13. Joey
13
Joey
Nora falls asleep, curled up on Blaine's chest, within minutes of being told she should take a nap. Nolan and Levi left as soon as she passed out, but I stayed with Blaine, just looking at her and stroking her hair.
I'm not sure if my heart has ever broken like it did today.
I knew Nora had some hang-ups from being The Perfect Omega, but it really came to a head today. What kind of bullshit did they put her through to get her to this point? This isn't just schooling. This is something much more sinister.
During my time in the military, I've seen my fair share of brainwashed people. It's easy to notice in interrogation settings. Despite what Chase says, Nora has been completely brainwashed to the point that who she actually is is nowhere to be found.
Blaine falls asleep, and I slip out of the nest silently, trusting him to keep her comforted. Even in his sleep, he's still purring to soothe the little Omega.
Trudging downstairs, I see Chase pacing across the patio, smoking a cigarette. It's such a nasty habit, but I don't know many chefs who manage to avoid it.
I exit the house, and Chase turns around, saying, "Oh hey, buddy."
I cut him off with a fist to the face.
"Motherfucker!" he shouts as I shake out my hand. "What the fuck was that about?"
"What was that about? What was that about?" I shout, fury boiling up inside me. "That was about the fact that you're determined to break Nora!"
His eye is already swelling, and he rubs it tenderly. "You're just as fucking gone as the rest of them, huh?"
I slam my hand on the brick column next to him. "Chase, how long have you known me?"
"Seven years or so."
"And in that time, have you known me to be a bad judge of character?" I press.
"Well, no, but.."
"But nothing. I'm the first member of this pack who met her. She spoke to me before she knew I was part of a pack and before she knew you all even existed. Me." I lean back against the glass, breathing through the frustration and fear that is coiling inside me. "This is not an act, Chase. It's not who she is meant to be, but she's not faking it."
He stubs out his cigarette and tosses it in a metal bucket he keeps out here for his butts. "I just… I can't, Joey. I look at her, and I see the antithesis to everything I stand for."
"So that means you have to be a dick to her, to purposefully hurt her?" That's what I don't get about Chase. He's not this guy. He's an asshole, sure, but in an endearing way, not in a break-your-spirit way. I have no idea where this is coming from.
Chase picks his pacing back up, pulling at his hair in frustration. "Do you know how many people have been Designed to be just like her? How much harm she personally has caused so many Omegas? I have no doubt there are several who feel like they're not good enough because they're not enough like her!" He spins on his heel and stalks towards me, poking his finger in my chest. "The Perfect Omega is a dangerous concept that will lead to many Omegas getting rejected by their packs for not fitting this mold that Nora has perpetuated. How can you even begin to support her?"
"Hate the system, not the pawn, Chase," I say quietly. "She was born into this. She never had a shot."
Levi pokes his head outside, his face still red from tears. "Come inside, guys. We need a pack meeting before Nora wakes up."
We settle into the living room, Chase and I sitting on opposite ends of the plush black sofa. Nolan is pacing in front of the hearth, chewing on his thumbnail. "Where's Blaine?"
"Oh shit," I say, standing. "He's still in the nest with Nora."
"I'll get him," Levi says, darting upstairs. He returns only a minute later without Blaine. "He… refuses to leave her. He doesn't want her to wake up alone." My heart cracks a little. Blaine feels a lot of guilt for making her cry, according to what Nolan told me last night. "He said we can have the meeting without him and that he'll do whatever he needs to to make her happy," Levi finishes, curling up in the gray armchair. Levi is so small and gentle. We have a unique relationship which has given me intimate insight into his moods, and the way he's curled up has shown me he feels like he's losing control.
Nolan nods and stops pacing, looking at all of us. "Chase needs to explain to you all about the conversation Nora overheard." He pins Chase with a pointed glare.
The chef rolls his eyes, leaning his head back on the sofa, exposing the moth tattoo on his neck. "Not much to say, really. Y'all heard what she said. I told Nolan I don't want her here, that I refuse to scent match her, and I think this little miss perfect act is fake as shit."
Nolan is getting fed up with Chase, and it shows in his body language. Levi looks heartbroken, shaking his head at Chase. His voice is small and quiet when he asks, "Don't you see the harm your words cause?"
