Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
MCKINLEY
M arcus entering the suite was a shock. He must have been walking by and recognized someone here. He’s with someone I don’t know, which isn’t saying much because I don’t really pay attention to many packs or the dynamics. Marcus is kind of known to always be with different Alpha’s too. He’s young and attractive. He won’t settle for anything but perfection.
My pack is perfect thanks to our Omega..
Clover’s whine comes out and makes me pay a hell of a lot more attention to what’s happening.
Jean moves Joy into Henrik’s arm and steps in front of me. All that Alpha rage is clear on his face as he gets ready to protect the Omega’s in the suite. Her whine sending everyone on alert from the fear that it emitted.
My eyes shift to where Griffin is trying to soothe Clover, but there is a look of such horror on her face. The scent of sour lemons so heavy as it pours out of her that my nose scrunches up from its burn.
She’s more than just distressed.
Vaughn is the closest and somehow, he keeps an even head.
“This is a private suite,” He steps up, crowding their space, “It’s time you leave.”
The other Alpha looks at him, making a sound like he’s bored of all of this. Marcus pouts up at the man, his hand running over his chest. He wants the attention the Alpha isn’t giving to him. It’s not a good look.
“Clover,” The Alpha barks her name and a whine rips from her as her eyes are forced to his. “I know where to find you.”
It’s clearly a threat.
A threat that has Vaughn rearing his fist back and punching the Alpha straight in the face for doing it. Clover whines louder and she’s suddenly in my arms.
Of course Griffin isn’t going to let Vaughn fight without him.
“Call our lawyer.” Griffin snaps at me.
Like we have a fucking lawyer.
What a dumb thing to say.
The sweet Omega whines in my arms again, burying her head against me to seek out some comfort. I’m turning her away from the violence that has spilled out into the arenas hallway. Laying her on the couch as I quietly make shushing sounds and I rock against her. Trying to soothe some of the distress away.
I can’t purr like an Alpha and that’s really what she needs. Apollo can purr really well. The sound of his purr would ease the sweet girl’s tension and make this all better.
He’s not here and that’s going to be a whole other problem when he hears about all this.
“Clover baby, it’s okay. Security came and took him and the Omega away.” Joy’s voice washes over us. Clover wiggles a bit, her head coming out from where it was buried in my chest.
Her eyes are wild, scared, and unsure as she looks at Joy. It breaks my heart seeing the fear coursing through them. There is terror etched on her expression and I’m starting to figure out who that Alpha was.
“How did he find me?” It’s a whisper. So soft and yet it echoes through my mind.
After seeing Marcus, it’s clear that the Omega was scheming to get close to our girl. Once he realized she wasn’t as interested in him as he had believed, he had to call in the big guns to throw his weight around.
I catch sight of Griffin and Vaughn coming back in. Vaughn’s lip is split and Griffin has a black eye that is already starting to swell shut.
Can’t wait to explain these injuries to the coach.
Coach is already mad enough at us about how we’ve been acting. This will just be fuel for the lectures we’re going to be getting. He’d never tell us not to court an Omega, but he would have no issue telling us not to be dumb about it.
Yet, I’m proud of them for standing up for Clover. Proud of Vaughn for showing how all in he is for her.
“I need to call Martha and let her know. You do have protection against him. Do you want to go back home? Do you need your nest?” Joy is checking in on her as I watch Clover take a shaking breath.
I’m trying to stay calm, but it’s hard when her scent is filled with so much fear.
Clover looks away from Joy to where my packmates are watching her. They’re laser focused on our Omega. Making sure that she is okay after everything that just transpired in the suite.
Good Alpha’s.
“We’re staying and watching Apollo. We’re here to support him. We will go home together after and spend the night in my nest.” She swallows and bites at her lip, “I don’t think I want to take classes at the university anymore.”
Joy nods his head, squeezing her hand. Vaughn comes over, kneeling in front of Clover and looking up at her.
“We can protect you,cherry girl. If you want to take classes we can switch things around so we’re in class with you. Just because some people are creeps doesn’t mean that you have to give up anything.” His voice is clear and sure, ready to promise her the world if she so much as asked for it.
Clover shrugs a little, trying to calm herself down. Having Vaughn closer to her is starting to help things a little.
