Quad Alphas' Silenced Omega

12 On the Run?

POV Ophelia

The end of the day came faster than I thought. But still…I couldn’t get home fast enough. All I wanted was to go for a run. Maybe even enjoy the river near the border for a bit. “Lia! Wait up!” Jeremy called. I turned to see him jogging up to me as I finally made it to the parking lot this horrible day had started in. “Sorry I can’t take you home. I have football practice. Do you want to take the car?” He asked, holding out the keys.

I shook my head and smiled up at him. “I’m alright. Thanks anyway. I don’t particularly like driving, and we aren’t that far away from home. I’ll be just fine.”

He sighed before begrudgingly agreeing with me. “Alright. Call me if you need me. I’ll answer. I swear.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sure you will.”

Taking a deep breath, I swiftly walked back to the repair shop and I never thought I’d enjoy the sound of electric tools more than I did today. “Hey Lia! How did it go?” Sal asked the minute I made it into the office. I plopped onto the chair in front of his desk and glared at him. “That bad huh?” He asked.

I nodded slowly. “You have no idea.”

“That’s not what I heard though.” Sal added with a sideways glance.

“Great, so Jer was right. You did hear.” I grumbled.

“Of course I did dear. Holly wants to talk with you about that whenever you are ready. This is a lot, I’m sure, but we want you to know that we are here for you. Remember that, alright?”

I smiled brightly and nodded. “Thank you, Sal. You and Holly really are one in a million.”

His deep laugh resonated through the room as he shook his head. “Nope we are just good people. Something, I’m starting to notice, you didn’t see much of.”

I grabbed my bag and stood to my feet. “Trust me. You don’t know how right you are.” I added. He walked over to me and gave me a bear hug before pushing me towards the house.

“Off you go.” He called and I nodded. Better to get this done now than delay the inevitable.

Heading into the house, I could hear her humming while something delicious wafted through the entryway. I dropped my bag on the couch and headed into the kitchen to see her finishing off a pie. “Oh! Hello dear. I just finished my famous pumpkin pie. It won’t be set until dinner, but I thought it would be a good start to a nice first day of classes.” I winced, remembering one of the quads smelled just like this. “D-do you not like pumpkin pie anymore? I can make something else.” She said as her eyes started to look downcast.

My eyes grew and I shook my head. “No! Of course not. It’s my favorite thing about the fall.” I said, terrified that I’d offended her.

She sighed in relief and nodded, placing the pie on a cooling rack on the island resting in the middle of the kitchen. “Oh, that’s good. I um…need some help with dinner tonight. Do you have some time or is there already a load of homework for you to do?” She fiddled with her fingers and her eyes darted around the room.

I nodded eagerly and grabbed an apron. “Let me know what you need!” I said with a big smile. She gasped and a tear left her eye, shocking me completely.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. It’s just…I don’t know. I’m just happy to spend some time with you whenever I can. You’re like the daughter I never had.” She added, and I looked down at my lack luster frame. There’s no way I heard her right. I’m the same as I’ve always been. I don’t have the long blond locks like my sister. They are dull and black. I don’t have the perfect curves like my sister. I’m just excessive in all the wrong places, hidden under all the sweatshirts I could hope for. Those beautiful blue eyes she uses to always get her way are nothing close to the tarnished green ones I have hidden behind my hood.

“I…I’m sure you could have a gorgeous daughter much better than me.” I said, remembering the words my mother always used to say: Thankfully I had Felicity before you. You were just a spare.

Holly shook her head and rested her hands on my shoulders. “Trust me dear, you are perfect. You even got Sal wrapped around your finger just like a daughter would.” She giggled and turned towards the stove. “Now, no more mushy stuff. Let’s get to work!”

I nodded and rubbed my hands together as she went over the recipe for Beef Bolognese. Running over to the stereo system in the back of the kitchen, she cranked up the tunes, and the pair of us danced the afternoon away. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much in all my days. Even better, she hasn’t said a word about the men claiming to be my mate. I could tell she was gaging my reaction every time her eyes darted towards me, but after an hour of that, she finally relaxed and the two of us didn’t have a care in the world.

“Smells delicious you two. What’s for dinner?” Sal asked, sauntering into the kitchen.

“Nothing for you if you don’t get washed up, sir!” Holly noted sternly, waving around a tomato-stained wooden spoon.

