3. Piper
Piper
B ag of treats in hand and no dinner reservations, I made my way back to the dude ranch, thinking about that alpha.
Ever since presenting as an omega, I had gotten plenty of attention from alphas of all kinds—that was simply the nature of being an omega—but this country boy, with his rugged good looks, had me thinking about running my fingers through that short brown hair.
I struggled with the bags in my arms, glancing at the small front desk in the main office for Francie. Instead, the little old lady who checked us in on the day we arrived sat alone, looking through a magazine.
I had hoped to cover my ass by figuring out a dinner reservation with the help of the concierge, but there was nothing to be done except to shuffle the bags of treats in my arms and make my way back to our cabin to unpack the goodies I picked up before Pack Adamar got back.
The last thing I needed was for Lance to realize I had ignored his instructions.
I quickly unloaded the groceries from my trip downtown and tidied myself up. It felt like a good idea to put up my hair and splash water on my flushed face before seeing Lance, Ralph, and Kyle.
But no matter what I did, I couldn’t get that alpha I’d met in town out of my head. I found myself desperate to redirect my sudden burst of wild, horny energy.
The idea of planning a lovely, romantic dinner for myself and the members of Pack Adamar, followed by an evening of extracurricular activities, came to mind.
I resolved to create a perfect evening of wining, dining, and baby making.
I set off to the main building to find Francie and wrangle her into helping me make the evening a success.
I was more than a little peeved when I got to her station, to find her desk still empty.
The older woman seated at the front had already moved on to another magazine and didn’t notice me come in.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” I called to her.
She looked up with a smile, one finger holding her page.
“Have you seen Francie? I wanted to ask about places to make a reservation for dinner.”
“Check her office, dear.” The receptionist pointed down a hallway before immediately returning to her magazine.
I quickly found the large wooden door with a black and gold etched plate labeled Concierge .
Timidly, I crept to the door and rapped my knuckles gently against it.
“Yes.” The word was faint, but I could just make it out through the closed door. Taking it as an invitation, I turned the handle and pushed it open.
My eyes were filled with the sight of Francie bent over her desk—her skirt up around her hips—Lance fucking her from behind, Ralph’s cock in her mouth, and Kyle leering at the three of them from the edge of the desk, dick in hand.
The four of them barely seemed to notice as I let out a half-choked scream and slammed the door behind me.
I took Lance’s car.
Was it the most mature thing to do? Probably not, but I needed to get the hell away from that pack of lying, traitorous assholes, and I needed to do it fast .
The stupid car was like a spaceship, with too many buttons and levers for me to understand. I probably damaged it in my mad dash to get away from the cabin, but it didn’t matter. Between the darkening sky and the tears falling from my eyes, I could hardly see.
I drove until I found a diner. It was one of those places with a little old-time flair. Well-worn but clearly loved. It was the kind of place you knew you could get a damn good burger.
Pulling into the first spot I saw, I clambered out of the car, slamming the door probably a lot harder than I needed to and angrily wiping away tears. It was actually Lance’s stupid face I wanted to slam into something, but his car door would have to do.
A fresh wave of tears welled up, and I quickly wiped them as I stalked into the diner. The car smelled like Lance, and I refused to spend a moment longer inside it than necessary.
The diner was warm, and the air smelled thick with bacon and coffee, despite the late hour. It was nearly empty, apart from the odd table. Sliding into the first booth I saw, I grabbed a menu and started looking for the most sugary, greasy food possible.
“Hey there, can I—oh shit, you’re crying.” The teen server looked at me with wide eyes, his face a mixture of anxiety and panic.
I wanted to reassure him, but when I opened my mouth to speak, another sob escaped. My pack had betrayed me; they cared more about getting their dicks wet than me.
“I’ll be right back!” he rushed to say, disappearing into the kitchen so fast, I would have thought his ass was on fire.
Great, I was even managing to scare away the locals. I was about to grab my purse when a sweet, elderly lady slid into my booth, a dish of pie in each hand.
“Well, it looks like you’re having a day. Apple or cherry?”
Her smile was serene, and she was wearing a polo shirt with the diner’s logo on it.
“Apple?” It came out as a question as I shook my head, trying to figure out how I got into this mess. “I’m sorry, you are?”
“Evelyn. I own this here establishment with my husband, Judson. He’s out back manning the grill right now.
That young boy you frightened off just happens to be my grandson Lucas—he’s not exactly the most socially skilled, so I apologize for him.
Now, what’s got a pretty girl like you sitting all alone in my diner with tears in her eyes? ”
Her face was open and sincere, with laugh lines and graying hair, and her scent reminded me of freshly baked cookies.
Pure comfort.
Her look of genuine concern set off another wave of tears.
“I just walked in on my pack cheating on me,” I admitted, like I was ashamed, when I had nothing to be embarrassed about. They were the problem, not me.
Then again, would they have been loyal if I’d managed to get pregnant?
“Well, they don’t sound worth a speck of your time. I hope you kicked them to the curb; a pretty girl like you could have her choice of alphas.”
I shook my head. “I took their car. I just wanted to get out of there.” Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair.
“We’ve been trying for a baby for over a year—and I want one.
Oh god, do I want to be a mother! I love kids; they’re always learning and exploring and growing.
They’re the future!” I hung my head, unable to stop my babbling.
“But my pack refused to even officially bond with me until I got pregnant, and now they think I’m defective and… and decided to bang the concierge!”
