Building a Pack is Ruff, Part 1 (The Pack Pets Omegaverse #2)

45. Teddy

Chapter 45

W e shuffle the chairs back around so we can talk without leaning over each other, and settle in. Garret and Steve exchange glances, but neither of them seems to know where to start. Finally, Sam lets out an annoyed groan, “Ok...let me try this. We’re dealing with my family drama for my starting a pack with people younger than me. Kelly’s family is scared shitless that a pack is going to take advantage of their sweet, naive daughter.” He pauses to look around at us, and Kelly starts snickering.

“Yeah. Let’s see. Teddy’s family was under the impression that I kidnapped him from a mating ceremony his cousin took him to. Between my relatives and his, somebody called the cops and tried to accuse me of kidnapping Kelly…the omega. This week was nuts before you two showed up. So, let’s make this easy. Teddy can start, then you two take over and you can try to explain why you abandoned him, and what the hell you’ve been doing since then. Sound good?”

Vee and Garret both look shell-shocked, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, so I start us out, rushing through the parts my pack has already heard, wanting to hear the alphas’ excuses for myself.

I ’m four when I meet Steven and Garret for the first time. We’re at a work picnic for two of my dads—Murph and Noah—who work for their dads’ company. Their grandpa started the Alpha Entertainment Company. Apparently, it was long enough ago that there weren’t many TV stations and no streaming services. But Murph's in marketing and Noah works on the more technical side of things in broadcasting. They started working there early and are now high enough in the company that we have to go to stupid company functions, even though the dads don’t want to spend what little free time they get with their co-workers.

They drop me off at the daycare center for the picnic. I don’t have brothers or sisters, so I’ve always been good at playing alone. Give me some blocks or some crayons, and I can chill for hours. That’s probably not normal for four-year-olds, but it never bothered me—maybe I’m a freak. Not that my parents neglect me, but even with four attentive adults, kids can get lonely without other kids. I just didn’t realize it until two wrestling six-year-olds tumble through the block city I’m building and destroy it.

They apologize, saying their dad's gonna be mad for making me cry, and help me rebuild everything. After that, I’m not lonely anymore. We spend the rest of the day playing together. My legs are shorter than theirs, but they never leave me behind. Even after the picnic we have playdates at their house.

As we get older, I sometimes get to have sleepovers there. They don't treat me as less even though my dads work for theirs, and whenever we’re together, it just feels right. W e spend more time together, every weekend we hang out at either my house or theirs. Mostly mine since their dad, Marc, is always super busy. We go to different schools. Obviously, their dad insists that they go to the private academy that’s supposed to help develop strong leaders...you know the type.

Whereas I’m a public school kid. Already bigger than most by the third grade, I don’t have to deal with bullies or anything, but I don’t have a lot of friends at my school either.

When I’m in seventh grade and they’re in ninth, Garret finally convinces their dad to let them take a year at my school. He reasons with the old man that it will be easier for them to get more real world experience in a public school dealing with a variety of different personality types, as well as possibly meet omegas. Even now their grandpa’s riding them about their legacy and having to start a pack and a family. I don’t know if the rest of their dads feel the same way, but neither Steve nor Garret ever argue against it, and that’s enough.

Their designation comes in later that year. I’m not sure if it’s a twin thing or just an alpha thing, but within weeks of each other they’ve both presented, and before long they’re both noticeably taller than I am. Before that we were usually mistaken as the same age due to my size, but now there’s no question to most people that I’m just a tag-along. But the twins never make me feel that way. Whenever anyone invites them out—the new rich kids in school—they refuse unless I’m invited along too.

My relationship with Steve starts to change. He’s still one of my best friends, but it’s more than that. I still care about them both, but it’s different with him. I catch myself trying to always sit next to him at lunch or be closer to him on the weekends when we hang out. He always shares my beanbag when we play video games together. Just small things to be near each other.

Then, one night I’m at their place, we’re all sprawled across their bedroom and Steve and I are arguing over what movie to put in. I want to watch The Lost Boys, but he’s in more of a sci-fi mood. Sometimes we can compromise, but there are only so many times you can watch the Aliens franchise before you need a break. Garret gets up to go ask Cook to make us some movie snacks before she can leave for the evening.

