ChapterThree
Ellis
“This is a terrible fucking idea,” Miles said again, like I hadn’t heard him the first several times. He wasn’t usually the worrying type, but I could see how bringing an unmated omega into our fold could be dangerous. But he was claimed, and I had no intention of claiming her as well, just protecting her, so he needed to let it go and trust me. Thanks to this visit with my mother, I was already on edge, and this wasn’t helping. But it wasn’t the omega’s fault, and if Liam was asking, this was a big deal.
“I’m not going to let Liam’s fucking sister live on the streets. It doesn’t mean she’s pack, alright?” I reiterated through gritted teeth, casting a glare at my omega. He angrily put his shoulder-length blond hair in a bun, his number one tell that he was angry. Omegas were known for being territorial, but this was next level, even for him. “What are you so against? She’s not going to get in the way of us.” His raised brow tried to say that wasn’t even on his radar, but I knew him better than that.
“She’s pregnant… with another alpha’s baby, Ellis!” he argued. His anger was filling the car, suffocating and bitter, so I rolled down my window and kicked on the vents. Poor girl would think she was walking into fucking battle, not her getaway vehicle. “How does that not bother you?”
“Because she’s not my fucking omega,” I ground out. “You are, and Beckham is. End of discussion. Now, fucking deal with it and breathe through this meltdown, or I’m leaving you here.” He narrowed those fiery green eyes at me in silence that I knew wasn’t going to last forever. “Liam didn’t go into detail. He said it’s her story to tell. But he did say that this wasn’t planned, and it wasn’t her fault. She just needs a safe place until she can get back on her feet. We can give that to her.”
I wasn’t usually this harsh, and Miles was generally full of snark and sass, but after over five years together, we knew these kinds of moments would pass too. Fighting was inevitable among packs as close as ours, and we tried not to dwell on disagreements. So, instead of pushing further, I switched tactics to appeal to his sensitive side. He had one, even if he tried to hide it. “She’s dealing with some heavy shit. Let’s not make it worse. It’s temporary, Miles. Think about how you’d feel in her situation.”
He let out a long-suffering sigh and faced forward, his hands clenched into tight fists as he took measured breaths. Whoever said omegas weren’t the real time bombs clearly hadn’t spent time with omega males—or at least not ones like Miles. Our other omega, Beckham, was his opposite. Sweet, soft-spoken, controlled. Not many packs had two omegas, but Miles and Beckham were close and complemented each other. We had all come together for work then naturally fallen into this pack of ours. The first heat Beckham hit triggered Miles’, then after we helped them both through, we didn’t want to go back to being just friends. I loved both of them, as did Graham, their other alpha. Tallon and Wells didn’t share the omegas, though they weren’t shy about helping them through heats when they came about. Our other two pack members fit better together, their strong and stoic personalities a natural balm for one another’s intensity. Personally, I thought they could use a bit more balance, but some thoughts were better left unspoken.
A few minutes later, Liam walked out of the large house, followed by a woman I assumed was his sister. She didn’t look pregnant, with her baggy clothes hiding the baby bump if she even had one. How had they found out so early? An omega’s scent didn’t change until the second trimester.
“She looks timid,” Miles noted, sounding a bit too pleased about that aspect.
“Her entire world just crashed around her. Of course she does. Behave,” I ordered him, using my alpha tone. He glanced over at me and nodded, serious now. Miles wasn’t an idiot and wouldn’t push too far. He knew when he was dancing along the line of my patience and wasn’t one to cross it, but I could tell that something about this was getting to him. “That, or I’m handing you over to Graham to deal with.”
Was he truly worried about us choosing her over them? Claiming bites weren’t something you could take back. I made a mental note to talk to him after she was settled in. I didn’t want him to sit and worry over nothing, and this display was screaming that he was letting something get to him.
He swallowed hard and turned back around, grumbling about alphas and their threats.
Leaving the car running, I stepped out just as Liam and his sister approached. He hadn’t given me a name yet. As he pulled her in for a hug, I studied her. She was around 5’5, petite, and now that I was close enough, I could tell there was a fire somewhere inside her. She looked determined, and I had a feeling this wasn’t going to go off like Liam was planning. I knew a scheming omega when I saw one thanks to how often Miles wore that look.
She’d dressed down, not to impress, which was already out of character, or at least what my assumption would be. Omegas generally loved to dress up and catch an alpha’s attention, but she was currently the opposite in an oversized sweatshirt and yoga pants, no makeup, and her hair in a messy bun. But fuck… If she still didn’t look adorable. Not your omega, I reminded myself. Not to mention her current situation probably hadn’t endeared her to alphas.
