Page 10 of Omega Makes a Family
The entire room smells like a dozen different wolves, and I'm finding it a little difficult to concentrate. There's a large number of omegas here, and all of them are radiating pheromones.
"What's wrong?" Sebastian asks.
"Nothing. It's just, there's so many scents. It's a bit overwhelming."
"Oh, yeah." He nods. "You get used to it eventually. But I've heard it's kind of a lot to take in if you're used to life in a smaller pack."
"Right."
Sebastian grabs two plates from a stack near the kitchen and grins at me. "I'll go fight through the line if you wanna snag us a seat at one of the tables?"
"Sounds good." He nods and heads off into the crowd.
I'm not sure what to expect during my stay here, but I don't mind spending so much time with a hunky alpha like Sebastian. He seems sweet, straightforward, and easy to talk to. If it wasn't for him, I think the drive back would've been a lot more torturous. But now that I'm here…well, I'm catching myself looking for reasons to stay.
Chapter 8
Roman
"So that's it then?" I look up at Elder Mary. She's standing nearby while I sit on a bench under the oak tree. "We're just giving up on finding Dodger?"
"Any information we had is becoming more outdated every day." Elder Mary nods. "That, paired with the fact that he's probably gained so much ground now, means it's probably not worth spending the resources to send a second hunting party. The pack needs its best hunters here, after all."
I sigh and shake my head.
"You should take pride, Roman," Mary continues. "You did bring back a target that was technically a perfect fit for the description. It was unfortunate that it was a mistake, but the rest of the elders recognize the skill it took to even retrieve a target for the hunt."
"Yes, Elder."
"I'll speak with the rest of the elders. You should return home, spend time with your family, and get a good night's sleep. I'll inform the others of the decision. Your father will be proud."
I nod again. "Thank you, Elder."
She offers me a gentle smile and a nod, then she turns and walks away.
I take a deep breath as I lean back on the bench and look up at the branches of the oak tree above me. This wasn't the way I expected things to turn out. Even when Oliver had protested and told us he wasn't actually Dodger, I was still certain we had the right wolf. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.
Now, as I sit here beneath my favorite tree and look up at the sky through its branches, I feel like I've been punched in the gut. I don't know how I'll manage to recover from this. I'm a hunter; I don't complete a hunt until I've taken down my target. What am I if I don't do that simple task?
A failure. Obviously.
As I lower my gaze back to the scenery, I spot Sebastian walking alongside Oliver out of the dining hall. They seem to be in good spirits, and I can't help but feel a sting of jealousy. My wolf is whining inside me.
I know, I know.
My wolf's reactions to Oliver have been erratic as hell. Normally I can always rely on my beast to correctly lead my path, but right now... I don't even trust it to run a simple rabbit hunt.
"What's got you looking so miserable?"
I glance up to see Theo standing a few feet away, looking down at me.
"Nothing," I grumble.
"You're not allowed to be as miserable as I am." Theo rolls his eyes. "No one is allowed to be as miserable as I am. If you look in the pack charter, it's right there under section 3A - 458. It says something like 'Only Theo, lord of all things badass, is and shall henceforth be the most miserable wolf in the world.'"
I chuckle and shake my head.
"That was a joke, obviously," he says with a shrug. "Come on, tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help. Or maybe I'll just listen. We both know you never take my advice anyway."
