Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
CLOVER
I really want toast with jam.
Butter melted onto the golden white bread that Grammy used to make. It was a perfect pairing with a jar of jam we would make together in the summer from the fruit I would gather.
Picking strawberries was one of my favorite things to do. The small wild strawberries tasted so sweet and melted on my tongue. Lying out on warm rocks after collecting a basket and letting the sun hug my skin was the best feeling in the world.
Grammy used to say fresh air was the best sort of medicine. It was a cure all for her. Whenever she needed a second it also was her favorite place to send me.
The woods that surrounded us were safe. All of us had grown up playing in them. It was our space to be free in.
Maybe there is strawberry jam on the breakfast menu here.
After tossing and turning all night, I could use a good breakfast to recharge me.
It’s amazing to me how big the bathroom is in a hotel, but I take full advantage of the hot water knowing that no one will come get me for a while.
All my life I’ve been forced to be an early riser. Even with the guys' tough schedule they don’t have anything on me.
I’m up with the sun and getting all the shine.
With my hair wet, I braid it in two French braids, tying it with the red ribbons I had packed. I get dressed in my leggings and the hoodie with The Omega Academy stitched across it in fuzzy red material. It was a bit more form fitting on my body than the other oversized hoodies I wore. I liked how it felt like a piece of belonging somewhere.
My bag could stay in my room but I wanted a cup of coffee or maybe two to go along with my strawberry toast.
Tucking the hotel key into my hoodie pocket, I make my way down stairs to where the breakfast buffet is laid out. My stomach churns with hunger as I realize the last thing I ate was a hotdog and some popcorn at the game yesterday afternoon.
I don’t even like hot dogs, but Apollo bought one and it felt rude not to eat the weird shaped meat stick.
No one is getting breakfast and it feels so good to be alone with all this food. I don’t have to worry about anyone talking to me or anyone trying to put food on my plate. I can just eat my toast and drink my coffee in peace.
No random glass of water showing up next to me as someone not so subtly tries to remind me to drink water.
I think packs have a water fetish.
It’s slightly disturbing, when I get to the toast, to see that the jelly packets and butter packets are the same size. Clearly one of them deserves to be bigger, but I grab a handful of each and head to a table in the corner.
The snow is still coming down hard outside. From where I’m sitting I can watch the snow and eat. It’s still dark out, a soft glow in the distance where the sun is trying to fight its way back into the sky.
I wish I had my sewing or a book to read. I don’t even have my phone with me because I left it in the room. It’s dangerous to let my thoughts wander. Sometimes I don’t know if they’re going to come back.
Other than Apollo, I haven’t seen the rest of the pack since they left to go to the game. I’m sure he filled them in on my breakdown in the car. They all probably hate me now.
Even McKinley.
It’s been a week here and somehow out of all the places I’ve been this one feels the least like home. I shouldn’t complain when I’m safe. It’s just starting to feel like there is always a cost of some part of me for that safety.
Just because I’m an Omega I can’t exist in the world without fear someone is going to force me into something?
I miss the days of being a Beta. The days before I presented and life was so much more black and white. All the color is blinding me now.
“You’re Clover, right?” My eyes look from the window to see a man standing in front of me. His hands are in his pockets and his long brown hair looks like it’s still wet at the ends from a shower. He has a splattering of freckles over his cheeks and the most interesting yellow eyes I’ve ever seen. They stick out even more with his golden skin tone.
His tall frame is shorter than all the Alphas I’ve been around so I’d say he’s under six feet. Thin build that is accented by the baggy caramel colored sweater and a pair of deep brown dress pants paired with it.
He’s dressed nice but he doesn’t hold himself in a haughty manner. He’s at ease with himself and the staggering beauty he has.
The man’s holding a cup of tea in his hand that is throwing off my smell. but he sort of smells like an Omega.
Mint and lime. Clean but delicious.
“Shit, I’m Marcus. I’m currently courting Fergus and Jimmy from the team. I’m not a creep. If you want me to leave that’s fine. You just look really sad.” He hasn’t gotten closer to me and I appreciate that he is giving me the time to decide.
Another Omega is nice to have around. Omegas feel pretty safe. At the academy everyone was friendly. There were a few moments people got into it but overall there were no cliques or people that were treated at outcasts.
It made me like being an Omega and the idea that friendship could be that easy.
Turns out, it wasn’t like that outside of The Omega Academy. It made me feel lonelier than I ever had been in my life.
