Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
Dhara
“You seem unusually chipper today,” Lydia accused as I walked into work the next day. Gavin grunted and just walked away from me. He was grumpy today.
“Well, this is a change of pace. Aren’t you guys usually the opposite?” Lydia teased.
I wasn’t about to tell her about mine and August’s arrangement.
“Mom was out of town last night. Or rather, she wasn’t there when we got home,” I said. It wasn’t an outright lie, but it definitely wasn’t why I was smiling.
Between my afternoon with August and her not being home, I felt more levelheaded and calm than I had in ages. I didn’t have that lingering anxiety this morning. I wasn’t walking on eggshells as I got ready this morning and was able to take my time.
I’d even had time to brush on a little makeup and twist my hair into an actual hairstyle for once.
It was strange how much more confident and in touch with my omega I felt after one night with August, and we’d barely begun.
“Seriously, Lydia, thank you so much for giving me the day off yesterday. I think that’s most of this good mood. I just really, really needed it.”
She gave me a knowing smile. “We’ve been trying to tell you for years that you work too much.”
She held up a hand before I could protest.
“I know exactly why, but that doesn’t mean we can’t spot you a paid day off here and there.”
“Lydia, no!” I protested. “You already pay me a decent wage, and I get tips on top of that.”
“Girl, you haven’t taken a single vacation day or sick day in years. It’s the least I can do.”
“Alright, alright,” I said, not even in the mood to argue with her.
“I hear the Renegades have away games coming up,” she said conversationally.
Disappointment flooded me at the thought of them being out of town. The thought of being alone in South Lake without them terrified me. I hadn’t realized how much just knowing they were here made me feel safe.
She read the disappointment all over my face and swatted me with the bar towel she was using to wipe down the counter.
“Just a day off, my ass,” she cackled.
The chime above the door rang, and I turned around. Thank god for a well-timed interruption.
I expected August to walk in, but it was Lachlan this time.
His hair was still damp from a shower, and even from across the room, the slight breeze brought his scent right to me. His blue eyes were always stark against that red hair. He had the kind of presence that commanded a room.
Or maybe that was just me being drawn to my mate.
“Go get your table,” Lydia said. “I’ll tease you later.”
I shot her a glare, but secretly, I was all too happy to get a moment with one of my packmates.
Having August was great, but it also had me feeling a little guilty that I hadn’t spent more time with the other two. I wanted to get to know them as well.
“Hey, Lachlan,” I said, offering a tentative smile.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted. He gave a half-smile that was far too sexy and looked eager to have me closer. He’d seemed so quiet before. I wasn’t sure what had changed.
Then my cheeks heated, realizing he must’ve known what happened in that house while he was gone.
Oh god. Why did that make my omega so happy? One session and I was already addicted to turning my pack on.
Before my omega could perfume in the middle of the diner, I ushered him to a table.
“What can I get you for breakfast?” I offered. My voice was much higher than usual and he chuckled.
“I actually needed to place a big order. I was going to bring the team breakfast sandwiches, but I wanted to talk to you as well.”
He leaned his forearms onto the table, drawing me closer. I leaned in happily, partially eager to hear what he had to say, the other half greedy for more of his scent.
“Do you have tonight off since we don’t have practice at the arena?”
The Renegades didn’t usually have practice before a game, something I hadn’t connected the dots on when Coach gave me my schedule for the week.
“I do.”
I hesitated because if he was about to ask me on a date, I couldn’t leave Gavin behind. If Mom was coming back from one of her benders, she’d be in rare form.
“I was wondering if you and Gavin wanted to hang out with me tonight. I found this arcade and restaurant that I think you’d really like.”
“Oh my God. Pack Adventures!” Gavin’s voice made me jump. I had been so focused on the delta that I hadn’t noticed him sneaking up behind me.
Little brat.
“Yes, exactly,” Lachlan laughed. “You’ve heard of it?”
“Everyone has,” he said before turning to me, eyes wide and eager. “Can we go?”
I knew nothing about the place, but from Gavin’s excitement alone, I knew I couldn’t say no.
“It’s my treat since I’m the one asking you out,” Lachlan clarified before I could second-guess things.
My one saving grace was that Mom knew nothing about my schedule, meaning she couldn’t be upset if we were back by my usual time.
This was exactly what I’d been saying that I wanted. More time with my pack one on one.
“We would love to go.”
His answering smile was brilliant and his entire face lit up with happiness. He was just as excited as I was about this.
“Great. Perfect,” he said. “Where should I pick you up?”
“How about here?” I offered. “It’ll be the easiest place. Gavin and I usually meet up here after he gets out of school.”
“What time is that?” Lachlan asked. “We can always go after school and get an early dinner.”
“He’s usually here by three-fifteen.”
“Then I’ll be here before then,” Lachlan said, giving me a smile that was meant just for me. His eyes softened and he leaned in a little. The rest of the world faded away for a moment and I soaked in his warmth.
I was in trouble with this delta.
He started to get up, but I snapped back to my senses.
“Wait, aren’t you wanting to order something?”
“Oh, duh. Yes,” he said, exasperated with himself.
I pulled out my order pad and wrote down the fairly large order he rattled off.
Lachlan and Gavin dove into a conversation about the arcade we were going to that night as I handed the order over to Max.
