Chapter 4
FOUR
I curse Thatcher for having a valid excuse to miss tonight’s get-together. My friends are amazing, and I love spending time with them, but I rarely get any alone time with my mate nowadays. I’m spending what little free time I have with my frat brothers and their antics.
Why couldn’t I have a big test to pretend to study for, like Thatcher? He doesn’t even take computer science, that jerk.
I also can’t deny my omega anything, and Kit really wanted to make an appearance. Therefore, here I am.
“What the hell are you drinking, Ci?” I ask as I stare into the bright green liquid emitting from his cup.
Ciro laughs. “Kendall and I may have gotten a bit carried away while making the punch earlier.”
“It looks radioactive.”
“It just has a lot of lime. I could get you guys some. Unless it’s too sour for you,” Ciro quips as his smile turns teasing.
I return his banter. “For me, it might be. But Kit loves anything with citrus. Right, love?”
When Kit doesn’t respond, I turn to look at him.
His dark hair lays as messy as ever, his shirt baggy with some kind of anime character on the front.
I bite my lip. I can’t get enough of him, but he doesn’t seem to notice my ogling one bit.
His green eyes are concentrated on the front door, completely zoned in on it as he idly twirls his drink in his hand.
“Kit?” I put my hand on his shoulder, and it seems to jolt him out of whatever daze he is in.
His gaze finally settles on mine. “Hmm? What’s up?” He winces when he sees our expressions. “What did I miss?”
Confused but curious, I let a laugh escape me. “Just Ciro trying to get us drunk off some concoction that was probably better left uninvented. It has lime and candy rocks and everything else that’ll rot your teeth.”
“That sounds amazing. I’d love some,” he says quickly. “Show me the way.”
Ciro lets out a belly laugh at the amusement on my face but still motions toward the kitchen. “Follow me.”
I’m barely left alone long enough to wonder what my mate was thinking about, because Dax and Everett find me almost immediately.
They’re good friends, some of my best, and they’re very good at keeping one distracted from all the murkiness of life.
It’s hard to be around Dax and not be absolutely lit up with joy.
Even for someone like me, who doesn’t always feel free in my happiness.
In normal fashion, Dax gets tugged away by one of our frat brothers. Everett looks at me, a large smile on his face, but I wouldn’t expect anything else. He is recently bonded and the prime of his pack. He probably feels on top of the world most days. I wish I could relate.
I spot the bite hiding beneath my friend’s shirt and stifle a sigh. I want Kit to bear my mark more than anything, but I won’t push the issue until he’s ready. Until we’re all ready.
“How are things going, Sam?” Everett asks sincerely. My knee-jerk reaction is to lie and walk away, pretend that everything is fine. To not show any weakness, stand tall, but it’s Everett. I don’t have to hide from him.
“Things feel fine,” I finally respond. “But my instincts are going a bit haywire. Like I’m not giving Kit everything he needs, and it’s driving me crazy.”
He tilts his head, almost in thought. “Are Thatcher and Kit still not connecting?”
I give an instinctual nod and then shrink at how fast the response came. “They’ve stopped trying, but they haven’t said anything about it to me.”
Thatcher is hard to communicate with. Sometimes, I feel like I can read him as clearly as he can read me, but other times, it’s a guessing game.
I know he feels like an outsider in this pack for not scent matching with Kit, and that solemness makes me anxious.
Like I’m letting everyone in this pack down by not being able to lead us into some kind of understanding.
Everett sees the struggle on my face and asks, “Is that why you two haven’t bonded?”
My lips flatten. Kit’s reason for wanting to wait is his own business, something that only an omega can understand. I don’t want to discuss something that isn’t mine to discuss, so I shake my head. “There are a few reasons, but we’re working through it.”
Everett nods, understanding as always. “You two love each other. That’s all that matters.”
The heaviness in my shoulders releases slightly. Acts of service have always been my love language, but affirming words have been a welcome bonus the past year or so.
Still, something teeters in the forefront of my mind, standing right in a blind spot. “I know, but I feel like I’m missing something—”
My attention darts to the door the moment it slams open, a whirlwind of icy air invading the space as someone walks in.
Unruly orange curls appear, masking the newcomer’s face as she closes the door with a huff, her hands full of grocery bags.
