Chapter 28
Leroy
I ’m on my way to go check on the baby when the sound of my Omega’s voice has me slowing. A smile slips onto my lips when I peek around the door to the nursery and see Savannah sitting in the rocking chair with Athena in her arms.
“And this little piggy went wee, wee, wee all the way home,” Savannah coos, playing with Athena’s toes, making her burst into laughter as Savannah runs her fingers up her body to tickle her belly.
The high-pitched baby giggles have my heart melting.
After putting the baby down for her nap, I got a head start on some house work. Savannah insisted on helping. She said she felt bad because she didn’t feel like she’s been contributing much over the past few weeks.
She shouldn’t feel bad. None of us expects her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Just because she’s an Omega doesn’t mean she needs to be a homemaker. If she wants to do something, awesome. If not, one of us will take care of it. We want to be the ones who spoil and care for her. But she’s just as adamant on doing the same for us. It’s one of the many things I’ve come to love about this woman.
There are so many different sides to this Omega. She might not be what society considers normal, but none of us would change her for the world.
She’s been lost in her post bonding... well, let’s call it what it is, a fuck fest. Just as she got settled after bonding with Jake, we had a few days of normalcy before she bonded with Caleb.
I don’t think I’ve washed so much soiled linen in my life.
They’ve been having sex nonstop. On the counter, the couch, the stairs. Thankfully, our neighbors aren't very close, because I’ve even found them fucking on the front lawn.
Because of that, this house has a lingering candy apple scent. Trying to function with a permanent erection isn’t easy. I might not be an Alpha, but her scent is just as addicting as if I were.
Both Walker and I have been doing our best to give each bonding the time it deserves.
It’s not easy, though. We both want time with her, to get to know her.
Typically, bonding happens during an Omega’s heat.
They’re already in the throw of pheromones and heightened emotions that the intense craving of needing to fuck your mate after bonding get’s lost in the frenzy of the heat.
But my Little Monster doesn’t do things like everyone else. She saw what she wanted and she took it.
I’ve been around plenty of Alphas and Omegas who bond together, I know the process and everything that goes into it.
But seeing it and experiencing it are not the same.
I’ve gotten some moments with her, but I need more.
I should know better than to be jealous of my pack. This is how our lives work. Scent match bonds are the most powerful connection, they don’t have any control over what’s happening to them.
Still, I find myself wanting what they have. I want that bond, that connection with her.
The fact is, I’m a Beta. And for the first time in my life, I resent my designation.
Until Savannah, I’ve never really cared for or given much thought about having a long-term partner. Work was my life. When I needed some sort of physical release, I’d go to a bar, find a nice Beta female, and go home with her for the night. As time went on, the desire for frivolous sex became less and less, and I was more content with just taking care of things on my own.
It got to the point that I thought I was getting too old and was no longer interested in anything sexual because nothing did it for me anymore.
Savannah has shown me how wrong I was. I’m more aroused since meeting her than I ever was as a horny teenage boy.
If Caleb knew how I was feeling, he’d clap me on the shoulder and congratulate me for my dick still working.
In my line of work, and over multiple years, I’ve seen Betas get pushed out of packs because Alphas or Omegas found their scent matches. The connection between them became so intense that the Beta gets pushed to the side and are often forgotten.
It doesn’t happen all the time; I’ve seen Betas have healthy relationships with scent matched packs like one of my old coworkers, Knox. But it was still enough to put me off of the idea of finding a pack for myself.
It wasn’t worth putting your whole life into someone, just to get your heart broken.
It’s one of the biggest reasons I avoided joining a pack for the longest time, along with the excuse of being too busy to bother trying for a relationship.
When I was in the military, I told myself it wasn’t fair to be in a relationship and have someone waiting for me at home. That whoever it would be deserved someone who could be there for them all the time, not be away for months on end.
