6. Tadgh
CHAPTER 6
TADGH
“I think you’re wrong about me.”
I replayed her words over and over in my mind, but I came to no conclusions. Everything I thought about her was real. I felt it in my bones.
When we got into the room, Lorcan had his back turned, pretending he was sleeping, and I was too annoyed to shake him up for answers. Even Oisin, who was usually so easy mannered, seemed on edge.
I didn’t want to start something with Lorcan. I understood he was having a difficult time. I was trying to be fucking understanding, but I couldn't help but wish he dealt with it in a different way.
A nice way that didn’t upset our omega.
We got dressed in silence the next morning, even Oisin avoiding Lorcan, which made things uncomfortable. When we opened the door and met Gabriela, things got even worse.
She looked sad, withdrawn. I couldn’t hold back this time—I glared at Lorcan, daring him to say something, but he mumbled something about breakfast and left.
I took Gabriela’s bags and said good morning to Alice. She taught me how to say it in Portuguese and giggled when I butchered the words. At least someone was in high spirits.
Mary was in a good mood too, humming as we found a table at the breakfast area, filling our cups with steaming tea and leaving the small metal kettle behind for refills.
The breakfast was simple: eggs, toast, and rashers, but she said we were growing boys and piled food onto our plates. Not even the joke that Lorcan was a forty-seven year old boy got him to talk. He ate, drank his tea, and kept his mouth annoyingly shut.
Gabriela looked adorable, which made things harder when she looked so uncomfortable in our presence. Her hair was pulled in two buns on each side of her head, and she wore yet another set of black leggings. She had on a slimming black and white long sleeve shirt, showing off a small waist, a soft belly, and very large tits.
Perfect.
She was so perfect. I looked at her, and I couldn’t think. How did we get so lucky? We went from having no one to the most perfect omega in the world.
She sipped on her tea, brown eyes far away, one strand of hair falling to the side of her face, framing it perfectly. A vision.
Alice was also cute. Gabriella recreated the two buns on the little girl, hers done with her braids. She bounced around, asking what everything was called in English and pronouncing it perfectly. A gorgeous mother and a genius child.
Lucky bastards, we were.
After breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Mary and went to the car once again.
“How long until we get there?” Gabriela asked as we joined the motorway again.
“A couple of hours.” Surprisingly, it was Lorcan who replied.
She nodded, looking back to the window.
“I’m sorry,” he said, almost in a whisper. My eyes flew to the front seat, even if I couldn’t really see him, just his hard eyes through the mirror. He wasn’t looking at us or Gabriela. He faced the road but kept talking.
“Everything is a lot right now. I’m trying my best to?—”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Gabriela cut him off. “I shouldn’t have asked you to kiss me.”
My eyebrows shot up to my hairline, and Oisin turned to me, his expression mirroring mine.
Was that what happened last night? Gabriela asked for a kiss and Lorcan said no?
Was he thick or something? What man would ever say no to her of all women?
“You can always ask for anything,” Lorcan said next. “I just need time.”
She nodded her head, looking down at her lap. “I understand.”
I bet she didn’t. She must have felt like it was a rejection; she already thought he was disappointed, so I couldn’t imagine what she thought now. I opened my mouth to say something, but Oisin tugged my sleeve and shook his head.
They needed to figure out their own relationship. That was what happened in a pack. The dynamic had to be unique between every member so we could create a harmonious family. Each one of us was going to bond with our omega in a different way. It was important to the survival of the pack.
But Lorcan was bad with words and even worse with his feelings. I knew him long enough to know what it looked like when a storm was brewing behind his eyes. When the days were long and the nights were even longer, he used to take the boat out, not caring if the Atlantic wasn’t going to be kind. He needed to punish himself until he couldn't feel the emptiness of a nest without an omega.
Lorcan taught me everything I knew. I had a trade because of him, so I promised to stand by his side even through the darkness. This wasn't darkness, though. This was the best thing that could have happened to us, and I didn't want to lose her because he wasn't used to good things in his life.
