The Orphaned Omega

Chapter 14

[Dorothea’s POV]

The rest of the first night at the Lake House went by in a blur of sugary alcohol and laughter. It was honestly the best night of my life, aside from the earlier run-in with Emma. She did continue to sneer or glare at me all night when no one else was looking, but otherwise kept her opinions to herself. It was well past midnight when we all decided to retire to bed. Bailey showed us all to our rooms – the Lake House was big enough for all of us to have our own, and plenty more remained empty. The room I’d gotten had a queen-sized bed draped with pale blue bedding and several large, fluffy pillows. The bed sat just below a large window with gauzy white curtains, and the night sky was visible from this upstairs window.

I curled up on the bed – which was one of the most comfortable things I had ever laid on – and stared out at the night sky. The stars were a million times more brilliant here than they were in the main part of the pack lands. It was like I could see every single star in the sky, and they twinkled and danced with vigor. The moon was nearly full, and it bathed the property in silvery light. Something about the night sky had always called to me. I loved to sit and watch the stars or go for a run in the moonlight. I couldn’t wait until I had a wolf so I could truly be free within the forest at night. While the shadows of the dark had never scared me, I knew it could still be dangerous to be out alone at night. But here…it was supposed to be safe. No one could get onto the grounds.

I rolled out of bed, pulling on different clothes instead of my pajamas, and snuck over to the door. I poked my head out, listening for anyone else before tiptoeing out of the room and toward the stairs. I didn’t want to wake anyone, and I crept through the house until I made it to the backdoor. I opened the sliding glass door and slipped out into the warm summer night. I walked down the large backyard toward the water, feeling the grass beneath my feet. I smiled to myself, breathing in the air deeply. I had been exhausted earlier, but something about being beneath the moonlight had me feeling invigorated.

I stood just a couple yards from the lake’s shore, listening to the waves lap at the sand. I turned my face up to the sky and realized that I could see shooting stars blaze across the sky every so often. I remained mesmerized for I don’t know how long, but the sound of footsteps coming up behind me startled me out of my contemplation. I whirled around, instantly on high alert.

Mallory was coming down the lawn toward me, and when she saw me turn, she lifted her hands up in mock surrender. “Just me, T, calm down,” Mallory said, her voice teasing.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “Hey,” I smiled. “Sorry.”

She shrugged. “No worries. It’s instinct.”

I nodded, turning fully toward her. “Whatcha doing?”

“I could ask you the same. Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Guess not. I started looking at the stars and I couldn’t help but come out here.”

“Isn’t it just gorgeous here?” she sighed wistfully. “I love it here, especially at night. I like to see the stars too.”

Mallory unfurled a blanket she had under her arm and spread it down on the grass. She settled down on it and pat the empty space beside her. “Come sit.”

I settled down beside her, leaning back to lay down so I could stare up at the sky. “Thanks. Good thinking.”

She laughed. “Well, I’ve been here a few times.”

“True,” I grinned. “When did you all start coming here?”

I felt her shrug beside me. “Honestly, as long as I can really remember. It used to be me, Bailey and our moms that would come out here. As we got older, we started to have more girls come until we were old enough a couple years ago for our moms to stop coming with us.”

“You and Bailey have been friends since you were really young then?” I asked.

“Yeah. Since we were like, in diapers. Evelyn is really good friends with my mom.”

I smiled softly. “That must be really nice.”

“Yeah,” she murmured. There was a pause, a silence that lapsed into a few minutes. It didn’t feel awkward, but I could still tell that Mallory was trying to figure out something else to say. Finally, she spoke again. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

I turned my head to look at her and was surprised to find her brown eyes on me. “It’s okay. I was really young. Sometimes, I can barely even remember him.”

She winced and then frowned. “Geez…I can’t imagine. And then, Rosie…”

I turned away from her at that, feeling the hot sting of tears threaten in my eyes. “Yeah,” I breathed out. “She passed not even a year ago. She missed her mate so much, and she couldn’t hold on any longer. I don’t blame her. I just hope she is as peace now, with Hank and her son in the verdant forests the Goddess promises us.”

“Me too, Thea,” Mallory said, giving my arm a squeeze.

I smiled softly. “Thanks.” I decided to change the subject. “So, you and Todd, huh?”