He raised an eyebrow as he looked it over but shrugged. “I’ll have it in a minute.”
“To-go, please,” I reminded him, even though it was written on the ticket.
I was so flustered that Lydia was cracking up at me.
“Shut up. You’re the worst friend,” I joked, fanning my burning face.
“You’re adorable,” she teased with a cackle. “Now get that cute ass over to table three. Looks like they need refills.”
I didn’t hesitate to dive back into my job, brushing off the fog I was in so I could focus.
When the next small lull hit, Lydia slid over a glass of water. I could just tell she was about to impart some wisdom I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear.
“You know, if you’re afraid that you don’t have enough confidence in managing a pack, you can just do what I did.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask.”
Lydia chuckled before waving me off. “Nothing crazy. Just go to the pack romance section at the bookstore. Make sure you get yourself a nice spicy read. I think they could give you a few ideas.”
That was all she said before she was off again.
I’d never been much of a reader, but the idea did have merit. Maybe finding out exactly what it was like to be the center of an entire pack’s attention would help me out.
“Order up!” Max called.
He was already stacking several bags at the window. I gathered them before heading for the register.
“Have a good day at school. I’ll see you after,” Lachlan told Gavin as he got up to join me at the counter.
I typed in his order and gave him his total. I already knew, without having to ask, that he was about to tip me some ridiculous amount.
For once, I didn’t bother to fight it.
Honestly, the fact that they were treating me normally after finding out what they did about my home life was enough for me.
“I better get these back before they turn feral on me, but I’m really looking forward to tonight.” He gave me one last longing look. “See you later, gorgeous.”
Then he was walking out the door like he hadn’t just lit me on fire all over again.
“Damn, he’s good,” Lydia said.
I rolled my eyes at her, but even I couldn’t hide the smile on my face. This was a first for me and he’d even included Gavin.
“So… you’re going on a date,” she mused, ready to ask more.
My watch started blaring, and I held it up between us with a fake sad face.
“Oh, look. I have to go,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone. “Come on, Gavin!”
Of course, Lydia was cracking up behind me as I ushered him off to school.
When I got back, I put my full focus into work.
The morning flew by, and finally, when my shift was over, I was left reeling.
“Wait a second,” Lydia said before I could walk out the door. “Let me get your tips for the day.”
She handed them over before looking me up and down.
“Maybe it’s time to go shopping and buy yourself a cute new outfit.”
I looked down at my plain clothes. Outside of these and my workout gear, I didn’t have much. I was much more comfortable in leggings and oversized hoodies... or at least I was when I used to run.
It’d been a while since I’d had time to do that. Working two jobs didn’t exactly leave me with loads of extra time.
Between all the tips I’d earned today and Lachlan’s generous one, I had plenty that I’d be able to buy a new outfit and maybe one for Gavin, too.
For once, I wanted new clothes. Not something used that was clearly thrifted.
Maybe it was the guys’ influence or my good mood, but as I browsed the clothes in the department store, I found myself actually enjoying it.
I even indulged in a coffee from the tiny shop they had at the entrance.
My usual style was baggy jeans, but I wanted something different. It was time to show off my curves a little. Thanks to my lifestyle I wasn’t quite as soft or curvy as most omegas. But for once I wasn’t ashamed of my body.
August seemed more than satisfied with what he saw.
After browsing the shirt section for longer than I should have, I found a cute tank top with a bit of a V-neck. It was simple, but cute.
Then I moved onto Gavin’s outfit. I made sure not to let them match but he was a whole lot easier to shop for than my clothes.
I paid for everything before ducking into the bathroom near the entrance to change. Everything fit just like I needed it to. Between that and actually getting ready properly that morning, I didn’t have to run home to do my hair and makeup first.
Which was good. I still wasn’t sure if my mother was back from her latest escapade or not.
I still had time to kill but the bus ride would eat up most of it.
As the bus drove down Main Street, my eyes caught on the bookstore. My mind was made up before the bus even stopped, and I was climbing out.
My cheeks burned at the thought of what I was about to buy, but I was in too deep now to leave.
I wasn’t about to ask for help.
Instead, I followed the signs until I found the section clearly labeled Pack Romance.
Thank God for small mercies.
The bookstore had cute little handwritten notes, giving snippets of what the staff’s favorite reads were, along with little spice ratings.
I figured at this point I might as well go all in.
The one with five peppers was the section I chose, grabbing a few books before heading to the checkout counter.
The omega behind the register picked up the stack.
“Did you find everything you needed?”
“Hopefully,” I said. “My boss suggested I check out some pack romance, so...”
I trailed off, not wanting to fill in the blanks for a stranger.
“Oh, these are great picks,” she said as she looked through the three books I’d chosen. “If this is your first dive into the genre, I’d suggest you start with this one.”
She tapped the cover of one of the books.
“Everyone went crazy for it. I loved it, too.”
She let out a little happy sigh as if remembering the story. That was a glowing recommendation.
“Perfect,” I said, pulling out my wallet.
She rang everything up, and I paid quickly, taking the bag and rushing out before my face could actually catch fire.
It just so happened I had at least an hour to kill.
That was enough time to snuggle into the corner booth at the diner and get some reading in.
If Lydia didn’t tease me into hiding first.