The Alpha's Bride

Chapter 896: Discussing conditions (1)

Owen pushed himself into a seated position and he cleared his throat before saying to Zina, "I am Owen of the Red Moon pack. I am a Lieutenant and… I guess that's it."         

    

Zina cocked an eyebrow at him. "That's not much to go with." There must be more. What was he hiding?     

"I am an orphan. I don't remember if I ever had a family. Most of my time is spent on the training grounds, so… there isn't much to say about me."     

"Oh…" Zina was not sure how to respond to that.     

Zina thought of sharing something about herself. "I am Zina of the Dark Howlers pack. I am an Omega who works in the packhouse, and I came here to visit my friend." Zina realized that her status might be a problem. "Do you dislike that I'm an Omega? Will you reject me for it? Or…"     

"No, no," Owen was quick to say. "I have nothing against Omegas. I would be one if I didn't become a warrior."     

"That is true for any warrior, yet it doesn't stop them from bullying Omegas," Zina said. Even Omegas are bullying Omegas in this pack.     

"I won't mistreat you because of your status, Zina of the Dark Howlers pack."     

Zina was not sure if she should believe him. She heard a lot of scary stories about members of the Red Moon pack. "You won't?"     

Owen shook his head, and asked, "Will you look down on me because I have no background?"     

Somehow, his question dispelled Zina's worries. Mostly because she could feel his insecurities. He really wanted her to accept him.     

"You are not a nobody. You are Lieutenant Owen. My mate."     

Owen's face lit up and his eyes moved to Zina's lips. He really wanted to kiss her.     

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Dawn entered the room to see that Owen and Zina were staring at each other and inching closer.     

"Am I interrupting something?"     

Zina rolled her eyes. Well, that broke the lovey-dovey bubble.     

She waved at Dawn to come with the bowl of water she brought in.     

"Give me that. I want to wash away the blood from Owen's face, so I can see him properly."     

Dawn clicked her tongue. "He is your mate. He might have a body covered in scales, yet you will still think that he is the sexiest man alive."     

Zina wiggled her eyebrows at Dawn. "Well, I can't help it if my mate is sexy."     

Dawn made a face. "Pleeeease, spare me before I gag."     

"I was listening to your stories about George, Mr. Perfect. Now it's my turn to fill your ears with stories of my mate…"     

Owen listened to the spiky exchange between Zina and Dawn, and he liked that Zina was standing up for him.     

Zina turned to Owen while holding a damp cloth and he got worried. What if she doesn't like how he looks? What will she think after she finds out who he is? He was a Lieutenant, and other than that, he didn't have much to offer to his mate.     

Zina pushed Owen to lay on the bed.     

"Let me know if it hurts," she said, and then she started cleaning up the dried blood from his cheeks.         

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Owen closed his eyes, and he enjoyed the treatment. He didn't want to say how he had much worse injuries than a broken nose, and he mostly tended to his own wounds. This was different. It was the first time for a female to handle him with such care. And this was not just any female, this was his mate, an alluring Goddess with fiery red hair.     

Owen was dazed by the occasional sparks that stirred whenever her skin touched his.     

Zina was super-gentle, and she grimaced while pressing a damp cloth on his face.     

"So much blood…" Zina said with her brows coming together in concern.     

Owen's mood dropped when he realized how he got hurt.     

"Are you the reason why George is skipping work?" Owen asked Dawn grumpily.     

"OWW!" He exclaimed when Zina pressed the cloth close to his nose.     

"Dawn is my best friend," Zina said with a warning in her voice. "Mate or not, no one gets to talk to Dawn like that."     

Dawn was glad to see that Zina stood up for her, but at the same time, Dawn didn't envy Zina's situation. Owen was a big variable, and he already knew too much. What if Owen works against George? Will Zina and Dawn need to pick between their friendship and their mates?     

Dawn was anxious and she decided to probe the situation.     

She exposed the left side of her neck, where George's mark was.     

"I am George's fated mate."     

Owen's eyebrows shot up. He suspected that George had a woman, but a fated mate? "Why is he hiding you?"     

"I'm sure you know that with George's status, people would try to use me against him."     

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Owen knew that, but… "Do you plan to hide forever?"     

Dawn was not sure how to respond to this. Telling Zina that this was temporary was one thing, but she didn't trust Owen. What if he spreads it around and it reaches Alpha Edward? Commander George leaving the pack would be a big deal. Huge!     

"Instead of meddling in other people's relationships, why don't you worry about ours?" Zina asked, getting Owen's attention. "What are we going to do? You said that you won't reject the bond, and I won't do it either as long as you show an intention to treat me well. So, what's next? Are you planning for us to stay in the Red Moon pack? As a Lieutenant, you don't have a private residence. Are you expecting me to go into barracks where you are sharing living areas with others? How many roommates do you have?"     

Zina didn't know about the Lieutenant's living conditions, but she knew that only Generals and Commanders get private residences.     

Owen needed a moment to process this. "As a mated couple, we will get a bedroom." Most of the mated warriors with a rank got apartments, but that was based on availability, and he didn't dare to promise her an apartment and then not deliver on it.     

Zina cocked an eyebrow. "A bedroom? What about the kitchen? Living area? I heard that newcomers here are treated horribly. Are you expecting me to stay locked up in our bedroom while you are working, or should I go out so Omegas like Ana can take a swipe at me?"     

Owen's mind was spinning. They just met, and she was asking about living conditions. Of course, none of those would matter if he was a General and if he had his own home. Damn it!     

But then… even if he had his own home, incidents like the one with Ana would happen when she was not with him.     

"Do you have a suggestion?" Owen asked.     

"Yes!" Zina exclaimed. "Come with me to the Dark Howlers pack."     

Owen froze. "What?"         

    

"At least, consider it. OK? Me leaving my pack to be with you shouldn't be easier than you leaving your pack. I have an apartment and a steady job. Alpha Damon will give you a chance to prove yourself and he won't thwart your progress just because you are a newcomer."     

Owen licked his lips. "Angel, listen. I'm not a man who can live off a woman."     

It was sexist, but Zina found something good in his answer. He didn't dismiss the Dark Howlers pack.