Page 30 of Omega Makes a Family
"Just tell him what you told me," I encourage him. "I promise, you've got nothing to worry about."
Filo frowns but switches his gaze to Oliver.
"You need to ask Dad for the title back," Filo says bluntly. "I can't lead this pack. I'm awful at it. I hunt, I build, I do chores, I don't lead. You lead. You've always led. You're good at it. You need to be the one at the head of the pack."
Oliver looks at his brother quietly for a moment and doesn't speak.
"But if you don't want to, please don't leave again," Filo continues, his expression softening to the point where it looks like he might cry. "You're my brother. My best friend. If I don't have you, then I've got no one. I definitely couldn't lead if you were gone."
"Oh, Fi." Oliver throws his arms around his brother and pulls him into a warm hug. "I'm so sorry. I left all this on you. Dumped all the responsibility and worry onto your shoulders. I never should've abandoned you like this."
"So you'll take it back?" Filo asks as Oliver holds him at arm's length and looks up at him warmly.
"I'll talk to Dad about it tomorrow. I promise. But you've got to understand why I let it go in the first place."
"I do," Filo insists. "We all do. We all understand why you felt like it was in the best interest of the pack to make the decision you did, but you're wrong. Every single wolf here would follow you through hell. They all trust you, and you've proven over the years that you're every bit as capable of a leader as Dad has been. Just because you're an omega doesn't mean shit. If the other packs want to think we're weak with you leading us, then they're the ones that are going to be in for a rude awakening."
Chapter 22
Oliver
The scent of the earth fills my senses. Rain coats everything in a fresh, new scent that makes me think of a future that's both uncertain and full of promise. I stretch, my claws extending into the soft earth beneath my paws as I do.
It's been too long since I've shifted forms. Too long since I've let my wolf take over and run free. My canine muscles are tense from disuse, and all I want to do is charge into the underbrush and run until I'm out of breath.
But there's much for me to do right now. Tonight's hunt is important for many reasons.
I turn and look back toward the others. The familiar wolves of my parents and brother are nearby. Behind them, more of the packmates I've known all my life are gathered to watch. Normally, my father would be organizing the hunters and leading us all into the woods. But tonight, all eyes are on me.
Tonight, I'm leading the pack.
My gaze turns back to the woods. Four large, imposing wolves stand between me and the trees. Their coats glisten in the moonlight, and their eyes are fixed on me with unwavering intensity. I'd never seen their wolves before tonight, but seeing them now, I feel as if I've known them forever.
Roman, Sebastian, Theo, and Lucas.
The four alphas that have turned my life upside down.
And tonight, they officially become my mates.
Normally there's a bonding ceremony between a single alpha and omega. Some sort of chase and romp in the woods. It varies from pack to pack, but things are different this time. With the five of us bonding, a new sort of ceremony was needed. One that celebrated our bond as a unit that's stronger as a whole. One that the entire pack can witness and attest to.
Which is why the five of us alone will be hunting a meal for the pack to enjoy. Our bond, my leadership, on full display for the pack to judge and appraise. As the future leader of the pack, I have to be able to provide for them, and so do my mates.
I shake my coat out, fluffing up my fur, and stride easily toward the four that are waiting for me. The rest of the pack sit and watch, silent and unmoving, from the moonlit field on the edge of the woods.
One by one, my alphas fall into line, flanking me as we head deeper into the woods. Old pine needles are soft underfoot and muffle our movement. The scents are muted, damp after the heavy rain from the previous night. This was a deliberate choice. A hunt like this is often just an excuse to play, a reason to shift and let our wolves out for a bit of exercise. We manage the local wildlife population very well and finding something to hunt is usually somewhat trivial.
Tonight is different, however. Tonight is a challenge. It's meant to be difficult. It's meant to use all of our skills together. To prove to everyone that the five of us bring something to the pack that we couldn't manage individually. That our strength lies in each other.
We head deeper and deeper into the woods, following game trails and old scent paths. My nose leads the way, picking up the slightest of scents and leading us deeper. I can hear the others sniffing, smelling, searching for any fresh scent that might lead us to a good catch.
Lucas snorts and stops short, drawing his head up and turning his nose into the wind. His movements draw everyone's attention, and we quickly mimic his movements. After a few seconds, I catch the scent too. Something big, something wild. Something worth chasing.
The hunt begins.
Our instincts take over and we sprint forward, the trail leading us uphill, weaving between trees and boulders, across streams and through patches of brambles. Each step is perfectly coordinated, our movements perfectly synchronized, as if the five of us were all connected by an invisible bond.
Up ahead, through the trees, I can see the dark shadow of something moving quickly through the woods. Heavy hooves churn the soft earth as the elk leaps and dashes, desperately trying to evade its pursuers.
