Where He Belongs

~Forty-Seven {Dawson: Part 3 (The Final Part)}

The hospital stay wasn't short.

But in that time I received countless visits from the alpha, my brother and his mate, and once even my father though he simply told me I wasn't welcome or allowed home anymore, my mother had died, and if I ever told anyone what he'd done, he'd kill me. If that didn't leave me shaken up then the ongoing trials for Dallas. I wasn't surprised that Jessie wouldn't come visit me. In fact I was glad he wasn't. Dallas was going to more than likely die for his crimes and it was all my fault. I shouldn't have told them but I had to say someone and it certainly couldn't have been my father's name.

There'd be no way in hell they'd mate me then. I wasn't even sure they would now.

But seeing the alpha so often was cool. I never imagined being so close to such a powerful wolf. And he was friendly toward me, despite the fact I was now practically useless to him. Jamie stopped by once a week too. He'd try and teach me verbally while giving me passing marks so I wouldn't fail my courses. Or rather, continue to fail my courses. But he said he would make my Poors into Acceptables due to my 'situation'. I was grateful of course, but the shame of it all was what weighed on me. I was dirty, unmatable, and pitied by those around me. And it sucked.

Once I was healed however, I was placed with an old widow. My room and board was exchanged for help tending her livestock (two old milking cows, a dozen chickens, and a fat sow), housekeeping, and assisting her baking. But she was kind and it was honestly the best part of my life. She loved me like a grandson and I loved her like a grandmother I never had.

Then the selections came. Jessie along with the rest of the omegas in my courses had ignored me up to this point. Around the time of the selections the Council reached their decision. They gave him an option: a honorable execution due to the 'heinous act against a fellow pack mate' or banishment. He chose the latter and his body turned up on the pack border no more than a day after him leaving. He'd been murdered in cold blood. No investigation was put toward his death. Jessie mourned for a good two weeks before he returned to Courses and for the first time actually spoke to me. Though his message was far from kind.

"My brother was a good man. You're a liar. He'd never do something like that. His blood is on your hands, Dawson."

Marcella, the widow, assured me it wasn't my fault but I couldn't shake the feeling that his death did hang over me in some way. Then the Selections came. My first time in line up I was with Jessie. I was positive I'd be passed over but I wasn't too upset about it. Marcella assured me I'd always have a place with her and when her time came, as she put it, her son, Jacob, would care for me. He was a kind man who came up with his pup on Sundays to have dinner. He was a rouge, living in the protected settlement outside of town. His one true love, his mate, had passed away with the birth of their daughter.

I was intimidated by the whole process. I'd slimmed down quite a bit since being removed from the situation at home but I was still so plain compared to the others and a bit chubby still too. I watched four handsome men, several years our senior step into the room, looking around. One stood out simply due to the power he radiated. There was no doubt in my mind he was a future alpha. Our alpha pointed that out immediately, telling him to step up and make his choice first. It would go by rank. It didn't shock me at all when he selected Jessie. Maybe it was his marks, his beauty or the fact he had the gene but he took the omega firmly by the wrist, pulling him to be inspected by his father. Once he had his father's okay, the next wolf stepped forward.

One by one those around me left and then I was left alone. "Oh Dawson," sighed the alpha approaching me. "I hope you're not terribly disappointed?"

"No Alpha." I said softly, eyes downcast. I ran a finger through my hair. Maybe it was messy today and that was why no one selected me?

"You were a part of a very attractive class, Dawson. It's not often we have more omegas than paying dominate wolves," continued the alpha. "But we'll find a use for you, yes?"