46. Emmett

46

EMMETT

“ W e have a problem, and it's not just the fact that you three still need at least eight kicks in the dick."

Oliver sighs, batting his eyes at the omega on our doorstep. "God, I love getting verbally assaulted before the door is even open all the way. How'd you know?"

I don't even notice the girl behind Kate until she snorts and nudges Kate with her elbow. I'm still a lot confused about why Amaya's best friend, who last I knew wanted us dead, is standing on our doorstep.

"You don't have a weapon, do you?" I ask warily, trying to peek between Kate's crossed arms.

Kate narrows her eyes and cocks a hip. "Why? Do I need one?"

"I—" What the fuck is happening right now?

I don't know if I feel relieved when Sam steps up beside Oliver, but at least he can handle the murderous omega currently glaring daggers at me. At least she's not throwing daggers.

"How can we help you ladies?" Samuel greets.

Oli curses when Kate's sugary bubble gum scent sharpens in annoyance and attacks my nose. Swallowing the urge to gag a little at the potency of her raspberry scent, I take a step back and decide to let Sam handle it.

"Kate, chill," the other omega grunts and nudges her fuming friend. "Hi, I'm Freya," she introduces herself but doesn't reach to shake our hands.

Fine by me. I wouldn't touch her, anyway. There's only one omega, one woman, who's allowed to touch me.

Speaking of… we were just about to leave.

"Nice to meet you, Freya," Sam replies diplomatically. "What can we do for you?"

Nice, straight to the point . If he hadn't stepped in, I doubt I would have been able to get past the fact that Amaya's best friend hates me. And judging by Oliver's green face and shifting feet, he's struggling to push past Kate's ire toward us too. I'm a little shocked her scent is so revolting to him, considering he's a beta. Maybe it's because nothing will ever compare to our scent match.

Freya eyes Kate, but Kate just glares at Sam. Yeah, I don't like him very much these days, either.

The blonde omega sighs. "Amaya's heat cycle has started."

A haze like I've never known coats my vision pink. Heat. Omega. MY omega. In need.

"No! None of that," Kate shouts, snapping me out of my alpha's overpowering presence trying to dominate all rational thought.

I don't know where my growl ends and Samuel's begins. Hell, I'm pretty fucking sure my beta is also about to go feral for his mate.

Freya stomps. "Stop it right now! This isn't about you. If you really want to make up for your mistakes, you're gonna have to shove your needs aside and take care of your omega the way she needs!"

"Wh-what?" I rasp, trying really damn hard to focus on her words. The meaning behind them is a bit harder to grasp.

"Amaya doesn't need your knots, you assholes," Kate interjects, scaring me a little.

I frown, and I see Samuel tense even more out of the corner of my eye, but he doesn't deny that's also where his mind went. Now I feel like an ass. There's no way Amaya would want us in her nest.

"But." Oli hesitates and looks between Sam and me with furrowed brows. "How else would we help?"

Kate grumbles and pinches the bridge of her nose like we're giving her a headache. She doesn't have instincts slamming against the reality of our situation demanding we run to Amaya's house and claim her.

Freya nudges Kate back a few steps.

"What are all the other things an omega needs during a heat cycle?" I can practically feel Freya biting back her judgmental tone, but when it finally registers what we need to do, I don't blame her.

Blinking away the last of my horny haze and putting my instincts in a proverbial head lock to get my alpha to listen, I stand up tall. "Comfort. Amaya needs her pack to take care of her other needs."

Oli huffs and mumbles with exasperation, "Well, we're dumb."

Samuel turns to me like he's waiting for me to say something. When I stay silent, he gives me a small chin lift. "What's the plan?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" I stutter, taken aback by his shift of responsibility. "This is your call."

Sam shakes his head, lips turned down. "Not anymore. I'm not pack alpha, not after all my mistakes and your literal challenge that you won twice ."

I didn't challenge him. Did I?! A low growl rumbles in my head, confirming my alpha side definitely took it that way. "Ah no!" I gasp. "Only reason that happened is because you were in shock."

"I was in shock because I realized all the mistakes I've made being a leader, Emmett. I'm not fit to lead, and I don't want to." Sam sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "I have a lot to make up for, Em, and I need to focus on that."

"Well, I'm not pack alpha!" My words tumble out frantically, and I feel nothing but acceptance in my body. I'm not . This wasn't why I threw him onto his back, but maybe I knew he couldn't lead us anymore.

"Em," Oli interrupts softly. "This doesn't matter right now. The pack bond is as damaged as it's always been. We need to focus on Maya."

Some of my panic dissipates, knowing my beta is right. Without an alpha leading, our pack bond will deteriorate even further, but we have time. Time that needs to be used to take care of our omega.

But I don't know what to do.

Oliver rests a hand on my trembling arm and addresses Samuel and me. "We'll need blankets. We can't be too presumptuous that she will want our scents, so we only take a few articles of clothing as an offering. Wrapped in their own bags," he adds with a slight lilt of a question to the omegas still staring at us.

Freya nods approvingly.

Oliver's confidence boosts. "Make a list of all her favorite foods from when she was younger. Sweets are good, but she will need nutrients. Sam, you'll run to the store and make sure you get cases of water bottles and electrolyte packets. If you see anything you think she might want or need, don't hesitate. Follow your instincts."

Sam nods, pulling out his phone without preamble, and starts the list while still listening.

"Oh, and pick up yellow flowers," Oli adds.

I blink. "Why?"

Oliver stares at me like I'm dumb. "Because the yellow ones smell like Amaya." Sam looks confused too, as do the girls. "What?" Oli snaps.

"What do you mean the yellow ones smell like her?" I ask for clarification.

Crossing his arms, my beta glares at me. "They’re lavender."

Kate snorts, and Freya corrects him. "Lavender is purple and looks more like a plant than a normal flower.”

Oliver's mouth pops open and his eyes glaze in wonder. "So I really did smell her when I gave her dad a tour of the house!"

"She needs more nesting materials," Kate chimes in, breaking the silence that followed Oliver's realization. Personally, I want to know more about that story, but maybe later.

Does she not have a nest?

Oliver nods, zeroing back in on what matters right now, and turns to me. "Em, you're on nest supplies. There's that big ass department store down the road that looks like one big cloud of coziness inside. Same as Sam. Get what you think our girl wants and needs."

I'm really curious when the hell my beta has been inside this store, but that's a question for another time. For now, I'm so damn thankful he remembers everything we were taught at our designation academy.

"I'm forgetting something for the nesting supplies," Oliver mumbles.

Freya lifts her hand. "Descenting detergent. You'll need to wash the materials, so she doesn't pick up on any other lingering scents from the store."

Oli snaps and points at her. "Yes. Thank you! We will also need to shower before we go over there since..." He waves a hand at the two omegas who smell nothing like our fated.

"I will gather some of our clothes and head over to talk to Vincent." Oliver looks thoughtful.

"What are you going to say?" Sam asks, his voice tight.

I'm worried our resident asshole will have a really hard time with the tattooed hunk who’s been living with our girl.

Oli hesitates long enough for Kate to take pity on him. "Vincent is going to need your help, too. I think it's a good call for Oliver to speak to him first, since he's not a hotheaded alpha."

Well, she was almost not offensive.

I ignore her jab and ask the question that has my panic rising again. "Then what?"

Freya and Kate exchange a look, the former replying, "You follow their lead. And if you’re kicked to the curb, you keep trying, 'cus your omega needs you."

She gets three determined nods.

We're coming Maya.