“I kind of hate classes. I like my Omega studies, but actual school isn’t for me.” She quirks her head, her blonde hair tickling my face as she shifts. “At The Omega Academy there were classes where you could learn things like pastry making and these super fun workout classes. I think classes like that would be fun. Or maybe I can use the time to learn about business. I really want to open a dress shop. Nothing fancy, but maybe to create a few things of my own, and then I can hem clothes or-” Griffin pushes Vaughn over as he kisses Clover to quit her rambling.
Her hands had been shaking as the nervous habit manifested.
Apollo’s parents make an excuse about going to talk to security, leaving us alone as Griffin sits down with our Omega sitting on his lap.
“Fuck, I could kiss you all day and still be thirsty for you.” He steals another kiss as Vaughn glares at him from the floor.
Clover smirks and I see her go to say something, but announcements start and the teams line up for the National Anthem.
It’s like a game of pass the Omega during the anthem. Finally, we’re sitting with Vaughn holding her and sitting with someone on either side of him. Apollo’s parents sneak back in and sit on the other couch knowing that we need space with just her.
Even though she is still nervous, the sour scent of her lemon making that clear, Clover pays attention to the game. She gets excited when Apollo gets the puck. Clapping wildly and making sounds, even when nothing is happening.
It’s cute as fuck.
Seeing her support him and knowing she’s been to games and supported us like this? It makes my heart skip a beat.
This is nice.
This is how it’s supposed to be.
By the end of the game, Clover’s voice is nearly gone from yelling at the refs. Her nose seems to be permanently scrunched up from trying to understand the answers to all the questions she had about hockey. Something that all three of us ate up.
Mama Joy offers to take her home, but she says goodbye to her because Clover wants to stay and see Apollo.
The problem with that is we need to leave the suite.
As soon as we step outside of it she is visibly more stressed. Her hand reaches out, squeezing mine, despite the fact that Griffin has his arm around her.
Vaughn flashes a pass at the elevator operator and we’re let on to head down to the lowest floor. There is a room setup for families and packs to meet their relatives after games. It’s where we plan to take her, but Clover gets a whiff of the door before we head in and shakes her head.
“Can we stay outside? It just smells like a lot of people. I don’t think I can be around too many people right now. I sort of just feel like I want to be with Apollo.”
“Of course.” Vaughn says, being a voice of reason after being a pain in the ass about all this.
Clover needs to scent Apollo. She needs his scent to give her the last bit of safety from everything that happened. I don’t even know if she realizes that’s what’s going on.
We stay outside the room, watching a few guys go in and get their families before leaving with them. Some give us waves, knowing we’re packed up with Apollo. Some look at Clover with open curiosity until one of us snarls at them. Clover stays close to us, nuzzling up, and letting us touch her to ground us all.
Apollo will be rushing today. He knows Clover was at the game and even if he doesn’t know she’s waiting for him, he’s not going to dilly-dally. He will try to get through the media and showering, all the after game chit-chat, and be out as soon as possible.
When the door opens, her head snaps up before he even steps out of the locker room. He has one dress shoe on the ground, his gray plaid suit looking way better than it has any right doing, and he is completely unaware of how close she is.
His head snaps up when he hears her footsteps. She’s running to him. Apollo’s eyes widen as he bends slightly, catching her as she jumps into his arms. She buries her face in his neck and starts sobbing as Apollo hugs her close to him, looking at us like he needs to know what happened.
I think we all need to figure out what the hell happened.
He takes several steps, rubbing Clover’s back as he moves towards us. His eyes go over Vaughn and Griffin, before turning to me to make sure I don’t have any injuries.
“We’re going to head to the car now, cherub.” Apollo explains as her tears wet his skin, “Once we’re in the car Vaughn is going to drive and Mick will sit with us in the back. We’re just going to hold you until we get home. At home, we’re having a pack meeting and I want to hear what has my sweet Omega so upset. Does that sound okay?”
My sweet Omega?
Sounds perfect to me.
“Don’t let me go.”
“I won’t, Clover.” Apollo kisses her head as he guides us outside.
Thankfully we all drove together and Apollo had gotten a ride with one of his teammates. It made it easier now that we were leaving.
Her soft whimper comes out as we get into the SUV, met quickly with a soothing noise coming from Apollo. He’s so focused on her as we all quietly think about what the hell happened tonight.
