Chapter 2 How is this Possible?
How is this Possible?
Jethro
The small, beaten Omega in front of me trembles. My gaze keeps drifting to her neck, where the angry bite marks make my inner Alpha snarl.
How dare someone mark our Omega. The thought takes me off guard. She smells incredible, like sage and jasmine. Two of my favorite scents, and far too close to how Oli smells to me.
Oli.
The thought of him yanks me back to the moment before I get lost in her scent. I’m already bonded to a scent-matched Omega. Ten years strong with my pack. So how is it possible another one sits right in front of me? Finding one compatible Omega is like winning the lottery.
Finding two?
That’s almost unheard of. Statistically, it’s nearly impossible. And yet, here she is.
There’s only one way to know for sure. The rest of the pack will be here soon for closing and our usual nightly staff dinner. We always make sure everyone eats, whether tips were low or they don’t feel like cooking. It keeps us close. Makes sure no one goes without. That’s always mattered to me.
I pull my phone from my pocket and set it on the table.
“Feel free to call anyone you need. Stay a while, please. Dinner for the pack and staff should be ready soon, and there’s always more than enough.
You need food. Water. Rest. If anyone shows up and you don’t feel safe, we’ll keep you protected.
I’ll call the police on the landline, but it’ll take them fifteen—”
She shakes her head. “Please no cops. Not yet. They’ll be listening for that kind of thing. They’ve got ears on the scanners. I don’t want them finding me faster.”
My inner Alpha snarls, it wants to tear something apart. Anyone who scared her this badly deserves worse.
“I won’t call them. Not now. But we should report it soon. If I need to go through quieter channels, I will.”
More tears streak down her cheeks as she picks up my phone. “Thank you.”
I rise and head to the front door and flip the lock.
The bar was closed today for Ruby’s baby shower, but I’m not risking someone walking in who shouldn’t.
Especially not whoever she’s running from.
I haven’t seen her around town before, but Willowside’s grown.
Ever since Vivienne Valentina’s wedding, more people have moved in. Not everyone comes to Lucky Road.
The pack will come through the kitchen entrance anyway, so locking the front won’t matter. I consider texting the group chat to give them a heads-up. Let them know there’s an Omega here. One that might be scent-matched.
“Jet! Caleb is being mean!” Oli’s voice carries from the kitchen.
Too late.
If she really is compatible, I don’t know how Oli will take it. I’ve never heard of a pack with two Omegas, but I guess it’s not impossible. We’re all bi, so that part shouldn’t be an issue. Hopefully.
I turn, ready to intercept them, but the swinging door bursts open.
Caleb and Ross freeze the moment they enter. Sandra turns her head, holding my phone to her ear. Oli stills too, and that catches my attention. He’s an Omega. Maybe he can sense it. Maybe she really does smell like one of us.
Caleb pushes his black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. I can practically hear the wheels turn in his brain.
Oli tilts his head as he stares at her, then walks over. She lowers the phone, thumb hovering over the screen, eyes fixed on him like she’s never seen another Omega before. She ends the call.
I cross the room as her gaze flicks to the bond mark on Oli’s neck, then over to me.
“I don’t understand.”
Her voice cracks the silence, echoing everything I’m feeling.
Tracy hums quietly as she rises from the booth. “I think Eric and I should take our dinner to go. I’ll let him know.”
Part of me wants to stop her, but she’s probably right. We may need to sit down and figure out what the hell is going on. Then again, a few Betas around might help keep us grounded.
My inner Alpha claws at me. Wants to rip those old marks off her neck and replace them with mine. Wants to bring her into our pack like it’s already been decided. But I still have control.
At least for now. Let’s just hope she doesn’t go into a spontaneous heat.
I clear my throat. “Tracy, wait. Miss... do you want my Beta staff to stay?” I don’t even know her name, and I already feel tempted by her on a primal level. It makes me feel dirty.
She licks her lips. “I don’t know. You have an Omega in your pack. This should be impossible. I’ve only heard of two cases at Safe Haven, and they’re legend stories, spaced out by decades.”
Caleb hums. “Impossible odds. There has to be something off here. Maybe it’s a reaction after being marked by Alphas who weren’t compatible with you?”
She flinches at his words, her hand flying to her neck as her eyes flutter. “I’ve seen plenty of Omegas marked against their will. I’ve never heard of fake scent-matching afterward.”
He folds his arms. “How do you know?”
He doesn’t trust her. I can tell. My inner Alpha bristles. Oli shoots me a look.
He waves a hand at Caleb. “Lay off her, Leb. You’re stressing her out for no reason.” He steps forward and crouches beside her. Out of all of us, he’s the least threatening to her.
“Hey, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know shit about shit. I’m an Omega, but I can tell you smell different. Different in a way that matters. Willowside’s been seeing more Omegas move in lately, too.”
Tracy sighs. “Boss, I don’t mind staying if y’all feel better having a Beta around to keep instincts in check, but I ain’t one for the drama.”
Oli glances over. “Get yourself some food to go, Tracy, and have a safe trip home. I’ll keep them in check. No need to make you uncomfortable.”
