3. Theo
THEO
T he late afternoon sun casts long shadows across Main Street as we leave the courthouse, where Felix just spent two hours trying to explain to the historical society why their cheap renovation ideas would totally wreck a building that's been perfectly fine for over a hundred years.
His jaw is still locked showing his frustration, and Marcus isn't much better.
He's not good at hiding his emotions, neither of us are, which is why we're known as the beastly pack of town.
It's good, it means that people take us seriously, and we're good at our jobs.
Marcus runs the biggest construction company in three counties, Felix handles all the architecture and restoration work, and I'm head of security for everything we build.
We've been a pack for five years now, ever since we all ended up in this small town for different reasons and realized we fit together perfectly.
Three alphas without an omega, which makes us restless and probably more intimidating than we mean to be.
Most packs our size have found their omega by now, but we're still waiting. Still hoping.
Right now, I can see Mrs. Henderson duck behind her café window the second she spots us, and the Miller family literally crosses to the other side of the street to avoid walking past us.
People are scared of us, and honestly, I get it.
There's something about three big alphas walking together that makes everyone nervous, like we're trouble waiting to happen.
"Fucking cowards," Marcus mutters under his breath, noticing the same avoidance we both see.
He's always been good at reading people, probably comes from running a business, though he doesn't really care what most people think of us anyway.
At six foot four, Marcus has broad shoulders and the kind of build that comes from actually working construction instead of just managing it.
His dark hair and sharp jawline don't help with the intimidation factor.
"Better than fake smiles," I counter as we keep walking down Main. Military training taught me to read people and situations, but five years in Willowbrook has taught me something different: how small town politics actually work. "At least we know where we stand."
"Which is apparently that we're the scary guys," Felix adds, his Italian accent thicker when he's annoyed.
"Though, it's kind of nice. No one bothers us while we work.
" Felix is the pretty one of our pack, if you can call someone pretty when they're six foot two and built like they could throw you through a wall.
His olive skin and green eyes might look friendly on someone else, but combined with his size, even his smiles seem dangerous.
We're getting close to the library now, the big old Victorian building that Felix has been working on. Through the tall windows, I can see people inside. The afternoon light makes everything look warm and cozy in there.
I know I'm not helping our reputation either.
Years in the military left me with scars and the kind of watchful look that makes people nervous.
At six foot three, I'm the middle height of our pack, but my blond hair and blue eyes don't make me look any friendlier when I'm constantly checking for trouble.
"Wait," I say, my attention caught by something in the library.
There they are: Belle Hartwell and Adam Chen.
The librarians doing their usual afternoon chocolate thing.
I've noticed this routine every time we walk past that they always sit in the same corner like it's their private spot, the way Belle gets all animated when she's talking, how Adam just listens and nods along.
But today, watching from out here, something feels off.
"What are we looking at?" Marcus asks, following where I'm staring.
"Those two," I say, pointing toward the window. "Belle and Adam. Look at how they're sitting."
Felix steps closer to get a better view, automatically checking out their body language. "They're sitting across from each other, not next to each other. Keeping their distance even though they have the whole corner to themselves."
"He's focused on the food, not on her," Marcus observes with the clinical detachment he applies to hostile negotiations. "And she's talking like whatever she's telling him is really important."
I watch Belle lean forward across the table, getting all serious about whatever she's telling him. Adam smiles and responds, but there's something... friendly about it. Like they're comfortable together, but not in that electric way you'd expect if they were actually into each other.
"You know what's been bugging me?" I say, and both my packmates look at me. I don't usually share what I'm thinking.
"What's up?" Felix asks.
"Three years we've been running those damn balls. Three years hoping we'd find our omega, making the perfect setup for other people to meet their mates while we go home alone every fucking time."
The frustration I've been holding back finally spills out. We've put all this work and money into creating something amazing for other people, while our pack is still incomplete.
"And meanwhile," I continue, watching Belle get animated about whatever she's explaining to Adam, "the most obvious omega in town is sitting right there, hanging out with her best friend, completely clueless that three alphas have been looking for years."
"You think Belle is “our omega”?” Marcus asks, and there's something hungry in his voice that makes my alpha side wake up.
