Only Omega

Chapter Twelve.

The next morning I woke to the sound of Holden’s wailing. He slept on one of the big throw pillows near the fire place with his favourite teddy bear and was wrapped in a green blanket. Climbing out of bed I tried not to wake Hayden as I went to scoop Holden up into my arms.

“You hungry? Is that it?” I tenderly asked and Holden started wailing louder. Lightly rocking him, I went to grab his baby bag and dug out one of his empty bottles then started making my way downstairs while humming a tune trying to calm him down. When I got there both Tate and Tyler were sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal. Tyler was about to pore himself some apple juice when I snatched the carton away from him and filled Holden’s bottle up.

“You know a simple ‘please’ could’ve worked too” Tyler said as I handed the carton back to him and screwed the top of Holden’s bottle into place. I handed Holden his bottle and he instantly started suckling on it.

“Could you hold him for a sec?” I asked handing Holden over to Tate who didn’t seem to mind at all. I searched through the bag until I found some baby food and a little yellow bowl with utensils. I started getting his breakfast ready when I heard a loud bang from upstairs.

“Please tell me you guys heard that too” Tyler pleaded staring at the kitchen door along with me and Tate. There was a second then another bang followed by a grunt,

“What the-?” Tate trailed off as I set Holden’s bowl down in front of him still staring at the kitchen door. The sound of a struggle reached our ears and me and Tyler shared a look right before Hayden came flying through the kitchen door. He groaned trying to get up off the ground by using the kitchen table.

“Training starts at eight” Dwain said appearing in the doorway with a smirk plastered across his face. Tate looked between me and Hayden then settled for looking at Dwain.

“Just don’t beat the crap out of him” Tate warned shooting me a glance while Dwain raised an eyebrow up in confusion. Tyler nodded at Dwain with wide eyes.

“Trust me you do not want to go down that road” Tyler agreed but Dwain only shook his head, chuckling deeply as he stalked forward towards Hayden’s crumpled form.

“What’s he going to do? Kill me?” Dwain mockingly asked pulling Hayden up by the collar of his grey shirt so that they were face to face. Tate and Tyler shared a look with Tate sighing heavily and running a hand through his dark hair. Dwain was about to send his fist colliding with Hayden’s cheek when I caught his punch in my hand.

“No-.” Tyler said but paused to wait for when I started putting pressure onto Dwain’s hand, threatening to break his bones in my grip. Dwain cried out in pain and sunk to his knees, letting go of Hayden in the process.

“But his mate will” Tyler finished grinning at Tate who chuckled at the sight of a cowering Dwain in front of him. Hayden managed to get to his feet, blood trickling down from his nose as he ran the back of his hand across it, breathing heavily.

“Good morning to you too, Dwain” Hayden said nodding his head towards the crumpled form in front of him. Dwain grabbed at my wrist trying to get me to let go but before I could I sent my knee colliding with his face, knocking him backwards and onto his back.

“b***h” Dwain chocked out as I placed a tender kiss to Hayden’s cheek, taking a stand beside him in case he needed me.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Tyler was saying, smirking down at Dwain with a knowing look. Hayden rubbed at his chest like he was in pain, leaning back against the kitchen countertop.

“Tell me about it” he muttered under his breath to Tyler’s snarky question even though it wasn’t directed at him. I looked between the group when someone suddenly burst through the kitchen door.

“What happened? I heard banging” Dylan asked glancing around frantically with his hair messy, boxers hung low and red lipstick prints smudged across his face.

“Uh you’ve got a little something-.” Tate noted motioning towards the side of his face. Dylan instantly started wiping his forearm along his cheeks, noticing the red tracks that formed on his arm.

“Seriously? It’s eight in the morning and you’re already getting kinky with Jordan?” Dwain asked with a grim look as he glared up at his younger brother from the ground. Dylan’s eyes widened and snapped up to me.

“It’s not what it looks like, I swear” Tyler picked up his spoon and started shoving cereal into his mouth. He then waved it at Dylan saying “Like any of us are going to believe that” 

Tyler had a point as I went to wet the kitchen cloth so that I could start cleaning Hayden’s wounds.

“Believe what?” a girl with light brown curls and honey coloured eyes asked stepping into the doorway and placing a quick kiss to Dylan’s cheek. She was dressed in an oversized green T-Shirt that had Dylan’s scent all over it and her lips were coated in cherry red lipstick.

“Jordan, um-.” Dylan started searching for something to say as Dwain heaved himself up off the floor and into one of the chairs around the kitchen table. He smirked slyly at his little brother.

