Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

"Thank you for going over all this again and meeting me here. Maybe one of these days the university can get on it and make some better conference rooms that aren't located across campus in the science building," the other alpha said.

Rylan Wolfern was the latest hire for the university library that came with more new ideas and humanities department integration, for better or for worse.

At least he knew what he was talking about compared to the last department head I had to deal with.

His eyes flickered towards the door.

A perky-looking redhead peeked through the window. She blew at one of her unruly curls to get it out of her face like a child.

Instead of looking confused, Rylan smiled broadly. Quickly, he reverted to his all-business expression. "It looks like our time is up. I need to get going."

"Of course. Let me know if I can help you settle in anymore."

"I keep that in mind, Liam. I appreciate it. The same goes for you."

I hummed in response as I stood, shoving my laptop back into my backpack and swinging the heavy-duty canvas over my shoulders.

Before either of us made it any further, the door popped open, the girl stepping inside and sending with her a wave of sugar. It felt like the entire space had suddenly been dipped in the stuff.

I wanted to cough as if to get the distinct scent of an omega out of my lungs. It was heavy and floral.

I settled just to clear my throat instead.

Ryan turned to greet the curvy omega immediately. "I'll be right there, Lidya."

"Sorry, I just figured I'd meet you since it's so hot outside," she said, apologetically. She hesitated, looking towards me before she continued. "You won't believe what just happened. I think I just met another omega."

"Here?"

"Maybe. I don't know. It was odd." Her brow creased.

"Huh," said Rylan, looking a bit confused himself. "Maybe a student? I don't believe Prestford allows omegas without a chaperone yet. Correct, Liam?"

I cut in before I could help myself. "Most omegas once they present or have their first heat end up leaving campus."

Which in the end leaves very few that get that far at all with how young most of the rare designations were presented in the past few decades.

"Then it must not have been," said the omega, looking a bit flustered. "She looked older than someone first presenting."

"How about you wait in the hall for a minute while I say goodbye to Mr. Prestford."

"Prestford?" Her flat, brown eyes widened. "Like the university?"

The name was my cross to bear at this point. "Yes. And also not exactly."

"Oh."

"Go ahead out to wait for a second, Lidya. I'll be right there." Rylan encouraged the omega out the conference room door.

I couldn't help myself when we were once again alone. Rylan stacked the last two of his binders. "You have an omega."

He nodded. "I do."

"Just you?"

"My pack and I. There's only three of us and our omega, but we're happy."

"Happy," I repeated the word as if it was foreign.

"It's funny, you're the second person to ask me about my pack today. Are they not common around the city here?"

"No, they are. More or less."

Rylan studied me before nodding, though there wasn't much to find in my expression. "She completed us, honestly since she ran into us. She's finishing her final year at the academy, but we are happy to have our family together in the area now. Have a nice night, Liam. Like I said, if you need anything, be sure to stop by the library and just ask."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

I followed the two of them out of the building and back through the center of campus.

Halfway down the sidewalk, Rylan tucked his nose down into his omega's neck. She rose on her toes as if to get closer to him. Smiles coated both of their faces.

I wanted to say it was disgusting and inappropriate on campus, but I couldn't.

She looked like she loved him– wanted him as much as he did her.

That was how a pack was supposed to work. Having that kind of connection, a bond, was much more than just a transaction like I had seen growing up between my parents. It was the main reason I was adamant after a few years of being in a pack with three people I felt like were my best friends in the entire world, that we would make sure that we would be able to complete our pack sooner rather than later.

We could do that with an omega.

We could make a real family.

I could see it just as clearly as anything. I could see our pack leader, Demetri rolling his eyes as our beta made our omega smile. I could see Marko, our other alpha, with his arms crossed trying to look all tough and unbothered even though we all know that when– if– we ever found our one, he would be the first alpha to turn into a complete sap.

I swallowed as I swiped my glasses off my head and ran my hand through my hair.

A few students passing me quickly turned their gazes in the other direction.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket.

Demetri: Will be home tonight. ETA 4 o'clock.

Ducking my head down, I made my way back towards my office, trying to force myself to stop thinking about everything.

Our pack was just fine. We were good together and kept each other safe without anything extra causing issues.

That's what mattered.

