Natural Leader

"You looked good out on the field today, training the freshmen," I say to David on the drive back home.

"You think so?" He grins so wide I think his face might split in two.

"Yeah. From what I could see, it seems like they were being attentive. Um… do you feel like you are gaining their respect yet?"

David nods eagerly. "Yeah! They are all good kids. I don't know what I was so worried about. It's like coaching is my calling!"

Ellie snorts. "Being Alpha is your calling, Davy. You're just good at coaching, because it's a form of leadership."

David flushes slightly. "Oh, yeah, I guess you're right. I just really like helping out the younger guys… and the humans. I feel like I have a lot to teach them and not just with football."

I snap my head to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Just like… we had good talks… guy talks," he says vaguely.

My eyes narrow, pinning him with an intense stare, but I keep my voice even, when I ask, "So, what did you talk about with the humans?"

"Well…" David says slowly, like he is thinking hard about what he is going to say. "While we were in the locker room, some of the human lowerclassmen were talking about…" He glances nervously at me and then at Ellie as if what he is about to say will offend our omegan sensibilities.

"Go on," I encourage.

"About all the girls they were going to bang this year. It seemed like a rather long list," Oh no. "so I told them they should save themselves for someone they really love." There it is. "I get the impression human parents don't do a very good job at teaching their kids about sex," David hurriedly adds with a slight huff. "They didn't seem to understand that women can get pregnant after just one time!"

Goddess. I know that David meant well, but really? Preaching abstinence to a bunch of humans? The guys seemed to respect him during practice today, but after that performance? Would they ever listen to a thing he said again?

"That's why you use a condom," Ellie supplies helpfully. I facepalm as David shoots a disbelieving look at her. Trust Ellie to have even less tact than me when correcting David.

"What I think Ellie is trying to say is that sex means something different to humans than it does for werewolves. What is most important is that they practice safe sex."

"I don't think it is that different for us than it is for humans," Ellie counters. "I mean, Mom and Dad still have sex, so it's not just about getting pregnant, right?"

David growls, shooting a disapproving look at Ellie.

"That's different. Their mates," he snaps.

"So you can only enjoy safe sex if you're mated? What about wolves that never meet their mates or have mates who die?"

"That's what chosen mates are for."

"And how is that any different from a non-werewolf choosing to have safe-sex with anyone they want?"

"I'm saying you should save yourself for the person you intend to have a family with, so that if an accident does happen it is a happy one." David is clearly frustrated now and his movements become more jerky behind the wheel. As the scent of his Alpha pheromones fills the car and he takes a particularly sharp turn around a bend in the forest road, a wave of nausea hits me.

Ellie is completely unbothered. In fact, is she smiling? "But what about people who can't get pregnant? Like lesbian and gay couples? Present company excluded of course. Or what about oral sex?"

It is at this point in the conversation that I begin to question my life choices. Is it my fault that Ellie is like this? Don't get me wrong, Ellie is brilliant and insightful, but sometimes... her filter turns off.

As a male omega, I've always had to hide my opinions, veil my true feelings and carefully measure my every action… except when I'm with Ellie. All my life, I thought we were growing up together, learning who we were together, but how much of my personality rubbed off on her? How much did she follow in my footsteps, just because I was a few months older? How much did I corrupt her with my "unnatural, unomegan" tendencies? And without the responsibilities of being future Luna or the pressure of trying to prove herself a "real omega", she never felt compelled to hide who she was. She didn't have to censor her less traditional values, her sexual comments, or her progressive world views.

Sure, I know some people don't think my sister is the most ladylike, but she is still more feminine than me. More "omegan", just by virtue of the fact that she actually is a female. She doesn't need to prove her status like I do. She doesn't have my crushing anxieties or crippling need to appease others. She is like the more confident version of me that I always thought I could be if I just… wasn't an omega.

I love her firecracker personality… but sometimes I worry she is a little too candid with her less than traditional opinions.

"I just don't think saying that you could get pregnant is a very good argument for abstinence," Ellie forges on, ignoring David's mounting displeasure. "Cam, back me up here." She gives me an encouraging sort of "go on" gesture, but I can only gape like a fish. What the heck is she doing?!

"Um… I think what David was trying to say is that sex is more meaningful if you do it with someone you love."

Ellie huffs, displeased with my cop-out, but David shoots me a grateful look and I feel some of his pheromones recede, settling my stomach slightly.

"Thanks, Cammy. That's exactly what I was trying to say. I just think that sex should be with someone special, even if you don't have a mate. Just because the trainees are human, doesn't mean they have to behave like witches."

Oops. There's my nausea again.

"Honestly, this is exactly why I don't think you two should be hanging out with the coven. They all are too sexually promiscuous."

I feel like I'm going to vomit. "David," I say through clenched teeth. "Just stop." I take a deep breath trying to steady my stomach. "Stop the car."

He immediately pulls over, and I open the car door, dry heaving onto the pavement. Nothing comes up, but at least the movement of the car has stopped and David's pheromones are less overwhelming now that the last of his anger has been swallowed up in concern.

"Are you ok, love?" he asks after a moment, gently rubbing my back.

I close the car door and settle back in my seat, closing my eyes before responding. "I thought we were past this."

A moment of tense silence, before he responds lowly, in almost a growl, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I thought we weren't going to talk about the coven anymore. I thought we agreed to be friends with them. I thought we had fun at lunch today."

"Cammy," David sighs.

"Don't call me that!" I snap out of nowhere.

Damn. What is with me these days? I feel like I'm a bomb with a short fuse, just waiting to explode at any moment. I mentally try counting to ten and take a couple of deep breaths. I look over at David to see him looking at me startled.

"I'm sorry," I mumble. "I shouldn't have yelled. Just… I get where you are coming from, but we can't force our values on everyone else and we can't just hide away on the pack lands avoiding everyone who disagrees with us."

"But we can choose who we spend our time with and who you spend time with the most is who you will become. You know, birds of a feather flock together?"

"Just because the coven is different from us, doesn't mean they're a bad influence."

"So what?! I'm just supposed to be ok with the fact that my mate is hanging out with two whores!"

"I'm not your mate! And even if I was yes! You can't control who my friends are and you should trust me a little!"

"I'm not trying to control you!" David yells back, surprising himself a little. "I'm not trying to control who your friends are," he repeats softly. "I'm just…"

"Jealous?" Ellie supplies helpfully. She's been silent throughout our argument, but now I chance a peek at her in the rear view mirror. Her expression is carefully neutral, but I know her well enough to see the slight amusement in her eyes. Great to know my best friend and only sister is taking pleasure in my discomfort.

"Yeah, I guess I am a little jealous," David concedes.

I sigh, fighting off my annoyance. "It's fine. Just, I really want to be friends with the witches and, even though they are different from us, I don't think that means they are a bad influence."

"So… you're saying they haven't talked with you about sex at all or tried to flirt with you?" he asks with a bit of trepidation.

"No," I lie almost immediately. "So, can we put this all behind us and try to play nice?"

David's brows furrow for a moment, like he is thinking hard. A range of emotions pass over his face, and I can almost see the internal war going on within him. Finally he settles on resignation. "Fine. As long as they keep their opinions to themselves, I'll— I'll go along with whatever you want."

Good enough. Goddess, I don't know how many more serious conversations I can take. When will things just settle down? I know the answer: Sunday.