“That this is the best cereal in the world!” Tyler all of a sudden exclaimed trying to help Dylan with a moan of approval but it only caught Jordan’s attention and caused her to stiffen. There was a pause as the two locked eyes and Tyler dropped his spoon.

“Mate” he growled as Jordan stepped forward to lightly cup the side of his face. Dylan’s jaw dropped and Dwain grinned cheekily watching as Tyler pulled Jordan into a passionate kiss.

“We’ll there goes your girlfriend” Dwain teased finding it all amusing even though his nose was crooked and most likely still broken. Hayden’s arm wrapped itself around my waist pulling my body flush against his.

“Mate” he breathed into my ear, smiling like a fool when he ran his nose along my cheek bone. Jordan and Tyler pulled away from each other gasping for air but I didn’t give them much thought.

“Mate” I whispered back to Hayden as I nuzzled my own nose into his. He pulled back slightly to place tender kisses up along the bridge of my nose to my forehead when Holden started crying again.

“Rachel, I think he’s hungry” Tate announced bouncing Holden on his knee to try and get him to stop his crying but his efforts were to no avail. I sighed heavily and Hayden laughed.

“Kids, you just got to love them” he said making me smile brighter than I had for the first time that morning. Leaning up I placed a quick peck on his lips.

“Unfortunately” I mumbled pouting when I pulled back to take a seat next to Tate again. Hayden chuckled shaking his head from side to side as he watched me start to scoop some of Holden’s six month baby food onto his spoon.

“Open wide for mommy” I spoke in a baby voice as I steered the yellow spoon towards his mouth. Holden opened his mouth while crying but just barely giving me a chance to feed him the spoonful. He stopped crying to taste his food and looked around at everyone like nothing happened.

“There you go, isn’t that yummy?” I asked him kissing the top of his head before I started scooping up more of his fruit flavoured baby food.

“He’s adorable” Jordan suddenly piped from her place on Tyler’s lap next to a happy-go-lucky Dwain and a grumbling Dylan.

“Thanks but he can be a bit of a handful sometimes” I said with a small smile as Tate pocked Holden’s side, making the six month old laugh and some of the food to fall onto his giraffe bib.

“Here comes the aeroplane” I announced making a funny engine noise that was supposed to sound like a plane but didn’t as I fed Holden another mouthful. Hayden laughed at the sight pushing himself off the counter to wrap his arms around my waist. He stood behind me with his face buried into the side of my neck.

“That sounded more like a bee than a plane” he whispered causing me to laugh slightly as he trailed kisses up along the length of my throat.

“But he’s my little honey bee so-.” I trailed off, pulling a funny face at Holden and making him babble happily while Tate cleaned some food off from the side of his mouth.

“Our little honey bee” Hayden corrected planting a gentle kiss to my cheek before letting go of me to grab a glass from the cabinet and pour himself some apple juice.

“What’s his name?” Jordan asked unable to take her eyes of Holden who was hitting his palm against Tate’s held out hand.

“Holden” I replied feeding him another scoop of his baby food. 

His big blue eyes were all I could see and for the millionth time since I found him I felt blessed to be able to have him as a part of my life.

------------------------------

Later on that day while Hayden was at training with Dwain I left Holden with Tate to go see what Hugh had called me for. He was in his office working through some papers when the guard outside his study allowed me in.

“You called Alpha?” I asked as the door closed behind me and I made my way towards his wooden oak desk. Hugh looked up from his papers and to me.

“Rachel, yes take a seat” he said motioning towards the leather bound chairs in front of his desk. I slid into one, crossing my legs and resting my hands on top of them.

“I’d like to know more about this so called war since Caine can’t seem to enlighten me” he probed not once looking up from a document he was reading. I glanced out the floor to ceiling length window behind his desk at the endless stretch of green forest beyond.

“If the Raptors are behind the Rogues then their attack on the Helix pack would make sense” I said causing Hugh to look up from his papers, dropping them to fold his hands and focus on me.

“Why?” he asked his dark emerald eyes locked onto me while I continued to stare out the window, thinking over every other possibility that could lead to war.

“The Helix know how to bargain with Rogues” I plainly answered turning to lock my gaze with Hugh’s. He searched my eyes then nodded and turned back to his paperwork.

“But why still go after Cowen’s pack if they have what they already want?” he quizzed as I noticed a book lying on his desk of every pack in existence. It was thick and leather bound with the Council’s insignia imprinted on the front. Every Alpha has a copy that gets passed down from generation to generation.

