Chapter 77
WREN
The weeks living a secret pack life pass so quickly, I feel like I blinked and Vermont spring twirled into the flirty onset of sundresses and early summer.
The Wolves have slogged through a brutal stretch of away games, which has left me spending a lot of time at home with Theo, and sneaking video calls with Connor and Atlas while they’re on the road.
One thing that has been somewhat of a blessing is the amount of coursework I’ve needed to keep on top of. The other has been my Omega debriefs, downloads, and deep and meaningfuls… otherwise known as our group chat.
This morning has been no different; our group text has been going nonstop while I’ve watched Theo head to work, and I’ve made my way to campus.
While I’ve been inhaling Connor and Atlas’s scent from the hoodies they left behind for me, making coffee while watching clips on the team’s social media, and scent suppressing before leaving the house, Gabbie and Nikita have been painting toenails and doing face masks.
They regaled me with their girls' mornings, and I can’t help the pang of feeling like I’m not exactly missing out, but like I’m wanting the freedom to enjoy those moments with them.
Life feels constantly torn between riding the roller coaster of the intensity where having three scent matches is concerned, and the risk of unexpected heat spikes, and staying away from potential reporters snooping around.
Is it completely selfish of me to want to be an Omega who can just be able to have a normal life, without feeling like I have to constantly be looking over my shoulder?
I’m the first to arrive for our girl’s date—Nikita is apparently navigating some shoe-related crisis—so I decide to sit in a booth with my laptop to get some creative concepts planned out on the Wagging Tails social media schedule.
After a text from Gabbie arrives letting me know that the shoe situation has been resolved, and that they’re on their way to the Acorn, I put my time waiting for the girls to good use.
It doesn’t matter if they’re running a little late; I order hot chocolates for all of us, and enough waffles to drown us in maple syrup.
Just as I’m making my way back to the booth seat, a text pops up from my sister.
Lark:
Hey, so I wanted to make sure you saw this first, it’s started trending.
When I look at the screenshot she has attached, my stomach hits the floor.
It’s a gossip site, usually focused on WAGs, and fortunately is not one of the big platforms, but it has the potential to be amplified fast if it catches momentum.
The feature looks like it’s focused on digging dirt where possible, covering players from all over the league.
It isn’t just confined to the Wolves; there are mentions of players in New England, Miami, and even Chicago.
As I scroll rapidly, it makes my blood drain from my face, seeing that there is a photo of Atlas stitched together with a photo of me.
But that’s not the worst part, the photos of the two of us are clearly taken separately…
no, it’s the fact my photo is one taken with my ex, and it has been photoshopped to be torn down the middle.
One glance at this, and it looks like Atlas Palamo broke up my relationship with Beta Brett.
It doesn’t matter what the words say, doesn’t matter that it’s all lies, a carefully placed photo and shoddy Photoshop is enough to tell a story.
With shaky hands, I text Theo the link. My head spins with the potential repercussions of something like that getting into the mainstream, or even worse, starting to go viral on social media.
There’s zero truth to the insinuation being made—of course, Atlas had nothing to do with my relationship ending—but one sneaky drop of an old photo of Brett and me where his arm is draped around my shoulder can all too easily set tongues wagging.
I slump in the booth seat, feeling utterly helpless. My eyes sting with pinpricks of heat, and my throat tightens. Just as I’m contemplating running out of here and ditching my date with the girls entirely, I sense a figure looming beside the end of the booth.
I hug my phone tight to my chest and subtly pull my bag a little closer. With rapid blinks to get rid of any evidence of how I might just be teetering on the edge of bursting into tears, I glance at whoever is intruding.
It’s a man who has invaded my space, but he hovers, glancing around as if looking for a seat.
He’s got to be a spritely eighty-something, dressed in a matching tracksuit, with white hair trimmed short around his ears, and thick glasses.
He shifts his weight uncomfortably, and I find myself speaking before I can stop myself.
“Do you need a seat?” I gesture at the end of the booth.
He turns, almost startled to find me sitting behind him, and shakes his head. “You’re too sweet, young lady, but I wouldn’t dare intrude.” His bushy eyebrows dance as he lets out a rueful laugh. “This place never used to be so busy. Now it’s like sardines in a can just to snag a coffee.”