"It was manipulation, not harm. She's sleeping like a baby in there." Chase crosses his arms stubbornly and throws an ankle over his knee.
"She didn't even know we were there. She was pulling her hair out, Chase. There was a pile of it in the shower," Nolan whispers. "You weren't the one who tried to pick her up, Chase. I scented her fear, her despair. That shit can't be faked."
We have been going back and forth like this for ages. It's the same thing on repeat – Chase thinks Nora is a liar, a fake, and overdramatic, while the rest of us realize how damaged she is and want to help her.
"Do you even want to be part of this pack, Chase?" Nolan asks. I zoned out for a minute, but the words rip me back to the present.
"Are you kicking me out of the pack?" He all but shouts. "You're going to choose an Omega over me? We've been a pack for a fucking decade!"
Nolan holds his hand out, attempting to placate Chase. "I'm not kicking you out. I'm letting you know that Nora is our scent match, and she is this pack's Omega. You can be a part of this pack, which includes treating our Omega with kindness and respect, or you can choose to leave the pack." He sighs, rubbing his temples as he drops down to sit on the hearth. "I don't want to see you go, Chase, but this isn't sustainable. It's not healthy for any of us."
Chase slumps onto the arm of the couch, covering his eyes with a hand. "I don't want to leave the pack," he says.
"Okay then. Let's move on to how we can help Nora." Nolan walks into the kitchen and grabs five beers and a notebook from the junk drawer. He passes the drinks out and sits on the hearth, balancing the notebook on his legs. "No bad ideas, let's just get some out there."
Levi is the first to speak up, which is no surprise to me. "I think maybe each of us could plan a day with her one on one? We show her things we like, maybe even give her something specific to wear? That way, she tries something other than her dresses, and we can maybe see if she develops any hobbies?" He's timid, and every sentence ends like a question, which is something we've been working on together, but it's a good idea. Nolan must agree because he writes it down.
"I think we need to give her some traditional Perfect Omega tasks that we are comfortable with her performing," Nolan says. "Maybe we change one thing slightly to help her get out of her comfort zone."
"Oh, like having her wash laundry but not put it away?" Levi asks.
"Exactly. She'll still get that Omega satisfaction, but it will force her to realize that she doesn't always need to be perfect."
Chase is predictably silent, and Levi and Nolan are brimming with ideas. My mind is spinning in circles, ideas flitting about, but I'm unable to grab onto any of them.
But then it hits me.
"We should get her a bird," I say, looking up at the Alphas.
"A bird?" Chase asks, finally breaking his silence. All attention shifts to me, and I swallow down my doubt. This is a good idea. I just know it.
"Yeah, a bird. It gives her something to nurture, a companion that isn't one of us," I explain. "Like, maybe a talking bird or some shit like that."
"How does that help her with her Omega programming?" Nolan questions.
"Birds are unpredictable and a little messy. She won't be able to put a bird on a checklist of tasks. But I think she'd like it so much that she wouldn't mind having to adapt on the fly."
Fly. This is my second bird pun since I've met my little bird.
"It's not the worst idea," Levi says, looking at Nolan.
"It's not a great one," Chase mutters under his breath. I toss a pillow at his head, and he ducks to avoid it, chuckling at me.
"Alright, alright. There are no bad ideas. I'll put it on the list." He scribbles on the pad. "Chase? You gotta contribute something here, man."
Chase groans and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Maybe we give her a task that sounds traditionally Omega, but it's not? Like Omegas are supposed to love playing music, so let's teach her the drums."
"No. Absolutely not. I draw the line at a drumset," Levi says, shaking his head. "Too loud, too abrasive. She'd hate it, but also I would hate it." Levi shudders, pulling a blanket tighter around his shoulders.
Deflating a bit at being shot down, I watch as Chase's eyes shutter. "Okay, well, it doesn't have to literally be that, but something like that. Fuck it's a bad idea, whatever," Chase says dismissively.
I place my hand on his shoulder. "It's not a bad idea at all, man. We'll brainstorm ideas on how to do it, but it could work well."
Nolan nods and writes it down, and we continue our round-robin of ideas.
We go back and forth for hours, coming up with ideas on ways we can help our Omega feel comfortable and safe in our home.
Because that's what she is. She's our Omega, and it's our job to take care of her.