Chapter 25 Eli
ELI
Careful not to rip any of the bags as I try carrying them all in one trip into the house is a challenge.
But who wants to do multiple trips when it’s this cold.
We’ve all been so busy since the heat—going back to work then the New Year’s party.
After that snowball fight, it was obvious we need more fun as a pack or at least all of us to relax a bit.
Liam was the one who brought up a movie night to me.
He’s like Micah in that sense; he comes up with a good idea for the pack but asks us to put it together and claims no credit for the one who instigated it.
I bet Micah will do that once we give Thea our courting present.
He probably will downplay any contribution he made.
I’ll make sure to let the pack know tonight that our doc was the one to suggest family bonding time. I’m smiling just thinking about it.
I dump the bags contents on the kitchen island.
I bought every kind of snack someone would want for a movie night—sweet, sour and everything in between.
Liam will be picking up the pizzas I ordered on his way home.
Everyone should be here within the hour.
I better get this ultimate snack station set up.
Thea is the first one in the kitchen, Ben following close behind. I don’t see Micah; he must have gone somewhere to seclude himself. He’s been sulking a bit since his talk with Thea. He’ll figure it out in time, I’m sure.
Thea’s eyes light up when she sees the island. I’ve organized all the snacks and drinks I bought covering the entire area. “Whoa, what is all this for?” she asks, drawing me in for a side hug.
Leaning down, I kiss the top of her head.
“We’re having a pack movie night, which will probably turn into a movie marathon depending on what we pick,” I reply, just now realizing that picking the movie will be the hardest part.
Brushing it off for the moment, I continue seriously, “Proper snacks are a necessity for such an event.”
I can feel her giddiness in the bond. Ben must feel it too given the soft smile he’s looking at her with. “What about dinner? You need me to cook something quick?” he asks, moving towards the fridge. I am not allowed to cook anymore. Well, nothing too complicated.
“You burn one too many dinners and everyone acts like I’m useless in the kitchen,” I faux pout. Thea pats my chest in sympathy which has Ben rolling his eyes.
“It was less you burning things to the point they were inedible, more you going the opposite way and undercooked food so bad it got us all sick,” he retorts, making Thea gasp in surprise.
Rubbing the back of my head, I try to downplay it. “It wasn’t that bad Sunshine. I’d never cook anything that got you sick.”
She just shakes her head, laughing a little. “It’s okay. You can’t be amazing at everything,” she chuckles, giving me a teasing smile as she pats my chest again before walking towards Ben. That wasn’t as comforting as before. Now I really am pouting as I take a seat at the other side of the island.
“You don’t have to cook. Liam is picking up dinner.” I remember to say before they start preparing anything.
“Oh okay. I guess I’ll go get Keelan and Parker then,” he says before kissing Thea’s cheek and leaving. She comes over and sits next to me. I’m resting my chin in my hand as I stare at my unloved snack station. Her vanilla and woodsmoke scent wraps around me but I won’t be swayed.
Suddenly she’s poking my cheek with her finger. “Are you really upset by what I said?”
I guess I’m not, but I don’t want her to think I’m so bad at such a basic necessity.
I mean I am, but I should be able to take care of my omega, right?
I haven’t responded so she pushes forward, saying, “If it bothers you that you can’t cook, I’ll help you learn.
But if you don’t want to, who cares? There’s plenty of us in the pack to do it. ”
I turn my head to look at her. There’s no trace of teasing in her expression.
It’s open and honest. A little of her concern trickles down the bond.
Now I’ve worried her over nothing. “It couldn’t hurt to learn how to not poison my pack.
” I try to make light of it. She rolls her eyes and rests her head on my shoulder.
“Thank you for organizing this, it’ll be really nice to do something together as a pack.”
I want to tell her it was Liam’s idea but a selfish part of me wants to bask in her praise a little longer. Just then we hear what must have been the front door slam open. “Eli!” Liam shouts.
The moment is gone and we both get up and head to the front door to see Liam carrying a ridiculously tall stack of pizza boxes. You can’t even see his face. It takes everything in me not to roll with laughter. Thea doesn’t even try to hold back.
“Sweetheart, maybe you could stop laughing and take some of these?” he bites out behind the wall of cardboard boxes.
Before she moves to help, I’m grabbing the top half of boxes, revealing an annoyed looking alpha.
He can’t be too mad; he’s the one who asked me to get everything ready.
We’re a pack of six alphas, one beta, and now an omega so we need a lot of food.
Plus, everyone has their favorites. I got one each of their favorites and a couple of regular cheese pizzas to supplement.
