Chapter 69 #2
When I push off the door, knowing I need to get my ass moving if I’m going to be ready in time for tonight’s match, a tiny noise of surprise peeps out of me the moment I step forward.
I take a deep inhale and can immediately tell there have been three Alphas hard at work while I’ve been gone for a few hours.
I knew game days were going to be like this, with our schedules meaning we would be unlikely to cross paths with each other since Theo has a million things to attend to and demands on his time with a home kickoff, and obviously, Connor and Atlas need to be fully focused on winning tonight.
Even so, I wasn’t sure how my Omega neediness would handle knowing that they had been home while I had been in class, and vice versa.
Now I know just how special my men are.
Atlas’s woodsy hints and citrus notes drift my way, clinging to my senses as I walk through to the kitchen to set my keys down.
He’s vacuumed. The carpet is perfectly spotless and that fresh zing of orange tickles my nose every step of the way as I head toward my room.
As soon as I step into my bedroom—which is effectively just a very ostentatious walk-in wardrobe at this point in time, because I certainly never sleep in here—Connor’s herbaceous scent scoops me up in an embrace.
The bedsheets are fresh, the pillowcases have been changed, and it’s such a thoughtful gesture to have made sure my room feels cared for, even if all I use it for is to change my outfit fifteen times in the morning before leaving the house.
The moment I walk into my en suite, a familiar rolling wave of ocean spray and coffee beans is there to greet me.
Theo has been in here, cleaning without asking, because he knows just how sensitive to smell I am in particular, within an enclosed space like this.
I haven’t needed to overexplain it to them or feel like I’m being dramatic. They’re just quietly doing these things for me. No fuss. No drama. It’s enough to make me stand on the spot and start bawling.
My aunt’s pack were loving, endlessly caring, and did their best to raise us when the responsibility landed their way in the most awful of circumstances.
But a house with so many Omega and Alpha scents crammed under one roof made it impossible to ever find a sense of calm whenever I stepped beyond my bedroom door.
My ex certainly didn’t care; I don’t think he knew how to clean.
If I ever did visit his place, on the rare occasion I couldn’t find an excuse not to go out somewhere instead, I nearly had to invest in nose plugs to handle the onslaught of stale beer, budget soap, and drug store body spray permeating every soft surface.
My standards were so impossibly low, I truly thought that was what Omega’s just had to endure so we didn’t cause unnecessary fuss.
He didn’t seem to notice, and I just assumed I’d be perceived as a high-maintenance headache if I ever pointed it out.
Now? Now I know what it means to be with a pack who give just as much attention and place as much value on those tiny details as I do. They’ve never once made me feel like a burden for my needs.
Happy tears or not, right now is not the time for puffy eyes and snot bubbles coming out my nose.
My phone pings with a text from Theo, letting me know he’s only a few minutes away.
He’s coming to collect me, and I truly am excited to get ready for tonight.
Even if the fluttering wings in my stomach threaten to lift off with nerves at the prospect of the surprise I’ve been planning with Theo’s help.
We’ve perfected the art of the decoy around me attending games from here on out under the guise of being with Nikita and Gabbie.
So far, everything has been simple enough to plan a moment where I snap some photos with the girls in our regular seats.
I’ll post them on my Instagram, then scurry away to Theo’s VIP box. Easy.
Fortunately, now that we’re at the crunchy end of the season, my brother’s attention and focus have never been more dialed in.
Truthfully, with how full his plate is with making sure the team is in the best shape possible to head into playoffs, I don’t know if he’d notice whether I was in Willow Falls or not, let alone whether I showed up for one of his games.
Which is a blessing. Our bigger concern is around snooping reporters, or my ex popping up where I least expect to run into him among the crowd of Wolves fans.
By the time I’ve showered, and freshly applied my makeup, I’m just emerging from the bathroom as I hear the front door close.
I feel his anticipation and eagerness match my own in a tangle through our bond as Theo walks in.
