Teddy is staring at me, and I shake myself, trying to bring my train of thought back to the station. I don’t know how long I was zoning out for, but I can’t imagine my face was hiding any of my thoughts, considering how concerned my best friend looks. Shit, but I’ve missed him so much. It’s so good to see him again. It’s great that he found a pack, and fuck knows I’m happy for him. But I’m still kind of sad for myself; I miss him so damned much.
Not that Adam hasn’t been great. He has, but it’s just not the same as having my best friend around. Adam has Lily. They’ve been mated since shortly after they met, moving in together to share a dorm and a nest. I’ll admit, I was super surprised when Lily showed up to class one day with a fresh bonding mark on her neck, and smelling more like tiramisu than her usual mocha.
Then, after what happened the night I met John…the reason I met Greg. I was so angry that my big beta had to stop me from killing someone when I saw Adam a few days later. I’ve only seen Lily a handful of times since then, and the poor girl looked positively haunted.
Of course, Adam doesn’t know what to do, but he’s trying, and he was there for her. His family’s offered to let them both stay with them, but the school said that they needed someone from Lily’s family or her bonded pack to sign the release forms before she could leave.
I’m not sure if they understand that Lily’s probably never going to have alphas after that night. She’s terrified of them now. She tolerates the beta guards, but mostly she just avoids everyone except her mate, and occasionally another omega.
I even bring Shaggy to visit some afternoons, and she seems ok with that. Adam said he might try to smuggle some sort of companion in for her, but probably not a bunny, considering how much space they need. I can attest that one omega, a big beta, and a bunny do not have a lot of extra room in these dorms.
My brain has gone off the rails again, and I focus when I’m swept up into a pair of arms. The familiar scent of rain and forest surrounds me as a low conversation goes on over my head. I must have been out of it to not even realize Moose had shown up.
His hands are out in front of him, attempting to look harmless despite his size. He would fail miserably if it weren’t for the big dorky grin on his face when he looks at me, and the loud rumbling purr pouring out of him.
“Hi! Um, sorry. I didn’t get a chance to tell you…uh, Hope and me, we’re not like that. She keeps acting like we are, and trying to grab my dick. But I don’t…I’m not…that’s not…uh—”
His stammering apology is cut off by Kelly’s angry voice. “I’m sorry, you said Hope did what? No, Spence, that’s never ok. Why didn’t you tell us? You know we wouldn’t let that happen if we knew. When did this start? No, oh my god.” She looks around for a minute, finally spotting Garret as he’s escorting the GigaChads towards the front door. “What happened with Chadwick?” Her voice is more curious than anything. “Wait, don’t tell me, he was hitting on people again, ugh. That’s fine, he’s an asshole, anyway.”
Teddy looks startled as she brings her hands up, rubbing over her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Wait, did she say Chadwick? Wow, his parents had him pegged, or they’re just assholes too. I’m not sure…and I don’t really care right now. The big alpha, Spence, is looking back and forth between his bosses and he looks terrified. Is he afraid he’s going to get fired for complaining? What the hell is wrong with people? Not just here, but all over. Fuck me sideways.
Garret makes his way back to the front desk, wrapping his arms around Kelly and kissing the top of her head. “Don’t worry, Sweetness. He won’t be back. I know it’s been making you tense.” He rubs his jaw over her, scent-marking her hair, and seems confused when she remains stiff in his arms. “Um,Kelly. Are you pissed that I kicked out Chadwick? I know we’re just starting out, but we can’t let them run roughshod over other people. Don’t worry, we’re still growing. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
The pretty beta—why am I surrounded by pretty betas, I steal a look at my own, and he grins down at me—leans against Garret. Her voice is sad. “No, it’s not that. It’s just…Ugh, I can’t even. Spence, tell us what’s been going on. Please.”
I think it’s the “please” that does it. My big alpha licks his lips and swallows repeatedly, looking nervous. “Um, so…you know you hired me as a personal trainer and kind of customer service on the floor for people who have questions. Yeah? Well, I’d only been here for a week and Hope was my first client when she started trying to touch me and making inappropriate comments. Uh, she…she told me that I’d get fired if I reported her, because it would seem like I was lazy and just didn’t want to do my job. ’Cause this is like my first real job I’ve had other than work-study…and football, but I wasn’t paid for football. Not exactly, it helped me pay for college, but I didn’t get anything back from that…aside from school…Sorry, what was I saying?”
Teddy sighs loudly and has to reach up to pat the big alpha on the shoulder. “You were telling us that Hope has been sexually harassing you for months, and then threatened to get you fired if you said anything?” Spence swallows convulsively a few times.