When she turns, I can finally see her pale face, her brown eyes puffy and her cheeks wet.
I’m not the only one who notices, either.
Sensing the distress in their friend, Rory and Stacia rush to her.
Luckily, it’s mainly our core friend group sitting in this room while most of Alpha Xi are upstairs playing games and in the kitchen playing beer pong.
Ciro and Kit walk back in—bright colored cups in hand—but stop in the doorway, their attention swept up by the situation.
Ciro steps over to help, but Kit stands there, frozen in place as his eyes zone in on the distressed omega.
“I don’t think I can handle it anymore.” I hear Opal say as I take a step towards Kit. “Cindy is driving me nuts, her roommates are mean, and I just want somewhere to make a nest, damnit!”
I look over to see if Kit wants to step away, give Opal some space to vent to her friends, but he’s listening intently, unaware of my presence by his side.
“I thought your place was supposed to be done being fumigated a couple of weeks ago?” Kendall rationalizes.
The redhead’s lips tremble as she throws her hands up. “Yeah, but they also found mold, and there’s supposedly water damage. Issues with the plumbing? I don’t know. I kind of zoned out while he was explaining. I just kept seeing more days of living with Cindy and tried not to freak out on them.”
“At least he’s terminating your lease so you don’t have to pay rent anymore,” Rory mentions, but she looks just as concerned.
Something rumbles in my chest. I wonder what kind of contract these girls signed that gave their landlord the power to kick them out. I make a mental note to ask about this guy later.
Stacia rubs Opal’s back. “I thought you said everything was going good with Cindy? Is she not being a good roommate?”
Opal shrugs, but tension laces her shoulders.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been lying about that. We haven’t been sharing her room. I’ve been crashing on her couch.”
Rory nearly explodes at that revelation, but I can’t hear her words because my alpha growls in my chest without permission.
Luckily, it’s low and inaudible, and I pat my chest with reassurance.
I have this strange urge to reach out to her, comfort her in the way every alpha wants to comfort an omega, but it’s unwarranted.
My own omega is by my side, and I don’t think he would appreciate it if I offered any kind of help…
“You can stay with us,” Kit says abruptly.
I turn to look at him, but his gaze stays locked with hers as she looks up with surprise.
He looks determined, his slim figure standing tall, his eyes glossy with anticipation.
Even as the entire room turns to look at him, he never breaks their eye contact, determined to show the seriousness of his words.
“We have plenty of space. And Sam and Thatcher are gone all the time, anyway.”
She’s taken aback by the offer, her eyes wide and startled. Kit’s watermelon scent spikes slightly, the fruit aroma growing sweeter and more plentiful by the second. The reaction confuses me, but one look at him and I know he’s earnest in his proposal. So, like any good partner, I cosign.
“It’s true,” I start, going for nonchalant in my delivery. “We’re busy a lot, and there’s a spare room. You are welcome to it.”
There’s no way her omega feels settled sleeping on someone else’s couch, and we have a perfectly good bedroom in our house that’s devoid of any scents. It’d be perfect for her.
Rory cuts in. “And, there’s always a spare room with us. You know this.”
Opal’s attention turns back to her friend. “I appreciate you for offering. But as I said before, you’re newly bonded. Our friendship means everything to me, and I don’t want to risk it.”
“We’re not bonded,” Kit says, which makes me choke on my own spit.
Opal looks even more surprised by that. “Oh… I didn’t know you guys weren’t…
Okay, then.” They all look at me like I might freak out over that information going public, but mainly, I’m amused.
When Kit has his eye on something, he goes for it, and I’m guessing he wants to help soothe this omega almost as much as I do.
Kit’s smile is broad. “I’m just saying. I won’t have any desire to have a catfight, I can assure you.”
That causes a few of our friends to laugh, Ciro the loudest. “Don’t let that omega fool you. He is the most flippant person I have ever met.”
“Fuck off, Ci,” Kit hisses at him. “I am a sweet angel.”
Now it’s my turn to snort, which causes my omega to shoot daggers at me with his eyes.
I hold my hands up in surrender. “You are the sweetest. And now that you’ve offered, we can give her some time to think about it.
” I meet Opal’s gaze, showing our sincerity.
“Is that okay, Opal? Will you at least consider it?”
She bites her lip, unsure, but then she gives a meek nod. “I’ll think about it.”