Chapter 10
TEN
Playing: “People Watching” by Conan Gray
Before meeting Stacia and Rory, I was a bit of a recluse. I enjoyed being alone with nothing but my crochet supplies and my switch, binge-watching my latest obsession or downloading the newest game to play.
But now I enjoy the time I get with my friends, even if they’re all coupled up. Hanging out with them at their cozy abodes has become one of my favorite pastimes.
Ciro and Kendall sit on either side of Stacia on the couch, giggling about something they’re watching on her phone.
They joke back and forth, doing whatever they can to make Stacia laugh harder.
Atlas comes around the back of the couch and gives her another drink—likely a virgin mocktail since she has recently given up alcohol as part of her sobriety.
She smiles up at him, love written all over her face, as he places a tender kiss on her forehead and walks away, letting his pack mates entertain her once more.
Then there’s Rory, who is standing in the corner with her most evenly-matched mate.
Her and Jett are discussing something that they learned in class today.
This semester, they found themselves in another class together, some elective for acting majors that circles around interpretation and vocal styles.
They’ve discovered that they have different approaches when it comes to their practice, and it’s been a conversation for a few days now.
Still, it’s lighthearted as Rory jokingly scoffs whenever Jett says something she disagrees with.
I watch them laugh, and Rory smacks his shoulder while he whispers something conspiratorially in her ear.
As I take in my friends’ happiness, joy sparks in my chest. Seeing the way my friends are loved by their respective packs shows me how much love really does exist. I have very real, tangible examples right in front of me. And something about that feels hopeful.
For so long, I’ve wanted someone that I can care about. Someone who can see me for who I am, inside and out. But now, all I want is not to feel broken or like my body is betraying me.
Despite all the happy couples, I don’t feel overlooked or abandoned. I don’t feel squandered off to the side. I feel lucky to be here with people who see and understand me.
It almost makes me feel complete.
Rory looks over and smiles, patting her alpha’s leg before coming over to greet me. Her warmth is as welcoming as always as she pulls me into a hug, her embrace calming and true. “I’m so glad you came out tonight,” she says.
I pull back and say, “My energy reserves can handle a lot more social interaction now that I have my own room to nest in.”
“I’m so glad you have that again. Our omegas may beat many stereotypes, but needing our own space will always be accurate.” She laughs. “Even now, I have some days where I don’t let any of them in my room because I just need to sit in my own scent for a while, you know?”
I nod, but the absence of my own scent falls over me like a ton of bricks. The slight dejection must appear on my face because Rory asks in a whisper, “How are things going, though? You know, living with… them.”
Rory’s tactfulness makes me grateful as always.
She is the only one who knows about my scent matches, and she’s been a true friend about it through and through.
Even when she found out her own scent match had been lying to her, she didn’t push me to come clean.
If anything, it helped us better understand each other.
Seeing her fall in love with her scent match despite the deception has helped me picture a more positive outcome to my own situation.
It might have even given me the courage to come clean to Sam if it weren’t for my fear of rejection, not to mention my condition.
The thought makes my throat tight. That’s one thing that Rory doesn’t know.
No one knows, really, except for Cindy. I’m not sure how to finally bring it up.
It was hard enough admitting to someone that I had met my scent match.
Stacia, Rory, and I… We’re omegas, so we all understand each other on a biological level, but this sets me apart from them.
This is something that I have to suffer through alone, and I don’t want to show them that my biology is different from theirs.
I know deep down they wouldn’t look at me any differently, but I can’t take that risk, not when I’ve been looking for omega friends who understand me for so long.
So, I paste on a smile, one as award-winning as Rory’s future ones will be, and nod. “Things are great.”
Rory doesn’t necessarily look suspicious, but she does squint at me. “But… how are they? Do you enjoy living with them?”
My lips flatten, and I keep my face neutral. “They’re lovely. Kit, especially. He likes a lot of the same stuff I do. Like Keywe.”
Rory takes the bait as she grimaces. “Please don’t remind me, I’ll get mad at you again.”
A laugh bursts out of me. “It’s so fun. Games aren’t supposed to be perfect.”
“Yes, but doing the same level over and over again because you don’t care enough to get it right the first time is not fun.”
“I’m not going to apologize for not being as competitive as you,” I say, smirking. “If you want someone competitive, get Jett or Dax to play with you. Better yet, get them to play it with each other. That would be a show.”
Rory scoffs. “Please, like they don’t bicker enough already.”
“They bicker with love,” I add.
She smiles then, sweet and a little bashful. “Yes. They bicker with love.”
We talk for a few minutes about her new cinematography class when the front door opens and three bodies walk in.
I thought from being around their scents so much in their home that it would make me immune, but the combined aroma floods the place with the cold, bitter freeze blowing in from the doorway and sends shivers through my body.
It’s a conjunction of feelings as it both soothes me and zaps me in place.
I see Kit first, his hand interlaced with Sam’s. When his eyes meet mine, they light up, and before I know it, he’s marching my way, pulling Sam abruptly with the force of their interlocked fingers. Thatcher takes off his coat and immediately sits down to interact with Stacia’s mates.
When Kit gets to me, still covered in his winter coat and beanie, a grin lights up his face. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
I hear Rory snort under her breath and almost elbow her in response, but I grit my teeth instead.
Kit’s forwardness is both refreshing and nerve-racking.
I’m not used to honesty, so Kit’s candidness startles me.
“Yep,” I finally respond. “I had a long day taking care of children, so I thought being around other like-minded adults was a good idea.”