Then, when I retired and started working for Calling Wood, I told myself the Omega I was working with needed my full attention. I wouldn’t be able to protect them if I were distracted and weighed down by personal issues.
Life had other plans when I met the guys. After getting to know them, I realized that maybe the pack life was for me, just done differently.
They were a lot like me, married to their work. No plans on settling down and starting families. None of them were interested in finding an Omega.
Okay, that wasn’t entirely true for Jake. He’d already found his Omega, but lost her. From the moment I met him, he always held out hope of finding Savannah. He never once gave up on her. Never finding her or accepting that she was gone was not an option for him.
There were times I felt like an asshole because I honestly didn’t think there was any hope of finding her.
With all the time that passed and the amount of money and resources that went into searching for her with no resulting leads had me convinced that she was gone forever.
I’m so glad I was wrong about that.
Still, this felt like a safe bet for a pack. A group of good guys who just wanted the company of friendship. People to rely on while still being able to live the lives we wanted.
In the blink of an eye, all of that changed.
Now I find myself falling in love with a crazy little spitfire of an Omega.
My pack is head over heels for her, and so is my daughter.
“Hey there, big guy.” Savannah’s voice jolts me, bringing me back from the turmoil of my own mind.
My gaze finds hers, and I smile. “Hey, Little Monster.” I chuckle, pushing off the door frame. “How are my girls?”
A smile lights up her face. “Good.” She looks down at Athena and kisses her forehead. Athena sucks on her chubby little hand, babbling away as she looks up at Savannah like she’s her hero.
I’m not sure why any of us were worried about how Savannah would be with the baby. She’s amazing with her.
“She woke up from her nap, and I wanted some baby snuggles.”
“I was just about to come check on her. But I can see she’s in good hands.”
“The best.” Savannah winks, and I chuckle. “Come, sit. Talk.”
“Okay.” I move over to take a seat on the footstool of the rocking chair, unease swirling around in my stomach. When someone asks to talk, it’s almost never good. “What do you wanna talk about?”
“You.” She cocks her head to the side and my panic rises. “I don’t know much about you. I’d like to change that.”
Surprise washes over me. “You do?” I wasn’t expecting her to say that, but I like the fact that she wants to know more about me. That means she’s interested in me.
I’m in my fifties, and the last serious relationship I had was back in college. I’m rusty and apparently insecure.
“Duh.” She raises a brow. “Why wouldn’t I want to get to know my Beta?”
Her Beta? Fuck. She’s said that before, shown a possessiveness over me too, but that was before she started bonding with the pack. I thought maybe eventually she wouldn't see a need for me.
I’m overthinking, and I need to give her more credit, to have more faith in her.
“I know I’ve been preoccupied with the back-to-back bonding, and while I don’t regret it one bit, I am sorry it’s taken up so much of my time. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you or Walker. Now that I’m over the post-bonding fuck fest haze with Caleb, I’m back to normal.” She snorts, lips twitching at the side. “Okay, that’s a lie; I’m never normal, but you know what I mean.” She grins.
God, I really am falling hard for this Omega.
“It’s okay. I understand how it all works. Don’t be sorry,” I insist.
She narrows her eyes. “Don’t tell me how to feel,” she growls, and fuck my cock twitches.
Cocking a brow, I turn fully to face her. “I’m not telling you how to feel,” I say, leaning my forearms on my thighs.
“Then don’t tell me not to be sorry. I am sorry. I don’t want you to think for a moment that I want you any less than the others. You are just as important. And it’s not only you I’ve neglected, it’s Walker too. I’ve seen him grow restless, and I feel bad. I’m allowed to feel bad.”
“You’re right. You are allowed. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry over.”
“Okay.” I let out a laugh. “I’m not sorry then.”
“Good.” She nods.
“Good.” I grin.
We stare at one another for a moment, and with each passing second, I start to wonder what she’s going to say or do next. She’s unpredictable, and for the most part, it’s made life interesting.
“What's wrong?” she asks, finally speaking.
