17. Mila

Chapter seventeen

Mila

"T hank you, Lachlan, they're beautiful…"

The blond, cheery Alpha smiles as I take the snowdrops from his hand. Then I find a small vase, placing it on the windowsill by the sink where we can both admire them.

Out of all the members of the Hart pack, Lachlan has surprised me the most. It turns out that he is actually quite sweet beneath all that crazy, and who would have guessed?

This is the fifth time he has picked me flowers from the woods, and once again, I show him how grateful I am.

I don't think anyone has ever given me flowers. Now my room is filled with flowers that Lachlan handpicked for me himself.

He finds all kinds in the woods outside the house, from snowdrops, bluebells, daisies, and even dandelions. They brighten up my little drab bedroom.

I got a room at the end of the house, and it's the smallest. But I'm okay with that. Last to come, after all.

But it's not as if I am an official member of the pack. Things are still tense.

My being here creates trouble for the guys. They don't trust me. It's not hard to see.

Well, mostly it's Gryphon who seems to have a problem with me. The others at least have been civil. Although Barret was rude when I first got here, he has come around.

Oliver has been nice since the night I arrived. He always makes a fuss about the food I cook, and sometimes, I catch him staring at me from the corner of my eye.

I have caught them all staring. Gryphon, however, mostly glares, but I try to ignore him.

He's just not worth my time and stress.

I glance at the small glass vase on the windowsill of the kitchen, and the snowdrops really do brighten up the room.

Lachlan watches me the whole time I make pancakes, asking me questions nonstop, but I am happy to indulge him.

I actually enjoy his company.

He laughs when I flip the pancakes, but when he tries, it gets stuck on the ceiling.

That's okay, though. We can just make another.

Once the pancakes are done, I place them down on the table, peering around. Oliver and Barret are already seated. The only person missing is Gryphon.

Not that I'm complaining there.

"Where's Gryphon?" I dare ask, pulling out a chair for myself.

Barret and Lachlan immediately tuck into their pancakes. Oliver is a little more polite, waiting until I start eating before he digs in himself.

The Omega answers my question. "He had an errand to do…"

That's it. An errand. Yet I get the feeling that he is avoiding telling me the exact specifics of Gryphon's whereabouts, and it just reminds me of how much of an outsider I truly am in this pack.

Maybe if we met in different circumstances, we could have all been one happy family. But, unfortunately, I am a pawn sent by my government in a bid to infiltrate their own.

I am a threat, and I don't even know in what form or manner. Governor Frederick has plans for me, and I have no idea what.

It makes me sick with anxiety. So much so that I can't even eat my pancakes.

Barret snorts, stuffing his mouth with fluffy pancakes. "Why, you missing him, Mila? I'd have thought you'd be happy to see the back of that Alpha for a while…"

He's not wrong. The house is a little sunnier when Gryphon isn't around. That man seems to suck the joy and laughter from any room, and I never understood people like that.

Always so negative.

Always having to ruin the happiness of others just to satisfy their own misery…

It makes me wonder what Oliver even sees in him. He must see something that I don't, but then again, Gryphon is his mate, and I am not in love with him.

"Leave her alone, Barret," Oliver scolds, glancing at me again.

His smile is sad, and it's obvious he wants to tell me so much more. It's obvious he wants to get to know me more, and I can see that he is trying, but he doesn't want to upset his moody Alpha.

"These pancakes are delicious, Mila. We've been eating like kings since you arrived…" he compliments, and I blush, hoping my cheeks don't show my embarrassment.

He's trying to change the subject, and I'm thankful for his thoughtfulness, but I still can't remove the knot from my chest.

I am nothing but an outsider. I will never belong anywhere.

Most of all, I will never be a part of his pack.

I will never be Oliver's…

I may be surrounded by people now, but truth be told, I have never felt more alone.

I miss my dad.

My eyes prick, and again, I hide the tears. The last thing I want is the pack seeing me cry. I doubt they would care, anyway.

Yet when my eyes land on the pretty white snowdrops on the windowsill, I question that last thought.

Would they care?

I have had to be strong and brave my whole life. Once my mother died, I took care of my father. I had to grow up much more quickly as a result.

For once, I would like to be taken care of.

To my pleasant surprise, Lachlan offers to clear the table and to do the dishes. Even when I protest, he insists, and he really is an enigma, that Alpha.

Then there's Barret. He likes to act like an asshole, but he offers to dry the plates because he worries that Lachlan will drop them with his butter fingers.

I don't know what their game is, but I am a little impressed.

When I got here, the kitchen was a dump. Soiled dishes were everywhere, and I even found an old pizza box with a moldy leftover slice.

I threw it out, of course.

But now the kitchen shines.

Since Oliver has nothing to do but wait until Gryphon comes back, he asks if I would like to watch a movie.

"But… wouldn't that be stepping on Gryphon's toes?" I ask, biting my lip.

Oliver rolls his eyes, leading me away from the kitchen.

Is it even smart to leave Barret and Lachlan alone? What if they make a mess, and then Gryphon will blame me, of course.

"It will be fine, Mila. It's just a movie."

"But we will be alone in a dark room…"

I try to make light of the awkward moment, but Gryphon acts as if I will steal his Omega right from under his nose.

He doesn't like us spending too much time together. He is trying to create some boundaries between us, but Oliver just won't keep away.

"Come on, let me show you to the movie room."

"You have a movie room?"

Oliver chuckles. "Yes, but it's mostly mine. The guys built it for me when we arrived. My request."

Wow. Must be nice to have Alphas who will build you a movie room wherever you so desire.

I have never really been a fan of movies. I just never had much time these past few years to watch any.

"But I should probably finish cleaning up in the kitchen…"

"It's fine. Lachlan and Barret are taking care of it."

I glance back. They really are, and what can I say? I am deeply impressed. Not one of them has smashed a plate, and Lachlan even wipes down the spoons.

Though breathing on them won't necessarily make them any cleaner. Shinier, maybe.

I know they are only helping me because it would satisfy Oliver, but a small part of me believes that they are doing it for my benefit, too.

Those Alphas want to prove how useful they can be.

"Come on, I have the perfect movie… let's go!"

Oliver yanks on my hand, and I'm pretty sure a spark ignites when our skin makes contact.

But it was probably just in my head. Despite the fact that Oliver may be my potential scent match, I push the sensation to one side and resign myself to watching a movie in a lone, dark room with him.

Should be fun.

Let's hope I can make it through the movie without smelling like a gingerbread cookie.