Zoinks! Nice Pack, Bro

4. Belong Together

CHAPTER 4

BELONG TOGETHER

Anthony

N o one takes me seriously.

Everyone looks at me and thinks that I’m the one who likes to party and fool around. There is nothing wrong with liking to party but that wasn’t the only thing that I could do.

So being able to be there for Sadie was having me ride high.

Bringing her lunch when it was clear she hadn’t eaten. Holding her wrist and going through breathing exercises that had calmed her down. Inviting her to the gym to get her to feel like she was in control.

It all made me feel good.

Especially when I scented her in the car.

Sweet sugared peaches, a heavy musk mix in, and then the scent of something richer like basil.

My omega.

She had to have known when she fell and Jace caught her that she was our scent match. Which explained why she had reacted so embarrassed about the whole thing.

Omegas were sensitive creatures. They were expected to act a certain way. Most alphas wanted a well behaved omega who was graceful and presented herself a certain way in public. If she was even allowed in public .

I wasn’t like most alphas. Nor was my pack.

We wanted someone who was themselves. Someone who didn’t feel like they had to fit into a mold and was okay with who they were.

Not that my pack had talked about having an omega. It was sort of assumed that I would end up with someone like a beta and maybe the other guys would eventually follow suit. A pack omega wasn’t something that had been in our plans.

Plans change.

When I was walking home from the gym and saw her with her head against her steering wheel and then looking out her windshield like she was in a complete other world, I had to stop to check on her.

Poor Sadie had been so lost in whatever was tormenting her.

It was the just the right thing to do for someone.

I’d seen people like that before and knew that if they’re left alone it can hurt them more than just trying to help them snap out of it. Bringing them back down to the here and now.

Something about the curvy brunette had struck me the first day we had met her.

With her annoyed look when she had fallen down the stairs and Jace had caught her and then that awkward moment where she had said Zoinks and called him bro.

Cameron and I found her hysterical, adorable. But seeing Jace curious about her and, even better, the way that Paxton had bitched about how she hadn’t said thank you for hours after had us all unable to stop thinking about her.

And none of them had even scented her at that point.

My omega.

How were they all going to act when they found out she was our scent match?

It must have been so hard for her to fall in an alphas arms and scent him.

Poor Sadie.

The guys would freak out when they knew she was our mate. Which I’d hold onto for a little bit longer so that they didn’t all descend on her like feral beasts.

Cameron starting to text her had been a shock because there were times that he didn’t even text us back. But for the past two days he had been non-stop with little smirks he tried to hide behind his thumbs.

I was thankful now that he reached out to her. That he had made contact with her and formed some sort of new bond. Knowing what I knew about Sadie, he had made the right move. Hopefully it helped her not feel alone.

It didn’t seem like she had a lot of people to surround herself with. No family to support and protect her, since she was working.

Most omegas stayed home or were put through a courting process by local omega societies. Sadie obviously didn’t have that support of a family to keep her at home. If she had chosen to work there were jobs that omegas were more protected in. Hours that they could keep and comforts that would be provided to help them settle in.

Her job was not one of them.

We would give her all the support she needed.

Of course working was up to her but she could choose to work from home if she wanted or not at all. I’m sure that Paxton would want to keep her in a bubble or at least offer her a job at our company so he could keep her close at all times.

I was getting ahead of myself.

Showing up at her work and seeing Sadie having an anxiety attack had forced me to show up for her in a way that people wouldn’t expect of me to be able to.

When was the last time that I had shown up for someone other than the boys?

Her blue eyes looking at me, trusting me in such a vulnerable moment.

I helped her calm down, feeling the way her pulse slowed and she finally was able to breathe, letting me coach her.

My baby omega.

Not a lot of people trusted me so to see Sadie look at me and be able to breathe, feeling her pulse calm beneath my thumb. The relief on her pretty face as some of the worry started to melt away and she gave herself over to me.

And now I was holding a bag of clothes that I had bought for her, hoping that she would show up for a gym session because there was something about her that was making me crave being near her.

I just needed to make sure she was okay.

Looking up from my phone I saw her coming out of the pharmacy, that hopeless look on her face as her fingers tapped against each other, counting them, her mouth moving with each number she said as she moved towards me.