Vee’s holding the movie case over my head, just out of reach, and I tackle him to get it. Soon we’re rolling around on the floor and he has me pinned down. We’re both breathing heavy and then he kisses me. Everything else is kind of a blur. Garret comes back, calls us both weirdos and tells us not to be freaky when he’s in the room. Then he shoves Event Horizon in the movie player, takes his bowl of popcorn and flops across his bed—effectively closing the matter with another compromise movie and leaving us to snuggle together on the floor while he plays games on his phone and ignores us.

He’s always the odd man out with wanting to watch comedies, something I don’t come to appreciate until I meet Sarah later at the omega center and her obsession with Monty Python.

When I’m fifteen, my own growth spurt hits, and everybody thinks that I’m about to present...but nothing happens. Vee and I are still very much in the hand holding and cuddling stage—we never get out of that, really. Don’t get me wrong, the desire’s there, but we want to wait until my designation comes in, and we’re both fully matured, but it feels like my life's stalling out.

I still have two years left of high school, and they’re set to graduate in a few months when my designation finally hits. Mom finds me one Tuesday morning when I don’t come down for breakfast. I’m curled up in bed, my stomach aching worse than I’ve ever felt, and I can’t even make it out of bed because my legs won’t stop shaking, despite being overheated.

It might sound like I’m being an overdramatic teenager, but I’m very worried I’m going to die. I thought it might be food poisoning, or something that’s going to kill me. It isn’t until Mom walks in and I see the look on her face...I know it’s worse. So much worse than food poisoning.

Murph comes next, trying to find out what’s with all the crazy omega perfume filling the hallway. All he manages to say is, “Shit!” before he rounds up the other dads and leaves me alone with Mom to keep from stressing out the new omega with overprotective growly alphas. Mom gets me a heating pad and sits with me, rocking my too-big body back and forth and singing to me like she did when I was a kid until some of the fever starts to taper off.

I call the guys that night to tell them what happened, knowing this would change some of our plans, but that we could still be a pack. I could finally be with Vee how we both wanted. He sounds so excited on the phone, asking if he can bring me anything. He offers to have Cook make up some chicken soup for me...which is crazy since I’m presenting as an omega, not coming down with the flu, but I still appreciate it.

Garret doesn’t say much, but Vee talks to me late into the evening. His voice easing some of the pain and giving me a sense of peace after the rough day I’d had. Mom says that’s normal for omegas. Being in contact with their alpha helps soothe them, and it’ll help even more when I can be around him physically, not just over the phone.

I don’t make it back to school for a full week. Newly awakened omegas perfume...a lot. But Mom helps me where she can, with going to the store to pick up new slick wicking boxer briefs, and some baggier clothes so they won’t pinch. At least until I can make the trip on my own. That’s a story for another day but imagine my dads all surrounding me at the department store. Growling and snarling at anybody who gets close to the too-tall, string-bean omega who’s puffing out perfume like a fucking Abercrombie & Fitch store in the mall.

I try to call Vee back every night during the week that I’m out, but it just keeps going to voicemail. I don’t think anything of it until I get back to school, and they’re gone. Rumors around school say that their dad wanted them to graduate from that fancy private school, so he had them both transferred back to finish out the year. Leaving the newly presented omega without his alphas—all alone.

Without anyone there to protect me, I can’t legally stay in a public school. I’m not old enough to drop out and try for my GED so I need to transfer to the omega academy to finish out. Mom’s devastated, since the closest one's a couple hours from the house and I’ll have to live on campus. I’d planned on moving in with the guys when I turn eighteen anyway, but this is too early, and I’m alone.

Within a few months of my presenting, I'm completely moved into to the omega center that I'll spend the next decade at. Sarah sort of adopts me shortly after I arrive. I’m certainly not the youngest omega there, but I am the only male omega in our dorm. Kimberly, our dormitory supervisor, assigns her as my guide for the first week until I’m used to everything. And she just kind of sticks around after that.

Three years my senior, Sarah's already been here awhile. She’s crazy but fun, and soon becomes my best friend, planning out elaborate revenge fantasies on the alphas who abandoned me, and taking me to the gym to work out some of my aggression and frustration.

I finally fill out, but not exactly in the way I had hoped. Omegas tend to have extra padding, so while I put on a lot of muscle, I never can get the really chiseled body. I look more like an alpha than anyone else, though, and Sarah and I often go together to the mandatory social events. Two outcasts together, she doesn’t see the point of having a pack other than for heats and I don’t want anyone but Vee...and no one wants us.