39. Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Celeste
Something had shifted. After nearly two months of living with Pack Lockwood, we had gone from near hatred of each other, to a tension filled existence, to a sort of truce. And now, it was almost like we were getting along.
I was able to be around all of them without the anxiety of the scent match or the fact that for years they had been targeting me and my company. We’d reached a point where I could sit with them in the living room, each of us buried in our laptops, the silence not strained but companionable. It was unsettling how natural it felt. Almost domestic. Like we were a real, bonded pack.
Late morning blurred into early afternoon, and as I finished a minor project, my stomach gave a loud, unmistakable growl. Three heads immediately turned toward me.
“Hungry?” Liam asked, already starting to stand up.
A little,” I said, surprised to realize how hungry I actually was. My appetite had been growing steadily, a not-so-subtle reminder that my heat was approaching. Another complication I’d have to face. Eventually.
Vigo was already joining Liam in the kitchen.
“I'm hungry too. Should we do takeout or cook?” He asked, and even Dante looked over at me, his dark eyes curious.
“What’s your favorite food?” He asked. I was momentarily shocked that he wanted to know anything about me at all - even after our date, he still kept his distance. But he was slowly starting to come around.
“Uh, I really don’t have a favorite, to be honest. I like most foods.” I stammered. “I guess Pasta sounds good right about now.” I said.
“Italian it is.” Vigo said with a smile, and dialed up an order while I set my laptop down. Dante kept watching me with an unreadable look, but at least he wasn’t hostile anymore. I had spent the least time with him out of everyone, so I tried to keep the momentum going.
“Hey, I have a question for you.” I said, adjusting my legs as I sat on the couch. “How do you manage to get so many of your worker policies implemented without pushback from the local government?” My question made Dante’s eyes widen.
“What do you mean?” He asked cautiously. I saw Vigo and Liam look over at us.
“I mean, your recent wage increase in Tavirosa. We tried to do a higher wage for the factory workers, but the local mayor threatened to pull our license there if we paid them more. He didn’t want us to end up stealing all the workers from the other local businesses by offering them more pay.” The three of them looked at me with surprise, and didn’t answer for a moment. Finally, Dante cleared his throat.
“He did the same to us at first. But we came up with a solution.” He glanced at the others, who nodded at him, as if giving him permission to tell me. “We told him we wouldn't do any hiring of new staff for three years, to assure that we wouldn't take staff away from other companies. That would buy us some time. We also sweetened the deal for him, giving him a donation for the town of Tavirosa to be used as he saw fit.” I sat back, surprised.
“And he accepted it? That’s incredible. I’d been working with him for years, and he never budged.” I said, wondering why he never acquiesced to my deals. Deep down I wondered if it was an alpha thing - they had a much easier time making deals with men than an omega. I half suspected the pack was wondering the same thing with the looks on their faces.
Dante moved toward me slightly, leaning forward on his chair. “Look, if you really want to implement the wage increase, we can help you with a strategy. We could even pitch it with you, since we’re on good terms with him now.” He said.
“But that would mean more competition from our factory in the long term.” I said, wondering why they would help me with anything business related. Dante shrugged.
“If we make this more common, eventually all businesses will have to take on similar policies to stay competitive. It’s a win-win for the Eastern Province.” He said, and I nodded slowly.
“So, you really do want ethical practices.” I said, my opinion on them starting to shift.
Liam looked at me and snorted. “Did you ever really doubt that?” He asked, and I shrugged.
“It sounds good, but I had my suspicions it was mostly PR for you all.” My words made their faces fall. “But… I see it now. You wouldn’t be offering to help me if this was just about optics. You believe in this, and I believe you.”
I met Dante’s gaze, then Vigo’s and Liam’s, letting them see the truth in my eyes. “Whatever differences we’ve had before, I can tell you really do want better for the Province. Even if you have strange ways of going about it.” I said, thinking about their stupid plan to kidnap me.
They exchanged looks, and although I couldn’t quite tell what they were thinking, things seemed to shift even more. They seemed to let their walls down, ever so slightly. Dante even seemed almost… kind for once. And now that I knew they really were trying for what was best, something shifted for me, too.
“Hey… can I ask you a favor?” I said, a little hesitant. “I have a call with the board coming up, and I was hoping you could give me some advice. I’m going to try pushing for the Designation Rights doctrine again.”
“Well, of course!” Vigo said, a grin breaking out on his face. “When are you going to call them?”
“In five minutes. I was going to step away, but my push for the rights didn’t go anywhere last time. I have better data now, a stronger pitch. I just… I want to do this right.”
Vigo sat down immediately. “What do you need from us?”
“Advice,” I said. “Tactics. And maybe, just your presence.” They exchanged a look. It was subtle, some silent alpha communication I couldn’t decode. Then Liam nodded.
“We’re in,” he said simply.
Soon I sat at the dining table, my laptop lit up as the board members entered the virtual meeting room. Liam sat across from me, silently encouraging. Vigo leaned against the counter, and Dante stood nearby, arms crossed but attentive.
“Celeste,” one of the older members greeted me. “You’re bringing the Designation Rights doctrine back?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ve revised the proposal with new data, including economic models, productivity projections, and phased rollout plans. If we-”
Another member cut in. “We’ve discussed this. It’s still unprofitable, and quite frankly, pointless.” I felt my anger boil up inside me. Of course a bunch of men with massive power and money, including power to vote me out, wouldn’t appreciate a rights doctrine.