What had her so spaced out and lost in thought all day?

Stepping forward, Sadie sidestepped me. Only stopping when my hand wrapped around her wrist so that she didn’t keep on going.

How was she so lost in her own world? Didn’t she know that she needed to be more aware of her surroundings?

The fear that started to flood in her eyes made me let go of her like I was touching fire.

Who had hurt her?

“I didn’t see you.” She tried a smile, so fake, but she was trying and there was something strong in trying.

My mind was telling me to ask her why she looked at me like I was her nightmare but my lips stayed closed, just holding up the bag, letting her take it from me as she moved to zip up her purse, my eyes seeing two prescription bags in there.

Was she sick?

Her scent was blocked because of whatever she wore at work. It annoys me now. I wanted to scent her to see what was going on with her. See if I could sense what was off in her. I needed to calm down.

This could all happen in time.

I had to breathe and not scare her off.

“Are you okay, baby bro?” She rolls her eyes at the nickname, pushing me lightly. She doesn’t answer me, though.

Heading inside, I reach around her, grabbing the door as she looks up at me like it was annoying that I had opened it for her. I want to joke that this was where she said thank you but she had already said that once today and I didn't know if that was hitting her daily quota.

Best not to push her.

Sadie moves to the dressing room that’s in our fitness room. I wait for a few minutes as she gets dressed in the clothes I bought for her. The whole time I’m worrying if she doesn’t like what I picked out or if I had been too forward with inviting her.

I want her here though.

Stepping out of the locker room, Sadie appears looking amazing.

Holy shit.

I had guessed at her size but I had a good eye. Looking at the way the black leggings hugged her thighs, the cropped hoodie left a sliver of skin that I wanted to trace under my fingers. Her soft skin and luscious curves like a lighthouse beacon for my instincts.c

In a purely selfish moment, I had bought her the same white running shoes, wanting us to match like I was publicly claiming her. Not like I could just bite her.

Yet.

My mate. My omega. Mine .

That was way more of a Jace move and if any of them found out I was sure that they would rag on me for acting so out of character. But I liked seeing Sadie in the clothes I bought her, matching me. Knowing I had provided for her. Making me feel like she was mine.

This was 1000% an instinct thing and not part of my usual character.

“How did you know my size?” Her curious gaze was on me as I walked up the stairs to the area of the gym I had already set up before she came.

Had I been thinking about spending time with her insistently since I saw her earlier?

Absolutely .

I shrug, not wanting to come off creepy and let her know I had just looked at her enough to know. But she hip checked me when I made it to the third floor, giving me a sideways look.

“Do you buy clothes for a lot of women?” She was teasing me but there was still something in her voice like she was trying to see if she was just a number.

Jealous little omega.

It made me cringe hearing the question because when I had been shopping for Sadie that afternoon I had been so focused on making sure that she was happy with my choices. I hadn’t ever shopped for a woman other than my mother before so it had been awkward trying to figure out what would be best.

Now that I wanted to court her, I’d be doing a lot more shopping for her.

But this was the first time we were hanging out and I was very aware that all my pack also were interested in her. Such a strange situation to be in and yet it seemed so perfect I wondered why we hadn’t thought about doing something like this before.

Maybe because no one ever captured all our attention like Sadie had done.

We had never gone to get an omega after we had registered as a pack. Paxton had wanted to make sure that we were settled and ready to take a step like that.

We were just settling into everything so it was a natural next step for most packs. Since we had never really talked about relationships I think Paxton would have held off a few more years before diving in.

An omega was the heart of the pack. And we had been missing it. Sure we all were friends but there was something about being around an omega that pulled everything together.

“You’re the only person, other than myself, that I’ve bought clothes for.” She looks shocked at this. That pretty little flush coming into her cheeks, “C’mon, we have to stretch before we work out.” The sound she made of annoyance made me smirk but she let me lead her into the room, her eyes scanning around when she realized we were alone.

Again, there was relief in her movements, the tension she carried easing up and she looked at me. There was this ease about her now and that feeling of having done something right filled me. An alpha could grow addicted to the way Sadie looks at them when she is happy about something.

