Chapter 5
There was a fine line between omega nesting habits, and being a full blown hermit, and I was teetering a little too close to the latter.
The girls and I always took a weekend off each month and it was currently my turn. I’d spent the last day and a half burrowed in my blankets and pillows and watching the new season of Alphas of Ashford.
I lived for the absolute drama of it all. The alphas all had special abilities and abs for days. What was there not to love?
As the latest episode ended, I let out a sigh and paused. It was time to shower because even I felt disgusting at this point. I’d barely distracted myself from the impending response from the Knockout’s team. In fact, I’d checked my email a million times, and it was slowly driving me nuts.
It took everything in me to drag my ass off my fluffy couch and drag my smelly self to the shower.
After a long, hot shower, I was starving, and still unsettled. My omega was antsy since scenting Cy and it was getting worse with every day that passed. She was feeling abandoned and rejected.
When I closed my eyes, I swear I could still smell his earthy, fresh rain scent. My omega had been ready to go search him out, but no matter how I twisted it, I’d done everything I could so far.
We just had to wait. Something neither of us were good at.
As if I summoned it by thought alone, my phone pinged. I ran back into the living room and snatched my phone up to find an email waiting from the team. My heart pounded erratically as I clicked it open. My eyes skimmed the words, tears blurring as I reached the end.
Unknown Sender:
Hi, this is Lane from the Knuckleball Knockouts PR team!
We apologize for the near hit by the ball but are so excited that Cy could catch it before anything could happen.
We take messages from our fans seriously, but we do not allow anything related to mating, dating, or anything in between to come in. Sorry for the inconvenience.
I groaned as I dropped my phone, swiping at the frustrated tears. It was silly to be this emotional. I knew that this was a possibility, but it didn’t hurt any less.
He scented the same thing I did, now it was up to my alpha to find me. I had to let this go for now. There was no way to get a hold of them without sounding crazy and being fielded by the PR team over and over again.
In the meantime, I vowed to myself I wouldn’t take any chances with my mental health and would avoid any and all social media or game footage until he found me.
The rejection email had me far too grumpy to cook food, so I ordered a pizza and grabbed one of the brownies I’d baked yesterday. I’d been trying hard not to resort to my old habit of stress baking. It never did my figure any favors and I was trying hard to be healthier in my choices.
Today wasn’t the day to care about that.
With dinner handled, I hit play again, losing myself in the group of dark and sexy alphas and the plot that had more twists and turns than a roller coaster.
The fact it distracted me from my sexy baseball scent-match was a big win.
At least while it lasted.
First, it started with restlessness. An itching under my skin to move. Then I was shifting my hand to my phone, fingers curling around it.
It was a compulsion, one that made me breathless and feeling out of control. I knew damn well what my omega was craving, why she was so crazy right now.
But I couldn’t give in.
Yes, he was my alpha and a scent-match.
We were also from two different worlds.
Then my asshole of a brain brought me an image of his closest friends, the trio and pack that were the golden boys of the Knuckleball Knockouts.
Jackson and Griff. Equally as enticing, even without knowing their scents.
If they’re pack… and Cy was my scent-match.
Then so were they.
That thought was enough to spook me into turning off the TV and rushing to my room, depositing my phone on its charger and burrowing under the blankets.
Maybe sleep would save me.
My phone buzzing pulled me out of a dream. I lost the image immediately but the lingering heat remained, telling me my rogue thoughts last night had followed me into dreamland.
Not ready to face the world, I rolled over to ignore it, pulling my pillow over my face to block out the morning sun.
Once it stopped buzzing, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Then it started up again, stealing another sliver of my peace.
Half rolling over, I palmed my nightstand for my phone and after a few attempts, I curled my fingers around it, clicking accept and putting it to my ear.
"Yeah?" I asked, not even looking into the screen to see who it was. Only two people ever called me.
"Hey, Dani. Bea and I want to take you out before we have to work. Get that cute ass of yours up and dressed. We’ll be there in five," Taryn said in her bubbly tone. I swear she was more chipper than ever now that she was packed up.
"Ugh, fine," I groaned as I sat up.
Her laugh filled the air. “You know you love me. Now get up or I’m sending Bea in.”
“Give me ten," I told her, happy that I’d showered last night.