Wanting and needing an omega to stay afloat were two very different things.

A good thing, since, at this point, I doubted even if no one else did that it would ever happen.

"It's still fine, ya know if I might go out with someone, right?" Cal asked from where he stood in the corner of the kitchen, stuffing himself full of dry cereal.

"What are you talking about, Cal?" Demetri, our head alpha in our pack of four, grunted from where he typed away on his laptop. He had been sitting there by the window ever since he got home from work.

He'd been working more and more ever since he attempted to take a step back from his father's business—which was basically to have a hand in a little of everything so long as it could make him money. Now, Demetri had one foot into the big Prestford name while also starting on his ventures after we forced him to.

The guy wouldn't shut up about how he wanted to start a non-profit since I met him as a roommate in boarding school.

What a nerd.

Marko was in through the archway on the couch. The only part I could see of him was his big blond head with how he was slouching.

The biggest alpha of us was easily compared to a bear which worked well considering he was ex-ops and now head of Demetri's new line of security alongside Cal who handed the technical side of things, barely looked up from where he was scrolling on his phone.

When he did look up it was only to curl his lip at Cal. "That cereal has red 40."

"And it's delicious."

Marko rolled his eyes and stood to head to the kitchen, starting to pull ingredients out of the fridge likely to make our beta something more nutritious as the also being the only one of us who used the oversized kitchen.

Cal chomped on another handful of cereal like a heathen before setting it on the counter. Marko took the opportunity to yank it away and shove it in the trashcan.

I could feel a hint of something odd traveling down the bond between Cal and me as he considered his next words. Something like the sparking of nerves.

When had Cal ever been nervous before?

He shifted back and forth. "I mean, if I wanted to ask someone out. Like on a date or something. We said that was fine before, right?"

"You've got to be kidding," I mumbled, bracing myself on the cool granite island.

Demetri blinked twice before turning his attention away from his computer to focus on Cal. "You know that's fine as long as you bring it up and no one's upset about it."

"You're serious?" I asked. "You've been at work all day. Who the hell could you've met?"

Our fearless pack leader paused his work, lifting his fingers from the keys once more. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Does this mean that you're upset about it, Liam?"

Cal raised his dark eyebrows until they were hidden underneath his curls, waiting for my input.

I crossed my arms before realizing I still had my blazer on. I hastily shucked it off and threw it over the back of the chairs around the large kitchen island. "No. He can do whatever with his dick that he wants."

"Nothing serious, right Cal?" confirmed Demetri.

He shrugged. "Not as of now."

Then not as of ever.

Though Cal might've been the most personable of the bunch of us, our beta was a terrible flirt. Whoever got under his skin likely wouldn't make it until next week. Or until Marko or I reminded Cal Cal exactly who he was once again, and this entire open-pack relationship would once again be thrown to a halt.

Better than it was, in my opinion.

I rubbed my palm against my face looking between the two others acting like everything was going just fine. Maybe to them, it was. It wasn't like they were alone for the past three months while I was here starting the school year with students who in most cases could care less about linguistics let alone their mandatory language credits.

"I think that we should reach back out to Omega Services," I said.

Sudden shock hit the bond before the sound of Cal's hang crushing into the box of dry cereal halted.

Demetri paused mid-keystroke.

Now everyone's attention was one thing. Me.

Even Marko paused his work before he shook his head, looking back down at the eggs he was breaking into a bowl for what must've been an omelet.

Cal sputtered. "What?"

"I think we should reach back out to omega services or even the local omega haven again to see if we can try and be matched with another omega who needs a pack," I said, keeping it logical. "I realize that we stopped two years ago for a reason to regroup–"

"Yeah, after that bitch last time came in and nearly ruined us."

"Cal," Demetri spoke up to interrupt.

Without a single order, Cal shut his mouth, though he was still shaking his head, jaw set.

"We did say we would try again when the time was right," said Demetri, slowly as if now only remembering. That had been over two years. "You're right, Lee. I know that you've been alone here for a while I dealt with a lot of family things and business the past few months with Marko and Cal. We knew that was going to be hard. I get where this is all coming from."

"It's not about that." I kept my voice even, forcing myself not to let it rise.

I was not bringing this up because I was lonely.

