10. Simon
Chapter ten
I pull up on my bike in front of the ranch-style home on the city's outskirts. It must have cost a fortune. It's a single story, and the outside is well-maintained. I'm waiting for Rafe and Cyrus to arrive when another bike pulls up behind me.
My buddy Joey removes his helmet, his dark hair slightly mussed, and beams at me. I haven't seen him much since he found his Omega, and they went through all kinds of shit, but our friendship isn't easily broken.
He grew up in the Hawks, and then after he got out of the military, he wasn't in a great place and never really returned. No one ever held it against him, and his folks are still an active part of the club, so he's family by association. Nitro made it a point to introduce us, and our friendship blossomed from there.
Joey's massive form is swathed in leather, his boots giant and heavy as he stomps towards me. "Alright, Slime?"
"Yeah, brother. Alright."
"So Nitro didn't say what you needed the place for," he calls over his shoulder as he unlocks the red front door. He's always referred to his dad by his club name, not Pops or anything.
"It's a weird story."
"I got time. Nora's got an event today, and Levi went with her. The others are working. So I'm on my own."
We push into the home, and the dusty smell of disuse hits me. It's clear no one has lived in a while. Despite the high-end furnishings and immaculately decorated interior, the place needs a deep clean. "Who's place is this?"
"Nora's, technically. Grew up here with her shitbag of a mom. When she went to prison, Nora got the house. Just been sitting here since." Joey throws open the blinds and raises the windows to get airflow into the room. "Don't change the subject. Why are you here, Slime?"
I sit on the dusty white couch, resting my elbows on my knees and wrapping my hands behind my neck. "Did Nitro ever tell you about my pack?"
"Just that there was a falling out."
"Well, we fell out over a girl."
He chuckles. "It's always over a girl. I punched Chase in the face once over Nora."
"Yeah, well, I do not doubt that one deserved it." Chase, one of Joey's packmates, is more than a little rough around the edges. "There was this girl we loved, and she never presented as an Omega. Convinced she was going to, though. When she hit nineteen and was still insisting she would present and that we were destined to be scent matched, one of my packmates came up with the idea to lie to her about us finding a scent match so she would give up on us."
I never agreed with it. I wanted her even if she was a Beta. But the other two were convinced that none of us would be satisfied without an Omega, and an Omega would never share their Alphas with a female Beta, so it was better to cut ties then so Jordan didn't get more attached and hurt more down the line.
I was outvoted and weak, so I went along with it all.
We never saw or heard from her again. I've tried to approach her for years, but every time I chicken out. What would I even say to her? That I know we're not sixteen anymore, but I still want her just as bad? That I never cared if she was an Omega or not?
"Anyways, it tore us apart eventually. We didn't realize how much our pack needed her for balance."
He stretches his legs before him as he reclines back in the chair. "So why make it work now?"
"Because Rafe, one of my packmates, found her passed out at the grocery store. And it turns out she was right. She's an Omega, and our scent match, too." I haven't seen her in years and am dying to know what she smells like. I want to see her, want to claim her.
She's mine. She's always been mine. We just took a little detour.
"Well, that's good, yeah? She was right all along."
"Mouse," he grimaces at his childhood nickname. I truly have no right to use it because I wasn't there when he answered to it, but I love seeing the massive Beta glower over it. "That was thirteen years ago. It's been thirteen years since we broke it off with her." Fuck, now that I say it out loud, it's clear how fucked up this all is. How long has she been hiding from us? "And she gave us the slip at the hospital. We never saw her. But we gotta try to make it work, yeah? She's ours."
"Man, Slime, listen." He leans forward, dangling his hands as his elbows rest on his knees. "You can't force this. It sounds like your pack needs to work shit out first and then figure out how to make this up to her. Because I can tell you right now, she's gonna be pissed."
A knock on the door is followed by it swinging open, Cyrus and Rafe crowding the doorway before pushing their way in. Cyrus is massive, with broad shoulders and golden skin, his curly brown hair secured in a bun on the top of his head. His muscles stretch the limits of his white t-shirt.
In the years we've been apart, he hasn't slacked on his dedication to the gym. The dude is built, and his square jaw is clenched tight, like he's frustrated.
Rafe is behind him, his dark hair flicking into his eyes. He's slimmer but just as tall as Cyrus. Rafe has always had a mysterious aura that's only intensified by the severe expression on his face. He rarely smiles, but when he does, it's a sight to behold.