“And we already rejected it once,” another member added. “There’s no reason to revisit this.”
I glanced toward Vigo. He gave me a small thumbs-up for encouragement. Dante nodded once, subtly.
“We have to take action now,” I tried. “Pack Lockwood is already reaping rewards from implementing it. We can-”
“Pack Lockwood?” Another memberinterrupted, clearly unimpressed. “You’re already in that ill-advised relationship with them. More controversy doesn’t help your case. Work on what you know, Celeste - increasing profit. The board votes against this. Good day.”
The screen went silent, then flickered off, ending the meeting. I sat there, staring at the empty space, frustration and disappointment tightening in my chest. I felt the sting of failure, almost on the verge of tears, when suddenly, a warm presence enveloped me. The pack was there, surrounding me, their support solid and unwavering.
“You did great, Celeste.” Vigo said, his warm voice calming me. I turned to him, and felt some camaraderie now that he finally saw what I was going through. “Don’t give up. You can try again.” Liam put a hand on my shoulder, the comforting warmth making my upset feelings fade.
“They don’t know better than you. They are out of touch. But this isn’t over. We’ll help you.” He promised, and for once, I felt like I had allies. Dante watched me, his expression slightly softer after witnessing the embarrassing debacle of being shut down by my own board.
“Don’t worry. Let’s forget this for now, eat, and work on it later.” He said in a comforting voice.
Soon, the takeout arrived, and the guys set out plates on the oak dining table. Liam seemed extra eager to fill my plate, having ordered three types of pasta, salad, breadsticks, and dessert.
“Here.” He placed the massive food-piled plate in front of me, and I blushed a little. We were all going to eat together, not for a date, not for the contract, but to just share a meal. And yet, as we all settled in, plates full and conversation easy, something inside me relaxed. The omega in me craved this - the quiet, unspoken act of care, the presence of alphas providing for me. For the first time in what felt like forever, the relentless pull toward them wasn’t a battle I had to fight. I could just exist, enjoying them and our strange, unique relationship.
The food was great, too. Spaghetti with meatballs, chicken with pesto-drenched pasta, salad, and lasagna. I couldn’t finish all of it, but I came close. The boys all had at least two full plates each, and I knew they would probably have more later. Alphas needed so much more fuel due to their size.
Vigo reached for one of the takeout boxes and opened it.
“I hope you have room for dessert!” He said slyly as he plated a massive piece of tiramisu.
My eyes went wide, and before I could stop myself, a soft moan escaped. The three of them immediately sat up straighter, their attention snapping to me. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized my mistake. Of course, they’d be extra attuned to an omega’s needs, especially after so much time without one around. I silently vowed to be more careful with my reactions.
“I’m so full, but…” I said, looking at the tiramisu. “How did you know that was my weakness?” I asked, and Vigo smiled and grabbed a fork, scooping up a piece of the dessert.
“You said so earlier.” My mind flashed back to our outing, where we’d stopped by the bakery. Flattered that he remembered, I bit my lip and looked at the sweet dessert.
“Here.” Vigo held out the fork with the tiramisu, bringing it toward my mouth. I couldn't help it. I opened my mouth and let him feed me the piece, closing my lips around the fork as I let out another small moan, savoring the sweet espresso and mascarpone. When I looked up, the three of them were watching me, their pupils large and their scents filling the room. I swallowed, suddenly aware that I was getting dangerously close to the precipice of our unspoken desires.
“How is it?” Liam asked, as he watched me with a hunger that my own body matched. I licked my lips and looked at all three of them, their blended scent like a beautiful melody singing out to my body.
“Fucking amazing.” I answered, and I wasn’t talking about the dessert anymore. Vigo took another scoop of the tiramisu, and as he transferred it from the box to the plate, a dollop of mascarpone fell onto his arm. My eyes focused on that spot, and before I could stop myself, I was at his side, my tongue on his skin, dragging it along the spot until the mascarpone was gone and all I tasted was him.
I looked up, my hands curled around his arm as the entire table sat frozen, watching me as I had my tongue on Vigo mid-lick. I was going too far.
A low growl of approval sounded throughout the dining room, and I knew that if I made any other sudden moves, their alpha urges would take over and we’d be making a huge mess on this table - a mess that I wasn’t sure I could handle right now.
My core heated anyway and I felt the strong urge to let them strip me down and carry me away, like I knew they would if I asked. I realized there was no stopping the inevitability of what was to come - either now, or later. We were fated.
I felt the small pricklings of sweat bead on my back, and realized that if I didn’t get out of this situation now, I’d get too carried away. My heat was coming soon, but I needed answers before I let myself fall into my ultimate desires.
“But, that’s all I can handle for now.” I forced myself to say, and pulled my hands off of Vigo, a monumental task that I had to fight to accomplish. The men just sat, watching me as I forced myself to stand up and leave the table, knowing that the smell of my slick, which I couldn't control any longer, was scenting the air.
“And, thanks for the dessert.”I said before rushing out of the room, trying to avoid making myself the next dish for these irresistible alphas.