28. Olive
28
OLIVE
I smiled as I folded the picnic blanket, took my gifts from Lars, and headed into the cottage. I’d been so embarrassed for Easton to see my empty house and patched-together air mattress nest, but he’d been so kind about it. He hadn’t judged my omega for not providing a better nest for him, and it just made me more motivated to create something better for him… for all of them.
I started munching on the chocolate croissant and eagerly opened the paper bag from the Grove Bookstore. I’d been too distracted by Lars’s scent and presence and everything to notice what the books were, but as I pulled out each one, I grew more and more confused. Finally, they were all laid out in front of me on the kitchen counter.
“What the fuck?”
I needed backup to make sense of this. I ran to my nest to grab my phone and opened our group text message, now sporting the name Omega Overlords Live Again .
Olive
Code red alert!
Ivy
What’s wrong??
Olive
Lars just gave me some books as a courting present
Summer
That’s…good? You like to read
Lucy
I saw him after he left the bookstore!
Olive
He said he got them for me in case I wanted to read some romance
Summer
Ok?? Still not seeing a problem
I sent them a picture of the stack of books, which included Atlas Shrugged , Dune , 1984 , and The Catcher in the Rye .
Lucy
Oh my god LARS NO
Ivy
Well…that’s not great
Summer
That’s what Lars reads?? Those are the biggest red flag books I’ve ever seen. Did he google “most obnoxious bro books of all time?”
Olive
I just don’t understand why he thinks these books are romantic!!
Lucy
Noooooooooo
I can’t believe this
Now I’ll never get to have a sister-in-law!!
Ivy
They’re not going to break up over this
Summer
I mean…that is a terrible selection of books
Lucy
This has Hank written all over it! Lars doesn’t really read, so I’m guessing Hank recommended those
I grimaced as I remembered my run-in with Hank. The man didn’t seem to be a big romantic.
Olive
What do I do? He’s going to ask if I’ve read them!!
Ivy
I think you just gently tell him the truth, that the books aren’t quite right for you
I squirmed uncomfortably at the suggestion. I didn’t want to upset Lars or make him think I was too high-maintenance.
Lucy
Don’t worry. I will handle this.
Olive
Wait, Lucy, what are you going to do?
It’s fine, I’ll just read them.
Maybe they’ll be good
Summer
Eww Olive no. Don’t do that just for a MAN
Ivy
Just be honest with him. Lars is a sweet guy.
How’s it going with all the guys? If you want to tell us
Summer
TELL US
I smiled, my fingers hesitating before I typed out my answer.
Olive
Good…I think. Easton and I went on a date last night and it was really nice
Lucy
Marisol and Carmen already gave us the play by play!
Summer
Lucy, Olive might not want to feel like everyone is watching her
Oh god. I could only imagine what people were saying about my terrible dancing skills.
Summer
They said you two looked adorable together, by the way.
Olive
I’m sure that’s not the only thing they said, but thank you. Lars is taking me out tonight
Lucy
I will be screening his date plans, don’t worry!!!! Operation Obtain Sister is underway!!
I snorted and worked on making a cup of coffee to go with what remained of my chocolate croissant. I was excited to get some alone time with Lars, but there was still the question of Finn. He’d been on edge the whole time I’d been in the service room yesterday, even though he’d said he didn’t want me to leave. I had forgiven him for the movie theater situation and his pretending not to know me the next day… mostly. But the main issue now was that I wasn’t convinced he wanted to court me. It was so obvious these three were a pack. I was the outsider, the one who would be abandoned if Finn decided he didn’t want me.
I boosted myself up on the counter, leaning my back against the cabinets as I sipped my coffee, wishing it was one of those fancy coffee shop lattes. One day, I would have the money to buy one as often as I wanted.
My phone vibrated.
Lucy
Ahhhhh there was a small electrical fire at my moms’ house!
Summer
What??? Is everyone ok?
Lucy
Yeah, it’s contained and Lars is over there now to look at the electrical.
Ivy
Oh no, that’s so scary. You ok?
Lucy
Yeah. I have appointments coming up in the shop but as soon as those are done, I’m going to head over. I guess Isla was in the laundry room when it started and she’s pretty shaken.
My heart lurched. I hated this for Lars—he was so close to his family. I chewed my lip and wished there was something useful I could do. A very small part of me was sad Lars had left without saying goodbye, but that was such a stupid, needy thought. I was better than that. I was from a fishing family. We were strong, resilient, and got shit done, especially when someone was in need.
