Omega. Playboy

14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CLARA’S POV

My mum would not let me see Jessy. It was the worst blow I had ever been dealt and that’s saying something since my two hundred pounds brother liked to use me as his punching bag. I never got a chance to say goodbye before my mum ferreted her away and I didn’t even know when I would be able to see her. Mum lived close to the pack hospital now and Jessy was with her. It took a lot of digging to even find out where she stayed. 

I had visited her workplace twice during our lunch break and she had conveniently been busy both times. Once, in the theatre and the second time her colleagues claimed she was attending to a patient. I didn’t know much about the medical field but I didn’t see why it would take her over fourth five minutes to attend to a single patient. Nurse Mabel had smiled sadly at me when I got up to leave that day, promising to inform my mother that I had dropped by to see her. 

I called her at least ten times everyday but she either didn’t pick up or she would end the call while it rang. I understood she was mad at me, her omega daughter that had refused to shift, the one that had cost her her mate. But I didn’t understand completely. It wasn’t my fault I was an omega. It wasn’t my fault that I hadn’t shifted when I was supposed to. Did all these people really think if I could change myself I wouldn’t? Did they presume that if I could find a Clara Hansen 2.0 upgrade I wouldn’t sell my soul to the devil to be able to purchase an upgrade on my person? 

My mum’s home was broken because of me but hadn’t I suffered enough? The bruises Quinn had given me had faded to an ugly purple. I stood in front of her house, barred from entering by her tall frame that was still covered in her hospital shrubs even if it was already afternoon and she had most likely come back from working the night shift in the early hours of the morning. I expected her to say something about my battered face, at least show her usual fake concern about my welfare, but she stared at me like she couldn’t see the bruises.

“Hey, mum,” I started when the door opened to reveal her. There was no emotion on her face as she looked at me – blank face and hard eyes with a stiff gait. 

“Hello, Clara,” Her voice was stoic and I winced. What next? I had expected her to invite me in, ask of Quinn and school, talk about Jessy, offer me tea or a drink but she wouldn’t even let me come in and by the way she stood, she had no plans of letting me step my filthy feet in her small new house. “How may I help you?” Her voice was tinged with impatience and my goodness! I never expected my mere presence to be so irritating to my own mother. 

“I’m sorry,” I choked out like the pathetic loser I was but her face remained unchanged. 

“For what?” She asked and I paused. Why was I sorry? Well, I could say for everything. 

“I – For not shifting. For causing you and dad’s fight, for – for everything,” I said and she shuffled slightly. 

“Is it your fault you didn’t shift when you were supposed to? Did you do it deliberately?” She asked. My eyes turned the size of saucers and my mouth fell open in horror.

“What – No! Of course not! I didn’t – I couldn’t –“ She cut me off amid my pathetic explanation.

“Then stop apologizing!” She snapped and I was a bit taken aback by her tone. She sounded like one of the girls from school and my heart stuttered slightly at the loss of my mum.

All my life, she had merely been playing a role, the one she expected or figured other mother’s played in their kid’s lives. She was never there physically or emotionally but she was sure to cover up her absence with a ‘Sweetie I’m sorry I missed this' and ‘Sweetie I’m so sorry I missed that.’ From my elementary school graduation to the day of my first shift. She never even wished me a happy birthday! But at least she tried to seem sorry for it; like she cared but didn’t really have the time. But in that moment, she night as well have been a stranger and not the woman who bore me in her womb for nine months and lived under the same roof with me for eighteen years. 

“I – I’m sorry,” I said before I could think better of it. Her eyes only hardened further. It was like I was witnessing all the disappointment she had concealed for eighteen years and all I could hear in my subconscious was how weak and pathetic I was. Weak! Weak! Weak!

“What do you want, Clara?” Her voice sounded strained and resigned. What did I want? Right. I wanted to see my little sister.

“I came by to see Jessy,” I announced 

“You know she is at school. You should be too,” It was the closest thing to something motherly she had said to me since I appeared on her porch. 

Yes, I knew Jessy was in school. I had been by the elementary school and they had made it clear to me that they would not interrupt her activities for me to see her as that was the directive of her guardian. The headmistress was a beta and she looked at me like I was the lowliest of the low, nothing more than a piece of gum at the bottom of her shoes.

“I’ve been by her school and they – I couldn’t see her because they wouldn’t let me. I was hoping I could come by later in the day; if it’s okay by you,” I said hopefully. With the way my mother looked at me, you’d think she hated me. It was the most horrible feeling. 

