"Diana, be mine, be my mate, my wife. I swear to always be loyal to you, to help you fulfill any dreams you have, to always treat you as an equal partner and discuss any decisions with you."

"I gladly accept," Diana said beaming happily. "I've been expecting this actually, so I've already composed my resignation letter to the university."

"Well, I just knew you would anticipate me," Dave said smiling happily, as he placed the collar he'd had specifically made around her neck. The collar was a thing of beauty, it was a wide, thin band of gold, studded with little pieces of gemstones. Dave hooked the collar at the nape of her neck. The collar was mostly symbolic nowadays.

"You're mine now," Dave said, as he kissed Diana fully on the lips, which she accepted with pleasure.

"Yes, I am," Diana agreed calmly. "I was always hoping that our courting would lead to eventually mating, but I also knew it might not."

"There was little chance of that," Dave said smiling broadly, he was so happy. "Let me take you to bed, show you how much I love you," Dave requested.

"Just let me call my parents first, so they can come and watch my children. They won't mind, as they expected this would happen. I would prefer the children be elsewhere at least this first time."

"Sounds like a fine idea," Dave agreed. "Once you move to Virginia with me and Ariel can look after your three along with my two. The five of them are old enough to behave themselves while we are busy."

"We're going to have to hire a nanny or something if we do have more. I go into heat in a few days, as I'm sure you're aware."

"I was. That's one of the reasons I waited so long to propose, as I wanted to get you pregnant as soon as possible. I was already planning on hiring a nanny, though I think that can wait until you're actually pregnant."

"Aren't you lucky that my second heat of the year comes near the end of the school year," Diana smiled.

"That's just the way it happened this time," Dave grinned. "I know very well that it won't be the same next time you go into heat, as the month you do always varies from year-to-year. Every six months like clockwork."

Diana made the call and her parents showed up within 20 minutes. In the meantime, Diana packed hurriedly for her triplets.

"We're happy for you, mom," Meriel said hugging her mother tightly. "Dave is a very good man."

"I have to agree with my sister here," Spencer said. "I wasn't sure at first, but now, I know you'll be happy with him and he'll treat us like his own children, as he's already been doing so. I'm glad you met him.

"I'm glad you realize that he's a good man, Spencer. I know I'll be very happy with him," Diana said

"It's obvious really," Mercia said. "I know Spencer was worried that you would get involved with someone that was just like our father, but I know you're much too careful to do that."

"You'll have a good time with your grandparents and they'll bring you back sometime tomorrow, probably in the afternoon."

"So we'll have soon have some siblings?" Spencer inquired. "I mean your heat is only about a week away."

"I didn't know you were keeping track, son," Diana said looking at Spencer in surprise.

"It's really not that hard, mom. It's every six months on the dot, unless you are pregnant at the time. I know how much pain you go through. With Dave around, he can help you with that like he's already done once."

"And once you're done giving us some siblings, you can just have your ovaries removed so you won't go into heat anymore," Mercia added.

"That's for the future though," Diana told her children, as always amazed at how intelligent they all were. "It depends on how many children that Dave and I want, but if we want a lot, well, we need to get started right away. It's one thing we're going to have to discuss. Now, I heard your grandparents pull-up. You go and enjoy yourselves with them and we'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you mom," Spencer said giving his mother a hug. "I'm glad you met Dave."

"Well, that's certainly a change of opinion," Diana told her son with a smile, ruffling his hair.

"I just didn't want you to get into a bad situation," Spencer told his mother honestly.

"I know and I do appreciate it, Spencer, but I've been alone long enough and my heat is also much easier to handle with a partner, something I should've done, years ago, even if those were only temporary. Now, go on, I'll see you tomorrow."

Spencer nodded and raced after his sisters.

~~~Dave and Diana~~~

"Well, now that the children are gone, it's definitely time for us to get started," Dave said, grinning broadly.

"Definitely," Diana agreed, walking directly into Dave's arms. Dave pulled her close to him and kissed the side of her neck right above her new collar.

"The bedroom is this way," said Diana pointing up the stairs.

"Well, let's go, shall we?" Dave said. "I've been waiting for this for quite sometime."

"Me too," Diana said, as she allowed Dave to gently pick her up and carry her up the stairs.

Dave managed to open the door without dropping his new mate and once inside he placed Diana gently on the bed.

Dave started to strip Diana out of her clothes while Diana unbuttoned his shirt and soon had it down his shoulders. Dave stopped what he was doing just long enough for Diana to help him remove his shirt completely, before he got back to what he was doing. Diana used her hands to unbutton Dave pants and then allowed him to pull her shirt over her head.

It wasn't long before both of them were totally naked.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Dave said, as he admired Diana's body. "I know I can't get you pregnant tonight, but that opportunity will soon be upon us."

"Only a few more days," Diana agreed.

"Yes, I can smell that you're pretty close to going into heat," Dave said his voice a growl of lust. "No more than four or five days at most."

"That sounds about right," Diana agreed.

The two of them stopped talking and Dave started to make love to this beautiful woman who was his mate.

It was sometime later that Dave finally entered his mate for the first time, causing Diana to whimper, as pleasure surged, through her much more strongly then it ever had with Will, but then she loved Dave so much more than she ever had her ex-mate. Dave always paid attention to her needs while Will never had. Will had gotten himself off and if she didn't he hadn't cared. Dave treated her like an absolute equal, never making her feel stupid, like Will often had and he also made sure she got her satisfaction as well. Will had often talked down to her like she was two years old, which she hadn't appreciated, but Will hadn't noticed.

"That was spectacular," Diana said speaking for the first time in awhile.

"We're just getting started," Dave promised grinning at Diana. "I've been wanting to make you mine for quite sometime, so I've been saving up."

"Go right ahead," Diana offered barring her neck, in a sign of submission to her Alpha.

Dave just growled longingly at this sign of Diana offering herself to him completely and started to make love to her again.

The two of them made love far into the night until they finally fell asleep exhausted.

