14. Meggie

14

Meggie

I t's been two days since the tryouts, and I still haven't heard anything from Pack Hart. Emily assures me it's fine and they're just having a hard time deciding. She talked to Ellis yesterday, and he said they were having a pack meeting to finalize everything. But that was last night. It's mid-afternoon now and still no word.

I think I need to make my peace with not going to the Olympics. In my discouragement, I pick up my phone and find the website for the Omega Registration Office, resigning myself to the fact that I won't be able to stay hidden anymore. I won't have a reason to if I'm not going to the Olympics.

It's time to bite the bullet, register, and start looking for a pack. I won't be able to stay on suppressants and blockers forever. Eventually, I'm going to go into heat, and I'm going to need a pack when that happens.

But I can't bring myself to fill out the form. Going through the Omega Registration Office is the safest way to find a pack. An omega who perfumes in public—or worse goes into heat—is vulnerable. The closest alpha could easily take advantage of them.

But… becoming part of a pack, even one I choose for myself, means giving up so much of my freedom. Most bonded omegas aren't allowed to go out without a security detail. Every year there are cases on the news of omegas who've been kidnaped by packs and forced to bond with alphas they didn't choose.

It used to be a lot worse for omegas, a lot more dangerous. Now, there are laws to protect us, but bad things still happen.

A shudder wracks my body just thinking about it. I should register. I should really register. My finger hovers over the button, but I don't press it. My phone dings and a text message pops up at the top of the screen.

Daniel: Word around town is that you think you're a water polo player now. You weren't good enough for the swim team. You definitely won't be good enough for Pack Hart.

Asshole. I throw my phone on the bed and head to the kitchen to eat my feelings. I'm sure there's a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough and vanilla in the freezer for just such an occasion. Halfway there, I hear a knock at the door that stops me in my tracks. Emily and I don't have company. Most people don't even know where I live.

I do everything I can to keep my scent hidden, but in my own home and environment, it's harder. Sometimes I wake up after a particularly enjoyable dream with my sheets slick and smelling like cinnamon and warm apples. Like this morning. I have them in the wash, but there's still a faint lingering of the scent on the mattress.

I scramble to spray the air with a deodorizing mist as another knock sounds. Sniffing my armpits to make sure I don't smell, I go to the door and open it.

Harrison . "Hello, Meggie."

"What are you doing here?" I step out into the hallway and close the door behind me. I know that isn't the best greeting for the pack alpha who holds my Olympic dreams in his hands, but I'm panicking.

He wrinkles his brow and tilts his head, like he's trying to figure out why I'm not inviting him in. But I don't offer an explanation.

"I wanted to come tell you personally—"

"I didn't make the cut."

"No. You did. You made the team." He touches my shoulder, a reassuring, casual touch, but it sends sparks straight down to my belly. His bonfire smell gets even stronger. With subtle notes of smoked cedar and a hint of something sweet like toasted marshmallows. Maybe even a slight chocolate undertone. I lick my lips, and my body sways forward, closer, before I snap myself out of it and step back.

He gives me a puzzled look. "When can you move in?"

"M-move in?" That's the worst idea ever.

He studies my face, which is no doubt showing my alarm. I can't move in with them. It'll be hard enough to keep my scent hidden at practices. Just being around so many alphas is bound to increase my pheromones and make my blockers less effective. At least they have an omega, although I can't count on that being enough. I was already planning on taking twice my dose of blockers if I made the team, but living with them? That is… not going to work.

"You'll have your own room, of course," Harrison continues. "We have plenty of space to spread out. But it'll make it easier for us to train together. We'll need extra practices to get you up to speed." He reaches out like he can tell how anxious I am and wants to calm me, but he drops his hand before touching me again. "The IOC rules say you have to be pack or be in a trial period to become pack in order to compete in team sports."

I swallow. "So… you… want me to be part of your pack?" I studied the rules for water polo but completely forgot to look into the Olympic rules for teams.

I can't be part of their pack. They already have an omega, and I won't be able to keep my designation hidden forever.

"Well, no." He crosses his arms, closing himself off to me. "We're interested in you joining the team for the Olympics, and we want to comply with all the rules. So we'll sign the agreement saying you're in a trial period. But we aren't looking for a female beta."

That makes sense. They have an omega, and they wouldn't like the competition. Omegas are as territorial as alphas, at least when it comes to bonding. I've never been close enough to an alpha to feel that kind of possessiveness, and I don't care to start.

But I can't help wondering… "Does your girlfriend know that?"

His jaw tightens for a moment before he replies. "She does."

I raise my eyebrows at him.

He sighs. "Ava thinks she can change my mind."

"Ah, I see. So you're here to make sure I understand my place before I move in. No fooling around. No getting my hopes up about bonding. Team player, that's it." I lean against the door and look up at him. "You really don't have to worry. I have zero interest in being part of your pack."

He pulls out a rolled packet of papers from the back pocket of his jeans. "Here's the paperwork you'll need to fill out, stating your intentions to join the pack on a trial basis and all the insurance paperwork to join the team. We'll be here tomorrow morning to help you move."

"Here? To-Tomorrow?" My breath stutters, and I start to sweat. "That's really not necessary. Em and I can handle it."

"Are you sure? Many hands make light work and all that."

I roll my eyes at the old saying. "Emily and I can load up my stuff. It's mostly clothes and some books."

He hesitates, likely wanting to be the gentleman and carry boxes for me along with his teammates, but I don't need six alpha males in my space.

"I'm a big tough girl," I offer a grin. "I can pack up my own flip flops."

"Fine," he relents. "Address is on the papers. Be there, with all of your things, by 8am tomorrow."

I make an audible gagging sound at the early hour.

He smirks and saunters back down the hall. Just before he reaches the stairs, he looks back, gaze assessing. "Welcome to Pack Hart, Meggie."