It’s clear the Alpha that attacked was the one who had tried to force a bond with her. The fear that had rolled off her when everything was happening stayed burned in my nose.
No one should feel fear like that.
Clover least of all.
“I liked watching you play.” Her voice is so soft, so off topic from what’s bothering her to focus on something good, “I love my presents too. The otter is so cute.” Her nose rubs against his neck to get more of his scent.
Apollo tilts his head so she can scent him more. His hand rubbing under her jacket to calm down our Omega. His patience with her, the understanding is something that we’re all watching him do. Trying to see when he is going to start asking her about what happened.
It doesn’t happen.
“I want you at all my games.”
“Can I come to them all? I’ll be your biggest fan.” She’s teasing him. Even though it’s coming out all sort of flat, she’s still trying to be the sunshine of our lives.
Doesn’t she know that even the sun needs to rest? Maybe I can be the moon that glows when she can’t.
“Are you going to be my biggest fan too, little Omega?” I ask. Her head tilts to see me and gives me one of her smiles.
Goddess, she’s gorgeous.
“I’m a fan of all of you. Your biggest fan.” Her head rests under Apollo’s chin now, “Can you hold me tighter?” She asks him. One of her hands darts out as she grabs my hand, weaving our fingers together.
It’s at that point I see Apollo meet Vaughn’s eyes in the mirror. Both of the Alpha’s have a strong look on their face. They’re unsettled by everything, but it doesn’t stop him from holding her tighter.
She lets out a soft sigh and closes her eyes.
A couple minutes later, her hand is slack in mine and it’s clear that she fell asleep.
“What the fuck happened?” Apollo speaks, his teeth gritted as he waits for us to tell the story.
“That fucking Omega Marcus happened. Bringing some Alpha with him into the suite.” Griffin snarls out.
“There was a fight-”
“No shit. I can see that from your busted lip. Who was the Alpha?”
“I think it was the one who tried to force a bond with her. Your mother was apologizing for him finding her and it was a mess.” I explain and Apollo’s rage is written across his face at that information.
If he wasn’t holding Clover he would do something bad.
I watch the way he nuzzles her, like he realizes he’s holding her, and that she is safe with him. At least he has the Omega to center him some.
He licks his lips and I want to kiss him to calm him down. Instead, I lay my head against his shoulder and he lets out a sigh.
“Everyone is alright?”
“She was upset.” Vaughn is gripping the steering wheel too tightly as he speaks, “Our Omega was tracked down by someone. She thought she made a friend. She was so excited about it, and he used her to bring her abuser close to her. It’s not acceptable.”
Oh, look at all these Alpha’s suddenly realizing Clover is ours.
Finally they’re getting it.
“I did say that I didn’t like her around him.” Griffin says as we pull onto our street.
“We can’t seclude her. She’s been stuck with people she hasn’t chosen her whole life. She didn’t choose us either.” Vaughn sticks up for her.
We all didn’t like her hanging around and talking to Marcus. Something had seemed off about it, but Vaughn is right. She hasn’t had a ton of friends or people to choose to hang out with.
“We need to make sure she knows that she is safe. That’s the first thing. I’ll call my family and talk about what has been in place for her. I’m sure some sort of restraining order was broken. We talk to Clover too. If she isn’t ready to be courted and wants to go back to The Omega Academy we need to accept it. It might be safer for her there.” We’re all ready to talk over Apollo, “She might need the year to learn about her designation. Maybe she doesn’t go to all the mixers they host so she’s safer. After you guys graduate we can look at getting you drafted to the Otters or getting me traded somewhere close to the academy.”
He wants to stay close. He’s not going to give her up.
It seems to hit us all at the same time that this is it.
We’re all in with Clover. No matter what that looks like.
“Mhhh.” A soft sound comes from her mouth as her eyes flutter open, “We’re home?”
My heart is in my throat.
Home .
“Yeah, little Omega. We’re home. Let’s get you upstairs and in bed.” She wraps her arms around Apollo’s neck so he can lift her up. Giving in to his need to take care of her because she needs him to take care of her as well.
“My nest. I want everyone in my nest tonight. I need my pack with me.”
Well, shit.
This all just got serious.