~~~Dave and Diana~~~

"I haven't been this happy in a long time," Dave said quietly once he had woken up. "I thought I loved Carolyn, but my feelings for her don't even compare to the ones I have for you."

"I thought the same thing of Will," Diana said and Dave nodded as he had known this.

"Let's just forget about our previous relationships. We are together now and that's all that matters," Dave suggested. "Both Carolyn and Will are out of our lives."

"Yes, they are," Diana agreed.

"So it'll be soon you can move in with me," Dave said.

"Yes, the school year ends soon and then I'll happily move me and my children to Virginia," Diana said smiling, as she kissed Dave, who accepted the kiss and immediately took control of it.

"I'll pay for any cost associated with moving," Dave offered immediately. "We'll hire a professional company."

Diana didn't bother to protest, as she knew that this was the way it was done or at least it was by a Alpha that had been raised properly. If an Alpha and Omega happened to be from two totally different cities and then mated, then the Alpha offered to pay at least part of the cost associated with moving some place new. Or at least that was the way it was supposed to work, but didn't always.

"Alright then," Diana agreed calmly. "To tell you the truth I'll be glad to get out of Las Vegas."

"Because of your ex-mate?" Dave questioned already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Diana told him honestly. "I've always feared that Will would try to confront me about his name being on our kinds bad bets list. At this late date that's probably not too likely, but you never know. I told you awhile back that I suspect he never even looked at the list and is probably thinking he got off scot-free. I'm sure he believes that I would never have the atrocity or the guts to do such a thing, to record him in his own home. I'm sure the thought never even occurred to him that I would even think about spying on him by planting miniature cameras around the house."

"But he's bound to look at the list at some point, if he can't get some Omega to agree to mate with him or even date him," Dave finished Diana's thought, more than understanding her concerns.

"I just don't see him as an eunuch for the last nearly 6 years, not like I was," Diana explained. "It's bound to occur to him eventually, that his name might be on that list, unless he tries to court someone really young or possibly really naïve, who doesn't think checking the list is necessary or doesn't even occur to them to do so. At least in Virginia, he'll have no idea where I am if he comes back to the house that I've been living in. In fact, the house will likely be sold and another family will be living there."

"So the house belongs to you then?" Dave asked.

"It's in my name yes," Diana agreed. "It was a wedding present from my parents, who wanted me to have a big enough place to raise a large family. They were hoping for plenty of grandchildren, since my twin brother doesn't seem to be interested in settling down. At the time Will and I were trying to save money and buying such a big house would've seriously cut into our finances, even if we only had a house payment every month. I suspect the only reason that Will didn't evict us, is because the deed isn't in his name, something he would have known."

"I'm surprised they didn't put into both your names," Dave mentioned.

"I'm not," Diana denied. "My parents were planning for the future. While they were hoping things between me and Will worked out, they were also aware that they might not. They wanted to give me and any children roofs over our heads, just in case it didn't. It's also one of the reasons that they insisted that all the children get college educations, so that they could support themselves just in case they mated and it didn't work out. I wouldn't be surprised if Will felt insulted that the deed to the house was in my name and not his or at least in both of ours instead of just mine. He never said anything like that to me, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case. Knowing Will, he probably would've felt like my parents were giving him short shrift and not the respect he believed he deserved. I don't think Will understood the concept that respect is earned not just given out like popcorn at a fair."

"That's a very good policy to have," Dave said approvingly. "So many parents expect their children to just mate and be happy with them. They don't provide their children with any farther education just in case their mating doesn't work out. That has left more than one Omega in a bad situation, because they don't have any education beyond high school. College is nearly mandatory in this country nowadays. Of course, sometimes it happens to Alphas or Betas to just not as often."