I pulled the cookies out of the oven. Last time I’d been in Mariposa Market, I’d splurged on some half-priced slice-and-bake cookie dough. I was a horrendous cook and baker, but these seemed pretty foolproof.
I poked one. How did I know it was done?
I stared at them while waiting for them to cool before putting them in a small tupperware I’d found in the cabinet. I wondered if I should tell Easton and Finn that I was leaving, but if I didn’t go now, I would give into my anxiety and chicken out. I headed outside to my bike, where Felix was once more curled up in the basket.
“I’m going to need that.” I held up the cookies as if he would understand what I was saying.
Felix stretched and hopped out of the basket, rubbing himself against my legs.
I crouched down, petting his ears. “Is this stupid?” I asked, my voice a low whisper. “Is it going to be creepy if I just show up at his family’s home?” I’d gotten the address from Lucy when I’d still felt confident about this idea. “He’s probably busy. I’ll just be in the way.”
Felix batted at my leg, pushing me towards the bike.
“Okay, okay. I guess I’ve already made the cookies. I wouldn’t want them to go to waste. I can just drop them at the door and run away.” I nodded to myself as I put the cookies in the basket and got on the bike. “Yep, that’s what I’ll do.”
I rested my phone in the basket, the maps app open to help me navigate. Lars’s family home wasn’t far—nothing was far in Starlight Grove—but it was off Main Street in a neighborhood I hadn’t explored yet.
My jaw dropped when I pulled up to the house. It was a stunning Victorian with gorgeous mature trees in the front yard. I could imagine a young Lars growing up here, climbing trees with Easton and Finn and getting into trouble.
I was too distracted by the house to notice a tall, blonde woman walking towards me. Her expression was assessing as she ran her eyes over me, but then she broke out in a smile.
“Are you Olive?”
“Um, yes.” My voice was all weird and croaky.
“I’m Frida, one of Lars’s moms. It’s so nice to meet you.”
She was right in front of my bike as if subtly blocking me from riding away. Why had I done this? I should have just stayed home. I was going to make a fool of myself in front of this alpha, and then Lars would realize I wasn’t good enough for him.
“I made cookies.” I thrust the tupperware at her. “They’re probably not very good. And, um, sorry about the fire.”
Frida’s mouth twitched as she took the container. “Why don’t you come inside? Lars is busy tearing open all our walls to check the wiring, but we can keep you company. And now we’ll have cookies.”
“I don’t want to intrude.” Please, please don’t make me.
But then, somehow, Frida was guiding me off the bike, putting down the kickstand, and gently nudging me across the front yard until we were inside the front door. Oh god, I wasn’t even dressed up. I was in leggings and an oversized sweater, and I still had my helmet on.
“I think everyone is in the library right now,” Frida said as she unbuckled my helmet and put it down by the door. She seemed to understand I was too dazed to do anything right now, or maybe it was just her alpha instincts taking over.
“Isla, our omega, is a big reader, so we made her this library,” she said as she led me into a dark green room with built-in shelves lined with books. “Hey, everyone, this is Olive.”
Three women were curled up on a plush green velvet couch.
“ The Olive?” The smallest of the women jumped off the couch and pulled me into her arms. She had white-blonde hair and blue eyes. “I’m Isla. I’m so excited to meet you.” Her scent was woodsy and floral, reminding me of both Lars’s and Lucy’s scents, and I wondered if she was their biological mom.
“Olive baked us cookies.” Frida pressed a kiss to the side of her omega’s face.
“Oh, that’s so sweet.”
The other two women introduced themselves as Jo, a tall alpha with broad shoulders and a dark pixie cut, and Harper, a bubbly alpha with curly, jet-black hair, and before I knew it, I was sandwiched between them on the couch.
Frida put the cookies on the coffee table in front of us and everyone grabbed one, thanking me.
“They’re probably not good,” I muttered, but they completely ignored me.
“I love chocolate chip,” Jo said, sighing happily. “We should probably save one for Lars, or he’ll throw a fit.”
“Olive, you’re sooo pretty,” Harper said. “You better make sure Lars puts in the work to earn you.”
I didn’t know what to say. It was the same thing Rosie said in the diner, but in my experience, I was the one who had to earn an alpha’s approval. I took a bite of the cookie Isla pressed into my hand and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t terrible. Slice-and-bake for the win.
Lars’s moms carried the conversation, occasionally pulling me in, and I slowly settled deeper into the couch, the tension from my shoulders easing.