“We’re alone.” I nod at her statement, “Are you planning on doing something to me other people can’t see?” It was a joke but the way our eyes held each other still sent a signal right to my cock.

Now I was thinking about doing things to her that I didn’t want strangers to see.

My eyes travel down her body. Taking in all of her with a slow intensity. I want to get my fill of this woman. Yet, I already know I never will have enough.

I wonder what her tits look like in that black sports bra I had bought her and wonder if it would be rude to ask her to let me see. Would they be pushed together like the perfect sleeve for my cock? Pushed up high enough that I can lick at the mounds and then kiss her pretty lips?

Sadie seemed like the type to punch when she was annoyed instead of asking me to stop so I couldn’t ask these questions to her.

But then I thought about the fear in her eyes when I had grabbed her wrist and tried to will the erection that was growing to slow down. This was the first time we were out and alone together.

No, I had to wait for Sadie to be ready.

I also think the guys would kick my ass if I pushed her too far. Especially Cam who had seemed to have grown used to texting her all day. He wouldn’t do well if his new addiction was taken away.

“That would be false advertising. I like to be honest about what I’m doing. And I said that I was inviting you to work out. If you had a different kind of workout in mind I’m sure that we can do that instead, omega baby.” I flirted, half joking to see what she would do.

Of course she scoffed like I was an idiot. Though the way her eyes widened at the endearment made me excited.

Sadie seemed the type to hide her designation. I wanted her to feel free in it. To love being an omega.

She would sweat when she worked out. Her scent would come out more so I had requested an omega room that had scent blockers for the outside.

The room would be sprayed after our workout by a neutralizing system they had built in. It would take out most of her scent before the beta cleaner came in to do a wipe down of the area.

At this gym, they mixed designations in certain spaces but alphas usually all worked out on the alpha side of the gym. A lot of grunting sounds and weights being dropped as people flexed in the mirror. Omegas tended to stay on their side where they could take classes together or do their own workouts.

Private rooms were available to make omegas more comfortable as well as offering classes for omegas to come to with heavily descented vents so their delicate noses didn’t go into overdrive.

I wonder if Sadie would like to come here and meet new omegas. It might be nice to have her have a new outlet for her stress. Also, knowing she was safe here made me feel a little better. I’d have to let her know about their omega programs even if I selfishly just wanted this to be an us thing.

The last thing I needed were alphas outside the door trying to get to her.

Plopping down as she began stretching her legs out in front of her, not interested in whatever I was playing at. I took a second to watch her.

Sadie was gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to get to know her more. It was more than her pretty curves and the way her eyes were so expressive. More than that scent of hers that I wanted to bathe in. It was this whole package of hers that I couldn’t wait to open, layer after layer of.

She was going to change everything.

For the next hour we stretched and lifted weights.

Sadie let me guide her, show her the correct form, and make small corrections in her posture. We chatted about things like music and movies, both of us having a similar streak of adventure that we bonded over.

Sadie liked hikes and I told her about a trail I liked to go on with Jace. I mentioned I could take her on a hike with us being a generous pack brother. She seemed to like that idea of doing more stuff together.

We easily fell into more conversation, time not mattering as my credit card got charged by the hour for the room. Both of us are just getting to know the other person and comfortable with the other person.

Just because Sadie was my scent match and instinct took over my alpha brain that she was mine didn’t mean things would be perfect. I wanted to make sure when I was dedicating myself to someone that they really were a good fit.

So far, it looks like Sadie is more than just the perfect scent .

She is beautiful all the time but seeing her in the thin sheen of sweat, in clothes that I bought her after working out together stroked some possessive bastard that I hadn’t known existed inside of me.

I could feel the way my cock was straining, wanting to stroke it and see if she slipped it in that pretty mouth of hers. Those pouty lips would look so good if they were wrapped around my cock. The scent of her driving me closer to the edge as I fisted my knot, finishing with her tongue sticking out as I painted it white.

Needed to steer clear of those thoughts or it was going to be an awkward walk to the locker rooms for me.

“I’m dead.” she was star-fishing on the floor, chest heaving as the cropped hoodie rose, exposing more of that pretty pale skin on her ribcage.

