Both of my pack members groan in unison.
ChapterFour
Gabe
Iflit around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches to a lasagna. My phone beeps and I back up, carefully balancing the ceramic dish in my hand as I check the screen. The pack are on their way back, a typically brisk message from Rogue giving me a 15-minute ETA.
I slide the meal into the oven, emitting a soft growl of satisfaction as I close the oven door.
I’m not really your typical alpha. Sure, I’ve got the build. I’m nudging six foot and even though I’m slighter than the rest of my pack, I still work out and have the muscles to show for it. But I’ve never been a typicallydominantalpha. Rogan, Devlin, and Ace pulled me into their pack in school almost by accident. They thought they were defending a beta. They soon realized I was alpha, though, when I knocked out the beta who tried to jump Ace when he wasn’t looking. I might not be the first to throw a punch, but I’ll happily finish the fight.
Humming quietly, I whip up a salad and throw some chopped potato into the frier. Ace will give me the puppy eyes if there’s no fries. My stomach flips at the thought. Pushing away any thoughts of Ace’s eyes, I finish up laying the table and head up for a quick shower before the pack gets home.
Home. It’s a funny word. It means something a little bit different to everyone. It does to my pack. My throat closes at the thought of another awkward meal as I lean up against the wall of the shower, taking a moment to let the hot water batter my tired bones. Raising a hand, I trace the scar running from under my hairline down my left cheek. It goes straight through my eye.
Our pack is falling apart at the edges. We all know it.
Don’t get me wrong. We’d give our lives for each other in an instant. I’d do anything for my brothers, and I know they’d do the same for me. I’ve never doubted it, even during our time with Elinor, and what happened afterwards.
But lately, our pack has become…cold.
We used to spend so much time together, all of us in this beautiful farmhouse we picked out. Our touch is all over this place. Rogue’s books take up space in every corner, Devlin’s art is hanging in the hallway. There are polaroid prints of us in our younger days dotted across the kitchen fridge. It should be perfect.
But the atmosphere is missing. Every day, it feels like we’re going through the motions whilst we wait for something to happen. Forsomeoneto happen.
Our pack is missing a female. Alpha packs need a relationship in the pack bond to stay sane. We rely on it, can even go feral if we go too long without one. Our pack has buried itself in work and home to try and push off the feeling but it’s starting to colour every interaction we have. We’re all on edge, quick to anger and harsh words.
All of us have been reluctant to go near the OC, even with Rogue’s connections. Devlin turns pale at just the thought of bitemarking an omega. And Ace… Ace is complicated. My heart jumps into my throat.
What happened with Elinor tarnished our relationship. She took what we had and twisted it, broke it into pieces. Now, we’re so far apart I can’t see us ever finding our way back to each other.
Maybe it’s for the best.Focus on finding a female, and we can fix the main issue with the pack. Ace and I will sort ourselves out eventually.
We don’t have to bring in an omega though. They’re rare as fuck, for one. Devlin’s aversion is another good reason to avoid the OC. We could always try and bring in another beta female.
My head pounds at the thought, and I close my eyes tightly. I need to get a handle on this. Between me and Devlin, there won’t be any type of suitable female to bring in. Alpha females don’t settle with male alpha packs, only betas.
My fingers follow the familiar path down the side of my face, tracing the memento Elinor left me with.
I switch off the shower and my attention is caught by the glare of lights sweeping across the window. Quickly dressing, I head downstairs to check on the food.
The silence as the kitchen door swings open speaks volumes.
Blowing out a breath, my gaze sweeps between them.
Rogue’s face is a picture of frustration, his dark hair flopping into his eyes as he impatiently sweeps it off his face. Devlin’s face is thunder whilst Ace is pure lightning, his eyes flicking around the kitchen as he takes in the nicely laid table, the candle, the basket of salad and our ‘good’ place settings. A little twist tugs in my stomach as his eyes meet mine, his gaze moving to my scar. I turn to fuss with the food, breaking eye contact.
“Let me guess,” I drawl. “Ace went off like the lone ranger and Dev decided to just do his own thing?”
Rogue bristles, swinging around to point a finger at them both, swinging between them like he’s not sure who to ream out first.
“This is the last time,” he snaps, his frustration scenting the air sharply. “Do you hear me? We are afucking team.If you don’t start to act like it, you’ll be fucking benched, and I’ll recruit new blood in.”
Ignoring them both as they start to protest, he flops down at the table with a groan. I pass him a beer and he taps my wrist in quiet thanks, throwing a wink my way when the guys aren’t looking. I shake my head at him. Rogue would never go on a mission without Ace and Dev. Even when they’ve gone maverick, they’re still twice as effective as any other team.
I point at the two empty chairs until Dev and Ace sit their asses down, still grumbling at Rogue as he pointedly ignores them. Grabbing the lasagna from the side, I set it down in the middle with a flourish and Ace whistles in appreciation.
“Damn, Gabe, that looks good.”