“Here he is,” Isla said, smiling at Lars, who came to an abrupt stop in the doorway to the library, eyes wide as he took me in.
“Olive.”
Oh god. Did he not want me here?
Before I could spiral, he was across the room, pulling me off the couch and into his arms. His hold was crushing, and I melted into him.
“Are you okay, sweetheart? Why did no one tell me you were here?” His tone was accusing as he looked around at his moms.
“You were busy,” Harper said, waving away her son’s concerns. “And we needed a chance to get to know your omega.”
“Mom,” Lars said with a growl.
“Don’t talk to your mama that way,” Frida said.
Lars cursed under his breath, and it made me smile to see the big alpha being scolded.
He pulled back and cupped my face with both hands. “I was just going to call you.” His fingers ran across my cheeks, and I wanted more of his touch. “I need to finish up some stuff here and it might take a while. Can we move our date to tomorrow? I’m so sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Of course, we can move it.” What I wanted to say was that I’d be happy to sit with him while he worked. I just wanted to be near him. But that was weird, needy behavior, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” he murmured. His eyes flicked over my head like he just remembered we had an audience. His lips brushed against my ear. “Do you need me to extricate you from the moms?”
“We heard that,” Jo shouted.
I chewed my lip and realized I maybe wanted to stay. His moms were treating me like I was already part of the family, and I wanted to soak up all their care and attention. The scared part of me shouted that enjoying this now would make it hurt all the more when it was ripped away, but it was hard to pay attention to that voice with Lars’s scent surrounding me.
“Oohhh, what’s going on here?”
I pulled away from Lars at the sound of Lucy’s voice. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she was wearing a pretty, pale blue dress with voluminous sleeves.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” She pulled me out of her brother’s arms and gave me a hug, ignoring the low rumble in his chest. “Alphas,” she said with an eye roll.
“It’s just the male ones that are obnoxious,” Harper shouted from the couch.
Lars scrubbed his hand down his face. “I’m literally here fixing your wiring for free.”
“As you should,” Jo said.
“Be nice,” Isla said, scolding her alphas. “We appreciate you so much, Lars. You’re an angel. Now, go on and get back to work so we can hang out with Olive.”
Lars couldn’t keep a smile off his face. He snagged me back from Lucy and I couldn’t quite understand how I was here, with multiple people fighting over spending time with me. Lars pulled me out of the room, ignoring everyone’s indignant shouts. He stopped when we were in the kitchen. He picked me up and put me on the counter and I perfumed, my scent breaking through my deodorant. My cheeks burned as I realized he would know how much I loved him moving me around and putting me where he wanted me.
His hands were on my thighs, spreading them wide so he could step in closer between them. I let out a low whimper as slick drenched my underwear.
“Fuck, I want you,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry about tonight. I promise it’s not that I don’t think you’re important or that I won’t prioritize you…”
I scented the anxiety rolling off him, and I wrapped my arms around him as far as they would go. “I know that. Preventing your moms’ house from burning down is more important than a date.”
He ran his fingers through my hair, his touch so gentle it made me want to purr.
“I need you to know you are my priority, sweetheart. Not a minute of the day goes by that I’m not thinking of you.”
He looked so vulnerable, like he was worried I would reject him. I furrowed my brow, moving one hand to run it through his beard. “I feel the same,” I whispered.
Lars let out a shuddering sigh, banding his arms around me and crushing me to his chest. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
I rubbed my cheek against his neck, wishing I wasn’t wearing deodorant so I could leave a stronger scent on him.
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “You feeling a little possessive, sweetheart?”
I nipped his neck. “Maybe.”
“Good.” And then he captured my lips in a kiss, his tongue pressing against mine. His lips were so soft in contrast to the slightly scratchy texture of his beard. I wanted to feel him all over my skin.
The sound of a throat clearing made us break apart.
“I was sent to stop you from fucking in the kitchen,” Lucy said.
Lars groaned, giving me one last squeeze before lifting me off the counter. Lucy’s smile was radiant.
“Can you stay for dinner, Olive?”
I glanced up at Lars. “I have to go get more supplies, so I won’t be here,” he said. “But you should stay if you want to, sweetheart.”
“You’re sure it’s okay?” I asked Lucy.
“We want you here! It’s settled.” She took me by the hand and started pulling me out of the room. “Bye, Lars! Have fun with your electrical wire!”
I giggled and glanced over my shoulder in time to catch Lars’s wink.