Her scent was hanging heavy in the air now. The scent blockers are wearing off and filling the room with all of her.

God, she was juicy.

I lick my lips, trying to taste the sweet peach, her natural musky scent coming out heavier. I could drink that every day and still be thirsty.

Fuck her scent was delicious.

Even with the tinge of exhaustion that was in there I could feel how good she tasted. It made me want to taste her. Kiss her stomach and work my way down. Lick her slick like a boy having his first ice cream cone.

I like that she wasn’t bashful, trying to tug down her hoodie or cover herself up too. Instead, she just lets herself be ogled, watching me watch her with a gleam of curiosity in her eyes like she was trying to understand what I was looking at.

A fucking goddess. Obviously .

The way she is looking at me is like she doesn't quite know what about her is interesting and shocks me.

She’s beautiful in a classic New England way. All blue eyes and brown hair, cute little nose and freckled cheeks. Her skin is pale like fresh cream that I’m sure turns pink if she spends too much time in the sun.

My hand reaches out to stroke the skin but I stop myself, hovering before looking at her face, getting a small nod in confirmation before I rest my hand on her ribs.

Her skin is warm and a bit sticky with a little sweat. It’s still so smooth as I let my fingers run over her in delicate touches to not spook her. My tattoos contrast her skin and I like the way it looks. Like seeing my hands on her.

Want to give her a necklace.

No more of those thoughts. I chide myself.

Omegas like touch and I can smell the way her peach scent comes out stronger when I stroke her skin. The way her head tilts just enough that her gland is exposed and I’m hit by another wave of her.

A soft huff of laughter slips out from her lips, making me look at them. All pale pink and kissable, a freckle decorating the front bottom of her full lips and giving me a bullseye target to aim for when I kiss her.

I wanted to map out every freckle on her body and chart out the best course to take when tracing them with my tongue. I should have booked the room for more time because I’m not ready to let my omega go.

“You’re beautiful.”

“Shut up.” Her words surprised me, making me pause my stroking up her skin wanting to look at her but Sadie wouldn’t make eye contact with me.

Her hand comes up and I watch her nip at the sleeve of her hoodie. A nervous habit? Adorable.

That joy she had started to turn and her scent changed with it to a new smell. Like her peaches are rotting.

Her eyes look down at where my hands are on her and I have to squeeze around her ribs just to see a flicker of a reaction from her again.

It was annoying to give her a compliment and be met with this reaction. I didn't expect her to be snappy or say thank you. I’d seen how bad she was at saying those words already.

Hell, I just expected her to laugh it off like it was a joke, if I was being honest.

But I hated this reaction .

“Sadie baby.” Her eyes lift to finally meet mine, “You’re fucking gorgeous, baby.” Her cheeks flushed the prettiest color making all those freckles try to hide, “And you deserve to hear that every single day of your life. Okay, little bro?” My hand squeezes, tickling around her ribs.

Her laughter eases the conversation as she sits up. My hand falls off her as she reaches into her pocket for her cell phone.

She smiles at it, the same way Cam did when he was texting her. I should have been jealous but, the idea of Cameron being happy with her too was good.

It felt right .

“What’s Cam saying? Is he jealous that we’re working out together?” She looked at me, like she didn’t want to admit that she was texting him.

It must be just as strange for her as it is for us. She has multiple guys who are interested in her. Jace meeting her for coffee in the mornings, Cam always texting her, and now me showing up to take her to the gym.

It’s a lot.

Most omegas are approached by a pack with intent to court them or one member of a pack comes to declare the pack's intent. Sadie didn’t get that. She just got a bunch of idiot guys who don’t know how to court an omega but all want her.

We’re going to need to work on giving her everything that she wants. Everything that she deserves.

“I know he’s into you too. Just like Jace is meeting you every morning for coffee and how Paxton grumbles about you when he thinks no one is listening. It’s okay, Sadie, they’re my best friends. My pack.” Her eyebrows furrow for a second before she shrugs it off.

“Cam doesn’t know we’re together. I just told him I was out.” I snatch her phone, sitting on the bench, ready to take a selfie. She leans on my knee, looking at the camera that I had aimed at the mirror posed to shoot me.