Tracy nods. “Best of luck to you, sweetie. You couldn’t have picked a better place to find safety than this pack. I feel good leaving you with them. Feels like there might be something here for you.”
She bolts for the kitchen like her ass is on fire. Eric’s probably still back there prepping dinner. Tracy’s never been one for gossip, which is wild considering my past waitresses couldn’t get enough of town drama. They ate it up like our brownie lava cake.
Oli circles the table and drops into a seat. “Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Oliver Felix-Peters, but everyone calls me Oli.” He gestures toward me. “Our pack leader and bar owner, Jethro Peters.”
He shifts his gaze to Caleb. “That grumpygus is Caleb Nale. Don’t let the scowl fool you. He’s a teddy bear once he warms up. And the Vogue model over there is Ross Long.”
Ross snorts, rolling his piercing blue eyes. He can’t help it. With those cheekbones and sharp features, he looks like he belongs in a luxury fashion spread where a plain white tee costs more than I pay in rent for the bar.
She looks at each of us in turn, then sets my phone down and reaches for her glass of water. Her fingers tremble as she takes a sip.
“My name is Sandra Hidden. I...” She sighs. “You’re already bonded to an Omega. It feels wrong for me to be here, and trust me, you don’t want me darkening your doorstep longer than it takes for someone from my job to come pick me up.”
Her gaze flicks around, and I notice her eyes. One’s brown, the other a lighter hazel-green. Striking.
She licks her lips. “I work for Omega Safe Haven. They’ve got resources for me. You don’t have to worry about helping.”
Caleb pivots toward the kitchen. “Feels like this is going to be a long conversation. I’ll get dinner and let Eric know he can head home if he wants.”
I sigh and rub at my brow as he walks off. He’s never liked tense conversations, especially ones he can’t control. “I’m sorry about him. But please don’t feel like you have to run. It would be good to talk this through. Oli seems open to you, and I think we should follow his lead.”
I grab one of the smaller tables and pull it next to the booth so we can all sit together without crowding her.
Oli hums. “Have you phoned the police yet? I know we share a station with La Junta, but they should be here soon, right? You need to report what those Alphas did.”
Sandra shakes her head. “No cops. Not yet. I wasn’t just attacked. I was sold to them. And the Omega ownership laws, though archaic, still hold up in some courts. I need a Safe Haven lawyer to help me first.”
Ross growls as he drops chairs around the table. “Laws like that still work? That’s bullshit.”
My inner Alpha rages with him. How dare anyone claim our Omega. She should choose who claims her.
Oli stretches out a hand across the table. “I’m so sorry.” His green eyes well with tears. “Every time I think Omegas are gaining ground, I’m reminded it’s just a fantasy. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure no one owns you. That’s a promise.”
Sandra swallows and looks away. “We just met. There’s no reason for you to be this kind.”
Caleb returns, balancing two trays loaded with family-style plates of burgers, wings, fries, and ribs. Eric isn’t with him, so he must’ve boxed up his meal and left. He lives just across the street. I don’t blame him for wanting to avoid this mess.
As long as Sandra feels okay being here with us, that’s what matters. I can always call in a fake report, say we’ve got a drunk customer causing a scene. That way, if the Alphas she’s hiding from are listening, they won’t suspect her.
Ross and I help Caleb unload the trays as Oli leans forward.
“You’re right to be unsure. But I don’t see the point in being rude. I’ve never heard of this happening either, but it feels right. I can’t explain it. I just want to help you. I’m sorry you were attacked. No one should have to go through that.”
Her eyes flutter. She fights back more tears, but they fall anyway.
I’ll never understand Alphas who force themselves on Omegas. The bond never feels right. I tried before Oli, to sleep with an incompatible Omega, and it was always hollow.
Then Oli came along, and everything changed. It was like seeing color for the first time.
Finding a second scent-matched Omega? It feels surreal.
What would it be like if she joined our pack? All of us would have to be on board, but if Oli is okay with it, I doubt the others would object. We’re all bi. That’s not the barrier.
I set an empty plate in front of her. “Please, eat. We don’t need to figure anything out tonight. You need food first. Then we can talk about the next steps. If you want to call your job again, you’re welcome to. Whatever makes you feel safe.”
That should tell the others not to push her. Maybe she won’t want to join a pack that already has an Omega. Maybe she needs to be the only one. The idea of letting her go stings. Just the thought hurts like hell.
Almost as bad as imagining Oli walking away.
Bonds can break. Everyone knows that. But they don’t unless something catastrophic happens. Because breaking a bond? It’s agony.
Ross, Caleb, and I take seats beside the booth. Sandra reaches for a burger and fries.
Good. She’s eating.
“Thank you for this. I’ll call my work after eating, then we can try to wrap our heads around what’s happening here.”
I hope she sees we’re not bad. This isn’t at all how I thought my night would go.
Hell, I didn’t think the rest of my life would involve two Omegas in my pack.
We’ll need to keep this under wraps, because gossip spreads like wildfire in Willowside.
The last thing she needs is the media spotlighting our town or the fact we’re a pack with two Omegas.
This night turned into something none of us expected.
And the future? It just got a lot more complicated.
But maybe, just maybe, it got better, too.