“She has to focus on her education. I won’t be home later in the day so it’s best for you not to come,” She answered flatly. 

“Oh,” I deflated a little. “When will it be okay to come by? I really miss her. I – I miss you guys,” I said and if she felt even a little bit of sympathy for me, it did not show in her eyes.

“I don’t know when it will be okay for you to come – I will contact you when I have the time. Goodbye,” She slammed the door in my face before I could get a word out. I could have cried. It felt like I was going to cry but I walked, jogged, back to school with a weird numb feeling. 

**

I could feel eyes boring a hole into my skull and I knew who the eyes belonged to. Jake White was staring at my head with a ferocious intensity, urging me to turn to look at him. I wanted to, my head almost turned on it’s own accord a good number of times but I would not allow it to. It took a lot of willpower but I managed not to look at the person drilling a hole into my head. 

The class ended and with a sinking heart, I realised I would have to walk right past him to get out. It didn’t occur to me quick enough or I would have dashed out at the first chance, but the numbness of my mum slamming the door right in my face made me drag my feet. 

The class was almost empty before I hefted my bag over my shoulder and lo and behold, Jake White was standing, waiting for me no doubt. There was only one exit out of the class and he was standing between me and it. 

“You’re in my way,” I said when I approached him and he would not move. My mind was still partially clouded as I spoke. 

He was saying something about the English project from two days ago but my mind wandered. It replayed the scenario of my mum slamming the door on my face over and over again, until I jerked back into the present. 

“... f*****g project and you haven’t said any single thing about it? Are you trying to make me fail English?” He was saying when I snapped back into the present. 

“You haven’t said anything either,” I answered. I hadn’t meant to make it sound like that, – speaking to him like I was his equal

“Clara have you forgotten your place?” He growled at me and it was then I finally came back to my complete senses. Nothing could make a girl sane faster than a growling gamma in her face. 

“I’m sorry, “ I apologized almost immediately, letting my shoulders sink forward.. “I’ve just – I’ve been busy and I’m not – I’m sorry,” I apologized.

I wasn’t smart. I could not even begin to count the number of times I had tried to work on the project before packing it up and calling it a day. It also didn’t help that I had no clue what Jake and I could possibly have in common that would be alright to write a story on. After all, the only thing we had in common was that we were under the sane pack and it would be crazy to expose the existence of our kind just for an English project. 

“You’re not what?” He demanded from me and I was confused for a minute. 

“What?” I asked

“You were saying something. You said ‘I’m not' before you broke off. I want to hear that complete thought,” He said with finality. 

“Oh no, that was nothing. I just –“ I started to quickly deny my embarrassing words. 

“Tell me,” He growled again and for the second time, the growl of my gamma made me start talking without hesitation

“I’m not exactly the brightest pea in the pond,” I answered, feeling my cheeks get warm. Goddess, how much more embarrassment did I have to endure from this boy before he leaves me alone? I didn’t want him to know how embarrassing it was to admit to being daft but the way his body relaxed made me have second thoughts.

“You don’t have to be the brightest pea in the pond or fish or whatever to pass a f*****g English project,” He answered as if he was five minutes away from calling me stupid. Well, coming from a guy who was nineteen and still in high school with a C average in English, that didn’t exactly make me feel any better or even worse. I muttered to myself but I should have know better than to mutter around werewolves that still had their wolves with them.

“I didn’t fail English,” He snapped. “I just forgot to show up for my exams. There’s a difference, “ He gritted in obvious annoyance.

“I’m sorry,” I squeaked out. “I – I have to get to class,” I stuttered, noting the students begin to trickle into the classroom. I did not want to be late for Biology!

I tried to assure him that I would start working on the project that evening, right after I got back from cleaning the pack house but it seemed to anger him. What was it anyway! I was getting sick of his apparent mood swings.

I told him I would start working on the project as I had to clean the pack house but he would not listen. “Did you miss the part where it was assigned to the both of us? As in a joint project?” His tone betrayed his anger.

“I don’t understand. You want – you want to help with the project?” I could not keep the surprise out of my voice no matter how hard I tried. 

“I won’t be helping out,” I growled and it wasn’t all that surprising anymore. Typical jock making the nerd do his homework. Except, I wasn’t more of a loser than a nerd. . “Helping out would mean you are the one with the responsibility of completing the project. I’ll be working on it with you,” He snapped and my lips pulled up in a grin before I could stop them.