sure you have something great you can do here. Aren’t you a whiz at logistics?” I rubbed his lower back as he sank in his own self-doubt.
“Their logistics system is flawless already. I’m useless unless it’s capitalism. Their current socialist system has functioned well for them, and introduction of myskillscould actually upset the balance they’ve perfected.”
“What about setting up interstellar trade?”
“They don’t need for anything other than entertainment. I’m sure we could trade something for it.” Roan shrugged.
“Kishka is over the entertainment streams for our providence. Talk with him and see if you can think of a way to bring more media in.” Fel’s suggestion made Roan frown.
“I’m afraid our entertainment could bring ideas and unhealthy concepts.” Roan frowned. “I’m a product of a greedy society.”
Fel twisted his lips. “That’s a large conundrum. Why would you be happy here without the luxuries you’ve accumulated for yourself?”
“Because the only reason I was tolerated in Terran society was because I’d amassed the wealth I had.” Roan sighed heavily. “Otherwise, I was just another hybreed. Money only goes so far.”
I stroked over Roan’s head and leaned down to give him a kiss. “What if you worked to create entertainment? You told stories of the outside world? What if you worked to bring more alphas and betas in? We will need to travel, eventually.”
“There are those of us whowouldenjoy leaving.” Fel gave a half smile. “Not me, but Zurok wanted to reach out for morealphas and betas if they’re as kind and willing as the teams we have here.”
“I do have good-vested interests in the background check and tracking of hybreeds…” Roan frowned. “And it would let me travel back and forth to tend my vestments and liquidate them… If I want to stay here… And I would need to set things up if omegas wanted to leave. I could use some of my estate to support that.”
I patted Roan’s back. “One step at a time. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“Why are you worried about doing anything at all, Roan? If you don’t want to do anything but live, do so. You don’t have to have roles. Some of us don’t do anything at all but enjoy life. We’ve reached a point in our society where not everybodyneedsto work. Some of us go out a few times a rotation to assess prey populations to thin herds for food. We determine the number that we both need to harvest and versus what we need for food. We extrapolate. With children, things become complicated. There’ll be more to do, but find the flow of life where you feel fulfilled. Nobody is more important than the other.” Fel sighed heavily.
But like most of us, Roan had no idea what to do if he didn’t have a job, a purpose, an indwelt assignment. And Roan’s specialty was people, manipulating them, corralling them. Roan always got his way.
“For fuck’s sake, how did I go from your archnemesis, sucking the heart from an hour’s postpartum omega and ruining your lives, to being mated to you with promises of acceptance and happiness?” Roan deflated, his tail going limp.
