20. Roman

Chapter 20

Roman

Sitting on the edge of the bed I look around the room I've been given. I'm somewhat surprised by the quality, actually. The entire second floor of the barn has been converted into rooms, with a shared bathroom and kitchen area. The furnishings are modern, up to date, and all the construction seems sturdy and well crafted.

According to Oliver, his family has been running this farm for generations. The pack has grown and shrunk over the years, but the farm has always continued. They may not be at the peak of their power, but they have done well for themselves over the years.

I'm grateful to have a space completely to myself. After spending the last several days cooped up in a car with everyone, I was starting to need some breathing room. Most of my stuff has been unpacked and tucked away in various spots around the room. There are still a few things I haven't gotten out yet, but that can wait.

Right now, all I can think about is the enormity of the decision we've made.

At the time, in the heat of the moment, it was the only decision that made sense. Even now, I don't regret coming all this way and leaving everything behind. I'd do anything to stay by Oliver's side and be his mate. But…

Now there is a part of me that's wondering if there wasn't another option. Could we have made things work back there? Could we have found a way to be happy without giving up everything we'd been working for over the years? For me, at least, my position in the pack had meant something to me. I'd worked hard to earn the favor of the elders and the respect of my peers.

Here, any respect or favor I have will purely be because I'm Oliver's mate. If I want any status of my own, I'll be starting over from scratch. Not that I don't think I'm capable of such a thing, it's just a lot to take in now that I've had a moment to contemplate.

To any sane individual looking at this situation from the outside, we must all look like we've lost our minds. Throwing our lots in with this omega we barely know. Leaving behind a comfortable life in a big pack with lots of resources and no real conflicts. Promising to spend the rest of our lives with this omega after sleeping with him just once.

It all just sounds like a bad case of puppy love.

But…

I clutch my hand to my chest and clench my teeth. I know it's more than that. I can feel it in a way I've never felt anything before. All this doubt and uncertainty is just a small voice in the back of my head. One that doesn't need to take up more of my attention than necessary. I'm not going to get distracted by all of this.

There are too many other, better things for me to think about.

Forcing myself to stand, I square my shoulders and head out into the hallway. The golden light of sunset is pouring through the window at the end of the hall, casting long shadows in the direction of the living area. I can already hear the others talking to one another from that end of the barn.

"Oh, ho, ho, look who finally decided to join us." Lucas grins from where he's lounging on one of the sofas as I emerge from the hallway. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd decided to go to bed early."

"You look like something's on your mind," Oliver says. He's standing in the small kitchen on the other side of the room. From the look of things, he's been making drinks for everyone. Including me, even though I wasn't even here.

"It's Roman." Sebastian chuckles. He's sitting on the floor playing a card game with Theo. "There's always something on his mind."

"Don't let them give you a hard time, Ro," Oliver says, flashing me a soft smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Ro…" I muse as I approach the kitchen. "No one's ever called me that before."

"Oh." Oliver blushes and quickly looks back down at the glass he was pouring. "If you don't want me to use it then I won't."

"I didn't say that." I reach his side and gently brush the hair back from his forehead. He looks up at me and smiles softly. "I like it. You can call me Ro if you'd like."

"Okay, Ro." Oliver grins. I lean forward and brush his lips with mine.

"Ewwwww, gross!" Theo complains loudly.

"You two are disgusting," Lucas chimes in.

The three of them burst into laughter, and Oliver smiles against my lips.

"Is this what things are going to be like from now on?" he asks with a slight laugh as he looks up at me.

"Oh, absolutely," I assure him as he turns to hand me two of the glasses he'd just poured.

"We were all pups together," Lucas says with a broad smile, gratefully nodding when I hand him his drink. "So yeah, we're all gonna tease each other about everything. We're basically family."

"More than that now, I think," Sebastian adds. "Right?"

"Not that I ever planned on being married to any of you," Theo says with an exaggerated tone, "but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that this is how we all wound up." He quickly flashes his characteristic smirk. "We never did figure out how to successfully ditch one another."

"At least not for very long," I add. "So now, I suppose, you're stuck with us, Ollie. How does that feel?"

The four of us look over at him as he stands before us with shining eyes and clasped hands.

"Like a dream I didn't even know I had."