“Because Cowen still has what Reign needs to pay the Rogues off with” I replied reaching across to take the book so that I could page through it. Hugh watched me out of the corner of his eye.

“And you know this how?” I ran my fingertips over a page with my old pack’s insignia printed on it. The Lacus pack to the East that I used to be a part of.

“Tate has some connections in the black market and according to him both packs wanted the same thing” I explained shooting Hugh a glance as I flipped the page over to a different pack insignia. He shuffled some papers together to stack them on top of a neat pile.

“What exactly did both packs want?” Hugh asked as I read over a passage about the Trojan pack in the North towards Canada.

“We don’t know yet” I said, not bothering to look up and meet his eyes as I skimped across the page.

“Alright so say that the Raptors are after Cowen for something, why use the Rogues to terrorise packs?” flipping through page after page I found myself staring down at the Raptor insignia.

“To take over them” I said rising from my seat and tossing the open book down in front of him so that the Raptor insignia sat in plain sight. Hugh blinked down at the book then looked back up at me

“Take over them? How?” I found myself striding over to one of the paintings on the walls. It was of the pack house when it was first built.

“You take over the territory and the pack will follow” I muttered running a finger over the delicate lines of every brush stroke needed to finish the painting of the three story house.

“Are you saying that their trying to-.” Hugh asked jumping to his feet and slamming his palms down onto his desk but I cut him off before he could finish “To take over the States? Yes”

Hugh looked speechless as if he didn’t know what to say and ran a shaky hand over his face trying to process the new information.

“My father doesn’t know anything yet” I explained walking around the study and running my hands along the back of the red couches by the old book case. Hugh looked up at me, motioning towards the phone on his desk.

“Caine said he’d be here in two days or, less depending on the Lacus pack’s arrival” I nodded realising that they most likely hadn’t arrived on Tyrant pack territory yet. There was a moment of silence before I turned to look at Hugh.

“He has to make the truce with the Helix pack” I sternly said causing Hugh’s brows to furrow up in confusion.

“Why? If anything this is more of a reason for him not to make the Truce” he asked jabbing his index finger into the top of his desk as if to put emphasis on his words.

“We need to protect whatever Reign wants and make shore that he doesn’t get his hands on it so that the-.” Hugh cut me off before I could finish with a look mixed between understanding and realisation “So that the Rogues turn on him” 

Nodding I made my way towards his desk, sticking my finger into the open book lying between us “Exactly, if the Rogues turn on Reign then maybe we’ll stand a chance at winning this war” with his jaw clenched Hugh glanced down at the book in front of him, sighing as he ran a shaky hand through his blonde mess of hair.

“The Raptors will come after you, they’ll come after Caine’s pack” he informed shooting me a worried look as if trying to find any form of fear in my crystal clear blue eyes but he couldn’t and instead he found an expression set in stone.

“I know, we’ll just have to outlast them long enough for the Rogues to lose their patience” as I said this I shot Hugh a smirk and he shook his head in disbelief as if I was insane “You do know we’re talking about the Raptors here, right? It’s suicide to go up against them” 

I shrugged turning to lean up against his desk with my arms crossed over my chest, glancing up at the plain white ceiling “Not if you know what you’re doing” I replied looking back at Hugh from over my shoulder to see him staring out the window with a far-away gleam in his eyes.

------------------------------

Later on I found myself laughing along with Carla and preparing Lunch. Jordan walked in dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, a ruffled blue shirt, a pair of cream sandals and a peach coloured quitter sleeve jacket in contrast to my jaded shorts, white tank top and white sandals.

“What’s cooking?” she asked leaning her elbows up on the kitchen table to look between me and Carla. I was just finishing up with my fourth sandwich and Carla with her sixth.

“Sandwiches, you want one?” I replied holding a ham and cheese flavoured one up for her to see. She gradually took it and leaned back against the kitchen table munching on it.

“Thanks” she said but I waved her off and motioned towards Carla with the butter knife I was using “Don’t thank me, It’s all Carla, I’m just helping out where I can” Carla swatted at me but smiled as I leaned away from her laughing at her failed attempt.

“Nonsense dear, you’re an expert at making sandwiches” she complimented and I couldn’t help but think back to my brother. He taught me how to make a proper sandwich but he only did it so that I could make him one whenever there was a game on TV that’s until he met Nicole.

