Despite Connor’s warnings, George had not really expected Charles to act. It was difficult, changing his thinking about the man. Charles had been, if not a friend, then certainly a respected peer for a very long time. Even knowing what the man had done to his Wolf, George still automatically began walking in the direction that should have been Charles’s tent before his mind caught up to his feet.
As he had expected, Charles had disappeared the night after Connor’s revelation. They discussed plans for what they should do if he ever returned, and his Wolf said that his recruits would always be on the lookout for him, but, for all intents and purposes, Charles had vanished.
His disappearance had hurt the morale of the troops. They had come to like him and viewed him as a capable leader, and it was disheartening for them to see that he was no longer amongst them. When George first caught wind of the grumbles of discontent, he had thought to reveal Charles’s traitorous affiliations.
It was only consideration for Connor and the secret war between the two factions that George remained silent. Who knew how many other of the so-called Templars had been seeded into his men? And even if they had all been taken care of, who would believe him anyways? That Charles, who had fought in battles alongside them, was a traitor who put his allegiances to a nefarious group above their own?
And so George kept a lookout for his former second as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months.
The missing crates of medicine and bandages had been restored to him by his lovely Wolf’s recruits. George learned that there were other Templars scattered about his forces, though Church was dead by the young Omega Clipper’s hand.
George had thought it fitting, that it was an Omega as resourceful as his Wolf himself that restored his much needed supplies to him.
What a marvelous group of people his soon-to-be wife led. And how strong Connor was to lead and inspire them.
It made him anxious to be wed. Their wedding was only a couple of months away, but Connor had written in his last letter that he was already altering his clothes and expanding the waistline of his trousers.
His bride was beginning to swell.
It hurt, knowing that his Wolf’s child would be by someone else. It hurt, knowing that the child would have Charles’s blood, but he was proud of his bride nonetheless.
And he would be proud of the child too, once they were wed. He would raise the child as if he or she shared his blood. He would love the child and be a father such that no one ever questioned the child’s paternity.
If he was ever given the chance.
The rumors began small. So small, that George had not really noticed them.
It was just whispers. Whispers from the troops whenever he walked past. Whispers that soon reached the lower level officers and circulated around the troops.
Whispers that never quite reached him.
Not until he walked happened upon a group of his men, his brothers-in-arms, laughing about his beloved Wolf and wondering how Connor was in bed.
And if the Wolf only spread his legs for generals or if they would have in on the fun as well.
George felt sick.
Connor had given them his time and blood and sacrificed so much on their behalf.
For his troops to mock him so...
He’d had those men disciplined, ignoring the hurt looks thrown his way.
He would not allow his fiancé to be spoken of so. He would not allow Connor to be slandered so.
It wasn’t until later that he wondered how they had known Connor was an Omega in the first place.
----
“What?”
George was aghast. This could not be right. He couldn’t be hearing this right.
Israel Putnam looked uncomfortable.
“I do not know how or why this is spreading, but the men seem to be under the impression that Connor is a...”
Whore.
It was such a disgusting word, and George was furious that such a term would ever be connected to his Wolf.
“George,” Israel began. “This is not good for us. We rely on him for some delicate operations, and he has ever been helpful to us, but if the troops have no confidence in him because he’s been sleeping around...”
George snapped. How dare he? How dare Israel?
“He’s not a whore!”
Israel shrugged.
“I don’t really care what a man does on his own time. But the fact of the matter is, the men do, and...”
“And nothing. He’s helped us from the start. Without him, we wouldn’t even be this far. So suggest that we disassociate ourselves from him...”
He couldn’t leave Connor. They were going to get married in a couple of months.
Israel looked skeptical.
“Do you know what it’s doing? The men think that he’s allowed to lead on those missions because he’s sleeping with the generals. They think he’s being preferential treatment.”
George frowned.
“You and I both know that he’s not even officially part of this army.”
Israel shrugged.
“The troops don’t care. Men will say what they want to say, damn the consequences. And with little else to amuse themselves, they are turning to this...gossip...for relief.”
George paced desperately.
“It’s just gossip, Israel. Surely they don’t really...”
Israel put a weary hand upon his brow.
“It started out as gossip. No one knows who began it, but there is no doubt in my mind that it started out that way.”
He paused.
“Then it began to circulate widely. And the men started believing it. They said he...”
Here, he paused again, aware of the delicateness of what he was about to say.
“They said he slept with Charles and was impregnated with his child. They say that the reason Charles left is because he couldn’t stand seeing the Omega he loved sleep around with all the other generals.”
It was vile. It was disgusting.
And George had a sneaking suspicion he knew the source of those rumors.
“That’s not true,” he whispered. “Charles raped him. And then he fled when he found out that I knew—“
Israel cut him off.
“The men are never going to believe the truth. Not now. The rumors are too entrenched into their minds.”
Israel sighed then.
“The only good news about this sorry mess is that you’re not implicated in any way. They still hold you in high esteem.”
George gulped. Israel didn’t know about his engagement.
No one knew about his engagement.
They had made it secret for a reason, choosing to share the news with no one except Connor’s mentor.
He had the feeling it wouldn’t be staying secret for long.
