New Year’s Day

Looking around the table, I smirk as I see the holy terror of cousins and friends around it, along with our parents. We all grew up in this neighborhood in Minneapolis, where our parents all watched out for everyone’s kids.

Dating wasn’t fun for any of us, because of the eagle eyes they had, until they realized that my pack only had eyes for each other.

My parents just want us all to be happy, though an omega is an important part of that to stay balanced.

“Meghan, I’m so glad you’re here,” Mom says as she walks out from the kitchen to look at her. She’s been cooking up a storm with the other moms, and is finally getting to say hello to everyone now that dinner is almost ready.

“Hi Aunt Sue,” Meghan says softly, blinking rapidly as she looks down at her son. Benji is playing with her long hair, tugging on it with a grin. He’s a handsome kid, and looks nothing like his fathers.

“None of that,” Mom soothes. Scooping up Benji, she grins at him. She’s an alpha, and one of my dads is an omega. There are so many different types of families. They were the first to teach me that.

“Hello, sweet boy. I hope your mommy brings you to us more often now that she’s back.”

“I will,” Meghan promises quickly, swallowing hard. Handing her a glass of water, I raise my brow to make sure she’ll be able to hold it together. This makes me want to kill her pack all over again.

“Where are you staying?” Mom asks.

“A place called Omega’s Haven,” Meghan replies. “They’re really nice, have all of these resources available, and I’ve started applying to go back to school. Maybe work at a kitchen job to get back on my feet.”

My mom glances at me as she cuddles Benji in her arms. I nod at her to let Meghan do this her way. We could easily step in and help, but I don’t think she wants it.

“Tell me more about Omega’s Haven,” Mom says instead. “Your mom and I have been looking at new charities to donate to.”

You mean, funnel the only clean money our family has into a worthy cause. I barely hold back a snort as I take a sip of water. A lot of what my dads earn isn’t legal, which means it isn’t claimed on taxes.

However, anything that is, our moms make sure to donate a large portion, so that the government doesn’t give us a second glance.

This way, we break even, without getting any pushback from the government after we file taxes. Life is all about balance and a certain amount of grace.

“Aisling is so nice,” Meghan gushes, beginning to explain everything that she’s been working on. “The computer lab has been helping me apply for scholarships to go back to school, and they’re getting a daycare together with people who are actually good with kids.”

“Good,” Mom says. “We are also available for babysitting, you know. I’m just putting it out there. I’m going to grab him a snack. Can he have cheese and crackers? Does he have any allergies?”

Meghan shakes her head as Mom grins, and my aunt gets up to join her.

“Does this mean we get to spoil the baby?” Aunt Rebecca asks. She’s practically been sitting on her hands, waiting for a sign that she can move in.

“Yes,” Meghan says with a giggle. The moms ignore the tears as she quickly swipes them away.

“Welcome home, baby,” Aunt Rebecca says with a smile.

“I told you they were excited for you to come to dinner,” Morgan whispers to her once they leave.

“I know,” she sighs. “I just feel like I fucked up my entire life.”

“Meghan Ann Whelan,” one of her fathers roars from the other end of the table. We all cringe at it, and I curse under my breath.

“You’re in for it now,” I mutter.

Leaning forward, he glares at me too. Here’s to equal opportunity parenting, even when you yourself are an adult.

“I heard that, boyo,” Uncle Craig grunts. “Life takes us on travels we don’t expect. It’s up to you to find your way back to where you belong. You’ve done that, Meghan. Don’t be so quick to judge yourself.”

Meghan sniffles with a nod, and my father takes the reins.

“What’s the status of this whole kidnapping operation, guys?” Dad asks. God, they’re just bringing out the big guns today. This is my father, the omega. He is not timid, but instead works for one of the families as their bookkeeper.

It’s a job that often has a short lifespan if you’re a crook, which my father is not. At least, not for the people he works for.

“Dad,” I groan. “We’re working on it.”

“Fuck, you’re too honest for your own good,” Aiden hisses. “Robert, it’s a little complicated.”

“Why? Did you fuck up with her already?” Dad asks, frowning as he watches Aiden pale. “Well then, I guess I can see how you all would need to resort to kidnapping.”

“Cian signed off on it,” Aiden grunts with a sigh. “He’ll look the other way for his daughter’s own good. She uses alpha scent blockers, so she doesn’t know that she’s our scent match.”

Caelin butts into the conversation, smirking. “The asshole isn’t telling you that she’s smelled him. Aiden was in her nest for reasons we won’t discuss, but she’s been hunting for his scent ever since.”

“How long?” Mom asks, walking back in from the kitchen. As if on cue, a few of the men around the table stand to grab the heavier serving plates.

The moms may cook, but they don’t do any heavy lifting, nor do they do the dishes.

“Two weeks now,” Aiden grunts. “Since her last heat.”

“Why wouldn’t you have been an active participant?” Mom asks.

The kids old enough to ask questions about this conversation are playing outside, and will need to be called in soon. I‘m not mature enough to handle a ‘birds and the bees’ conversation at the moment. At least, not in a way that their parents would approve of.

“That would be part of the long story,” Domh chimes in. “Let’s just say, you’ll like us all a lot more if we don’t explain it to you.”

Mom glares at us all while Aunt Rebecca plays with her grandchild.

“They aren’t the first pack to make a mistake while courting,” my aunt reminds her. “A little kidnapping never hurt anyone.”

The four of us grin winningly as Mom rolls her eyes.

“I want this resolved by the time I plant flowers in your yard,” she growls. “When is the kidnapping happening anyway?”