I’m facing the mirror, putting my hair into a high ponytail, when he appears behind me.
His first move is straight out of the how to keep your needy Omega happy playbook, scooping me into a tight embrace, wrapping strong arms around me from behind, and squeezing tight.
“Hey, beautiful,” his deep voice rumbles against my ear.
“I promise this isn’t what it looks like… I’m ready to go.” I smile while melting against him, going all gooey inside at his warmth and strength and just how incredible he smells. His eyes meet mine in the mirror, a glimmer of laughter there behind his serious expression.
“I don’t think you’re the one at risk of making us late.” He swipes my hair to one side, lifting it off the back of my neck. Keeping our gazes locked, he drops a soft kiss there, then brushes his thumb over our bond mark. The barely visible crescents are covered with concealer and foundation.
With all the effort I can gather not to dive for my makeup remover and rub it off, to instead proudly show him the place where we’re joined, I give an apologetic smile. “I thought it would be safest to cover it up.”
“It’s not forever, sweetheart,” Theo reassures me. “I cannot wait for the day when there’s nothing to hide, but until then, I’ve got the knowledge stored right here.” He places a big palm over his chest, and I nearly swoon on the spot.
“I haven’t told the girls.” My teeth lightly pinch the inside of my cheek. “Does it bother you that I’m keeping it a complete secret?”
Truthfully, I don’t need to ask. I feel Theo’s amusement and pride without him needing to say a word. He shakes his head with a boyish grin and my stomach swoops.
“Oh, so you like being my little secret, Mr. Brennan?” I tease.
My Alpha scrubs a hand over his mouth, letting out a low growl. His emotions run riot down our bond. Mostly intense need, arousal, and frustration at the prospect he can’t simply toss me on the bed and have his way with me right here, at this very moment.
“You’ll pay for that later, little Omega.
” His strong throat works and he readjusts his shirt collar while taking a step back.
Theo rakes a heated stare down my body, undressing me with those eyes I’ll gladly be lost in every day of my life.
“But for now… we need to go, otherwise I’m going to have more problems than just an aching knot to deal with. ”
I catch my bottom lip between my teeth and feel my cheeks glow with warmth.
All of this feels too good to be true, and I still can’t quite bring myself to believe this is my life, my pack, my future. For so long, I’ve tried my hardest never to rely on anyone, but Theo Brennan makes it feel as natural as breathing to let him hold my heart in his sturdy, capable hands.
I grab my lanyard pass—my own access card to Theo’s suite and office for me to use if ever I need to—and purse, then pause for one last look at myself in the reflection.
Those butterflies start to swarm, and of course, my Alpha can tell immediately.
I suspect he’s known all day that I’ve been going through wave after wave of stomach flips over what I’m about to do tonight.
His energy he pushes down the bond is calm, reassuring me like a steady hand stroking my spine. When I turn to face him, those broad shoulders fill the doorway, and he can’t stop gazing at the forest green, the Wolves logo, the place where the shirt collar kisses my disguised bond mark.
“You have nothing to worry about… just be prepared for how feral he’s gonna be seeing you tonight wearing his jersey, his number.” Theo’s lips quirk.
“I don’t know whether I should be more concerned about how invested you are in this.”
This time, his palm glides over his sternum, with a mock aghast expression.
“Are you saying I’d do something to purposefully wind my superstar fullback up, while also setting a fire under my prized center?
” He pumps his eyebrows. “Would I dare try to manufacture a scenario where the thought of them seeing you wear one particular jersey over another might work to our team’s benefit because scouts are here for this game and there’s national team selection on the line? ”
Rolling my lips together, I shake my head with a silent laugh. I truly love that we’ve been secretly co-conspiring on this all week. “How could I ever dare accuse the Theo Brennan of such a thing?” When I reach the doorway, I go up on my tiptoes and place a kiss on his jaw.
Even if that is precisely what this Alpha is scheming in secret.