"What can I say, except my parents are realists and I'm grateful they are or I probably wouldn't have gone to get my teaching degree. So many parents deny their children further education, even if they can afford to send them and not enough search for scholarships," Diana said shaking her head. "I've always considered it very stupid to deny your child a chance to go to college, so they can support themselves if they never get mated or if it doesn't work out, no matter the reason why."

"Enough talk," Dave growled playfully. "I'm going to make love to you until your children get home. We probably have till at least noon."

Diana wasn't about to complain if Dave wanted to make love to her and simply barred her neck for Dave who growled, very turned on and pounced on her.

Dave got very busy and it was sometime later that they realized that they probably needed to get dressed before Diana's children got home.

"I don't want to move," Diana said sleepily. "The things you did to me... I know that if I was in heat I'd probably at least be carrying triplets again."

"You will be carrying triplets again if I have anything to say about it, my lady, and believe me I do," Dave growled playfully.

"I haven't felt this good ever since Will left and really before that," Diana said, as she rose to her feet slowly tested her muscles.

"Sore?" Dave asked solicitously.

"A little, but I expected that," Diana said. "It wasn't so long ago, that I don't remember what it's like to be mated. It's not too bad really. I'll probably be moving slowly for at least the next hour or so, but after that I'll probably be back to normal."

"Good," Dave said, as he to rose from the bed.

Dave felt so contented it was unreal. He hadn't been this happy in a very long time. Soon there would be children that carried both of their DNAs and he for one could hardly wait. He also knew that Diana felt the same without even having to ask.

The two of them got dressed Diana more slowly than normal, because she was still pretty sore, but it was so worth it. Dave had done things to her that were out of this world. She had been constantly swamped in pleasure as well as pain, when Dave used his knot to full effect.

"I'm glad you spent the extra time with my son. I'm not sure Spencer ever would've accepted you otherwise."

"An eidetic memory, is not always a good thing," David explained and Diana nodded. "Unlike his two sisters Spencer remembers every disdainful or hurtful remark his father made and whether true or not, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Being an Omega also doesn't help the situation. I've known somebody with his kind of memory in the past. His name was Harold Knott and he died in Vietnam. Harold or Harry, as he liked to be called was intelligent, though probably not on Spencer's level, but then, few are. I never understood how he could put up with all the warfare and violence, as he was an Omega like our son."

"Omega's can be tough you know," Diana said.

"Yes they can," Dave agreed. "All I meant was that his memory never would have faded just like Spencer's won't, so he would always have those images of the sounds of guns in the distance, of men dying or those fighting, just to survive another day, another hour. I'm not sure what he would've done if he had survived the war."

"You think it's likely he just would've committed suicide," Diana realized.

"It's certainly possible, more than possible actually," Dave said. "At the very least, it probably would've changed him beyond all recognition and it wouldn't have necessarily been good changes either. War has a way of destroying the toughest men and women. Many families break up, because soldiers keep having flashbacks of when they were in the trenches."

"You came out okay," Diana said.

"I had a lot of help from my family and I learned how to compartmentalize, which some people never learn how to do. Besides, every man and woman on the planet has a threshold of what they can take and I have very high threshold for violence and pain. I'm also an Alpha and trust me that makes a difference. Alphas tend to be very tough-minded in a lot of ways, some more or less of course. My memories have also dimmed, as that was decades ago when I was still a young man," Dave explained.

Diana nodded at this, but didn't have a chance to respond as her children came in the door.

"Welcome home," Diana said coming out of the kitchen.

"Mom!" Her children called excitedly, gathering around for hugs and kisses.

"Have you had lunch yet or do you need something to eat?"

"Don't worry mom, grandma fed us," Meriel said.

"Alright then," Diana said calmly knowing that was likely to be the case, but it was better to check just to be sure.

"We need to start making plans to move then. I know I don't finish the year at the university for a few days, but we might as well have all our plans in place, so we don't forget anything, because we are rushed. I doubt we need the furniture so we can either sell it or put it in storage."

Dave joined all of them in the den on the discussion when he had something to contribute. Decisions were made on what was to be sold and what was to be kept. It was decided that all the furniture was going to be sold except a few pieces that were antique and very valuable. Dave noticed that the 10-year-olds made lots of helpful suggestions and made a mental note that they probably all needed to go to a special school, one with harder courses. He had been thinking along those lines anyway for Spencer at least and had already discussed it with him, but he felt that Diana's two daughters would do just as well in that environment.

Dave enjoyed holding Diana's hand as they talked and simply enjoyed the touch of her flesh.

"Well then, it's all decided," Diana said pleased. "We have a plan for a few weeks from now."

"Good, because it's time for dinner," Dave said.

The children stomachs growled as if on cue, causing Spencer at least looked embarrassed. Dave's stomach also growled just then and the children laughed.

Well, things were going well, Dave thought with an inner smile, as he watched the children head to the kitchen to help their mother prepare supper.

~~~Dave and Diana~~~