She laughed, burying her face in her hands. “Is it bad that I really like him?”

I shook my head. “Maybe you are his mate and that’s why. And even if not, it’s not like we aren’t allowed to date before we meet our mates.”

“Yeah…that’s true. I know. I guess, I’m just…traditional in a way. My family has all waited to meet their mate and has taught me that I should do the same thing,” Mal said. “So, it feels wrong because of that.”

“Well, I’m certainly not the one to be asking about relationship advice. I’m no expert. But, if it feels right in your heart then you should follow your heart,” I said.

“Thanks, T,” she smiled. “What about you? Anyone catch your eye?”

It was my turn to laugh. “Me? No. And even if they did, it isn’t like I stand a chance.”

Mal frowned, turning to look at me again and propping her head up on her elbow. “What? You’re gorgeous, Thea. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Or girl if that’s what you’re in to.”

I snorted. I didn’t think I was any more attractive than the average girl, but it wasn’t even about that any way. “Thanks, Mal. But no Lycan wants a werewolf as a mate. Especially not one with traitor’s blood.”

Mallory groaned, flopping onto her back. “Goddess, I hate that s**t. What does it even matter if you’re a werewolf or a Lycan? Or a human, even?”

I shrugged. “That’s just the way it is.”

“Well, f**k that,” she huffed. “That idea needs to change.”

“Wishful thinking,” I said.

She made another disgruntled noise, but thankfully let the topic drop. This time, the silence stretched longer as we both stared up at the night’s sky. We chatted on and off throughout the next few hours. She told me about her family – she had a younger sister and an older brother – and I told her about Lorelai and Francesca. We talked about movies we had liked and books we liked to read. It was fun getting to know Mallory, and we had a lot in common.

Before I knew it, I must have dozed off because I was suddenly blinking open my eyes from the sun beaming down on my face. I groaned, rolling over onto my side and glancing around. The sun was creeping up over the horizon, glinting off the lake and shining into my face. I looked over to find Mallory stirring beside me.

She squinted, sitting up. “Did we stay out here all night?”

“Guess so,” I laughed. I sat up too, stretching out my back and shoulders. “Let’s go inside.”

She nodded, getting to her feet, and grabbing the blanket from the ground. We ambled up the lawn and collapsed onto the couch once we were inside. I fell asleep again shortly after until the other girls woke up and came downstairs. Neither Mallory nor I spoke of our night adventure, keeping it like a secret between us. We all spent the day down by the lake, splashing along the shores or sunbathing. I found myself snoozing off in the sun several times, exhausted from the long night before. It was amazing to have an entire day where I didn’t have to worry about chores, omega duties, homework, or work. By the time I crawled into bed that night, I had never felt so relaxed in my life. It was really a shame that we would all be going home the next day.

-x-

The ride back to Dark Pine was, thankfully, much smoother than the ride to the Lake House. With all the other girls crammed into the SUV, it was a myriad of so many scents that Ian’s didn’t seem to bother me as much. I managed to squeeze myself into the very back row, the farthest from him. For the most part, I spoke to Mallory or Reina or watched the forest go by outside. Every so often, I would glance up to find dark, stormy gray eyes staring at me in the rearview mirror. Please, Thorin…just let me go, I thought to myself.

Ian dropped us off at the packhouse, and I said my goodbyes to the girls before heading quickly back to my cottage. I wanted to get a shower, a quick nap and something to eat before I had to be back at the packhouse for omega duties. Ian may have excused me for the weekend, but I knew better than to think that extended to tonight. The second we crossed through the front gates into Dark Pine proper, I was back to being a true omega. No more fairytale pretending for me. I crossed the threshold of my cottage and sighed, dropping my backpack on the couch, and walking into the bathroom to run the shower. I texted Lori and Fran to let them know I had made it home before stepping into the warm water. I was grateful to scrub my hair and take my time in the shower before curling up in my bed under my favorite fuzzy blanket.

It took me even more willpower for me to put myself together and walk back to the packhouse than normal. I yawned, pulling my hair into a ponytail as I walked through the backdoor and headed into the kitchen. I had just reached the fridge to check the schedule when a body slammed into me, shoving me into the cold stainless steel of the fridge door.

“Bri, ow,” I frowned, rubbing my shoulder.

