Page 2 of Omega Scorned

"No, that's not what I meant!" My stomach twisted. "I'm sorry, never mind. I don't need to know."

"It's fine," Rory said. "We're all in different businesses. I run a construction company, Daryl is a pilot, and Jake is the CEO of Nalia Enterprises."

I nodded, but kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to give the wrong impression again. Turning to the window, I watched the scenery flash by and tried to ignore the ache in my chest where my mates were missing. The snapping of the bonds had nearly killed me, but it hadn't been that noticeable when I'd been in the middle of actively dying anyway. Now, I wished I'd gone with them.

Alone in a Pack

Emilia

"Before we get you settled, we should sit down and discuss expectations," Jake said.

We were standing in the foyer of the largest house I'd ever stepped foot in. The exterior had been modest, with tasteful gray siding and white trim, but it was obviously a very elegant home. I couldn't stop staring around at how much space there was. A huge, swooping staircase led upstairs directly in front of us and the floor was hardwood throughout.

"Come into the living room," Rory suggested.

I followed them into the living room, a huge space with double-high ceilings and black leather sofas. The whole space was covered with a soft beige area rug and a few lamps were scattered around the area, despite full-length windows covering two walls. The light in here was amazing.

"Have a seat," Jake said.

I gingerly sat in a fancy-looking armchair that faced the biggest sofa. They all settled in on the sofa, facing me.

Despite the fact they all looked happy, my stomach was twisted in knots. I had no idea who they were, what they were like, outside of our few small interactions in the car, or how they would behave with me.

"We understand you recently lost your old pack. I'm sorry for your loss," Jake started out. "It might be a little much for you to just jump into a new pack, so we're more than happy to just let you get to know us until your first heat here. The office said it will likely start in a couple of weeks?"

I nodded, though my heart gave a lurch at the thought of having a heat without the men whose marks sat on my skin. I pushed that thought down and gave him a small smile.

"I appreciate that, but I'm fine with intimacy once we know each other a little more," I told him. After all, this was my new home, my new pack. There was no reason to just wait until my heat. Despite my misgivings, it was time to move forward.

Jake smiled, like I'd just given him the right answer. "Great! I think we can accomplish that fairly quickly. Now, on to other things. First, you should know that we all work, so Rory and I are away every weekday, from around 7 am until 6:30 or so, unless we go out after work with coworkers. Daryl's job has him flying according to when his clients need him, so he will be home sometimes, then away for anywhere from half a day to a week. Are you comfortable being home alone?"

"Of course." I forced my clenched hands open. My palms were sweaty and damp, but I resisted the urge to wipe them on my skirt. "In a house this big, I'm sure there's plenty of cleaning and such to do."

"Oh, we have a maid and a gardener," Daryl informed me. "You'd just need to cook."

I nodded. That was easy enough.

"You'll probably want a hobby of some sort to keep you busy while you're here," Jake said smoothly. "Think about what you'd enjoy and we'll figure it out."

Another nod. I was starting to feel like one of those bobblehead toys in a car window.

"Basically, what we need from you is managing the household, so you'll let the maid know of any new chores, or if she's not doing well with something. You'll also need to manage the cooking and grocery lists. We order online, so you can set up the list on a tablet I give you and we'll arrange for delivery. And, of course, we'd like you to spend time with us. We're in need of the calming factor an omega brings."

"I can do that." I'd done similar for years already. This wouldn't be any different. Though when I looked around the place, it occurred to me that it might be very different. My previous pack hadn't been poor, but they'd definitely been middle-class compared to this pack.

"Great! Rory is going to show you around, then." Jake stood up. "I've got some paperwork to do. We'll order in for dinner tonight, so don't worry about cooking today."

"Thanks." I got up and followed Rory as he beckoned me toward the foyer again.

"I know it's a little overwhelming, but you'll feel at home in no time," Rory said with a smile.

We started with the first floor. The kitchen was enormous and so well equipped, I couldn't wait to start cooking in there. Rory assured me that if there was anything I needed, they'd get it for me. Then he took me to the pantry, which was as big as a regular-sized bedroom. I stared at the many shelves, full of food and immediately started coming up with meal ideas.

Aside from the living room, there was a gym, laundry area, and a large back patio, as well as a guest room. Rory led meto a smaller room that had its own bathroom, right beside the laundry room.

"This will be your bedroom. Just a spot to get away from the testosterone if needed," Rory explained. "The rest of the time, you'll be with one of us."

"Oh." In my previous pack, I'd had my own space, but it was a large room with a nest just off it for my heats. My alphas had always come to me, not the other way around.