Chapter Twenty-Five – Mercedes
I honestly don’t know what to expect as we drive to their parents’ house. Warren and Darius drive together, while I go with Nic in his car. While I’m grateful they don’t seem to mind the deviation from their routine, I still feel bad. No matter what Nic says, the entire thing is my fault. We wouldn’t be doing this at all if it wasn’t for me.
And Darius saw the bite mark on my hip. That truth hangs around my neck and pulls me down like no other.
He was right, too: I need to tell the others. I need to come clean. I just… I don’t want to. Maybe I’m afraid if I speak Jay’s name aloud, it’ll cause him to appear and steal me away.
Ridiculous, I know.
Their parents live a good forty minutes away, which gives Nic plenty of time to talk about them. I’ll admit, it’s one of the few things we didn’t discuss when he had off this past week. Once he heard mine died, I think he was always worried to bring them up, like I’d get hurt or something.
I’m not. I don’t feel hurt. I do feel a little weird going to meet them, considering I never planned on staying. Suddenly hurting Nic, Warren, and even Darius doesn’t seem like it’s out of the realm of possibility anymore.
And to think, I didn’t want any of us to get attached. I should’ve known something like that was impossible when you threw three sexy as hell alphas with a broken omega like me.
“Our mom is going to love you,” Nic is busy gushing while I daydream, zoning in and out of the conversation as I watch the scenery fly by. “Her name is Laurie, but you can call her whatever you want. I’m sure she’d love for you to call her mom, but it might be a little too soon for that.”
I’ll say. Hell, I don’t know if I’ll ever be comfortable enough to call the woman that. Laurie it is.
“And our dad, Daniel—he’s kind of a mix of me and Darius. You’ll see. He’s a different person when he’s with family than when he’s at work.”
“And he’s an alpha?”
Nic nods once. “He is. Our mom’s a beta.”
My brows furrow as I try to imagine the logistics, and then I want to smack myself for thinking about that. I definitely don’t want to imagine their parents going at it. I mean, I know there are supplements out there that help betas and even other alphas to take an alpha’s knot—not every alpha ends up with an omega.
Still, it’s not something I ever had to think too much about before.
“And it’s just the two of them?”
“It is,” he tells me. It’s very unusual for an alpha to have such a small pack—typically many alphas are in the same pack together. Betas are the ones who usually stick to bonded pairs and not bonded groups. Their dad must’ve really fallen hard for their mom.
It’s kind of sweet, in a way. I’m a little jealous.
Nic reaches for my hand, and I let him take it. I’m thrown off my game today. That, or these alphas are slowly worming their way inside me. Both bad things. “Don’t be nervous,” he says. “It’ll be fine. Everything will be fine. We’ll hang out at their house for the week while the tech guys install cameras and sensors everywhere.”
And fix the window, but that goes without saying.
“The house will be safe and secure,” he goes on. “But it might be best to think about having one of us stay home with you and alternating days for a bit.” He glances at me, his black eyes earnest. “Unless you want to tell me who you think this asshole is.”
Hedging for information. Both he and Warren are probably going to do that more and more often until I confess. The thing is, I just don’t know. I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I trust them enough.
Or maybe I’m scared they’ll think of me differently.
When I remain quiet, Nic said, “It’s okay. Either way, we’ll protect you. But just know: the guys and I are ready to leap into action whenever you feel comfortable enough to tell us. We won’t judge you, I promise.” Quieter, he mutters, “We have no room to judge.”
“What does that mean?”
All he does is smile at me and say, “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Hmm. Maybe I’m not the only one keeping secrets. Darius did mention before that he failed the pack once and that’s why his guard was up around me: he didn’t want Nic or Warren to get hurt.
Their parents live in an older neighborhood, where the houses aren’t quite as grand, but they aren’t small, either. Every property looks like it has some land, some acreage, and a bit of a forest in the way back of their yards. The houses are few and far apart, so none are directly beside their neighbors.
It’s nice. Seems quiet. I actually think I like this place better than where the guys live.
It’s late afternoon by the time we pull into their parents’ driveway, right behind Darius and Warren as they’re in the process of getting out of the car. Darius goes to grab the luggage, while Warren grins at me and helps me get out of Nic’s car—he grabs my hand and helps me get to my feet even though I’m more than capable of standing on my own. My ankle is sore, but with everything that happened, it’s easy enough to ignore.
“Come on,” Warren says as Nic opens the trunk and pulls out our bags one by one. “I’m sure Mom is waiting—”
As if on cue, the woman herself throws open the front door and races out. She wears an apron over her clothes, some flour smeared on it. She comes straight to Warren and me, totally ignoring the other two as she beams at me. Her blond hair is pulled up in a bun, while her green eyes, much like Darius’s, twinkle with unadulterated glee. She has a few wrinkles around those eyes, but even as a beta, she radiates warmth.
“You must be Mercedes,” she says, grinning ear to ear—with dimples much like Nic’s. Before she says anything else, she throws her arms around me and envelops me in a hug I can’t escape from, and Warren chuckles as he lets go of my hand so I can fully embrace her. “It’s so lovely to meet you, dear. When I heard the boys were going to the Omega Garden, I hoped… well, as their mother I’ve been hoping they’ll settle down for years now.” She chuckles softly. “Still hoping that Pax does, too.”
