She nods her head, resting more of her face against my chest. I’ve probably been skating way slower than necessary. Her body relaxes slightly in my hold.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Our cabin is right here on the edge of the lake.”
She opens her eyes then, blinking rapidly. Her left eye is completely blue, the right is blue on the top half and green on the bottom half. They’re striking, but unfocused. I watch as her pupils dilate and panic takes over.
“Are your eyes bothering you?” I keep my tone calm so that she doesn’t worry.
“I think my contacts somehow shifted or fell out when I fell. I can’t see fuck all,” she says. and I can’t help the laugh that rumbles out of my throat. I even catch her smirking at the sound. “I have glasses in Hank’s vest,” she says, and I nod my head.
“You can rest your eyes till we get you there.”
“You’re not going to lock me in your basement and keep me captive?” I laugh again, and she smiles.
“Not unless you want us to. Even then, the cabin has a crawl space, and well, even though you’re tiny, I don’t think you’d be comfortable.” I finally reach the edge where the ice meets the snow. This is going to be the tough part. I brace my ankles and walk steadily, making sure that there aren’t any divots on the ground. Luckily Anders and Mikael took everything to the house and are headed outside with boots on. Anders opens his arms first, and I pass the Omega over to him. His eyes widen as he takes in the same realization as I did a few moments ago.
“Yes, I’m an Omega. Can we move on?” Anders stills but carries her into the cabin. Mikael looks at her with curiosity, but apprehension as well. While my experience with Omegas is limited, something tells me that Charlotte is a little different. More blunt with her approach than what we’ve been taught about Omega behavior. And I don’t know if all Omegas smell that fucking amazing, but I want to bottle her scent up and carry it with me everywhere I go.
I shuck off my skates and leave them in the wet room next to Anders’ and Mikael’s. Anders places the Omega on the couch, grabbing a small blanket while Mikael lights the fire. Her massive beast of a dog walks up to her and nudges her hand with his snout. She pets his head without opening her eyes. “It’s okay, baby. I’m fine.” Her voice is soft as she calms the panicked dog. “Can one of you get Hank’s vest? My glasses are in the blue pocket.”
Rounding the corner, I grab the vest and dig into the pocket, grabbing the glasses case and putting it into her delicate hand.
“Thank you,” she says quietly as she opens the case and puts the glasses on. She sighs as she blinks her eyes. The frames suit her face, thin black frames on the top and none on the bottom. Anders lets out a breath when he takes in her face for the first time.
“How’s your head?” he asks. She blinks at him a few times, her eyesight adjusting as she gives him a smirk.
“It hurts, but I don’t think I have a concussion or broken skin.”
“May I?” he asks, and she nods her head, giving him permission to touch her. Anders leans over, his blond hair looking nearly brown compared to hers as he removes her hat. White blonde hair clings to the wool as he places it down on the couch. His fingers gently search through her hair, feeling for a bump. I watch as the Omega’s eyes close hazily and her lips part as my Alpha teammate inspects her gently.
“You might have a bump, and your eyes?” Anders is probably the sweetest one of all of us, but the way he’s speaking to the Omega now is in a tone I haven’t even heard before.
“Much better,” she says, nodding.
“Where did the puck hit you?” Mikael interrupts the conversation.
Charlotte closes her mouth and looks at Mikael, taking in his appearance. “My left tit, but you’re not checking it,” she says. Anders and I can’t help the laugh that explodes out of each of us. Mikael’s mouth is parted in surprise as he looks at the small Omega. “Do you have any Tylenol or a bathroom I can use?”
“I’ll get it,” Mikael grumbles as he heads to the kitchen.
“Let’s take off your skates first,” I say, and unlike Anders, I don’t ask. I just get on my knees and unlace her skates, noting the wear they’ve taken on. No doubt from years of use and love. Something about that is endearing to me. Charlotte gapes at me as I stand back up, towering over her on the couch.
“Follow me,” I say, holding out my hand. She looks down at my hand like it’s offensive for a moment before shrugging and putting her much smaller hand in mine. Why do I want to touch her? I mean, from a biological standpoint I get it, and now that we’re in the warmth of the cabin, it makes more sense. Her scent is heady and thick like syrup is dripping down my throat. The need to protect and do other things to this Omega is staggering.
The clicking of nails against the hardwood follows us as we reach the bathroom. I release her hand, and she pats the dog’s head. “Hank, sit,” she says. He doesn’t listen, and she just rolls her eyes and walks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
Feeling like a loser standing outside the door, I leave Hank on Omega duty as I walk back into the open concept living room and kitchen. I might have undersold the place to the guys. While it’s a cabin, it’s a luxury cabin. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom, and all the furnishings are modern and new.
Taking off all the layers from outside, I shuck them onto the dining room table. It feels stifling with the fire going in here and for other reasons I’m not sure I want to explore.
“A fucking Omega?” Mikael hisses.
“What?” I ask, blinking at him.
“It’s going to smell like fucking pancakes and syrup in here for weeks. We should have taken her home.”
“She hurt herself, and it was partially our fault. We need to make sure she’s okay.”