"See you then," she said in a sing-song voice before hanging up.
There better be caffeine involved. Clearly, even my sleep was a hot mess last night.
I’d heard meeting a scent-match could leave you a wreck, but now that I was experiencing it firsthand, I was not a fan.
It took everything in me to stand up and head for the bathroom. When I stopped in front of the mirror, I jumped a little.
Maybe the shower last night was a mistake. My long hair was all over the place, it was definitely a ponytail and hat kind of day.
It took me a lot longer than I wanted to tame the errant, red curls, but once it was finally concealed under my Knuckleball Knockouts hat, I hurried to get dressed. My friends were not patient and I’d already taken too long.
“You better be up!” Bea’s voice echoed through the door, followed by a loud, incessant pounding.
Are you even best friends if you don’t threaten each other from time to time?
“I’m coming!” I yelled back, a grin already spreading on my face. I loved their crazy asses.
How were my two best friends morning people, and why didn't I realize how annoying that was?
Maybe I just needed caffeine. I was always a bitch before I had my daily energy drink.
"We have your favorite beverage waiting, let us in!" Bea called.
Those were the magic words, my entire being perking up at the prospect.
"I'm coming," I hollered back, but a smile tipped my lips that they knew just what I needed.
When I opened the door, the pair of them were smiling and each holding up a drink for me. After I took those, I noticed that the two of them were dressed in floral sundresses.
They looked cute and I was dressed like I was headed out to dumpster dive.
"I need to change, but this hair, ugh," I complained, waving a hand at my general appearance.
"You look beautiful, stop it," Taryn started with an envious look that took me by surprise. "I wish I had those curves."
"Get changed and I'll tame that lion's mane," Bea ordered. “You deserve to feel your best.”
"As if it can be tamed," I complained as I headed towards my room. Ugh, I even sounded bratty right now, this entire situation had me so thrown off.
I was touched that my friends cared enough to help and drag me out of the dumps.
Without another complaint, I dug out the one sundress that made me feel confident and beautiful, something I could use today.
When I stepped out of my closet, both Bea and Taryn were waiting.
I didn't let their presence stop me from undressing and changing.
I had on a cute bra set with matching boyshorts.
"Damn, girl. Where you been hiding that ass?" Bea questioned with a low whistle.
That pulled a laugh from me. "It's thanks to the doughnuts and burgers. Oh, and climbing up and down ladders to fill the shelves. That’s how I got these legs, too." I flexed just for them before we were all cracking up.
"I need on that diet," Bea said as she slapped my butt and went into the bathroom to grab hair taming supplies.
"Hey now. That belongs to Cy," Taryn told her with a snort as she settled in my chair, tossing aside the unfolded laundry to make herself at home.
"That's why I had to touch it before he claimed her," she laughed. “It deserves to be appreciated and I don’t want to lose a hand to a possessive alpha.”
"Well, Taryn, do you want a turn?" I asked, smirking at her as I turned around and gave my ass a shimmy.
"Maybe?" she said shyly.
"What happens here, stays here," I told her.
"No, no. I shouldn't, let's get to the picnic," she stated, biting her lip to hide her amusement and curiosity.
"One time offer," I teased, giving it one last shake before I pulled on the sundress.
"I have three at home I can slap anytime, but I bet yours is just as nice," Taryn teased, blowing me a kiss. “Now put that dress on so Bea can fix the hair.”
"Why, thank you," I smiled at her as I pulled on the dress. Bea had already snuck into my bathroom for my water spray and curl products. She pointed to the second chair, dragging it away from my desk and gesturing for me to sit.
My eyes drifted closed as she got to work, spraying it down and using the products with ease to coerce my curls into behaving.
I felt her snagging pieces from each side of my face and curling them back, pinning them in place with a clip before fluffing out the rest of my hair.
“Done,” she said triumphantly. “You look great. Go look.”
I did as I was told, nearly gasping when I saw how she’d managed to twist my hair into a cute half up hairstyle that had a whimsical feel. It was cute, looked like I put in some effort, and was honestly flawless.
“You’re the best,” I said, giving her a genuine smile now. Just like that my friends helped me shake off the melancholy that was trying to settle in.
Another reminder that it was better to not isolate myself like I’d done before.
“I am,” she said with a smug grin. “Now let’s go!”