“Ellis.” Liam breathed out my name like I was his savior. There was anger bubbling under the surface, which was completely expected. I knew he was in a bad spot, caught between loyalty and his own future. More than once, he’d mentioned needing to finish school before he could strike out on his own. I had known long before this how awful and selfish his parents were.
“Liam,” I said, shaking his hand. Then I turned to her. “I’m Ellis… and you are?”
“Briar,” she said. Her voice was soft and sweet, a bit timid. She was a wild card like Miles; I was sure of it. She just wasn’t doing well at the moment.
“I’ll take the bags, Briar,” I offered, gathering up the suitcases she had. From the way she was clinging to the backpack, I knew not to even ask. When a breeze blew past us, I was slammed with the scent of guava and coconut. It was downright mouthwatering, so intense my steps faltered for a moment. It took everything in me to step away from her, busying myself with opening the trunk so I could put her bags inside before rejoining them.
“Be safe, Briar. I love you,” Liam said, sounding like he was in pain. I clapped him on the back before walking to my door.
“Back seats are open and all for you. My omega and I are up front. We’ll give you a minute,” I offered, climbing back inside and closing the door. Clicking the button, I rolled up the window as well.
“Well?” Miles hissed once they couldn’t hear. “What’s she like?”
“Sad, defeated, but she’ll hold her own with us, I think,” I told him honestly. She looked rough, but she also seemed determined, and that instinct would serve her well. I didn’t mention that her scent was heavenly or that I couldn’t stop myself from already wanting to protect her from whatever hell she was living in. Liam had given me the basic rundown—a surprise pregnancy, losing her job, an evil boss, and then her family sending her off to protect themselves. Like her pregnancy was some awful scandal instead of their own behavior. Assholes.
When the door opened, Miles’ hand clasped my wrist and frantic eyes turned my way. I didn’t react, knowing that Miles’ issues were about to get worse. He was the most territorial omega I knew, and now he was aware of just how good she smelled. The fight had drained from him as a new kind of tension took over. Yeah… This was going to be interesting.
“Ready?” I asked as I put the car back in drive. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror, and she shook her head, lips pursed in a thin line. It was a look that I recognized. She was holding herself back, from feeling, from crying, from screaming… Which one, I wasn’t sure, but she was doing her best to keep herself on lockdown right now.
We drove off without looking back, the tension in the car tangible enough that I knew this hour drive was about to be pure fucking torture. Even Miles didn’t speak as we merged onto the highway, heading toward Grove City.
“Listen,” she finally said when the city border came into view, its towering buildings and bright lights a harsh contrast to the unoccupied fields around it. “I know you don’t want a pregnant omega, and I would never ask that of an established pack. I’ve got a plan. Can you just take me here? I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” She leaned up and stretched her hand my way, a piece of paper in it. I opened it and frowned at the address. Parker Lane wasn’t on the side of town we lived on, and that meant it wasn’t in the good side of the city. Hell, that was where most of the dirty deals went down, from sleazy bar gambling rings to omega dens. She wasn’t about to sell herself… right? Because over my dead fucking body would I drop her off at any place in that section of town.
“What’s there?” Miles asked bluntly, and I appreciated his lack of filter in that moment.
“A shelter that’s not associated with the damn omega clinics,” she said evenly.
Miles snorted. “I hear that one. They once tried to send me to an omega etiquette training class.” I shook my head at that thought. He would have been kicked out in under five minutes. It only registered after our laughter died down that Miles had lost all of his attitude. I guess he decided she wasn’t a threat after all.
“Your brother entrusted you to me, and you want me to just drop you off at this place?”
“Yes, I do. I’m not your responsibility,” she said bluntly. There was almost a growl to her voice, the sound small but fierce. Omega growls couldn’t hold a candle to an alpha’s, but it was conveying her feelings clearly enough. “I’m no one’s burden. I’ll figure it out.”
“I agreed to take you in, and you’re far from a burden. Our place is much nicer, that I can promise,” I argued as I gripped the steering wheel to the point that my knuckles turned white. Arguing with omegas wasn’t an easy or smart task, but I wouldn’t let her self-sabotage and put herself in a dangerous situation because of pride.
“And I don’t give a fuck about luxury, Ellis,” she challenged. She muttered something else that was unintelligible, and I heard Miles laugh softly next to me.
“Feisty,” he noted with amusement. “I’m here for that energy.”