I freeze for a second to take in the view. How she casually is laying against me like this is what we always do. Our scents mix together as she nuzzles in closer.

Both of us are in the picture as I snap it, a smug smile on my face as Sadie looks up at me with those big blue eyes in the shot. There is something in her eyes that wasn’t there before. A sense of pride washes over me as I think about how I helped put a sparkle back in them.

Cam wouldn’t see it coming and I couldn’t help but smirk as I hit send, letting it go to him.

Wait until I come home smelling like heaven. It would drive them all wild.

When they found out that Sadie, our obsession, was our scent match.

Oh boy, it was going to be fun.

I look at the picture again and my heart thunders around my chest. The way she is looking up at me, a sparkle in her eyes like she sees something in me that I never quite see in myself.

It’s intoxicating to be looked at like you actually mean something.

I want this as my phone background.

“Can I send this to me too?” She nods her head, her hands on my thighs as she lazily leans against them, taking a break and using me as her pillow.

Her breath is warm as she huffs out a tired little breath that sends my skin into a frenzy of gooseflesh.

Love this so much.

I want all the omega cuddles and touches. Want her to be so comfortable with me that she gets confused if I’m a person or a teddy bear. I volunteer to be her teddy bear every day of the week. And nights too.

Fuck . Cuddled up with her? Shit.

One of my hands comes down, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her neck in a massage that she hums at happily. Her heat tilting as I run over her scent gland. Sadie shifts a little and blushes when she realizes she was marking my hand with her scent.

Sweet baby omega.

My hand squeezes the back of her neck, letting her relax as I try to give her physical touch to ease some of her worries.

I add my name as ‘ Your Favorite ’ and send the picture to myself, wanting this piece of her and I to savor. Wanting to look at this everyday until this is what my life is like everyday.

Maybe I want to show it off to the guys too but that was neither here nor there.

“I should get home.” Her voice breaks me out of my spell as she reaches out for her phone. Taking it from me as she stands up. She’s stretching and letting me see that sliver of skin I want to bite into again.

I’m getting really addicted, really quickly to this girl. I never believed all that nonsense about the intensity of scent matches but now that I’m experiencing it first hand I can see how it can make people insane.

I stand up with her so I’m not staring at her like a creep.

“This was really nice, Anthony. Thank you for taking me.” And then Sadie does something that makes me forget how to breathe.

Pushing up on her tiptoes, her pretty pink lips kiss my cheek.

KISS .

MY .

CHEEK .

So soft and chaste before she settles back down and wraps me in a hug. Her arms are so small as she tries to get in closer to me.

Instantly, my arms wrap around her, squeezing her to me as I inhale the peach fragrance of her hair. I’m burying my nose in it as I close my eyes and commit it to memory.

Sadie smells like summer afternoons at a farm.

All fresh fruit and clean air.

It makes me want to lay in the grass and get a sunburn, taking me away from long dark February nights that we are currently stuck in.

Summer is my favorite season.

“We should do this again.” I rush the words out, desperate to have her agree. Thankful as fuck when she blesses me with one of her pretty smiles.

I love the look she gives to me, like she was really excited to do this again. It makes me hopeful, like I could be the one to do the right thing.

“You know what? I’ll take you up on that. I really needed this today.” And I had given her it. “I’m going to take a quick shower but let me know when you’re free.”

She reaches for one more hug and rubs her neck against me.

Fucking scent marking me on purpose this time.

“Text me when you get home, okay?” She nods her head, giving me a small wave before vanishing into the private locker room that will just be for her.

Giving me one last glimpse of those thighs in black yoga pants as she walks away. I should have taken a picture of those.

I want to bite the spot where her ass and thighs meet, leave teeth marks instead of hickeys so everyone would know that she had been with me.

It is primal as fuck.

When did I get into biting people?

Instead, I check my text messages, smirking at the several from Cameron all with various states of telling me not to be a dickhead and letting me know that I should have said something about taking Sadie out.

But I ignored him because I was thankful I had gotten time with Sadie.

Now I just need to figure out how to get more.