“You learn from the best, I guess” I said shrugging my shoulders as I worked on making Hayden’s favourite. A tomato, ham, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich with the crusts cut off and extra pickles.

“So Jordan, you and Dylan huh?” I asked trying to strike up a conversation while glancing out the kitchen window every now and then at Hayden still training and Tate tickling Holden on the porch.

“We used to be friends, it only became official about a year or so ago” she replied shrugging as she reached across to dump her empty plate into the sink beside Carla. I nodded shooting her a glance.

“I see. You ever, you know-?” I trailed off when Carla started humming a tune as if reminding me that she was there. Jordan leaned back against the sink with her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jeans.

“No, just some heavy make out sessions” she said, a lop sided smile forming on her trademark cherry red coated lips. I set Hayden’s sandwich aside then started on another one since he ate at least three.

“Good thing too cause I really love Tyler” she added looking over her shoulder and out the kitchen window to where Tyler was now sitting across from Tate with his hands folded behind his head.

“I know the feeling” I muttered pausing to watch as Hayden and Dwain laughed over something he’d said. Hayden was dressed in only a pair of low hanging sweats with sweat coating his slim abs and muscles, making them seem as if they were almost glistening in the sun’s rays. He grabbed his water bottle and pored some of it onto his head shaking it from side to side, causing his hair to stick up in all directions.

“Hello Earth to Rachel, were you drooling over him?” Jordan asked waving her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my temporary trance. She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl beside me while shooting me a raised eyebrow look “No, I mean um…yes” 

Jordan laughed shaking her head while Carla peeled the kitchen curtain back to get a better look “I’m not going to lie sweetie but that is one fine piece of ass” Jordan chocked on her apple as I gapped up at the woman who looked like she was in her late thirties.

“What?” she asked shrugging when she noticed our surprised faces with Jordan struggling to catch her breath “I can look, can’t I?” Jordan and I shared a glance then burst out laughing from the awkward moment just as I finished Hayden’s third sandwich.

“Alright, enough fooling around girls, let’s get these out to the boys” Carla said smiling at both me and Jordan, giving a wink before she took Dwain’s sandwiches out the back door. Jordan and I looked at each other then started laughing again.

“You mind taking these to Tyler for me?” I asked her holding out a plate filled with olive, tomato, cheese, ham and mustard sauce sandwiches.

“No problem” she assured taking the plate so that I could grab Tate and Hayden’s from the counter following her out onto the porch. Tate was bouncing Holden on his knee when we approached.

“Brought you guys some sandwiches” Jordan announced setting Tyler’s down on the table next to him as she placed a quick peck to his cheek. I handed Tate’s to him and used my free hand to scoop Holden up onto my hip.

“Thanks princess” Tate thanked and I breathed a laugh at the nickname he gave me.

“Don’t mention it” I said shaking my head as I turned to descend the back porch steps. Hayden was sitting on one of the benches stationed around the yard with his water bottle clutched in his hands and a smile on his face as he watched Dwain and Dylan fooling around.

“You must be hungry” I declared catching his attention when I was close enough. I held his plate out to him and he gradually took it, rising from his seat to place a tender peck on my lips and one to the top of Holden’s head “Starving actually, thanks” 

I could only smile as Hayden started talking to Holden in a baby voice asking him things like “How’re you doing little man?” and “You had fun today squirt?” only getting a wild thrashing and a ton of baby babbling in return.

“It’s your favourite” I noted motioning towards the sandwiches. Hayden looked at them then kissed my forehead.

“That’s just another reason why I love you” he muttered smiling at me while nuzzling his nose along my cheek bone with his free hand wrapped around my waist “Not many girls would make their guy a sandwich now a days” I laughed kissing his cheek before pushing past him to take a seat on the bench with Holden in my lap.

“Yeah well I’m not like many girls” I said causing Hayden to chuckle and take a seat next to me to start munching on his sandwiches. We stayed like that just joking around, sharing kisses and fussing over Holden without a care in the world.

------------------------------

After helping Carla with the dishes when dinner was done, I headed upstairs to lay Holden down to sleep. Hayden was peeling off his shirt when I walked in and there were blankets scattered all over the floor in front of the fireplace.

“What’s this?” I asked setting a sleepy Holden down on our bed and wrapping him tightly in his baby blue blanket. He yawned and was asleep almost instantly.

“I figured we could use some alone time” Hayden said with a sly grin as he pulled his pants off so that he was dressed in only a pair of blue stripped boxers.

“Really? Well that would explain the fire you’ve got going and-.” I paused when I saw it and headed over to the coffee table where a bottle of red wine stood between a wine glass and a few bottles of beer.