“No. No, I didn’t say…it wasn’t exactly. I mean. I know you guys are just starting out, and I didn’t want to cause y’all any problems. And we were looking for our own place, and I couldn’t risk not having an income. Then we bought our house, and now…now I just…I don’t know. It seemed easier to ignore and hope she just got tired of it. I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
Teddy shakes his head, and even Garret looks mad now as Kelly steps away from him and wraps Spence in a hug. “Oh, Spence. You know we wouldn’t have fired you for that. She’s justmean. She’s always been mean; we would have listened to you. Come on, let’s go sit down in the office, and I’ll get you a cup of cocoa while one of the guys kicks her out. Ok?”
The big man sniffs a few times, looking like he might cry as Kelly leads him towards the back. An irrational pang of jealousy flashes through me at her hand on his back, and I snuggle tight against Greg to keep from ripping her hand away to replace it with my own. What the fuck is wrong with me today?
Teddy and Garrett stare at each other for a moment before they both bring a hand up, fists clenched as they each count to three. Two of Garret’s fingers shoot out in the universal sign for scissors while Teddy’s fist stays tight. The omega is openly laughing as the alpha’s face fills with a combination of dread and determination before he takes off towards the back of the gym. I could have told him that Teddy would choose rock. Teddy always chooses rock.
Chapter 29
My tiny mate snuggles against my chest, and while a part of me feels bad, worried I’m holding her too tightly, the other part saw how she looked at the big alpha. I know he’s not another scent match. She hasn’t reacted to him like she did to me or how I see her act towards John. Always leaning closer, like she feels some kind of magnetic pull. I can’t even blame her with this guy; he’s built like a bull. Huge shoulders…well, huge everything, really. The guy makes me feel petite, so I can only imagine how Sarah feels.
And that’s the problem, isn’t it? I can imagine. I can imagine that he could carry her around with one arm, hold her, purr for her, like I can’t. Even before this, before everyone got upset and Kelly took him for a hot cocoa, he just kept purring. Damn, I wish I knew how to do that. I think you have to be built a certainway, really, but it doesn’t make menotjealous that he could comfort her in a way I never can.
And she likes him. I know she does,sawthe way she reacted when that beta was close by. I didn’t want to get involved because my girl can take care of herself. She’s proved that often enough. More than once, I was worried that I’d have to scoop her up and make a hasty getaway, but she’s never backed down. Even when I wished otherwise. My grandpa would call her a spitfire, but she doesn’t do nicknames. That doesn’t stop me from doing it in my head sometimes, though. Fuck, I love this girl.
She’s wrapped her arms and legs around me, nuzzling into my throat, and the sting of her sharp little teeth on my skin pulls me out of my jealousy spiral. I might not be able to give her what the big alpha can, but I have a whole drawer full of knotting toys that I can use, and a guitar, and I’ll damned sure do my best.
“You ok there, Pretty Boy?” Her voice is muffled against my neck and her tongue laves across me again. I probably taste like ass right now. We were both trying to get in a workout before those guys with the shockingly appropriate names started harassing her.
“Am I feeling ok? You’re the one licking me in public, Omega. You feeling alright? Too warm? Or did all that manly alpha posturing turn you on too much?” I chuckle quietly, trying to show that I’m making a joke, but her snorting laugh drowns me out.
“Holy fuck! Really? The Chads! Fuck, what are the rest of their names? That was just…ugh. Who do those idiots think that kind of pickup line works on, anyway?” She starts wiggling in my arms, and I let her slide free, just keeping her pressed close so I can lean in and give her a hug once her feet hit the ground. She’s told me repeatedly that I shouldn’t be insecure about ourrelationship. But while we may be scent-matched, I know she’ll need at least one alpha—probably more—soon.
Even though she told me she’s always done her heats alone, I worry. That can get dangerous, and while it calms me down that I’ll be close by to help her now, it amazes me every time I look at her that she’s made it so far on her own. This girl is so damned strong. Her last one was near Halloween, which means the next one should be coming up in a month. But she said that due to her PMOS, they aren’t exactly clockwork. Which I’m taking to mean it could be more or less than a month away.
We brought several toys, just in case. And she already reserved a heat suite in Springfield for the week, along with picking out heat helpers from their catalogue with the stipulation that I would also be there. There’s a very slim chance of needing it, but her cycles are so iffy she doesn’t want to take the risk. Sarah laughed nervously when she told me about it, and I told her I was fine as long as they let me stay. She’s never been comfortable enough to have helpers before, but she told me that as long as I’m present, I’ll keep things from going wrong. Her trust is a bit humbling, if I’m being honest.
She would have made a great Boy Scout, with plans and then contingencies for those plans. I think it just comes from being an omega and being forced to be self-sufficient. I don’t want totellher I hate her family for that shit—their neglect made her into the amazing woman I know and love—but I kindadohate her family for putting her through it. My girl deserves the world, and I’m going to do everything I can to give it to her.