"I think Belle is an omega, period," I correct him. "She's hiding it, probably doesn't even know it herself. But definitely omega."
Felix moves closer to the window, studying Belle with new interest. "What makes you think that?"
"Experience," I say simply. "You learn to read people, to see through the act they're putting on. Belle is pretending to be a beta the same way I used to pretend to be a regular civilian when I was undercover."
"Explain," Marcus says, his business brain already working.
"Watch how she moves around other alphas by always keeping her distance, even when she doesn't seem to realize she's doing it.
The way she controls her emotions. She's built her whole life around taking care of other people, which screams omega, but she does it like she's in charge instead of part of a pack. "
I pause, watching Belle gesture passionately about something, her whole body showing how smart and protective she is.
"And," I add quietly, "she doesn't smell right for a beta. There's something underneath that doesn't match what she's supposed to be. Something that only alphas like us would pick up on when she lets her guard down."
"She's on suppressants," Felix says immediately, getting it.
"Has to be. Which means either something bad happened to her, or she's been hiding what she is for so long she's forgotten."
"Real mate bonds work differently than regular alpha and omega attraction," Marcus explains like he's giving a presentation.
"Suppressants can block normal omega scents, but they can't completely hide the mating scent from the right alphas.
The more emotional she gets, the stronger that signal becomes. "
Marcus's eyes get that calculating look he gets when he's planning something big.
"But she's with Adam," Felix points out, looking at the scene through the library windows. "They're obviously close. Intimate, even if it's not romantic."
"Are they though?" I challenge, focusing on what I've been trained to notice.
"Because from where I'm standing, they look like two people who trust each other completely but have never even thought about being together.
Look at the space between them, how they're careful not to even touch casually. "
Marcus moves closer to the window, and I can see him getting that focused look. "So you're saying they're just friends."
"I'm saying they're best friends who've never considered anything more because Belle's been suppressing her omega side so well that neither of them knows what she really is."
Through the glass, Belle laughs at something Adam says, and the sound makes something in my chest tighten.
She's gorgeous with soft curves that she tries to hide under oversized sweaters, dark hair that catches the afternoon light, and a smile that could light up the whole damn town.
The way she gestures when she talks, animated and passionate, makes me want to know what she's thinking about, what gets her so excited.
Adam's leaning back in his chair, grinning at whatever story she's telling. He's a good looking guy, shorter than any of us but solid, with the same dark hair as Belle. They look comfortable together, but there's something missing. No heat, no tension, just... friendship.
If I'm right about this, if Belle is an omega who doesn't understand what she is, if she's been right here while we've been searching everywhere else for our missing pack member, then this changes everything.
"Besides," I add, watching Adam offer Belle another piece of chocolate, "if they were actually together, they wouldn't be here having their afternoon chocolate talks about library stuff. They'd be at home doing... other things."
Marcus makes a sound that's half laugh, half snarl.
"Good point." He's still staring through the window, and I can practically feel the want rolling off him.
We all can. Belle does something to the three of us, which she has done since the first day we saw her when we ended up in the library for one reason or another. We just never thought...
"So what do we do now?" Felix asks, and he sounds excited. His hands are pressed against the glass like he wants to reach through it.
"We get to know her better," Marcus says with that decisive tone he uses when he's made up his mind about something big. "We find ways to spend time with her, and we test Theo's theory."
"And if Theo's right?" Felix presses. "If she really is an omega, if she's ours?"
"Then we help her figure out what she is," Marcus says quietly. "And we give her the choice to be with us."
Through the window, Belle stands up to clean their table, moving as if she’s hiding her curves.
I don’t get understand why someone as beautiful as her, doesn’t see who she really is.
God, she's beautiful. The way she takes care of Adam, makes sure he has enough chocolate, tidies up their space. It makes my alpha purr with want.
"She's beautiful," Felix murmurs, and his voice goes soft with longing.
"She's perfect," I correct, feeling something warm and protective settle in my chest. The need to go in there, to claim her, to bring her home with us is almost overwhelming. "If she's ours."
“There’s only one way to find out," Marcus says, already starting to walk away. I can see the struggle in his face, the same one we're all feeling. "Come on. We need to make some plans."