Brianne rolled her eyes at me. “Oh, shut up, Dorothy. I’m just making sure you remember your f*****g place.”

“What?” I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Her brown eyes were narrowed at me, her face twisted into a snarl. “You think you’re so much better than us now. Getting the entire weekend off to hang out with Bailey Weller? Who do you think you are?”

I was about to reply, but I realized that Kate, Tom, Jackie, and Sara had come into the room and were surrounding us. They all had the same look on their face – a look of disdain. I swallowed hard, glancing around at them all and then back at Brianne. I hadn’t even considered that the other omegas would be angry about me going to the Lake House. “I…I don’t…”

“You don’t what?” Bri snapped, looking impatient. She closed in on me again and I cowered against the fridge, bracing for a smack or a punch. I considered pushing back. I knew if it came to a fight, I could probably handle her. Brianne was born an omega, albeit a Lycan to my wolf; I had warrior genes. I also trained, and I had never seen Bri working out. But…she was the daughter of the new Head Omega, and that did give her a certain sway with the rest of the omegas. It gave her the illusion of power. I could only imagine the hell that would be unleashed if I did try to fight her. Plus, the several others around us looked ready to rip me apart. I may win against Bri alone, but not five other Lycans.

“I don’t want any trouble,” I whimpered.

She rolled her eyes, giving my shoulders a shove again before moving away. “You’re on bathroom duty,” she said, pursing her lips. “For the rest of the month. All of them. Plus, you’ll stay late to deep clean the kitchen every night.”

I ground my teeth together. She had just given me the worst jobs to cover and cleaning every single bathroom in the packhouse was going to be a nightmare. I’d be here until the early hours of the morning every night. Bri looked at me with an eyebrow raised, expecting me to argue. Harsh words did creep up to my tongue, but I bit the inside of my cheek and averted my gaze.

“Fine,” I sighed, heading to the closet to get my cleaning supplies. “Guess I better get started.”

I gathered my supplies and walked out of the kitchen; Kate and Tom parted to let me pass them. Everyone continued to glare at me until I left the room. I sighed, heading to the south wing as I usually did when on bathroom duty. I kept my head down and I avoided anyone that may have walked by, but for the most part I remained undisturbed. I finished around 8 pm and headed to the west wing of the house. I started from the bottom floor, knowing that neither Beta Finn nor Gamma Hudson had any relatives staying with them. Their families had elected to stay in their own homes, leaving the bottom floor of the wing vacant until the Beta and Gamma had their own children, or for their guests. It was a quick job to finish the bottom floor’s bathrooms and I ascended the stairs to the top floor.

I knocked on the door at the top of the stairs to announce my arrival and hurried down the hall to the beta’s half of the floor. Finn was usually not around, and I was glad to find his apartment was indeed empty. I cleaned the bathroom and tidied the room, even re-making the bed so it was crisp. I did the dishes leftover in the sink and wiped the counters and picked up the trash around the living space. Another omega or two would come to do the room in full later. Overall, Finn was pretty tidy though. Especially in comparison to Hudson. I had been cleaning Hudson’s room on the bottom floor, when he was living in the Beta’s family quarters, for a few years. His room was a pig-stye. I slipped out of Finn’s room and walked down the hall. I knocked briefly on the apartment door to the Gamma’s suite and was surprised when the door opened.

A beautiful, curvy red head stood in the doorway. Her blue eyes appraised me curiously, and she smiled. “Hi,” she said. “Can I help you?”

“Oh,” I squeaked, glancing down. “I did not realize anyone would be home, ma’am. I was just coming to clean the bathrooms and tidy the room and gather the trash.”

She giggled. “Oh, goddess, you don’t need to call me ma’am. My name’s Shelby. I’m Hudson’s mate. What’s yours?”

“Thea, ma—Shelby,” I corrected myself quickly, wincing at my fumble. She was the gamma female! Of course! I had heard Hudson had found his mate, but I hadn’t actually met her before now.

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “Come on in.”

I nodded, following her inside. “I’ll get to work right away. I’ll be gone before I can even think of disturbing you!”

“Oh, you aren’t disturbing me, Thea,” she said. “I appreciate you coming by. Anything I can help with?”

