27. Theo

Chapter 27

Theo

“ I never should have stopped her going into Brody’s nest.”

There. Finally, off my chest.

It's something I’m sure they’re aware of, but to see the expressions on their faces must mean that my confession has taken them completely by surprise.

I’ve only expressed my regret to Brody, but not to these two, and definitely not to Ella either, probably the one who needs to hear my apology the most.

I go on. “I regret every moment of chasing her away, and I haven’t been able to rid the image of her heartbroken face from my mind since.”

I still don’t meet their eyes, too afraid of the judgment I’ll see.

Alastor was cruel to her at first, but he changed all that around fairly quickly. And Kellen has turned many leaves, building her that nest, which I still haven’t been inside.

I haven’t even stepped a toe inside Brody’s nest since that night because I am no longer worthy.

I’m not worthy of Brody, and I am not worthy of Ella.

And I am not worthy of these two Alphas.

Because of my choice, they had to jump through all those hoops just to win her back.

I was the one at fault, yet they had to prove they were worthy Alphas.

Alastor used her, true, and Kellen left her to fight the protesters at the venue, but what I did was unthinkable.

I decided to speak for them, telling Ella they hated her and didn’t care for her, and now here we are.

On this excursion just to win our Omegas back.

The pack doesn’t need me, for I have only ever made poor choices.

I’m sure Brody and Ella will be happy with just two Alphas.

Me, I’m weighing us all down.

Finally, I open my eyes, and neither Alpha watches me. Alastor tightens his fist around his beer bottle and Kellen stares glumly into the flames.

They know I’m right. Hence why they aren’t trying to deny me.

“Kellen…” I say.

He stirs, gray eyes flickering as they meet mine. “Yeah?”

I smile tightly. “You make a good pack lead.”

The redhead’s eyes widen. He coughs and returns to beer.

Alastor stares at me with those cool, glacier eyes, and that’s when I meet his gaze.

Unlike Kellen, he doesn’t get awkward and merely holds my stare.

“You did too, Alastor. You still make a good one. You were far better than I ever was.”

He narrows his eyes. “What are you getting at?”

I suck in a breath. “I… don’t want the position again. Kellen, when your time is up, you transfer control back to Alastor. I… am not worthy…”

Only the crickets fill the silence now after my confession, and they know I’m right.

It’s why they don’t try to rebuke me.

Well, then, I guess it will hurt less when they hear what I have to say next. “That’s… that’s why after we’ve finished here, I’m… not returning…”

Alastor and Kellen whip their heads around at the same time. Kellen’s glow with the power of pack lead.

“What?” he breathes.

I squeeze my eyes. “I’m not returning to the pack. The power is in your hands now, Kellen. You… can cut me off…”

I don’t want to leave. I want to stay by Brody’s side and become the Alpha he always deserved, and I want to be the Alpha Ella deserves.

She deserved better than me from the start. Even before I took her home from Gryphon’s office.

My boss was right: my pack was the right one for her.

It's just that I wasn’t.

So, Alastor and Kellen can take it from here. They can keep transferring the position of pack lead to make it fair, while I… I will go off on my own.

Who knows what I will do?

Maybe Gryphon can let me join his pack?

Fucking doubt that.

His pack brothers wouldn’t like me one bit, and Lachlan Hart terrifies even me.

While I will dedicate myself to Gryphon, that will be all I will ever be to him. An employee and subordinate.

My breath shakes when I say, “Just… just tell her I’m…sorry… when…”

“Shut up,” Kellen whispers.

I look at him. “What?”

He grits his teeth, blue eyes flaring as he gazes into the flames, the ones that match his hair. “I said, shut up. Have you heard yourself? Get a grip.”

His words are like a punch to the gut, but I lick my lips. “I don’t follow. I thought—"

Finally, Kellen snaps his head around, pinning me with his glowing blue eyes, and it’s the power of pack lead.

“Shut up!”

And shut up I do. He’s in charge now, so I do as he says.

Kellen scoffs. “You think you can get off that easy? Just… run away? Rather than face your problems like a real Alpha? Don’t make me beat you up, Theo.”