“Sorry, you can sit if you want? I was just up early and watching the snow.” He nods but doesn’t go to sit. He’s still looking me up and down.
I don’t feel judged by the way he’s looking at me, but I’m curious about him. Part of me also likes that I’m getting some attention. It’s been hard this week, trying to settle in with the pack and feeling like I didn’t belong.
Positive attention was nice.
“Is your pack not treating you right? You look like you need a hug. Have they been giving you enough touch? Hand holding and cuddles? You just…look lost.” I blink at him.
What do I even say?
“They’re not my pack.” He doesn’t hide his expression of shock well and lets it pass across his features before he settles it down.
“Oh good. Do you want to hole up in my room with me then? The Alphas have their own room the team pays for so I’m alone. They won’t be up for hours anyway so we could watch a movie or you can teach me how to braid because your hair is so good. I feel like I haven’t had a good day in, in forever and could just use it so much.” Marcus is open with his feelings.
Something about how he doesn’t hide from me and invites me to do things feels exciting. I like the idea of someone wanting to be around me by choice. It feels nice to be picked.
When I nod in agreement he reaches out, taking my hand in his and helping me stand up.
“You’re tiny. Oh my gosh, those idiots.” He mutters it out.
The next second he is leading me along to the elevators chatting about something he saw online with makeup but he can’t get the technique down.
I don’t really follow what he’s saying but he’s talking to me and I love that.
This is turning out to be the best day. I’ve needed a win and now I have it.
My day with Marcus flies by.
He explains the makeup tutorial to me and finally asks if he can do my makeup. Gently applying it on my face and giving me this full glam look that has me speechless. I look so different with all the colors he applied to my face.
I’m pretty and I’m embarrassed when I think it.
After that, he shows me this app where Omegas share videos and chat about their experiences and life. It’s a lifestyle app that has so much information about life as an Omega I feel like my brain is going to melt.
Since I don’t have my phone with me, Marcus helps me create a profile. He’s snapping my picture, and setting it all up for me to use. He makes sure we’re friends on the app too and texts my phone so I have his number.
This is what I wanted from my new start: friendship .
We’re watching a movie, curled up on his bed. His head is in my lap and my fingers brushing through his hair as we chat more than actually watch the movie. It’s so calming to have all my shields down and just be myself. Maybe that’s why when there is a knock on the door I jump.
The handle jiggles and I can hear frustrated male voices making me nervous.
“It’s probably the Alphas courting me. Don’t worry, lemon drop. They have a key to get in.”
Lemon drop.
My friend gave me a nickname.
The door opens and two men come in. They look shocked to see me in the room. Then I’m shocked when Griffin pushes them aside, fury written across his face when he sees me with a head on my lap.
Marcus doesn’t look bothered in the least.
“You boys finally woke up. Pity. I’ve already made a new friend and plans for the day. Tah-tah now.” It’s inspiring how much he doesn’t let the Alphas bother him.
Me?
I am currently looking at Griffin as my hand still moves through Marcus’s hair like he is my therapy animal. My fingers are thankful that his hair is so silky smooth so I don’t yank it in my current state of getting panicked.
Griffin’s jaw is tight and I watch the way his teeth grind together as he takes in everything he is seeing.
Nothing bad is going on. I’m just in bed with another man with his head in my lap.
We’re Omegas. We cuddle. This is completely normal. Nothing to see here.
“Little weed-”
“You call her a weed?” Marcus sits up, my hand getting knocked out of his hair as he glares at Griffin, “You’re really terrible at this, aren’t you?”
If looks could kill Marcus wouldn’t just be dead, but he would be incinerated with his ashes blowing away in the wind about now. The fury is so clear in Griffin’s eyes I don’t know how he is keeping it together. He’s not the best at impulse control.
The way Marcus is sitting blocks me a little so I shift on my knees, looking over the other Omegas shoulder so that I can see everything happening.
“Little weed, we’ve been looking for you.” My head tilts to the side.
They were looking for me? Was Apollo leaving? The game wasn’t for a couple of hours so we couldn’t have been headed there. Why would they be looking for me?
I’ve lived with them for a week and only McKinley had ever looked for me.
Maybe they were sending me away.
“Come now.” Griffin motions for me and Marcus’s hand thrusts out blocking me from leaving the bed.
