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“Yeah, sorry, just thinking.” I shook it off. “What game did you have in mind?”
“Well, I have a few,” he started. “I need to know what you’d rather play. Fantasy? Horror? Or just something with a good storyline?”
I thought it over for a second. “Something with a story, so you can start from the beginning. That way I don’t miss anything.”
He nodded and turned his attention back to the main screen. While he watched it, I couldn’t help but watch him. The man who was on edge and ready to start a fight at all times was calm and collected. In mere hours of conversation, he seemed to transform, like he was finally giving himself permission to relax.
“Okay, this one here might be cool if you like fantasy. You’re essentially thrown into a new world and have to gather an army to fight the villain, some evil wizard who stole a special amulet from you. It sounds super cheesy, but I’ve heard good things,” he said.
“It sounds fun,” I said, leaning up to click the button so he couldn’t second guess it. He shook his head but couldn’t hide his grin as the story started. It took a whole five seconds before I was fully drawn into it. He shifted to the floor, and I stretched out behind him. Without thinking, my hands started to run over the buzzed hair at the back of his head. When I noticed what I was doing, I snatched my hand away, mumbling an apology. It wasn’t my smoothest moment, but I was apparently cursed with being awkward here.
“It’s okay,” he promised. “Wells does that a lot. It’s calming.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, but I was automatically curious. There was an openness to him when he said his packmate’s name, an easy happiness that I hadn’t noticed before.
“So, how did you and Wells meet?” I asked. “You seem like an unlikely duo.”
“I had a lot of anger when we met. He was a personal trainer, and he took me on when he saw me acting a fool.” He laughed humorlessly. “My hands were banged and bruised, so he pulled me aside to help me wrap them properly, then he took me on. It took a long time for me to trust him, but he proved himself to be different. He could handle my bad days, which said a lot.”
My hand went back to his scalp, knowing that he needed the comfort. His scent was marred now with a bit of melancholy, and I hated it.
“It’s crazy you and Beck are brothers,” I said softly. “Do you get along?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it wasn’t Beckham’s fault our parents were idiots. He hated it just as much, and we both got out the moment we could. He actually met Graham and Ellis first, then we all kind of melded together in this makeshift pack. Miles was the last to join, but he knew Graham and Ellis for a long time and needed a family.”
“Are you all… together?” I asked. It wasn’t my place, but I was too curious to take the question back.
“We’re a pack,” he said like that answered everything. “I’m closer to Wells than the others, though we all have our own forms of relationships. It’s complicated.”
“That’s fair,” I said gently. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I’ve just been trying to figure you guys out.” The pack got along so easily, and they all seemed to read each other well, so I’d been curious how their relationship dynamics broke down.
He snorted. “Good luck with that.”
“You don’t have to share,” I reassured him. “It’s just me being nosy.” He threw me a grin at that.
“It’s understandable. You’re stuck in this apartment with us every day. Graham and Ellis share the omegas, while Wells and I are together. We’re all a pack, so we look out for each other and help out during heats, but I’m not romantically involved with the omegas.”
“Do you want to be?” His eyebrows raised at the question, and I bit back yet another apology. He would answer if he wanted, and if I wanted him to relax with me, I needed to stop acting like I was walking on eggshells around him.
“I’m not what they need,” he said simply, which was neither a denial or confirmation. “I wouldn’t be against an omega someday, but it’s never really been a top priority.” He didn’t seem upset, more matter-of-fact, and that was understandable. I was one of those people who hadn’t given my future pack much thought until now.
We fell silent again as the story picked back up. Tallon fought his way through a dark forest full of magical assassins while I watched. It was entertaining, but I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering. This pack was a puzzle to me, a mix of hot and cold, stubborn and sweet, and I wanted to know how they fit together.
“Okay, I’m apparently not as strong as you because I’m fucking starving. You ready to eat yet, or should I go sneak food in the kitchen?” he teased. He stood and stretched, leaning back with his hands over his head, giving me a view of his gorgeous abs. My thoughts fell away, but my stomach rumbled at the prospect of food.
“Apparently, I’m ready,” I admitted, letting him pull me up. “If I had to guess, Graham is probably already in there figuring something out.” I glanced at the clock, confirming my suspicions. The man was like a clock, sticking to the same routine every day. It was oddly comforting. I couldn’t say that I’d really much appreciated the home routine I’d had growing up, but now, with the unpredictability of what was happening in my body and my life, I was super appreciative of any predictable anchor.
“Thank fuck, because my cooking might be worse than yours,” he teased.
“Hey, I’ve taught her a bit,” Graham cut in as we approached. He raised an accusing eyebrow at Tallon. “More than I can say for you.”
“Well, the baby’s finally hungry, so teach away,” Tallon said, gesturing to the stove where Graham already had something boiling.
“You’re lucky. I was feeling soup, so we’ve got a huge pot of broccoli cheddar already going. We just need to pop in some rolls,” he said. “I may be able to cook, but baking isn’t my thing. We’ve got some in the freezer.”
Tallon opened the freezer door and searched while I stood on my tiptoes to peek into the giant pot. It smelled heavenly, and my stomach rumbled again.
“This is perfect!” I grinned up at Graham. He smiled down at me, an unreadable yet sweet look in his eyes.
“Tallon mentioned you felt a bit queasy, so the soup may have had more purpose than just sounding good to me,” he admitted. The admission had my chest warming. That they’d hear something like that and change their day around made me feel special. It was strange, but nice. “Feeling better now?”
“Yeah, Tallon’s got me hooked on a game now,” I explained. “I feel guilty for just being lazy though.” I gasped as a thought occurred to me. “Shit, was I keeping you from work?”
“Me?” Tallon questioned, his eyes softening at the frazzled look I was giving him. Me being here was not supposed to distract them and disrupt their lives. Guilt bubbled in my stomach, but he waved off my freakout. “No. I’m a grown ass man, and we work by project, not by the hour. I still have time to get done anything I need.”
“You’re not a burden,” Graham reminded me, a soft whisper of a touch tracing across my back. He was always so careful, never crossing any lines, and how my heart ached for him to just lean in and give me a hug for real. Apparently, I was touch starved, so these teasing brushes of their hands and gentle squeezes to my shoulder were making me a needy omega. I had never been one to just jump into a man’s arms. In fact, I had avoided them like the plague thanks to my desire to put my career first. But something with this pack was different.
Part of me feared that it was a savior thing, that I’d fixated on them just because they'd given me shelter and kept me safe. Was that enough to trigger this awkward neediness that was taking me over? Were my feelings real? But as I sat at the counter, eating soup, while sandwiched between the misunderstood beta and the protective alpha, I couldn’t help but feel right at home, like my place had been waiting beside them all along.