Tears rolled down my face as I sobbed, and Evelyn took one of my hands in her own, the heartbroken expression on her face breaking me. I was blubbering and telling this complete stranger my life story, but as my insides twisted in distress, the words just tumbled out of me.
“Oh, darling, that sounds horrible. You are not defective! Hell, it took me three years to get pregnant with my first. The world works in mysterious ways.”
“How many children do you have?” I asked, grabbing a handful of napkins and using them to dab at my face.
“I was lucky enough to have six babies! They’re all grown now—most of them are off living their lives with their own babies—but every one of them was a joy to raise, even when they were out doing donuts in town and sneaking out to meet up with their friends after curfew.”
A giggle escaped me. “Sounds like a handful.”
As if on cue, a waitress appeared from the back, a spray bottle and a roll of paper towels in hand. “Hey, Gran, I just put on fresh coffee.” She smiled sweetly, her green eyes the same shade as Evelyn’s. “Can I get you or our guest a cup?”
“Oh, I don’t need anything, Emmy, thank you, but our friend Piper here might like something hot to drink after the night she’s had.” Evelyn laughed before taking a moment to introduce us. “By the way, Piper, this is Emmaline, my granddaughter.”
“Hey, Piper!” Emmy said happily, extending one of her hands to shake, her fingers glittering with many silver rings. “Everyone calls me Emmy. Well, I say ‘everyone,’ but this town is so damn small that’s only a handful of people.” She laughed as I took her hand in mine.
“Emmy’s always complaining about havin’ trouble meeting new friends in a small town.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, but her lips still quirked up in a smile.
“Well, it’s true!” Emmy insisted, giving my hand a final squeeze before letting go of the handshake. “But you look like you could use a friend right around now, Piper.” She winked at me with a mischievous smile.
Emmy was a little taller than me, lean and lithe in her cropped diner logo T-shirt and denim miniskirt.
With her warm freckles and long chestnut brown ponytail, we could have been sisters or cousins.
I could feel the spunky energy radiating off of her when she smiled, and her sunflower and sweet strawberry omega scent was warm and inviting.
She wasn’t wrong—I desperately needed a friend.
“Nice to meet you, Emmy! I specialize in shopping, movie marathons, at-home spa days, and of course a little healthy gossip.” I did my best to come off as friendly and inviting, with my eyes still so swollen from crying.
“Here.” Emmy passed me her phone, a new contact profile open on the screen. “Put your number in my phone. I gotta get back to work, but you’re stuck with me now.” She made a silly face as I handed the phone back to her, then rushed off to wipe down empty diner tables.
“She’s a sweetheart and a spitfire.” Evelyn shook her head with a smile before she turned to face me, a knowing smirk on her face. “Do you have much experience with children?”
“A little. I trained to be a teacher originally, but my pack wanted me to study something more fitting to their social status, so I switched to communications. I hated it, though.”
Evelyn nodded, deep in thought. “Well, are you going to stay in town a-while?”
I shook my head. “I need to go home, but ‘home’ is the apartment I’ve been sharing with those cheaters…”
“Do you have any family you can stay with?”
I shook my head again.
The older lady cocked her head to the side. “Now, what if I were to tell you there’s a job locally that has room and board, and it’s working with the cutest little girl you ever saw? The Blackwood Ranch is looking for a little house help. They’re single fathers and can’t cook to save their lives.”
Working with a little girl and cooking? Those were two things that appealed to me—I was a star in the kitchen and took any opportunity to work with children.
My mind was reeling at how quickly everything was changing.
An hour ago, I was under the impression that I was in a happy, caring relationship with my pack, and now I was considering working for a pack of strangers.
“Is it a live-in position?” I asked. “With a pack of single alphas?”
That sounded like trouble.
“They’re good boys! I know their families. Clayton Blackwood’s mama made one heck of an apple pie, god rest her soul. They would be completely professional. Otherwise, I would tan their hides myself!”
With the stubborn look on Evelyn’s face, I didn’t doubt her.
She was giving me an opportunity, and while it wasn’t ideal, what else could I do? Go back to the penthouse apartment I shared with the assholes and keep living with them like nothing happened?
Strangers, while not ideal, may have been my best bet.
“I’m not sure, but I sure as hell can’t go back tonight. Are there any hotels nearby that have vacancies?” I asked.
Evelyn’s lips pressed together as she shook her head. “The local place is full, and that fancy-pants place you're staying at is obviously out of the question.”
I glanced back at the car I had stolen from Lance before turning back to Evelyn, plastering a smile on my face. “Well, that car will work for the night. I can plan my next steps in the morning.”
“That car will give you back pain like no tomorrow. If you had a proper vehicle, maybe, but cars like that aren’t comfortable to sit in, let alone sleep.”
“Well, it’s not like I can get a hotel.”
“No, but I may have something that will work. We have a pull-out in the office out back. It’s nothing fancy, and smells a little musty, but my Judd uses it sometimes when he stays late. You can sleep there tonight, have a proper breakfast in the morning, and plan appropriately.”
“You’ll let me stay here?” I asked dumbly.
Evelyn nodded. “You seem like good folk, and no one wants to go back to cheaters, so it’s the least I can do. If I had a spare room, I would offer that to you…”
I was close to tearing up at the offer from the sweet older lady.
“If you’re sure it won’t be an imposition…”
Her face lit up. “Perfect! Now, eat your pie, and then we’ll get you settled in for the night.”