The two Alphas he is courting look at the gesture and then at each other. They’re deciding what to do right now.
They must be serious because they step closer to the bed and then turn towards Griffin. It’s a clear sign that they are going to do what their Omega wants them to do.
It also just makes the already mad Alpha more upset by the situation.
“She isn’t your Omega. Even if Clover was yours, you can’t just tell her to come like a dog. Plus, we’re watching a movie and cuddling together. Someone has been a little touch starved Which, you should know, is a crime.”
At the moment Griffin loses any sense of being calm.
It’s as if a light switch is turned on and he goes from keeping it together to completely losing his mind.
“I don’t know why all the mouthy little fucks seem to be drawn to you, little weed, but you attract assholes.” Marcus gets off the bed and I’m scurrying to jump in front of everyone too calm them down.
Two Alphas and an Omega against Griffin doesn’t seem fair.
My hand touches his chest, his eyes going down to look at it, and then looking at me. Something in me tells me that he won’t hurt me, but I don’t exactly feel safe right now either.
“Let me just put my shoes back on and I’ll go with you.” He nods, his teeth once more pushed together as he grinds them.
“You don’t have to go with them, lemon drop. You can stay with us and-”
“She said she’s coming with me.” There is a bark to Griffin’s tone and I nearly trip as I tug my shoes on. To his credit he sees the way his tone had an affect on me and steps closer, “Clover, say goodbye to your new friend.”
The word friend comes out like a slur.
Marcus wraps his arms around me, nuzzling into me, and masking me with his scent. Having him scent mark me makes me feel like he is trying to keep me safe when he’s not around. A reminder that I’m not alone.
We had talked a little about how lonely I was here and all he had done since meeting me was reminding me that I wasn’t.
“You text me if you’re uncomfortable, okay? I drove here and I can take you back to the university with me. You don’t have to stay anywhere you don’t want to. Okay?” I nod at him. “I’ll be seeing you soon, lemon drop.” He releases me and I’m shocked when Griffin reaches for my hand.
He laces our fingers together as he storms down the hallway. He’s quiet but furious as he texts with his other hand. I’m sure, letting everyone know, that he found me.
I nip my lip when we turn a corner and try to get the strength to ask him if he’s mad but I don’t really want to know his answer.
If he’s mad at me it’s just going to upset me so I stay quiet.
“He didn’t force you to do anything?” He speaks quickly, like the whole topic is something he doesn’t even want to know about. I shake my head and he sighs in relief, “Good.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
He opens and closes his mouth before shaking his head in a ‘no’ gesture at me. It feels like it’s a lie. Pushing Griffin after I thought he was going to fist fight my first friend here doesn’t seem like a good idea.
But I hate the quiet.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I ask.
He’s still holding my hand as he opens the door across from where I stayed last night. It must be Apollo’s room, but no one is in there right now.
Griffin runs his fingers through his dirty blonde curls. His brown eyes meet mine and he lets out a sigh.
“Yeah, my pack wants to talk to you about courting you.”
I blink at him like he’s lost his mind. Surely, after this week it’s pretty clear that we aren’t meant to be together. If anything the pack has made it very clear that they’re not looking for me to be their Omega.
With the way they ignored me and didn’t have an extra room, it makes me think that they weren’t looking for any Omega at all.
“Oh.” His eyebrows furrowed together as he let go of my hand to pour a glass of water. He offers it to me, but I’m so thrown off by him being nice to me that I don’t take it.
This feels like a setup.
They want to court me?
My mind can only think this is their way of not having to deal with Apollo’s family. If they’re courting me and everything looks okay. I’ll have to stay here for three months.
At least now I have a friend. Marcus did say I could reach out to him for anything I needed too. I didn’t have to say yes to courting them.
For once in my life I had options.
“I think I want to take a nap.” Griffin blinks, confused and looks at his phone again, “I’m really tired. I’m going to lay down. Good luck at your game today. Break a nose or whatever the saying is. Have fun handling your slick. I mean stick. Score the points in the basket. Not McKinley’s basket but the other team's basket. Goodnight.”
From the horrified look Griffin is giving me I know he won’t follow me.
Rushing across the hall I put the ‘ Do Not Disturb ’ sign up and grab the blanket on the bed along with the pillows. I’m making a bed in the bath. Throwing the blankets over it to create darkness as I burrow down.
It’s not perfect but the fake next calms me a little.
What in beans and biscuits is happening?