He smirked and slowly walked up towards her as her cheeks reddened. “Really? Care to join me?” Sal asked and she squeaked before rushing behind me. “Hey, no fair using one of the kids as a shield.” He grumbled and it was my turn to blush this time. This is the second time they have openly told me I’m like a daughter to them in one day. I…I don’t know what to say, but I do know that I’m more than grateful.

“I will do what I must to keep my clothes on thank you very much. We already have two kids we don’t need a third!” She snapped back with a cheshire grin across her lips.

“Don’t tempt me woman!” He growled, and she squealed again while I awkwardly stood between the two of them. Sal looked over at me and chuckled before raising his hands in defeat. “Never mind. I’ll concede this one time. It seems we are making the girl uncomfortable. I’ll be down soon.”

He blew a kiss over my shoulder before giving me a big grin and jogging over to the stairs hidden behind the side wall of the kitchen. “Oh, that man!” Holly huffed before heading over to check the pasta dough. However, I definitely didn’t miss her blushing smile under her exasperated response.

“You two always seem to be so close.” I said with a giggle.

“Of course we are. We have been mates since we were seventeen. It would be hard not to be close by now.”

I shrugged. “My…parents were never like that around my sister and I.” I said, finally opening up more about my past with someone in this house.

She froze after placing the pasta roller on the counter. “Oh? If you don’t mind me asking…. Were they fated?”

I nodded. “They were, they just weren’t the nicest people on earth. Not to mention I don’t think they were too keen on having children at all. My sister…she was perfection while I was just a disappointment. Not able to speak and a small wolf. Of course, they wouldn’t think I was fit to be a gamma’s daughter. It hurt a lot, but I tried my best not to let it get to me.”

“Then…how did you end up here of all places. You seem much happier than the first time we met, but….”

“I was rejected.”

She gasped and her eyes teared up for me. I guess after I met the quads, the pain has subsided greatly, but it still feels like I’m a disappointment. Like I’m not worth love. “I’m so sorry. You were so young. I mean, you just turned eighteen. It’s so rare to find your mate at sixteen, but given the timeline you showed up in the garage…I’m assuming it was around that time.”

Sighing heavily, I nodded.

“I’m so sorry sweetheart. If this is too hard to talk about, I’ll completely understand.”

I shook my head. “No…it’s not. I just want to talk to someone and for once, I think I have the perfect person to go to. You.” Smiling she nodded quickly and got to work on making the pasta to hide her smile.

“Of course! I’m always here for you my sweet girl.”

“That’s really a relief to hear.”

“I’m glad.”

“My previous mate was the future beta of the Diablo Pack. You would think he would be happy to have me. I may be weak, but I am still of Gamma blood, which is a good sign for his future lineage, but he has always looked down on me. As you know, my parents didn’t help with this when they made me work in the pack house as a child. They just didn’t want to deal with me. We weren’t struggling by any means, but I’m sure they didn’t mind the extra income.”

As I worked on my story, she silently listened completely void of judgement. It increased my confidence to continue on. “When I turned sixteen, I was already ready to leave that place. I didn’t want to stay where I wasn’t wanted, and I was tired of being bullied for something I couldn’t control. It was infuriating. What I wasn’t prepared for was the unexpected mating with Joshua.” I growled and she winced but continued to keep silent while she floured the noodles ready for the boiling water.

“He looked so disgusted once he realized I was his mate, and he didn’t hesitate to let the whole school know he was rejecting me. The crowd around us was so big, I’m shocked I survived the humiliation. However, what was worse was the look on my sister’s face. The absolute rage that I was mated to her boyfriend. Either way, he rejected me and right then, I took the small number of things I packed in my duffle and disappeared. I wasn’t expecting to find myself here, of all places, but you all were so kind to me, I couldn’t find it in me to leave. I…love it here. Now that I’m eighteen though…. I wasn’t expecting to find another mate and it feels like the goddess is punishing me. Four alphas. Ha! I couldn’t even impress one beta. There’s no way they will want me, and they even said it themselves. I’m just a ticket to them.”

“It sounds to me that you have made up your mind then? You are an adult already. There’s nothing stopping you from going out on your own. I know you would be crushed to stay here after going through a second rejection. But, hear me out.”

The steam of the water cooking the noodles flowed into the air while I thought about her request. “Alright. I’m all ears.”

“Give them a chance.”

What?!