Pack Hodges

Hoka-Chapter 5

The guys are arguing again. This isn’t new. It’s become more of the norm than the exception so I’ve learned to tune it out. I’m up in my office working on a new project when the word “omega” gets through my mental block on their endless bickering. I pause in my typing. Eamon must have insisted it’s time for an omega. We all knew this was coming so I don’t understand the intense resistance. I’ve read the rules, as apparently I’m the only detail oriented one in the pack. The omega phase is for one month only. We can do anything for one month and we have. We’ve been hungry before for a month.

Cash is worried about how it’s going to effect me. Which is sweet but misguided. We’ve been faithful to each other for years so one omega living here for one month isn’t about to get between what we have. As for Sim and Easton…I know they’ve been deeply impacted by Eamon’s history with Celeste. Personally, I think they don’t want to risk bonding with anyone so they satisfy themselves with meaningless hookups but that’s just my take.

I hear the shouting suddenly stop and get up from my chair to investigate. Heading down stairs and towards the living room I stop when I see the scene before me. A tiny beautiful omega standing in front of a massive pool of vomit and my pack brothers staring at her like she’s the most disgusting creature they’ve ever seen.

“For f$cks sake guys help her!” My shout startles them out of their obvious distaste for the perfect fairy in front of them.

“I’ll get a d$mn bucket and rags,” I say.

“I’ll clean it up.” Her voice is clear and beautiful like water running over a stream. What the f$ck?

“I’m so sorry..I don’t know..” She suddenly sounds a little lost and all I want to do is pick her up and make her feel better. Is she sick? Don’t they take care of them at the OC?

Her eyes keep darting towards the guys with furtive almost terrified glances.

“Stop scaring the sh$t out of our guest and be helpful.” At that they start to move, Sim and Easton walking away entirely and Cash moving to help me with a confused look on his face.

He comes back with a bucket and a mop which she snatches from his hands with her face a bright red.

She’s f$cking adorable. What the hell she just threw up and I’m calling her adorable?

She starts to clean completely ignoring us which doesn’t sit right with me at all.

I clear my throat and ask her, “what your name, fairy girl?”

Glancing up, turning pink again, she says, “Cyrene but call me Cy.”

“I’m Hoka and this is Cash. The two that left are Simeon and Easton.”

“You’re a beta,” she says.

I stiffen. This happens all the time. People assume my whole pack must be alphas and for some reason I don’t want judgment from her.

“Oh my god not that I care! I just didn’t know..it’s nice to have a beta around.”

Now I look at her more closely and with the vomit gone I can scent…nothing.

“You’re unawakened.”

She nods, clearly uncomfortable.

“I just want to stay out of the way.”

That floors me. I was expecting some high maintenance omega trying to get the guys attention that we’d all have to deal with for a month but we got..her.

Glancing at Cash I can see he hasn’t taken it the way I have at all. He’s glaring at her and my hackles suddenly rise preparing to defend her. But he must take in my energy towards her because he just grunts and walks away.

“Let me show you to the guest room.” I offer a smile, trying to put her at ease.

She’s watching Cash’s back as he walks away with an indecipherable look on her face but turns to me and finally smiles and my heart stutters, “I would love that.”

As we walk through the apartment I show her around and point out everything she might need or want to use while she’s here. When we reach the guest room, I open the door and show her inside. She walks slowly in and her jaw drops, “what the ever living fork. Hoka, this is amazing.”

I laugh not only because she’s cute but because I like the sound of her saying my name. The guest room is decorated in whites and creams with a plush bed set low to the ground and floor to ceiling windows of the city’s skyline. Technically it’s made for an omega with the soft carpet and the bed built for nesting but we just always called it the guest room. Though the thought of her nesting in there makes me feel…warm.

She’s all kindness and smiles while I show her how to work the overly complicated shower and squeals in delight when she sees the bathtub. Really, what is the OC like?

Looking down at her I notice once again how tiny she is. As a beta, I’m tall at 6 feet but I tower over her but we both have the same midnight black hair. Unlike her blue eyes, mine are dark and slanted thanks to my mixed heritage and I’m struck again by how pretty she is. I wonder what she looks like when she comes…What the f$ck! It’s time for me to go.

“I need to be getting back to work but make yourself at home and just ignore the guys. They’re always a little grumpy.”

Her eyes seem to drift for a second as if she’s thinking but they snap to mine when she says, “is there…could I play the piano sometime?”

I perk up immediately. “You play?”

“Sometimes,” she says evasively.

“Then by all means. My piano is yours and all that.”

She rewards my terrible joke with a genuine smile that seems to reach me all the way to my toes and I quickly exit her room.

I close the door and rest against it. I’m in some trouble here.