This time, Rory lets her chuckle be heard. “Like-minded adults? Are you including Dax and Ciro in that assessment?”
Sam’s lips twitch with amusement as Kit chuckles. “I also don’t think I should be grouped in that. Not until I have a 401k and that’ll probably be a long time.”
The sentiment pulls out a sincere smile in me. I watch as Sam unwraps his hand from Kit’s and starts to take his coat off him so he doesn’t burn up. The motion of it leaves me a bit breathless, an alpha taking care of his omega.
I just watched that happen to both of my friends before they arrived, but it didn’t have quite the same effect on me as this does. My skin prickles in a sweat at the simple accommodation.
“I’m going to get us some drinks,” Sam announces.
Kit looks at me and then at my empty hands before looking back at his scent match. “Cool. Can you get our new roomie something, too?”
My mouth slightly gapes, but before I can open it fully to decline, Sam looks at me with a look that I can’t decipher. It holds me in place and makes me a bit breathless.
He looks at me like I’m a puzzle to solve, and I’m not sure how it makes me feel. My omega interprets it as the tiniest sliver of attention from her alpha, but I think that’s warranted in biological delusion.
“Sure, what do you like?” Sam finally asks.
I try to shrug casually. “Anything that tastes like berries and masks the alcohol.” Kit laughs and agrees, asking for something similar before the alpha walks away.
My eyes feel glued to his retreating form, his T-shirt and sweatpants looking out of place compared to his usual suit, despite it being a casual Friday night.
The past week has been miles better than the past month or so, partly because I have the space to finally relax and be on my own, but also because Sam is so busy that he’s never around the house.
Whenever he has made an appearance, it was mainly for a quick meal or shower and then he’d be on his way again.
Kit spends a lot of time at the house alone, but besides that first day, I haven’t pushed myself to seek out his company even though it’s what my omega desperately wants.
Anytime he’s in the living room on his laptop or making a quick lunch, I’ve had to fight with myself to go out there and ask him to hang out.
It’s been successful so far, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep it up.
Not when his watermelon scent makes the space feel like so much… more.
The smell of it brings me back even now, as I realize I’ve been particularly quiet after Sam has left, and Kit has been listening intently about the movie that Rory is excited to see this weekend. When he catches me staring, he smirks, and it makes me swallow roughly.
“Do you want to go see it?” he asks me.
I raise my brows. “What?”
He points at my friend. “The new movie Rory is talking about. It’s some kind of thriller.”
“Folk horror,” Rory corrects.
My head is already shaking. “No, no.” I flick my hands a bit, the idea of seeing anything folk horror-y already giving me the heebie-jeebies. “I’m not really a horror buff. I’m more into animated films and romantic comedies.”
He nods, contemplating. “Okay, well… there’s a romantic comedy I want to see playing this weekend, too. Would you like to go see it with me?”
My eyebrows fly all the way up. “Which one?”
Kit tilts his head like he’s trying to remember. “It has one of the Chris’ in it.”
Rory interjects, “She loves Chris Pine.”
His hands clap together hard. “That’s it! Chris Pine. The guy from The Princess Diaries.”
My entire body seems to be in overload, and it’s made even worse when Rory gets called away by Stacia. She gives me a teasing glance as I squint at her in betrayal.
So much for having a buffer.
Now that it’s just us, he feels so close and my body is hyperaware of every inch of him.
I cough, trying to speed up the process so maybe I can escape in a moment to breathe.
“Sure,” I say, and it comes out a bit more huskily than I’d care to admit.
Then I put my foot further in my mouth and say, “Sounds like a date.”
The other omega only brightens at the confirmation. My mouth opens to spill out more word vomit, but then Sam’s green apple scent alerts me just a second before he comes back, our drinks in tow. I gawk at how tiny the cups look in his massive hands.
“Watermelon spritz with prosecco and a splash of cucumber vodka,” he says as he hands one to his mate.
“That sounded so formal, love,” Kit jokes.
Sam’s cheeks flush the slightest amount. “Just in case she’s allergic to anything.”
The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I accept the cup and the smell is incredible. “Wow, I appreciate that but I don’t have any allergies. Thank you.” I take a small sip and a tiny sigh escapes my lips. “That’s incredible.”
“I keep telling him that if being a lawyer doesn’t pan out, he could always be a really hot bartender,” Kit says, which makes Sam smile. “Hey babe, we’re going to the movies this weekend. When will you be free?”
Sam rubs his mate’s shoulder absentmindedly. “I don’t think I can make it this time. I have a lot of stuff to do for class this weekend, so next weekend will be free.”
Kit’s mouth forms an ‘o’ like he’s just remembering something. “Valentine’s Day weekend.”
Sam nods, threading his fingers in Kit’s hair to tug him closer. He brings his lips to his ear and tries to whisper so I can’t overhear, but—of course—I do anyway. “I have a very special day planned. And I do mean all day, so be prepared to either be sick of me or knotted by the end.”
I glance away, pretending that I didn’t just hear that heated sentiment as Sam lets go of Kit’s hair and gives him a loving kiss on the shoulder.
The omega looks back at me, clears his throat, and beams like he’s on top of the world.
I don’t blame him after witnessing that public display of affection.
“Cool. So it looks like it’ll just be the two of us. Like you said, a date.”
The way he says it sounds suggestive and my cheeks pinken. I hide my face and take a deep breath, but I’m imagining us in a dark room, side by side, as we watch Chris freaking Pine, and my skin heats up.
Fuck. What did I just get myself into?