“Pax?” I echo the name, confused.
Warren nods. “Oldest brother. Lone wolf. You’re not missing much.”
His explanation causes their mom to chuckle as she pulls herself off me. “An apt description, unfortunately.” Now that she’s no longer swallowing me up in a bear hug, she has the time to study me. “My… you are skinny, aren’t you? Aren’t the boys feeding you? Oh, dear. I seem to have gotten some flour on your clothes. Come in, come in. We can get you sorted while the boys bring in all the heavy stuff. I’m making cookies.”
That sounds like such a stereotypical thing for a mom to be doing, but then again, I don’t have much experience with mothers or what they do.
I duck my head as I follow the guys’ mom to the house, well aware each one of them watches. She holds the door open for me. “I’m so sorry. I’m Laurie, but you can call me whatever you like. Laurie, Mrs. Alabaster, Mom—whatever you feel comfortable with.”
I give her a smile I hope doesn’t scream awkward and say, “Thank you… Laurie.”
She slips off her shoes and places them on a small rug just inside the house, and I follow her example and take off my boots. I trail after her, and she leads me into the kitchen, where she promptly sits me at the table—their kitchen must’ve been recently-renovated. It’s a large, open-concept space, and it’s big enough to fit a large table inside it. No separate dining rooms here.
“I just pulled these out of the oven. Have some. Daniel isn’t home yet, so dinner will be a bit later than usual,” Laurie says, filling a plate with some cookies fresh off the pan. She brings that plate to me and then returns to the oven to do another batch.
The cookies look to be chocolate chip, and the moment that smell wafts up to my nostrils, I inhale deeply. Not only do they look perfect, but they smell good, too—and just like that my stomach rumbles, reminding me I skipped lunch because of everything.
I’m reaching for a cookie when I hear the guys come into the house, knocking luggage against the door and the walls as they lumber inside. They’re mumbling something, but their voices are too far away; I can’t hear them that well.
Once the next round is in the oven, Laurie sets a small handheld timer and leaves it on the counter next to the stove. She comes to me and sits across from me. “How are you holding up, dear? Darius told me what happened.”
I’m thankful my mouth is full of warm, gooey cookie, because it gives me some time to think over an answer before I speak. “I’m okay. A little shaken-up, I guess.”
“Don’t you worry one bit. The boys will handle it. They’ll handle everything.” She studies me. “They’re treating you right, I hope? Growing up, they never witnessed an alpha-omega relationship with their father and me. If they’re doing something wrong, tell me, and I’ll be sure to set them on the right course.”
“They’re—” Honestly? There are a lot of ways I could finish that, but after a moment’s pause, I simply say, “Fine.”
“Just fine? Oh, dear. Seems they still have to win you over, huh?”
My eyes widen as a jolt of panic surges through me. “That’s not—”
She chuckles softly. “It’s okay. It is. It’s been… what, a week or so? I know they say it can be instant with alphas and their omega, but it’s not always—and it’s not a bad thing to move a little slower.”
All I do is glance down at the plate of cookies.
“Honey,” she says, “it really is okay. Every relationship is different. My boys are good boys, but I’m sure there will be growing pains every now and then as you all learn each other. For what it’s worth, I know it’s not under the best circumstance, but I’m glad you’re here. So, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? Believe it or not, the boys have told me hardly a thing about you.”
I grab another cookie and shrug. “There’s not much to know about me. I’m not super interesting or anything.” I bite into the cookie and close my eyes as the gooey chocolate fills my mouth. These cookies are the best I’ve ever had. Seriously. This woman should win awards.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true. Well, let’s start out in the beginning. Where are you from?”
Man, so the guys really didn’t tell their mom a thing about me, huh? Maybe they really thought I’d be gone by now—a part of me had hoped for the same. It takes me a moment to answer her, “I’m from the city. I lived at Solus Academy ever since I presented as an omega when I turned thirteen.”
“Solus Academy?” Laurie repeats quizzically. “Why do I know that name?”
“It’s basically an orphanage for poor omegas.” The need to further explain myself arises within me, and I add, “My parents died in a car crash when my mom was pregnant with me. They were able to get me out of her, but… it was too late for her.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. That must have been awful.” Either she’s a really good liar, or she really does care and feel for me. “So Solus Academy brings their of-age omegas to the Omega Garden?”
I shift in my seat. “Not exactly.”
“A rule-breaker, are you? No wonder the boys like you so much. Go on, then, tell me how you did it.”
I tell her how I snuck out of Solus and made my way downtown. I tell her that I didn’t know where to go, and that Nic ended up using his alpha dominance to force the beta guard at the front entrance to let me in even though I wasn’t registered and it was the wrong entrance for omegas. And then I tell her that no other pack had really caught my eye during the night, until I met Nic and Warren officially.
