Chapter 20 Cole
Cole
The sounds coming out of the omegas’ room was driving me insane. As much as I would prefer Aspen to be mine at all times, I felt no jealousy.
We were a pack.
This just… complicated things a bit more.
It was clear that Pine Ridge was where our future was meant to be, so it was up to me to fix it. That was a lot of pressure.
Then add in the wildcard that would be having two omegas, only one I was scent-matched to.
If he went into heat alone, it would put me in the role of taking care of everything outside of the nest. I wasn’t against taking on that duty, but I did worry it might feel a bit like I was on the outside looking in.
The last thing I wanted was for Aspen to feel torn between me and her omega in heat. He needed her more than my ego needed her.
With a sigh I tossed aside my phone and hurried downstairs to escape. The estate was fairly peaceful this time of night and a cup of hot cocoa sounded perfect.
My mind tossed over all the worries and possibilities as I dragged out the ingredients for cocoa. It was a recipe Mom used to make, one of the few things she did well in the kitchen.
“I smell cocoa,” Mom’s voice floated in. She sounded tired and I glanced over, noting the bags under her eyes.
“Everything alright?” I asked, pulling down two mugs before going back to the stove to add my ingredients to the pot.
“I’m just not sleeping well. Every once in a while my omega gets restless,” she admitted.
“Maybe some cocoa will help,” I said, unsure what else to offer.
“That sounds lovely. Now, it’s your turn. What has you making cocoa at this ungodly hour, son?”
I could lie like she did. Make up any excuse.
Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Though, I did keep North’s possible omega status to myself. It wasn’t my news to share and she’d find out soon enough.
“The others are all getting along well,” I started, letting out a breath and struggling to find the words. “I’m a bit of an outsider.”
Something in my voice must have told her more than my words managed to.
“Ah,” she whispered. “I see.”
“You see what?” I defended. She let out a small laugh.
“That your alpha is wounded because you’re afraid you’ll be left behind with the three of them being mates?”
“Yes,” I admitted in a hoarse whisper. It was hard to put it out there, to even admit it to myself. But I didn’t want them to find peace and me be the one on the outside looking in.
“That’s ridiculous, son. Aspen adores you.”
“I love her, Mom. She’s it for me.”
Her eyes were shining as she moved closer and patted my cheek.
“I know, baby. She feels the same about you as she does the other two. You’re a pack because you all have a role.
She’s the light and carefree touch, Jack is the fun, North is the sweet and caring one, and you are the leader.
They look up to you and depend on you as much as you’ll depend on them.
To Aspen, you’re her alpha and nothing will change that. Trust me.”
I let her words wrap around me, testing them out in my mind and seeing if they held any weight.
She had a way of making the world melt away when her attention was on me. I noticed that even when the others were around.
Mom was right. This wouldn’t change us.
His designation might shift our dynamic, make things a bit more complicated, but maybe my life needed a bit more chaos in it.
Aspen was proof of that.
I barely paid attention as I poured the hot cocoa in our mugs. Mom gave me a kiss on the cheek before taking hers. Just before she left the room she turned around to face me.
“Take time to be a pack before you let worry win out. You need time to exist together, and that stays true. It takes work to make it work year after year.”
With that she took a sip and kept walking, leaving me to my own mug of cocoa and my thoughts.
“The soonest appointment they had is for tomorrow morning,” Aspen said as she spooned fruit onto her plate. North nodded, looking uneasy but not complaining. To be truthful, he still looked to be in a bit of a daze.
Mom’s words were hanging in my mind and I knew that he needed this chance to get his mind off his designation.
This was my role. Keeping our pack together in moments where the world was throwing us into a tailspin.
“Everyone get dressed and be downstairs in thirty minutes,” I said. My rumbling voice seemed to startle them all out of silence.
“Why?” Jack asked.
“We need a pack day. Away from the estate and to help get North’s mind off things for a bit,” I said simply as I finished my last bite and stood with my plate.
Shockingly, no one argued with me.