“Nothing’s wrong.” My brows furrow as my heart picks up in speed. Shit, am I that easy to read? Does she have some sort of magical powers now that she can read my mind?
“Don’t lie to me,” she growls in warning and again, there goes my cock.
Something about the assertive confidence she has is such a turn on. And I find myself wanting to tame that bratty side she shows me.
“Alright.” I blow out a breath, nodding. “No lies. It’s just... fuck.” I run a hand through my hair. “I’m not really good at this.”
“Good at what?”
“Being vulnerable.” I let out a shaky breath. For most of my life, I’ve been the strong, silent type, only opening up and showing a more playful side once I’ve gotten to know someone and grown more comfortable around them.
It wasn’t until Athena was born, just a few short months ago, that I found what Caleb likes to call my ‘teddy bear’ side. The looks on their faces when I started baby-talking were something to laugh at for sure.
Her face softens, and she stops rocking the chair. Putting her feet down, she leans over and hands me the baby.
I take my little bug and cradle her in my arms. She babbles away, looking at me with her bright blue eyes.
They’re such a contrast to her dark, curling hair.
“Talk to me, Leroy. Please,” she asks, her voice a little softer.
It’s moments like this—seeing the sweet, caring side of this blood-thirsty, tiny killer—that have me falling for her more and more.
“It’s stupid, and I know I’m overthinking things, but I’m worried,” I admit, not looking her in the eyes when I say it. But that’s not good enough for her because she grabs my chin and forces my face back up so that I'm looking at her directly.
“Don’t hide from me,” she says, leaning in to brush her lips against mine. My eyes flutter shut for a moment, and I groan. “Your feelings are not stupid. They’re valid.”
This girl. This fucking Omega. “I love you,” I mumble.
Her eyes light up, and a bright smile takes over her beautiful face.
“Shit,” I hiss when I realize what I said out loud. “I mean–”
“No!” She points at me, still grinning big. “You can’t take that back. I heard it. You said you looooove me,” she singsongs.
I can’t help but laugh, my damn heart can’t take much more. “Okay. You're right. I said I loved you. And I do. You’re amazing, Savannah. Every single part of you.”
“Good.” She gets down on the floor in front of me and kneels. “That’s good because I love you too.” This tiny little pixie of an Omega leans up and kisses the tip of my nose. “Now, tell me what's on your mind.”
She loves me. Fucking hell, she loves me. Okay, Leroy, man the fuck up and tell your Omega your feelings.
“For most of my life, I’ve been too afraid to let someone in. I’ve been around too many Betas who had their hearts broken when the pack they were with found their scent matches. Because we don’t have a bond like Alpha and Omegas do, sometimes we get pushed to the side and left to feel like we’re not wanted or needed.”
She’s shaking her head before I’m even done talking. “Nope. Not gonna happen. Not with me. Never with me. I don’t care if I’m scent matched to ten Alphas, that doesn’t change who you are to me and what I feel for you. You're an amazing packmate and an even better father. Your first priority is that little girl, and I have so much damn respect for you because of that. But the thing I love the most about you, aside from being a kick-ass dad, is that you’ve never judged me for what I do, how I act, or who I am. The way you look at me makes me feel wanted. I’m not too crazy for you, too much for you to handle. If anything, it looks like you want more of what I’m capable of dishing out.” She gives me a playful grin. “I’d be a damn fool not to see all of this and not want anything to do with you. I’d never push you out, because there’s no pack without you. I think it’s stupid how some people can so easily disregard Betas. Without you, none of these Alphas would be able to function. You're the level-headed one who keeps us all together. You’re the glue to this pack and without you, we’d be nothing.”
I can count on my hands the number of times I’ve cried in my life. Today, I will add one more.
I’m a fool for ever questioning her. Not anymore.
I’m going to show her just how much I want and need her.
No more second-guessing her feelings for me because she just made them loud and clear. And I’m grateful for that.