Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Sadness isn’t my jam.
Are there times I feel down? Sure. I’m not afraid to cry it out if I need to. But I bounce back fast. My mom swears even as a toddler, I would go from crying to happy, as if nothing ever happened.
Realizing I have a shared-emotion Fated connection was a blow. What do you mean I have to deal with other people’s emotions, too? Their anger, sadness, grief.
It was a learning curve.
One that was totally worth it because I love my mates like they’re the sun and I’m a sunflower.
Being perpetually happy means it’s easier for me to pick up when someone in the pack is feeling sad. Especially Skye. Who is currently sitting somewhere in the estate sobbing into a pillow so she doesn’t overwhelm or bother us.
Which is stupid. We’re her mates. Taking care of and comforting her is what we’re here for.
That and giving her an endless buffet of knots with unlimited orgasms, but now isn’t the time for making her writhe beneath me.
Later, after I’ve cheered her up, I’ll work my magic and have her coming on my cock. Or one of the guys. She could ride Onyx while I eat her out and Sterling fucks me.
“Down boy,” I whisper as I adjust myself, trying to imagine the most unhorny things.
Her nest and her bedroom are empty. Leaving me to search the dozens of nesting nooks Quentin built her. That man sure loves to spoil her, and I am so here for it. She deserves anything her heart desires.
Like the tattooed, way-too-attractive-for-his-own-good, delicious-smelling Alpha who happens to be her first love and the reason she’s upset today.
Would I love to knock Caleb on his ass for making Skye cry?
Absolutely.
Would I also love for him to bend us both over the closest piece of furniture and rail us into oblivion?
My cock twitches, and I have to force myself to focus. I have no clue if Caleb is open to relationships outside of what he builds with Skye.
I find her in the conservatory, buried beneath a pile of blankets.
Her back is to the door, only her head poking out so that she can stare up at the clouds.
Crawling beneath them, I wrap myself around her body, settling against her like a backpack.
I can feel tears leaking down her face, so I stay quiet until her sniffling stops and her breathing regulates.
“S-sorry,” she whispers, but I press my hand over her mouth, cutting off her apology.
“Nope, none of that. You can feel however you want, dandelion. I just wanted to hold you.” She sighs, relaxing into my arms. “You know what you need?”
Peering over her shoulder, she hums, “What?”
“An adventure. Feel up for a spontaneous trip into town?”
Exhaustion lines her face, but her stunning jade green eyes light up, the streaks of gold in them brighter as she nods. “I’m always up for an adventure with you, Bee.”
Pushing her blankets away, I jump to my feet, pulling her with me. “Then let’s go.”
“Wait,” she tugs on the hand trapped in mine, stopping me. One hand waves to her bare legs. “I don’t have pants on.”
“Oh, right. Fun for me, not for everyone else. Pants first, then we go.”
I send her upstairs to get dressed and grab the keys from the dining room table. My packmates are scattered through the house, but I find Quentin and Emmett in the sitting room. “I’m taking our girl out for a bit. Be back before dinner.”
“Keep her safe,” Q demands.
It’s cute that he thinks I would do anything else.
Skye joins me, waving goodbye as I drag her out the door. The adventure I have planned for today is both adorable and rewarding. What better way to make my Omega smile than spending a few hours cuddling tiny critters? And if she happens to fall in love with one, we’ll bring it home.
Being a brat is my love language.
Down to the very core of my being, it’s just who I am.
Acting like a brat isn’t always about teasing your mates when they aren’t able to do anything about it. Sometimes it’s making decisions you know you probably should have talked over with them beforehand.
I love a good funishment. If it’s earned by doing something impulsive to make my Omega happy? Even better.
Pick of the Critter is a sanctuary for rescued pets and those in need of re-homing. They care for smaller animals, like dogs, cats, rodents, and reptiles. Their sister operation, Call It A Hay, houses larger animals, like cows, horses, and goats.
Large windows line one side of the massive blue and white building. Cat trees and perches stand behind them, some claimed by fluffy little felines just begging for pets.
Am I the guy who would die trying to pet a jaguar? Probably, but it would be worth it.
“An animal shelter?” Skye asks as we climb out of the car.
“We can help them take care of the animals, give them lots of pets and cuddles. It will be a blast.” I twine our fingers and swing our arms between us, enjoying the way she giggles and skips alongside me.
Most of the sadness has slipped from her bond, and I mentally fist-pump knowing I’m the one who chased it away.