She beams. “It sounds like fate to me. Whether you believe in that stuff or not, I do, and I think love pulls souls together at just the right time… but, even so, I’m glad Nic was able to make a good impression. I know Warren can be a little different sometimes, and Darius—well, he’s a lot like Pax. I love them both, but goodness, sometimes I swear they’re clones of their father.”
“Darius wasn’t there,” I tell her.
That is the wrong thing to say. The look Laurie gives me right then informs me she did not know Darius stayed home the night of the matching, and her mouth opens, as if she’s going to ask about it.
But what would you know? Right then, Darius walks into the kitchen and lifts his nose in the air. Whether he’s smelling the cookies or me is anyone’s guess. His feet halt the moment he sees his mom’s ire is upon him.
“Darius Andrew Alabaster,” Laurie overenunciates his full name as she gets to her feet. The beta is maybe five-foot-five, a legit foot shorter than Darius, but that doesn’t stop her from placing her hands on her hips and giving him a glare. “Did I just hear right?” Her tone is the farthest thing from happy.
Darius, the über alpha of the pack, actually looks like a deer in headlights under the wrath of his mom. His green eyes widen a bit, and he glances between me and his mom a few times before finally settling on her. “That depends on what you heard,” he says, elusive.
“Mercedes just told me you didn’t go with Nic and Warren to the Omega Garden,” she says. “Is this true?”
Behind him, Warren and Nic appear, having just come down the stairs. Warren wears a grin, while Nic comes near me and plucks a cookie off the plate, giving me a smile before turning to watch the show.
“It… is true,” Darius pauses in between the words, as if he doesn’t want to fully admit it to her. He actually hangs his head low, wordlessly admitting his guilt by the body language, something that floors me—an über alpha bowing his head to a beta. Even though she’s his mother, I’m shocked.
For some reason, I thought he was an asshole to everybody, the kind of alpha who would never kowtow to anybody.
I can tell Laurie wants to say more, but she notices we aren’t alone in the kitchen any longer. She smiles at Warren and Nic before going to give them a hug each. Darius, on the other hand, gets no such hug—he does get a firm, “We’ll talk about this later. For now, while I start dinner, why don’t you show Mercedes around the house?”
The way she says it leaves no other options. Darius nods his head and then turns to walk out of the kitchen. I grab another cookie before trailing after him. Nic and Warren are behind me at first, though the former hurries to walk by my side.
Darius leads me up the stairs. The wall on the right is full of pictures—younger alphas, some prepubescent. I spot a kid in a few pictures that’s not familiar to me, though he looks much like Darius. That one must be Pax.
“This room will be yours,” Darius says, stopping before a room on the second floor. He lets me walk in around him and survey the space. “Unless you don’t like it.” He adds that last part, probably while thinking of his mom and the scolding he has coming to him.
It’s funny. He’s a thirty-some-year-old man, an über alpha, and his mom still holds power over him. It’s actually kind of nice to see, in a weird way, that he still respects his mom enough even though he could brush off anything she says.
The room is smaller than the one at their house, but I don’t mind. It’s cozier. The sheets on the bed must be clean, because they don’t hold a single scent. It doesn’t have a walk-in closet or an attached bathroom, but that’s okay.
“It’s fine,” I say, and the moment I do, Darius is gone, like he needs to disappear and lick his wounds. When I realize it’s just Nic, Warren, and me in the room, I say, “I can’t believe it.”
Warren makes a running leap to the bed before body-slamming it. The mattress jiggles with his sudden weight. He props himself up and asks, “Can’t believe what?” The serious question he asks is hampered by the silly position he’s in.
“The way your mom talked to him, and how he reacted,” I say, slow in walking over to the bed and sitting beside him. Nic joins me. “I mean, your mom’s a beta. She technically has no power over him, yet he still acted like her word is law.”
“She’s our mom,” Nic says. “Of course her word is law.”
“Yeah, but she’s a beta. Darius is, like, a king of alphas.”
My description of Darius makes Warren belly laugh, while Nic just smirks and says, “She’s our mom. Designation schm-esignation. We might be alphas, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to family.”
It’s weird, but seeing the way Darius reacted makes me feel… I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s not a bad thing. I’m amazed.
I bite my bottom lip and ask Nic, “Why didn’t you tell her Darius didn’t come to the Omega Garden that night?” I didn’t know I was saying something that was a secret; I assumed she knew all about it.
“Duh,” Warren chimes in, sitting up and knocking his knee against mine. “To avoid that conversation.”
“He’ll get over it,” Nic says.
“He won’t be mad at me for letting it slip?” I ask.
With a shake of his head, Nic says, “No. He has no right to. If anything, it’s just more evidence that he should’ve put his pride aside and come with us that night. He had to know our mom was going to find out sooner or later—he probably just thought it’d be later rather than sooner.”
The guys help me unpack. The room has two dressers, a tall and a short one, but we only use the short one. I only brought enough clothes to stay a week. According to them, it should be plenty enough time for the house to get fixed and have all the extra security added—including cameras I’ll be able to access on my phone.
I should tell the guys about Jay, but… I’m just not ready, so as the night wears on, I keep it to myself.