I blink, dumbfounded.

What is this? I thought they would be glad to see me leave.

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Alastor says, regarding me with the same eyes as Kellen. “Kellen, transfer back to me just so I can order him to shut his mouth, too.”

Kellen has no objections as he closes his eyes, and I spy the moment the power transfers to Alastor.

Now Alastor opens his eyes, his eyes glowing an ominous green.

“As a wise Alpha once said, well, mere moments ago, actually, you do not get off that easy, Theo. You return back to our Omegas with us and Alpha up to your mistakes. Run away? Don’t make me laugh,” Alastor snorts, sipping his beer.

I’m not sure if they are trying to make me feel better or worse, but… I’m grateful.

They’re prepared to boss me around and beat me to a pulp just so I can have the courage to own up to my mistakes.

“And we will give you the position of pack lead again…when you’re ready. In the end, Theo, you’re our pack brother… we won’t let you leave.”

I stare at Alastor in complete shock. “So, I take it you don’t hate me?”

They take a moment to respond.

Kellen speaks first. “You’re an annoying prick, but you’re nowhere as annoying as Alastor, so… no.”

Well, that’s a relief.

Alastor gives Kellen his infamous shit-eating grin, the one that drives the redhead up the wall, and maybe one day, Kellen really will make Alastor eat shit.

Now that I would like to see.

“Agreed,” Alastor says. “While your face makes me sick, Theo, it could never come close to Kellen’s freckled pussy face.”

Kellen bares his teeth, and Alastor gives him the middle finger.

That’s when Kellen’s growl turns into a laugh and then he swigs back his beer. “Yeah, this face is perfect for pussy, Alastor, and don’t you forget it. Now, hand it back.”

Alastor quirks a brow. “Hand what back?”

“My position as pack lead.”

The Alpha merely chuckles and drinks his beer. “You can have it back when you suck my dick.”

Kellen growls, but then he sighs, conceding at last. “Whatever. Enjoy it, I guess. It was giving me a headache, anyway.”

The redhead rubs his temples, and I guess that’s it. I’m coming home with them. Even if they have to knock me out and tie me up to prove their point.

A smile curves my lips.

I actually forgot about this. We were all close once, just like this, back at the Academy.

It almost takes me back.

Sure, we were forever taking digs at each other, but it was all banter in those days.

That banter just turned into hatred eventually, and it seems we were broken.

I feel it then. Our bond is threading slowly back together, and I say the next words through the bond.

“Thanks, guys.”

While we may not be kissing and making up, we do care about each other.

Honestly, I would die for these two, and I know the feeling is mutual. We just lost our way lately, forgetting what it was that drew us all together in the first place.

“Don’t mention it,” Alastor replies.

“You ever talk of leaving again, Theo, I will kill you ,” Kellen says.

Point taken.

I sigh. “I just don’t know how I can make it up to her… You’re both leaps and bounds ahead of me.”

They fall silent on the bond. Then Alastor chuckles out loud and looks my way.

“Well, you could start by getting her an elephant.”

I regard him strangely. Then I throw my head back and laugh at the sky.

Fuck.

Right.

I don’t even know why I wrote that on the application. I just wanted to fill space.

Kellen said we all needed an Omega to balance us out, and he was right.

I just never accepted we would get two Omegas.

Alastor smirks. “May want to consider getting those bags of peanuts in bulk now, after all, Theodore.”

The smile doesn’t leave my face, and maybe this excursion into the mountains was what we really needed.

Kellen furrows his brows at Alastor’s peanut joke. “I still don’t get it.”

Alastor and I have no idea what to say. We take it he never watched Dumbo as a kid, or maybe he really is that dumb, who knows.

Before Alastor can respond, his phone dings, and then he pulls it out of his pocket.

“Shit.”

I sit up. “What is it?”

He looks at me. Then his gaze falls on Kellen as he gets to his feet. “Looks like we may have to end this trip early, boys. We’re needed. That was Brody. Ella has gone into heat.”

My heart pounds.

Fuck.

This is happening.

Ella has gone into heat.

And I highly doubt I will get to join.