Sure, it will come back. Until Caleb is living in our house and wearing her bite, her emotions will be a rollercoaster, but I will be here to help push her back up the track every time she hits the bottom.
We’re met with the chirps of birds and the playful bark of a dog as we step into the building. The main room is a storefront where they sell animal supplies. Food, toys, housing materials, and other essentials.
Hallways branch from this area, leading to different habitats. I let Skye guide us through each one, and we spend our afternoon petting cats, throwing toys for dogs, and cooing over all the birds and reptiles.
The last room we visit is the small critter room. Enclosures sit around the room, housing mice, rats, bunnies, hamsters, guinea pigs, and more.
Skye is awestruck by the fluffy, chunky guinea pigs. My best friend in elementary school had one, and he was the cuddliest, zoomiest creature I’ve ever met. She carefully pets the ones receptive to her touch.
The wonder on her face is too damn cute, so I snap a picture and send it to our pack group chat. My phone immediately dings with several messages of them reacting to her cuteness.
Onyx texts me privately, reminding me we travel too much to have a pet, but I choose to ignore him.
If we pick the right creature, it can travel with us.
At Skye’s surprise party last weekend, my little sister Cami was telling me about this book she read where the guy's pet rat traveled with him as he toured the world competing in the mountain bike circuit.
Fiction might not always be translatable to reality, but I did the research and I know we can make this work. If that’s what my Omega wants.
“Would you like to bring one or two of them to the open exploration area?” A staff member asks, pointing to a large, caged corner with little tunnels and ramps.
Skye nods, and we carry the two females she was petting over.
They explore immediately, tiny squeaks filling the air as they search for treats.
I lean against my mate’s side and watch them. This was a great idea. I can feel how happy she is. How much she loves taking care of them.
A tricolored fluffball named Mochi wanders between us, sniffing our bodies. Skye awes, her face melting and hearts filling her eyes as the tiny pig finds its way into the pocket of her hoodie and chills there.
“She’s so sweet and snuggly,”
“You should adopt her.” Wide green eyes meet mine; her lips pulled into a frown. “As long as we keep her in the front cabin when we fly, she can travel with us. We can even build her a little house on your bus.”
“The guys wouldn’t approve,” she mumbles, running a finger over the top of Mochi’s head.
Leaning back on my hands, I smirk at her. “I say we show up with her and work it out from there.”
She stares down at the sweet little nugget of fur, her lips rolled together, and I know I’ve convinced her.
Jumping to my feet, I head to talk to a staff member working nearby. “What do we need to do to adopt Mochi?”
An hour and a half later, we’ve been taught how to care for a guinea pig, and the car is loaded with all the supplies we’ll need. Including a n awesome connectable cage system that will allow Skye to design it however she wants.
My mate has barely put her new sidekick down. She’s in love, and I know the shit the guys will give me for this impromptu adoption will be worth it.
Skye holds the carrier, softly reassuring Mochi as we pull down out driveway. Onyx leans in the doorway, his eyes narrowed on me as I put the car in park right outside.
Someone must have known I was up to no good.
Oh no, I’ve earned a spanking. Or three, if I’m lucky.
“Look.” Skye holds the carrier closer to his face, letting him peek inside. “Isn’t she the cutest?”
“She is,” he grits out, his mouth set in a hard line before his eyes narrow on me. “I thought we agreed no pets.”
It’s my turn to glare as she pulls Mochi close and her shoulders fall. “Dude,” I mouth, pointedly looking at Skye who stares between their feet, bottom lip wobbling.
I can’t tell if she’s genuinely upset for disappointing him or if she’s playing it up to win him over. It works either way. Our behemoth pack Alpha melts, a hand running through his red-tipped hair.
“You really want her?” he asks, leaning down to see Skye’s face.
She shakes her head. “I should have gotten everyone’s input first.”
Onyx takes the carrier from her hands, careful not to jostle Mochi as he pulls our mate against his body. “They won’t care, bubbles. I just don’t want to over-stress the animal when we have to go out on the road.”
“Actually,” I cut in, smirking as I pop the trunk and grab bags of food and toys, “as long as we never put Mochi in the cargo area of a plane and we monitor the temperature of her environment, she can go anywhere we go.”
He rolls his eyes, pressing a kiss to the top of Skye’s head and steering her into the house. “Go show your other mates while I help this brat carry her things in.”