“Seriously?” I asked picking up one of the beer bottles and showing it to him with a raised brow. He shrugged.

“I don’t do wine” he replied stalking over to me so that he could wrap his arms around my waist and pull my body flush against his.

“Do you need help undressing or are you just waiting for me to do it?” he asked leaning in to trail kisses up along the length of my throat. I set the beer bottle down and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I like when you do it” I whispered feeling his hands lightly make their way around my waist and underneath my tank top.

“Yeah?” he questioned in a breath and I nodded against the side of his face “Yeah” slowly he slid his hands higher, tugging off my tank top as I raised my arms to make it easier for him. Once it was tossed to the side Hayden used his hands to cup my rear, pulling me up into his arms and forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. He carried us down to the fire place where blankets were spread out in a makeshift bed and laid me down. The only light in the room came from the fireplace as its warm heat licked across our bare skin.

“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” he whispered into my ear causing a smile to graze my lips as be bent down, placing a kiss to my stomach then unbuttoned my shorts and slowly tugged them off.

“And I love you so much” he muttered looming over me and staring right into my eyes. I reached up to gently cup the side of his face in my palm.

“I love you too” I sincerely breathed and he leaned down to capture my lips in a tender but passionate kiss. Running my hands through his chocolate brown hair while one of his supported his weight and the other trailed its way down my body to my thigh, rubbing soothing circles on it. Our bare skin brushed up against each other except for my white lace underwear and his boxers. Soon we pulled away gasping for breath in the silence of the room. He leaned his forehead against mine so that our noses were touching from how close we were.

“How did I ever get this lucky to have you?” he asked in between pants, his eyes closed as if trying to savour the moment with one hand coming up to cup mine still caressing his face. I intertwined our fingers.

“You didn’t-.” I said causing his eyes to open and stare down at me in confusion.

“I did” I finished staring at our joined hands as shadows flickered across them from the fire place. He smiled bringing them to his lips and lightly kissing my fingers.

“You’re everything I could ever ask for, Rachel” he whispered to me as I ran my fingers across his lips, studying his face and taking in every small detail of it “You’re perfect” I felt my heart melt at his words just thinking about how many girl would die to hear them coming from the boy they loved.

“And you’re amazing” I muttered pushing his chest hard and forcing him to sit back on his knees so that I could straddle his lap with my hands, cupping both sides of his face. Staring down into his eyes, I placed a soft peck to his lips. Hayden wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer as he looked up at me with his forest green eyes.

“I can’t wait to call you my wife” my heart skipped a beat when he said those words and the idea of marrying him popped into my head for the billionth time “We could start off small then have a few kids of our own” I smiled hiding my flushed face in the side of his neck. I felt like crying tears of joy at the thought of having his baby “A little girl that looks just like you” I never wanted him to stop talking as I trail my hands down to rest on his bare chest “Daddy’s little girl” I leaned my forehead on his shoulder and closed my eyes to saver the moment. The sound of the fire cracking and Hayden’s voice while he held me in his arms was like Heaven.

“Of course then we’d have a problem with boys” he said matter-of-factly lost in his own words as he gazed up at the ceiling.

“But I think Holden’s got that part covered” I breathed a laugh shooting a glance in Holden’s direction to find him fast asleep with his head turned to the side and his hand splayed out with his little fingers half curled into a fist “And then we’d grow old together” pushing back to look at Hayden I met his eyes, searching their forest green depths with my own crystal clear ones.

“We’d have our happily ever after” I muttered thinking back to all the Disney fairy tales I used to watch when I was little and all the time I spent waiting for my prince charming.

“We’d ride off into the sunset” he agreed nodding his head with a loving smile spread across his lips. Leaning his forehead against mine I closed my eyes when his lips pecked mine.

“I never want this story to end though” I mumbled opening my eyes to lock them with his. He laughed lightly, a sound that rang through my ears like a sweet lullaby then pulled me down so that I was lying on his chest.

“Then it never will” he replied tugging one of the blankets over us and leaning back on his elbows to grab for the wine. He poured me a glass, lying down and handed it to me as I propped myself up onto one elbow. He grabbed a beer and laid back down so that I could twirling the wine glass between my fingers as I listened to the sound of his heartbeat. It calmed me down as he wrapped one arm around my torso, pressing me ever closer with my back facing towards the fireplace. 

I felt at peace, like I was in pure bliss from just being able to be with my mate like that.