“They’ve built a loyal fan base on the need for mainlining caffeine.” I smile. “Please, are you waiting for someone? Feel free to sit, this booth is bigger than I need.”
“My damn knee is giving me grief today,” he apologizes. “I’ll only be a minute or two, I’m waiting on my order.”
“Of course. Happy to help take a load off.”
The man sits with a long, blown-out breath of relief. “Walk three miles each morning, with a spring in my step, and then bam, some days I’m sure someone forgot to oil my joints while I was sleeping.”
I can’t help but grin as he gestures with obvious disdain at his knee.
“You’d take one look at me and think I was auditioning for the part of the Tin Man.
But while these bones might be creaky, my heart is sure as heck still intact, and I’ll never dare intrude on a young lady’s space…
especially not an Omega. It would break this old heart of mine if I crossed a line.
You deserve to have as much respect for your space as possible. ”
“Oh, wow.” I feel my ears glow warm with the unexpected compliment and outright polite attention to my designation. “Thank you, that’s very kind.”
“Not at all. I don’t want to invade your privacy. You must be studying?” He tilts his head in the direction of my laptop.
“I am. Marketing major.”
“Truly makes me happy to see Omegas doing well on campus and completing studies. You must be here on a scholarship?”
I nod.
“Well, I’d bet you’ve worked quadruple the amount as some meathead Betas here on a beer crawl instead of attending class.”
That results in a laugh spluttering out of me. “You’re not wrong there.”
Something in this man’s energy tells me he would gladly listen to anything I had to say; he’s got such a genuine warmth about him.
“Are you involved with the college?” For all I know, this could be a professor emeritus from one of the departments simply off duty and out for his morning stroll.
“My daughters both graduated from Willow Falls. My eldest, she’s an Alpha, and my youngest is an Omega. She completed her scholarship, met her Alphas through classes at college, and now has a wonderful pack who love her deeply and take care of her.”
“You must be very proud of them.”
“Yes… although my eldest certainly had it easier. For my other daughter, I know looking back that there are ways I could have been a better support during her time studying on her Omega scholarship. My job made it hard for her.”
“Oh really?”
He hits me with a knowing twinkle in his eye. “You look like you know something about that feeling?”
A sigh escapes me. “Can I be honest? I feel like I can be honest with you?”
He nods quickly. “As a proud father to an Omega, and father-in-law to three wonderful Alphas, consider me a fortress.”
“Well, boy, do I have something of a story to share. I arrived on my scholarship, and everything has been a complete mess ever since.”
Just as I laugh and seriously consider spilling my guts to this kindly man, his coffee order is called. He taps the table a couple of times with a thoughtful look, then slowly gets to his feet.
“Maybe we’ll save the rest of that story for the next time we bump into each other.” He gives me a little pretend dip of an invisible hat in the most endearing way. “Until then, good luck with your studies, young lady.”
“Thank you…” I’m about to ask his name, to be polite, and also in order to be able to properly say hello if we cross paths again, but my phone vibrates with an incoming text.
It’s Theo.
“One of your Alphas?” he asks with a knowing glance. “Better answer that, or you’ll have them worried sick.”
I simply open my mouth, words not really forming. It’s comforting to encounter someone who just understands, even if they are a complete stranger. Before I know it, the man has gone, and I turn my attention to the message on my screen.
Theo:
I’ve taken a look at that site.
We’ve got our legal team and PR manager on it. They’re sending a takedown notice right this second.
Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’re here to protect you.
Me:
I’m sorry… I hate that everything is such a disaster.
Theo:
Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault. I can’t really talk right now, but I can feel something down our bond and I don’t know what to make of it.
Do I need to come to where you are?
Me:
Oh, god no. I’m just waiting for the girls to meet me at the Acorn. Everything is fine here!
Theo:
I’ll see you later. I just wanted to make sure you were okay?
Me:
More than okay… I’ll talk to you a little later.
I hastily wet my lips, heat stutter-stepping inside my chest, and type out words I want to shout from the rooftops but have to whisper in secret.
Me:
I love you.
Theo:
I love you, sweetheart. Text me if you need anything.