He perhaps understood that too, if I was judging by his clumsy apology. I relaxed in my seat. He’d win her trust with time.
Silence descended on the car as we all let the subject go. I decided not to feel anxious about Lorcan, trusting we were going to find our way before Gabriela went into heat.
A kiss.
She asked for a kiss. I shook my head to myself; I’d devour her mouth if she asked me. I’d leave her breathless for the rest of my days, but of course, she didn’t ask the goofy one.
Bitterness filled my heart as that thought raced through my mind. There was no place for jealousy in a healthy pack. She was going to learn to like me too. She'd ask for my kisses one day.
After a while, the silence felt oppressive over my shoulders, so I busied myself playing car games with Alice. It wasn’t straightforward, since I had to look on my phone a lot to translate, but it was worth it just to make her laugh.
“I spy with my little eye…” she said, already copying the exact words. “Alguma coisa laranja!”
My phone translated that as “something orange” , and I went to work, trying to find what she meant.
I quickly spotted orange cones to the side of the road, and she laughed, not caring at all she was losing. We played more rounds of the game, and soon, we were close to home.
As we exited the motorway and started down the country roads, Gabriela straightened in her seat, looking around apprehensively.
“We are close,” Oisin told her as we passed Dingle.
“This is beautiful.”
The wild Atlantic slapped the rocks at the coast, the salty air brushing our hair out of our face. It was the authenticity of our county that made tourists fall in love. I could see it in Gabriela’s eyes.
Lorcan took a left up the hill, leaving Dingle behind. To our right was the vast sea, and to our left, a stone half wall keeping a dozen sheep away from the road.
“Olha, m?e! As ovelhinhas!”
“Eu to vendo,” Gabriela chuckled.
Alice was no doubt talking about the sheep, her nose glued to the window as she watched them in wonder.
“We have more of them up the hill,” Oisin said, and Gabriela translated.
Sheep. Kids were that easy. The four adults in the car radiated tension, afraid that want wasn't enough to fit into each other's lives, while Alice had a huge smile on her lips just because she was watching the sheep.
The car bounced down the precarious dirt road, every bump bringing us closer to our remote village. The more we pressed forward, the more it looked like we were going to be swallowed by water. The field where the sheep slept was left behind, and more water replaced the view. We turned left to the entrance, right when the beach appeared into view.
“Rocks,” Gabriela whispered.
It probably looked completely different from what she knew as a beach, but to us, it was home. As the road opened, a view from the beach came perfectly to our left. Rolls and rolls of boats were lined up, waiting for us, and to the right led to the main street, where small business usually kept busy.
Not today.
My mouth parted in awe when I realized nothing looked like before. The shops were closed, and everyone was waiting for us right in the square. As they saw the car, a round of applause started.
“Oh God,” Gabriela whispered.
Oh God was right.
“Should I park, or?” Lorcan asked, looking at Gabriela.
She took a fortifying breath, shaking her head. “They look excited. Let’s just… Yeah, let’s…” She motioned to the street, telling us she wasn’t comfortable, but she’d do it.
I wasn’t going to do anything just because she felt pressured, but I understood this was a big deal for our people. Right in front, I saw Cormac, Cathal, Rian, and Senan, the other pack without an omega. They sent their blood samples at the same time we did, but no one had matched yet.
I looked at Oisin and saw his eyes finding them as well. This meant a lot for them. It meant a lot for our whole village.
“Ready?” Lorcan asked all of us. We all nodded, even Alice.
The second I opened the door, the cheering erupted. I was barely out when someone pulled at me, tapping me on my back and bringing me closer to the crowd.
I offered a smile, but my instincts were telling me to go back to my girls. I walked away and turned to Alice, offering my arms. She accepted, and I held her close, still smiling, especially now I knew she was safe.
My eyes found Gabriela. She had that paralyzed smile glued to her face, the one I’d learned was fake.
“Are you okay?” I mouthed.