Chapter 42 Micah
MICAH
The light is flooding into my office at the lodge.
It’s been my sanctuary since Thea came into our lives.
It’s been just over a week since she bonded Keelan and became an official member of our pack.
The fact that she ended up bonding Parker shortly after Keelan only made my fears worse.
They’re brothers. If she wanted to leave the pack it’d be easier for them to do it now, than if she was only bonded to one of them.
I shake my head at the direction of my thoughts today.
Unfortunately, this whole situation has dominated my mind since it began.
That curvy omega is going to break our pack so irrevocably.
They’re all letting her in so easily. I just don’t understand how they can after last year.
Even I can admit the possibility of her leaving and taking those she’s bonded to with her is low, but not impossible.
However small that chance is, I can’t seem to let go.
Eli and the rest of them don’t understand especially now that she’s bonded into the pack.
To them it’s a done deal, locked in. I haven’t heard her say she’s staying or anything to that effect.
I need to get focused; my productivity has tanked this last month.
Worst of all is having her scent all over the house now.
Vanilla and wood smoke constantly. Actually, the worst part is the super special aftereffect of scent matches apparently—the feeling her scent seems to evoke in me.
My inner alpha has never been happier when I catch her scent and have the feeling wash over me.
Then reality and all its possibilities come crashing down.
I need to snap myself out of all of this so I can get some work done.
Leaving my office, I walk over to the employee bathrooms on the second floor of the lodge.
As I open the door, I hear someone moving in one of the stalls, then the last voice I expected to hear says, “Oh I’m almost done, then I’ll be out of here! ”
The anger that rises in me has me walking over to the stall she’s in and pulling her out and towards the door. “Hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Thea says as she pulls against me, causing us to stop by the door.
This is the closest I’ve been to her, even in this bathroom her scent surrounds me. I fight against that feeling it brings. “You are our pack’s omega now. You should not be cleaning toilets.”
Her face goes from annoyed to furious. “You really are a snob, aren’t you?
I don’t care that I’m cleaning toilets. I’ve cleaned worse areas in the past year.
It’s honest work. And if you didn’t connect the dots Mr. Alpha, your pack, your business, hired me for this job.
Got a problem with it? Take it up with Ben.
But make sure to tell me ahead of time so I can bring the popcorn. ”
This woman. She completely misses the point. “I don’t care if you work on the side of the road selling fruit in the dead of winter. You should be doing something you enjoy. Our omega deserves that, unless you don’t see yourself as our pack’s omega?” I say, testing her.
Her eyes widen in surprise, guess she didn’t expect me to say that. Her mouth opens then closes. Crossing my arms, I stare down at her, waiting for her to answer.
Her expression shifts, and a determination enters her eyes.
“Yes I am. Good to know you care, but I’m quite happy in my role here at the lodge.
” With that she slinks out of the door quickly.
I rush after her but Ben is in the hallway watching her walk off in a huff.
He looks back at the direction she came from seeing me.
Great. Another chewing out from my pack incoming.
His expression hardens as he approaches.
“What did you say to her?”
I don’t have the energy to repeat the conversation. They all assume I think the worst of her anyway, no need to change it. “I told her our pack’s omega shouldn’t be cleaning toilets. Why do you still have her working here?”
He looks at me like I grew a second head.
Ben doesn’t say anything, just shakes his head and walks away.
Likely to find Thea. It doesn’t feel good, especially for Ben to leave without saying something.
He’s always trying to understand everyone’s point of view and to leave without one word isn’t like him.
I return to the bathroom and splash some water on my face as I originally intended.
Looking at myself in the mirror, my anger returns, this time at myself.
If I could jump in with both feet like everyone else I would.
The chance of risk overrides everything, even my own better judgement.
Like that moment with Ben. Eli was partially wrong it’s not just what happened last year, at least not with that omega.
Our pack, our family was nearly ripped apart.
I can’t let that happen again. Omegas have the power to unite a pack or destroy them.
I’ve seen it firsthand twice now. Someone has to be separate and ensure Thea is all in, that she won’t run away as soon as things get hard.
If something happens to her, our pack won’t recover.