I glanced up sharply, taken aback by her question. “Wh-what?”

“Can I help you?” she asked. “I can gather the trash for you.”

“N-no! No!” I stammered. “No, ma’am. I can do it.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “I really don’t mind.”

I shook my head. “No, it is no place for the gamma female to be doing house chores.”

Shelby looked as me as if I had grown three heads. She placed a hand on her hip. “Excuse me?”

I took a small step back, keeping my head down and my chin tilted slightly to expose my neck in submission. “I-I didn’t mean to offend, Shelby. I just meant; it is an omega’s duty to clean up for you. You do not need to worry yourself of it!”

“Oh, Thea, you misunderstand me. I’m not mad at you. You don’t have to submit like that,” Shelby sighed. “Are all of you so…skittish?”

“Ma’am?” I asked, frowning. I didn’t understand her question.

“Every omega I have met acts the same way. Like I’m about to smack them.”

Before I could answer, the front door swung open and Hudson Taylor sauntered in. Hudson was a mountain of a man, even at 19 years old. He was shorter than Ian and Finn, but he was made of muscle. He did not have a single ounce of body fat, and I swear his arms were thicker than my thighs. He cast his eyes between me and his mate and frowned.

“What’s going on?” he asked, moving toward Shelby like he was a magnet. He roped his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her face. Her cheeks tinted a rosy pink as she blushed.

“We were just talking, babe,” she said. Shelby glanced at me. “I won’t keep you any longer.”

I ducked my head in a nod and scurried off to clean their bathroom. When I walked in, I was shocked to find that it was already immaculate. The counters were shiny and tidy, the towels folded neatly over the towel racks, and the floors free of clothes. Had Shelby actually cleaned the bathroom herself? I hurriedly cleaned the bathroom anyway, despite it really not needing more than a quick touch-up. I gathered the trash from the bin and walked over to the kitchen to get the trash from there as well. I was about to step out the door when Shelby’s voice sounded from behind me.

“Bye, Thea!” she called from her perch on the couch. “Thank you. It was nice to meet you!”

I turned to look at her and gave her a smile. No one had ever said thank you like that before. “Nice to meet you too. You’re welcome.”

She waved to me as I walked out. Wow…that had not been what I expected from an Alpha’s daughter-turned-gamma-female. Shelby was genuine, she was polite…she was nice. I had half-expected her to be Kelsey 2.0. My mind was buzzing as I dropped the trash off at the chute and grabbed fresh towels. I headed to the east wing next, dreading having to be anywhere near Ian’s floor. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that he wasn’t there; hoped he was out with Finn somewhere.

I cleaned Bailey’s bathroom first, and then Harry and Evelyn’s on the bottom floor. They had moved out of the top suite when Alpha Ian took over and were in the process of building their retirement home. It was yet to be told if Bailey would move into that home with them or reside in her current suite until she met her mate and moved to be with him. Surprisingly, none of the Weller family was currently home as I cleaned their bathrooms and tidied their living spaces. I glanced at the clock, finding it was already 9:37 pm. I hurried up to the top floor, wishing I had started with Ian’s floor when the chances he was at dinner were highest.

My heart was in my throat when I knocked on the door. A few seconds went by, and I heard nothing, so I let myself in and hurried to the main bathroom first. I was just finishing up with scrubbing down the shower when I heard a low growl come from the other room.

“Dorothea?” Alpha Ian growled, but the growl was low and husky, not angry.

Oh, Goddess…please, not tonight. I squeezed my eyes shut before I got the nerve to peek my head out from the bathroom. “I-I’m just cleaning the bathroom, Alpha. I’ll be gone soon.”

Ian swiveled his head to look at me. I should have known. Dark, gray eyes stared back at me. He was in front of me in the blink of an eye, faster than I could even register. He snagged me around the waist and pinned me to the nearest wall. My heart started pounding in my chest, heat pooling in my core at the mere proximity of him. Come on, Thea…snap out of it. You hate him! You hate him, hate him, hate him! I chanted to myself.

Ian’s nose, or should I say Thorin’s, was pressed to the crook of my neck and he inhaled deeply. “You shouldn’t sneak up on an Alpha Lycan like this, little mate,” he practically purred. “Especially not when I can smell your arousal.”

I gulped.

I was in for it now.