"I know that." Shutting his eyes, we both knew that I wasn't the only one who desperately wanted this whether or not we talked about it.

Demetri had just as a sucky childhood as I did. And that was just the kicker, wasn't it?

You always wanted what you couldn't have.

He sucked on his bottom lip as if considering. "We'll talk about it more. But not tonight."

Cal scoffed.

"Fine," I said with a single nod. I let go of the counter. "I'm going to bed."

Demitri's brow furrowed as he glanced up at me. "It's not even eight o'clock."

I shrugged. "It's been a long day. Talk in the morning if you"re around."

It wasn't a lie. It had been a day.

At first, I thought it was because my head was racing. And then I saw that damn, too sweet and floral omega Rylan Wolfern had traipsing around bringing all these thoughts back up, but that couldn't be it either.

It didn't satisfy the itch in my brain, begging for attention.

Omega omega omega.

Yet that couldn't just be it.

Something just wasn't right. I ran through my day, searching for the change.

This morning I woke up, did my workout, went to work, and taught my classes. I even had damn office hours after already listening to students ask ridiculous questions for nearly thirty minutes just to waste time.

One poor soul showed up to complain that he couldn't afford the textbook before I sent him off with my copy. Then, I rushed to my meeting in the new science building where some girl nearly ran me over, looking at me like I was the crazy one.

When I got back to my office, I finished the alterations needed to my class documents the registrar was asking for after the time to add or drop my classes ended and sent out all the emails that I had on my contact list... For god's sake. I came back to watch Cal eat cereal like a beast.

Nothing was out of the ordinary.

The door creaked open.

Out of the corner of my eye, Cal squeezed in and shut the door again. I didn't say a word as he made it towards the bed, curling in alongside me. Immediately, I breathed in his mellow vanilla scent. He always smelled mushy and comforting enough to make me cover his mouth so he couldn't ruin it and use him as a pillow.

"Hey," whispered Cal.

"Hello?"

"Are you upset with me?" he asked, peeking up so that his dark eyes were shining in the low light.

Was that something I was missing? "Why would I be upset with you?"

"I don't know."

"I'm not upset with you, even though I expected more of a welcome home from you."

Without hesitating, Cal wrapped his arms around me and squeezed.

I guess that's somewhat better.

I looped my arm back around him as he relaxed into my hold and murmured, "I really did meet someone, I think. I won't though if you're not comfortable. I know we agreed on everything being open between the four of us, but if that isn't the case with us…"

"Am I ever mad at you because of that?" I asked with a scoff. He was right. The pack had an open-relationship policy, even if the two of us also sampled each other. More than sampled. "Have fun. Do whatever. Don't come back with an STD or I'll put you out on the corner with a ‘Beta for Free" sign."

Cal chuckled. Both of us knew he kept himself clean. Marko was the only one who ever fucked us over after he came out of the military and well, caused a whole slew of other problems for himself as well as the rest of us unfortunately.

"You know that doesn't mean that I still don't want to have fun with you, you know," Cal said.

I snort. "I know that."

"Then what's the problem? You've been off all afternoon. I would've thought you'd be more excited to have me home now that Demetri is cooling off from being around his father so much finally."

Anyone would need a few months to calm down after being forced into spending time with Prestford Senior.

"I am excited to see you."

"You sure about that?" Cal lifted his head to hover over me on his elbows. His fingers swept over my chin before sliding down the side of my neck.

I stared at him as he continued to take his time, journeying his touch down over my chest. He only paused the moment his hand cupped me through my underwear.

I had to force myself not to jump to the touch.

God, it felt good.

Cal grinned when my hand snapped to grab his wrist. "Oh, look at that. You are excited to see me."

"You want to play this game?"

"Play? You know I always win," teased Cal. He gave me another squeeze until I couldn't help the sound that escaped from the back of my throat.

"Did you actually meet someone," I clarified, and then I'd drop the subject. "Or were you just trying to get a rise out of me and Demetri again?"

Cal paused. "Yeah. I did. Sort of anyway."

"Sort of?"

"We had bagels together."

"Is that some new weird lingo?"

He barked a laugh. "No. Though it probably could be."

"I pity them."