I've been on the receiving end of his smiles and tears over the years, and when I look into his dark eyes, it's hard to forget the intimate moments we shared.
But I try to push those thoughts down.
Joey leaps to his feet and holds out a hand. "Joey Sloane." My packmates introduce themselves, slightly wary of the giant Beta. "Anyways, you lot can have the place as long as you need it. Nora hasn't wanted to think about it, so we've just left it here."
"Why doesn't she want her home?" Rafe asks curiously.
I raise an eyebrow. "He's Joey Sloane. His Omega is Nora Sloane."
"Is that supposed to mean something to us?" Cyrus grits out. Fuck, I forgot what an asshole the guy can be.
Joey chuckles. "She'd love it that you have no idea who she is. You probably know her by the fucking horrendous nickname she has. The Perfect Omega."
Cyrus takes a giant step back. "Wait. So this house…"
"Is the one bought with the money Dr. Greene paid her mom." Joey doesn't look upset to have to discuss this again, but I hate that he has to be reminded of his pack's trauma continuously. "But I've already okayed this with her. She's the sweetest little bird. Very selfless."
"I've watched one of her lectures," Rafe mentions. "She's been through some shit. Tough Omega that you've got there."
"Sounds like you're going to have your work cut out for you with your own," he chuckles. He grabs his jacket and slips into it, raising his chin at me in acknowledgment. "Alright, Slime. Let me know if you need anything. Sorry, it's not cleaner, but eh. Not that sorry."
"Thanks, brother. I owe you one."
"Nah, you don't. I'll never be able to repay you for getting us that safe house." The club put Joey and his pack up in a safe house when Chase abducted their Omega on live television. They were in the right morally, but it took the law a bit to catch up to it. So we hid them out for a couple of days.
We clasped our hands on each other's forearms. "We're family, Mouse. Even if you left us behind."
"Shut up, asshole." He shoves me on the shoulder, and I stumble back. The fucker is strong. "Alright. I'm gonna go get ready for the two of them to get home."
"Give Nora and Levi my best. And the others, I guess."
Joey leaves, and I take a steady breath before turning to look at my packmates. Both of them have curious expressions on their faces. I raise my eyebrow. "What?"
"You're actually in a gang, then?" Cyrus snaps at me.
I bristle. "We're a family. A club."
"A gang. That can't continue when we have our Omega. It sounds like your buddy there left when he got his."
Rolling my eyes as I pass him, I stomp to the kitchen. "Joey left the family after he got back from active duty, asshole—nothing to do with his Omega. And I'm not leaving the family. I've got a good gig. They take care of me. They listen to me." I can't help but throw in that last dig.
Under the sink, I find dust-covered cleaning supplies, but it's enough to start making the place passable. Rafe joins me in wiping shit down, but Cyrus just crosses his arms and glares. He even huffs intermittently at us. Eventually, I can't handle it anymore.
"Say what you need to say, C."
"Do you really think Jordan is the type of girl that will want to be with a biker?"
I laugh, throwing the rag I'm holding down and crossing my arms. "We don't know what type of girl Jordan is because you kicked her out of our lives."
"We all agreed!" he snarls.
I toss the rag angrily on the counter. "You gave me no choice. I would've been fine never having an Omega. I've gotten by just fine with only Betas." I say that like there has been a lot. There really hasn't. Barring those heated nights with Rafe, any time I tried to sleep with anyone else, I would feel sick afterward. My heart has always only belonged to Jordan. "I don't even know why we're here if this is how it's gonna be. We're never going to be able to work this shit out between us. She ain't going to want nothing to do with us. She's been alone this whole time, thinking we loved someone who wasn't her."
I scrub my hands down my face, groaning heavily. "We don't even know if she's unbonded." Both of them growl, taking an aggressive step toward me. I raise my hands. "Assholes, you need to accept it as a possibility. Not everyone holds out for their scent matches."
"Well, then they'll have to join our pack. She's ours, and I'm not giving her up." Rafe crosses his arms stubbornly. "You two didn't see her. Just as gorgeous as always, but pure Omega now. She smelled so good." He leans against the counter, closing his eyes and tipping his head back. "I'm not letting her go again."
"It's not up to us!" I remind them. She's going to make whatever decision she wants. "And besides," I go back to cleaning up the kitchen, noting how there is literally nothing in the cabinets—not even dishes. "We have to find her first."