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Cole
"Come help me with this," I grunted out, twisting the wrench as hard as I could. The muscles in my arms bulged and I could feel my face getting red from the effort. Miller chuckled and walked over to join me, crouching down and peering under the raised truck to see what the issue was.
"Dean leaves and you guys fall apart," he teased but he pulled up his sleeves and grabbed a wheel board of his own to slide under with me. "If you get oil on my clothes, you're in trouble."
The old alpha tried to sound intimidating but he wasn't in the least. Miller was Dean's dad and one of the best alphas I knew. He'd helped me get out of my depression. Honestly, they all saved me from myself.
When I left...
No.I couldn't go there. I'd healed as much as I possibly could and hashing up old memories wouldn't do me any favors.
"You've got enough button-ups to change it out," I said with a chuckle. "This bolt is rusted."
"Give me that," he demanded, taking the wrench from me and tightening it in place before giving it one harsh tug. As if he had some sort of inhuman strength it loosened enough that he handed it over, scooting out just before the broken oil basin fell on me.
"Fuck," I cursed, scooting away but the damage had been done. The shop floor and my wheel board were covered and I'd taken a decent amount to my coveralls. Thank god Miller insisted we wear them. I guess I couldn't give him shit for it now.
"See, I knew it," he laughed openly now, drawing Bash's attention. The omega walked out of his adjoining garage to peek in and see what the chaos was about, wincing at the sight of me covered in oil.
"Oof, rough day?" he called out. He was our custom painter around here so his coveralls were a splattered rainbow mess. Somehow he made it look purposeful... though knowing him, it likely was.
Sometimes Bash and I were mistaken for brothers with our dark curly hair, though his was short and styled, while mine was longer and a bit unruly at times. That was where the similarities ended. His complexion was a deep golden bronze thanks to his Greek heritage, while I was pale. He had hazel eyes while mine were bright blue. We were opposites in personality as well. He was charming and outgoing and I preferred to interact with people as little as possible.
"A bit," I admitted, grabbing a shop towel and getting as much oil off of my skin as I could. Miller grabbed another and started helping me clean up. It didn't feel weird to have the older alpha step in and take care of me, he'd been doing it for a few years now.
"If you moved in already you could run home and change real quick. Shower and clean up would be less than fifteen minutes all around," he mused. The guys had been trying to get me to fully integrate into their pack for a while but I couldn't find it in me to move from my quiet apartment of solitude into a busy shared place.
"I'm only about ten minutes further," I reminded him. "We all walk together every day."
"It would be easier," Bash agreed. "Sometimes we stand outside for way too long while you take your time." There was amusement in his eyes, and I rolled up the shop towel to flick it at him, but he let out a peel of laughter and disappeared into his cave again.
"He's right. You need the pack beside you," Miller said, serious now.
My eyes met his, the same green as Dean's, though there was a small sliver of blue in his right eye. It felt like he could peel away the layers of the armor I'd built around myself with just a look. Vulnerability crept up my chest and into my neck, bringing heat with it. My skin felt like it was too tight and taking a simple breath felt like a chore. I hated how easily he could render me a mess. I'd worked hard to be as strong as I was now, as calm and collected. Yet here I was ready to crumble before him and let him know my protected thoughts and feelings on the matter.
Trust.
I'd trust these men with my life.
My heart however, was a different story.
Investing in anyone I cared about wasn't as easy as it used to be. I'd lived through that pain and became stronger for it, even if I still lived with lingering regret I was working through. I wasn't eager to repeat it, whether it be for a pack or a mate.
"We've got your room ready for you when you want it," he said with a defeated sigh, giving me a clap on the shoulder before checking his watch. "Dean should be back in ten minutes with the tow. He texted and said he was bringing the customer back to town. She was a single parent who needed a helping hand."
"I'm glad she called us. There's not much between Holiday Hollow and the bigger towns around here," I said. Not everyone was as helpful as those of us from this town. Holiday Hollow was a friendly small town to its core. I'd never seen anyone struggle without a whole slew of helpful people stepping in. It was endearing and a bit suffocating, to be honest.
"Me too," Miller said as he walked away. "Clean up."
The last of his words were a direct order and I let out a sigh, dropping the dirty towels into the laundry bin and stripping out of my dirty coveralls. Thankfully I kept an extra pair in my locker, so I didn't have to walk home.
"You should head to the bathroom. If you use the one in here, I have some hair products," Bash called out. Clearly, he hadn't really snuck away earlier.
"Thanks," I said, heading for his side of the garage. Hair products beat keeping oil in my hair until closing time.
Nearly ten minutes later, I had on fresh coveralls and my hair was clean, wet, and even had a bit of mousse in it. I also smelled like fruit, which was weird, but I couldn't exactly complain.
"Dean's back," Bash called out as I stepped out of the bathroom. He looked almost proud as he sniffed the air, knowing damn well I used his products for once.