"Stop it." Instead of swatting me, Cal bent down and bit the point of my hip above my waistband. He adjusted himself to look me back in the eye. "I don't know if anything will come of it. I barely know them. But I figure if something does right when I got back to this town, well, it feels like fucking fate."

Cal and his stupid fate talk.

"Whatever. Now show me how much you missed me."

Grabbing the sides of my face, Cal planted a kiss on my lips, dragging it out with his teeth before trailing his tongue across my bottom lip. He licked and nipped down my neck and chest.

I threaded my hand through his waves as he continued his sloppy kisses, tongue skating around my nipple. I let my head lull back as he chuckled against my skin.

"You like that, Sir?"

My only response was to push him down further until he yanked at the waistband of my slacks. I helped him pull them down off my hips until I was free of them completely. My length slipped free, slapping against my stomach.

Cal didn't pause as he ran his tongue all the way up to the crown, swirling at where a bead of pre-cum already started to bead. He grinned at the way I groaned.

It had been too long since we had taken time for one another.

"Just like that, beta," I praised, breathless. "You know how to take me."

He moaned right back.

Now I was the one who was grinning, not that he could tell. He was far too busy sucking my cock the way only he knew how. Perfectly.

He bobbed his head as I shoved him down deeper. He one hand leveraged himself on my thigh while the other reached down to cup my halls and squeeze.

"Fuck, baby. I'm not going to last if you keep going like that."

By the way his side of our bond lit up, clearly, that was his plan.

I shoved him down further, holding him there in punishment—only, of course, Cal liked this too much. I slowly started to adulate my hips, thrusting into his warm, wet mouth.

It wasn't long before I was fucking my sweet beta's mouth unable to control myself, and he took it just the way I knew he could without complaint, swallowing me down.

"You're so fucking perfect, beta. So fucking good taking your alpha's cock," I praised as I used him, feeling the peak of my pleasure alongside his own pleasure at pleasing me.

I rocked my hips down his throat until I came with a hard grunt.

After another moment, feeling Cal's breath through his nose against my pelvis, I pulled out of his mouth carefully. He leaned back on his knees, rubbing his jaw.

There was nothing but a smile on his face.

"You like how I fuck your mouth, beta?" I asked.

"You know I do, Sir."

I reached forward and grabbed him by his shirt, yanking him up closer to me until our lips were a breath apart.

His dark eyelashes fluttered along his cheeks.

He was turned on. That was clear, if not from the flush in his cheeks but by how uncomfortable that zipper must've been against where he strained against his pants.

He didn't even notice as I unzipped when my lips slammed into his, showing him my appreciation as my hand wrapped around Cal's hard cock.

He gasped into my mouth.

"You should know better than to think I'd leave my beta wanting when he's been such a good boy for me."

Biting his bottom lip, he forced his eyes to stay open on me as I started to stroke him from root to tip. I rubbed the bit of moisture already there into the tip of his cock and stroked down.

He shook from the sensation.

I knew exactly how to bring him to the edge and hold him there. But I was going to be kind to him.

Tonight, anyway.

I picked up the pace, listening to the small keens and grunts as he gripped my shoulder. He knew he couldn't get away from me. Ever.

And neither of us wanted to.

"Oh, Sir. Please. Yes. Let me come," Cal begged.

"Come whenever you want, beta." I leaned in and bit right under his ear.

He came with a shout. Lengths of his release coated my hand as I continued to touch him until his chest was the only thing left heaving.

"Shit," he whispered.

My sentiments exactly.

Reaching over towards the nightstand, I grabbed some tissues and cleaned us up. "Now get undressed, Cal. Get into bed. I'm tired."

He nodded once, completely on board as he tossed off his shirt and rolled over. "Yes, Sir."

Crawling into bed, I turned off the light and let Cal curl up next to me. As a beta, he didn't have a strong scent, but it was still there a little bit. And Cal always smelled like home. Like our family, even if it wasn't complete just yet.

Maybe Cal was right. He kept going out and meeting people. At least he was doing about this feeling that was ruminating in me.

That might've been it.

Everything was right, and yet something was still missing. We were missing something.

Cal wasn't an alpha like the rest of us in the pack, but that didn't mean that he wasn't stupidly attuned to these things.

There was a hint of something there, itching at the corner of my brain. But I let it slip away as I fell asleep until finally…

I couldn"t care less.