As I start to head towards the kitchen, Thea grabs a couple of the remaining boxes in Liam’s hands. I realize the problem as soon as I enter the kitchen—I didn’t leave much space on the island for the pizza. That was poor planning. Oh well, we can spread everything out on the counters.
Liam and Thea follow me in and do the same as me, placing the boxes on the counters. “Hey this was your idea, you can’t be mad,” I say before he can complain. Thea looks over to him in surprise. He doesn’t say anything and instead leaves the room. I shake my head. Stubborn alphas.
When he brought up the idea of doing something together as a pack, it made me wonder why I didn’t think of it.
Before Thea came here, the only thing we did together besides our therapy sessions were our pack dinners.
Honestly, as much as I don’t like Taz, that snowball fight was the most fun I think we’ve all had together since before we met our ex.
Liam must have realized the same. Even with what’s going on with the stalker, we shouldn’t put life on hold.
Thea’s already breathed new life into our pack since she came to town.
I don’t think there’s any stopping the rolling tidal wave of change it’s triggered. Not that any of us would want to.
Everyone is finally home and gathered in the living room, with our plates and snacks brought in. The only problem?
“It should be a comedy,” Parker says for the tenth time.
“Action,” Keelan grumbles.
“You’re both wrong, we should watch a thriller,” Micah says as he finally sits down.
“No,” all of us—even Thea—say in response. Micah’s face crumples in annoyance.
I’m lucky enough to sit next to Thea, Liam is on her other side. “How about something romantic?” I say, putting my arm around Thea. She rolls her eyes at me.
“Definitely not,” she groans, as if disgusted.
I gasp in mock surprise. “Does our omega hate romance movies?”
“How? Especially when you love reading books like that?” Ben asks, confused from my other side.
She shrugs. “I don’t only read romance books. But yes, a lot of them have romance in them. Movies are different. I only like a handful of them. Anyways, there’s got to be a way to decide what to watch, because the food will be cold by the time you guys choose.”
We all look around at each other, probably realizing that we always just argue until someone gives in, which I don’t think Thea wants us to do. It’s complete silence for a solid minute or two.
“You guys are hopeless,” she says, shaking her head, her voice teasing.
Standing, she moves to where Parker is seated at the end of the sectional, holding her fist up.
“On three.” Then she proceeds to play rock, paper, scissors.
She beats him by playing scissors to his paper.
She moves along in this way to each of us until Liam is the one to finally beat her.
“There you go, Liam can decide or he can play everyone who’s left and whoever wins decides.” She plops back down in her spot next to me. It’s only me, Ben, and Jake who are left.
“I’m good with Liam deciding,” I say, hoping to get the ball rolling.
“Same here,” Ben says.
Jake adds, “I agree as well.”
Thea turns more into Liam’s side. She’s looking straight ahead, awaiting his choice on the screen, but he’s looking down at her softly, as if she’s the most precious person he’s ever scene. He wouldn’t be wrong. I know we all feel that way.
“I think my ears are bleeding,” Micah grumbles as Thea and I sing along with the musical that shockingly Liam put on. He hates this stuff so we all know he chose it for Thea.
“If you’re so concerned then join in,” Thea challenges.
They stare at each other and Micah is the first to look away, but not before the slightest smirk ghosts across his face.
Thea sits back, as if victorious, leaning against Jake and Keelan.
She’s moved around to sit with all of us throughout the movie.
“If you want to hear an actual singer, you should ask Jake to sing,” Keelan says in her ear, but he’s incapable of whispering low enough when I’m now sitting on his other side. Thea jerks in surprise before pausing the movie.
“You can sing?!” she exclaims to Jake, who just glares at Keelan. We all knew he could sing but I think only Keelan and Micah have actually heard him, and they found out on accident.
“Yes,” Jake answers hesitantly, looking uncomfortable.
“Would you show me one day? I’d love to hear your voice,” Thea says softly. Her excitement is clear in the bond but she’s tamping it down so as not to pressure him.
He doesn’t respond, except to scoop her up and place her in his lap.
He leans in, whispering something to her that I don’t think any of us can hear.
Oh well, they can have their moment. That’s what it means to be in a pack and share an omega.
Whether it’s surprising or not, we’ve actually adapted to that pretty well.
I knew from the beginning that being in a large pack meant there would be a give and take when it came time for us to find an omega.
Though I think we are all surprised with how near seamless we’ve been able to build our relationship with her, while not trampling on anyone else’s.
I’m sure all the therapy we did is part of the reason.
And even though a pack bond isn’t something as tangible as a bitten bond with a mate, we still feel it on some level and since Thea came, it feels much more at peace and cohesive.
Something we haven’t felt in a long time as a group.
Looking around at my pack, my brothers, it’s clear we are going to be okay. With Thea and as a family.