Her Alpha - Complete

Chapter 43

"You'll understand why I'm going to search you?" Dimitri growled, in full protective Alpha mode. After getting a nod from Dimitri behind the door, Abe led Janine and Zoya upstairs and out of sight.

"I'd expect no less," Ambrose said, placing his nest materials on the floor in front of Dimitri in the doorway and stepping back, his hands raised in a clear offer of peace. Dimitri spent a few minutes carefully checking each pillow, blanket, and duvet before moving forward to frisk Ambrose.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Ambrose declared once Dimitri was satisfied he was 'clean,' "I just hoped to speak with Rose."

"If she agrees, I will be there the whole time," Dimitri snarled. No matter what Rose said, that was a given!

"As you should be," Ambrose replied calmly. Dimitri only knew Tatiana's lover by sight, so Ambrose' amiable disposition surprised him. Rose overheard the dialogue between Ambrose and Dimitri and was curious. Confident he was no risk, she wandered toward the front door, slipping in front of her husband to say hello to the man who'd been Tatiana's lover.

"Ambrose, right? Why are you here?"

"Rose! You're one of the first Omega I've encountered who didn't marry a Royal. We're alike in that way."

"That might be true, but you slept with one," Rose retorted. "In fact, you slept with the one that altered my entire life and tried to kill Guardian Croft!"

"Also true," Ambrose agreed calmly. "I will not try to excuse what Tatiana did. I'm not her, and she's not me. But I'd like to talk with you, and I have insight I thought you need to hear," Ambrose offered. "I also hoped you might want to speak with another Omega? I brought my nest, and your mate is welcome to join us. I'd hoped we could chat?"

Rose considered the proposition. She didn't know whether taking one's nest on a social visit was the done thing amongst Omega, but given he'd brought his, perhaps Ambrose envisaged a difficult conversation? Or maybe he just wanted to be comfortable. Either way, it didn't hurt to hear him out.

"Yeah, ok. Come in. Dimitri? Can you show Ambrose through to the sitting room, then make some tea? I'll just go upstairs and get my nest."

Set up in their bedroom, Rose didn't want to speak with Ambrose in that space, so she collected her nest materials and lugged them downstairs to a small formal sitting room that rarely got used. Setting herself down on one of the two sofas, Rose busied herself making up her nest space, watching Ambrose curiously from the corner of her eye as he did likewise. He was right—she hadn't met another Omega, and she had questions she'd like answered.

Dimitri walked back into the room carrying a tray with a traditional Turkish teapot and tulip-shaped gold decorated glass teacups. Since living in Istanbul, Rose and Dimitri had developed a taste for tea, although only the weaker acik cay, or 'light' Turkish variety. Putting the tray on a side table, Dimitri asked Rose if he could join her in her nest. Ambrose smiled and nodded approvingly to himself.

"It is good that you ask," he remarked.

"Yes, he asks," Rose replied, affronted.

"Not everyone respects a nest as an Omega's safe place," Ambrose explained, an ominous look crossing his face before a placid expression replaced it.

"Well Dimitri does," Rose said, lifting a corner of a duvet in an obvious invitation to her man. Slipping into her nest, Dimitri wrapped an arm around Rose's waist before smoothing the duvet back into place on top of his legs.

"Yes. I can see that," Ambrose said. "It stands to reason, though, since yours was a love match."

"I never thought about it that way," Rose mused, looking at her mate.