Strange Fates 10
First Move
Despite Connor’s warnings, George had not really expected Charles to act. It was difficult, changing his thinking about the man. Charles had been, if not a friend, then certainly a respected peer for a very long time. Even knowing what the man had done to his Wolf, George still automatically began walking in the direction that should have been Charles’s tent before his mind caught up to his feet.
As he had expected, Charles had disappeared the night after Connor’s revelation. They discussed plans for what they should do if he ever returned, and his Wolf said that his recruits would always be on the lookout for him, but, for all intents and purposes, Charles had vanished.
His disappearance had hurt the morale of the troops. They had come to like him and viewed him as a capable leader, and it was disheartening for them to see that he was no longer amongst them. When George first caught wind of the grumbles of discontent, he had thought to reveal Charles’s traitorous affiliations.
It was only consideration for Connor and the secret war between the two factions that George remained silent. Who knew how many other of the so-called Templars had been seeded into his men? And even if they had all been taken care of, who would believe him anyways? That Charles, who had fought in battles alongside them, was a traitor who put his allegiances to a nefarious group above their own?
And so George kept a lookout for his former second as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months.
The missing crates of medicine and bandages had been restored to him by his lovely Wolf’s recruits. George learned that there were other Templars scattered about his forces, though Church was dead by the young Omega Clipper’s hand.
George had thought it fitting, that it was an Omega as resourceful as his Wolf himself that restored his much needed supplies to him.
What a marvelous group of people his soon-to-be wife led. And how strong Connor was to lead and inspire them.
It made him anxious to be wed. Their wedding was only a couple of months away, but Connor had written in his last letter that he was already altering his clothes and expanding the waistline of his trousers.
His bride was beginning to swell.
It hurt, knowing that his Wolf’s child would be by someone else. It hurt, knowing that the child would have Charles’s blood, but he was proud of his bride nonetheless.
And he would be proud of the child too, once they were wed. He would raise the child as if he or she shared his blood. He would love the child and be a father such that no one ever questioned the child’s paternity.
If he was ever given the chance.
The rumors began small. So small, that George had not really noticed them.
It was just whispers. Whispers from the troops whenever he walked past. Whispers that soon reached the lower level officers and circulated around the troops.
Whispers that never quite reached him.
Not until he walked happened upon a group of his men, his brothers-in-arms, laughing about his beloved Wolf and wondering how Connor was in bed.
And if the Wolf only spread his legs for generals or if they would have in on the fun as well.
George felt sick.
Connor had given them his time and blood and sacrificed so much on their behalf.
For his troops to mock him so...
He’d had those men disciplined, ignoring the hurt looks thrown his way.
He would not allow his fiancé to be spoken of so. He would not allow Connor to be slandered so.
It wasn’t until later that he wondered how they had known Connor was an Omega in the first place.
----
“What?”
George was aghast. This could not be right. He couldn’t be hearing this right.
Israel Putnam looked uncomfortable.
“I do not know how or why this is spreading, but the men seem to be under the impression that Connor is a...”
Whore.
It was such a disgusting word, and George was furious that such a term would ever be connected to his Wolf.
“George,” Israel began. “This is not good for us. We rely on him for some delicate operations, and he has ever been helpful to us, but if the troops have no confidence in him because he’s been sleeping around...”
George snapped. How dare he? How dare Israel?
“He’s not a whore!”
Israel shrugged.
“I don’t really care what a man does on his own time. But the fact of the matter is, the men do, and...”
“And nothing. He’s helped us from the start. Without him, we wouldn’t even be this far. So suggest that we disassociate ourselves from him...”
He couldn’t leave Connor. They were going to get married in a couple of months.
Israel looked skeptical.
“Do you know what it’s doing? The men think that he’s allowed to lead on those missions because he’s sleeping with the generals. They think he’s being preferential treatment.”
George frowned.
“You and I both know that he’s not even officially part of this army.”
Israel shrugged.
“The troops don’t care. Men will say what they want to say, damn the consequences. And with little else to amuse themselves, they are turning to this...gossip...for relief.”
George paced desperately.
“It’s just gossip, Israel. Surely they don’t really...”
Israel put a weary hand upon his brow.
“It started out as gossip. No one knows who began it, but there is no doubt in my mind that it started out that way.”
He paused.
“Then it began to circulate widely. And the men started believing it. They said he...”
Here, he paused again, aware of the delicateness of what he was about to say.
“They said he slept with Charles and was impregnated with his child. They say that the reason Charles left is because he couldn’t stand seeing the Omega he loved sleep around with all the other generals.”
It was vile. It was disgusting.
And George had a sneaking suspicion he knew the source of those rumors.
“That’s not true,” he whispered. “Charles raped him. And then he fled when he found out that I knew—“
Israel cut him off.
“The men are never going to believe the truth. Not now. The rumors are too entrenched into their minds.”
Israel sighed then.
“The only good news about this sorry mess is that you’re not implicated in any way. They still hold you in high esteem.”
George gulped. Israel didn’t know about his engagement.
No one knew about his engagement.
They had made it secret for a reason, choosing to share the news with no one except Connor’s mentor.
He had the feeling it wouldn’t be staying secret for long.