Thirty minutes later, I was dressed in a bulky sweater and dark jeans, wrapped in winter gear, and waiting for my pack. Aspen was the first down, excitement dancing in those gorgeous, blue eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her scent slammed into me as she moved closer.
“Morning, Cole,” she said as she stood on her toes to brush a kiss over my lips. I didn’t let her get away that easily, pulling her flush against me and deepening it. She parted her lips, giving me a chance to sweep my tongue inside. I tasted and teased her until a soft moan escaped.
Footsteps on the stairs had us pulling back. My eyes stayed on her as she bit her lip, cheeks flushed and lips swollen.
“It’s like I don’t exist to you, brother,” Jack joked as he clapped me on the shoulder, shattering our moment.
Reminding myself that I couldn’t kill him, I pulled Aspen with me out the door and into the garage. Jack, of course, hopped into his truck first. I didn’t complain, it was the most practical for now.
“Skating rink,” I said when we got settled in.
“Yes!” Aspen fist pumped. “I’ve been dying to go ice skating again. This is one my family actually approved of. It’s been years.”
“She’s going to skate circles around us clumsy alphas,” Jack laughed. “If I fall on my ass, someone better take a video.”
“Deal,” Aspen cackled.
The tension slowly dissipated as Aspen recalled her early years of learning to skate. I loved that she could laugh at herself so freely. Honestly, I just loved that she was so full of life. It reminded me that I’d let my own light dull over the years.
Yes, I loved my work and the magazine I’d built from the ground up, but I’d let it overwhelm every other facet of my life for far too long. I hid away and lost myself a bit.
With her… that all changed.
My attention stayed on Aspen as she skated out onto the frozen pond. There were others there, along with our pack, but she was all I could see.
Her dark hair fanned behind her as she skated across the ice, doing a small spin as her laughter filtered through the air. It cut through the crowd.
“You going to join her?” North asked as he and Jack prepared to face the ice. I nodded, following them out. They were like baby deer, falling all over each other.
I, on the other hand, had been skating in the city nearly every year. Usually on Christmas when I was alone. It felt like a little slice of home.
There was no talent, but I knew how to move on the ice without hurting myself.
Aspen skated over, phone out, videoing the other two bumbling around and falling again. I skated to her side, earning a scowl from the others.
“Are you kidding me?” Jack protested as he tried and failed to stay on his feet.
“Catch up if you can,” I called out as I took her hand and skated away, rounding the rink as the cold wind blew past us.
“I almost feel bad for them,” Aspen said as she tucked her phone away and focused on me. Just like that I was warm again, the feeling spreading through my chest and outward until I felt whole.
All my worries faded in the depths of those blue eyes I was quickly becoming addicted to.
Screams from behind us had me turning around to see that our pack tried to reach us and failed, causing several other skaters to fall as well.
“Maybe this was a bad idea,” I mused.
“Nope, it’s perfect,” she said, her hand squeezing mine. “I’m having a great time and they’re fine, just a bit of a bruised ego.”
“I think it got his mind off of things, though,” I said as we skated over to help.
“Up you go,” Aspen said as she helped North to his feet, and I helped Jack, who looked like he’d rather melt into the ice itself than try again.
“Slow and steady,” I said as I held him up. My brother let out a breath as I released him. He focused on staying upright, but the more they kept their hands to themselves, the better they did.
Soon we were all four skating slowly. I had a feeling it was driving our free-spirit crazy to go at their pace, but the more we talked and joked back and forth, the more settled my alpha felt.
They were my pack and doing this, forming this connection, keeping them on their feet, filled me with a satisfaction I hadn’t realized was missing before.
By the time we took off our skates, my hands were numb, but I was happy. North and Aspen were teasing each other and rewatching the video she took.
“It’s going to be fine, brother,” Jack said gently. I glanced up, quirking an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes. “We may have been seperated, but I know you. You’re overthinking again.”
“I am,” I admitted. “But I think this helped.”
“It will only get better. This is just the beginning. We were meant to be a pack.”
Apparently, I just needed a little reminder. Now, I was positive he was right. No matter what North’s results said, we were going to be just fine.