“January twentieth,” Caelin says. “It’s the earliest I could swing.”

“Secret keepers,” Mom snarls as food is placed on the table. “Will someone call the kids in, please?”

Minutes later, the kids table is filled with children, and we’re all settling in to eat.

“I have a request,” Mom says, leaning over to look at us.

“Yes, Mom?” I ask, doing my best to appear angelic. One of my other fathers cuffs the back of my head, making me yell.

“That’s what you get for being a smartass,” Mom says mildly. “I want to meet her. What are the requirements for volunteering at Omega’s Haven?”

“No alphas,” I tell her, wincing as her jaw drops.

“It’s to make sure no one is triggered by the presence of an alpha in a safe place,” Meghan says hurriedly. “You could probably call and see if there’s some way you could donate your time?”

“I’ll do just that,” Mom says with a nod.

God, I really don’t know how well that’ll go over, but that’s Aisling and Wren’s problem for now.

One week later

By this point, we’ve all become Aisling’s shadow. Domh tracks her phone nonstop when she’s in the city, Caelin watches her on whatever traffic camera he can catch her on, and Aiden catches glimpses of her at her home while avoiding her.

This last part I think is cruel, because she doesn’t wear her alpha scent blocking gel at the house and keeps looking for him.

I dick punched him when he told me. It’s not nice to edge unless you plan to follow through at some point soon, which he isn’t. Stubborn ass.

Caelin:

Dibs on killing them if they’re assholes.

My lips twitch in amusement as I sit down in a corner booth of a cute diner. Hollis chose the location, hopefully to keep any poisoning to a minimum if this date goes sour. I hate wishing bad shit on our little omega, but she’s ours.

I want all of her dates to crash and burn.

Her dates are already seated catty-corner to me, so I have a decent view of what’s happening. The waitress comes over to me with a smile, too much cleavage on display, and she’s a beta.

Usually, I’d challenge myself to convince her to meet me in the bathroom on her break for a quick fuck, but I’m a reformed man. The only woman I have eyes for is Aisling.

“Can I get a strawberry shortcake milkshake and French fries please?” I ask, despite the fact that there’s still snow on the ground. It’s warmer inside of the restaurant, and I have a craving that won’t go ignored.

“Absolutely, I’ll be back shortly with that,” the waitress says with a wink that’s wasted on me.

Sorry, doll. I’m taken.

Me:

Deal. Here she comes now. Damn, she looks so pretty

Aiden:

Show us.

Domh:

I miss burying my face in her tits.

Classy. We’re all really fucking jealous that he got to make her come. There are so many firsts that Aisling still has. I can hardly believe that she’s so innocent. It’ll make breaking her that much more intriguing before we put her back together.

Me:

Rub it in a little deeper, dick.

Discreetly, I take a photo of Aisling as she walks through the diner, her blonde hair curled in beachy waves. She’s wearing a gray coat open over a long black skirt and a violet sweater. Her bag is slung across her chest, and I can see a flash of black knit tights from the slit in her skirt.

Aisling doesn’t favor slits in her skirts and dresses to be provocative. No, it’s so she can wear her knife on her thigh. I can appreciate a woman who is armed and can take care of herself. Not every situation will be one she can handle, but the fact that she takes steps to protect herself is admirable.

Sending the photo to the group chat, I set my phone down as I watch the alphas stand to greet her. She’s wearing combat boots, and the soft sole appears comfortable, easy to run in. My lips purse in annoyance that she may have had these thoughts when getting dressed for tonight’s date.

It’s a little after seven o’clock, and the sun has already set. Glancing out the window at the area the diner is in, I decide to follow Aisling back to her SUV. There’s no way she’s walking back without me as her shadow.

“Aisling, hello beautiful,” the alpha says with a smile. Pack Royal has been dating on Hollis’ app for the past three months. They are hoping for a scent match, but are seeing what the dating world holds for them.

After two months of dating and not finding anyone that they’ve at least clicked with, they asked Hollis to match them with mystery dates. Caelin found this all out from the notes in the app that he cloned to his phone. His movements in the app are undetectable to Hollis.

We aren’t doing any harm, and we’ll remove our presence from the dating forum the moment Aisling is ours.

“Hello,” Aisling says with an answering smile. Introductions are made, and I find out that Pack Royal’s alphas are Wilhelm, Adrain, and Cyrus.

I want to hate them on sight, but they are very sweet to her.

“So I understand you are in a bit of a rough spot,” Cyrus says casually once the waitress takes their orders.

They look so out of place in this diner in their designer clothing, but they seem pretty down to earth in spite of it.

“I am,” Aisling murmurs. “If there was any other way to go about this, I would. I’ve been medically sedated through my last year of heats, but it’s no longer working.”

“I expect not,” Adrain says harshly. I stiffen, ready to take her side, but he blows out a breath. “What I mean is, your body isn’t meant to go through that. It’s overly taxing to deny your instincts.”

“I understand that,” she says. “I didn’t know what else to do, and I’m pretty terrified of the pain of my heat.”

“It doesn’t need to be painful,” Wilheim purrs, making me scowl at my milkshake as it arrives.

“Thank you,” I tell the waitress, hiding my pout. God, why couldn’t they just have been assholes?

“You’re a gorgeous omega, and while we’ve been hoping to find our scent match, we understand that it doesn’t always happen for everyone,” Wilhelm says.

There’s a slight shift in Aisling’s weight as she winces slightly. Hmm, is it because the comment cut deep, darling?: owner of this content.

You have a scent match, even though he’s a shithead and you don’t know who he is. Aiden is torturing himself, insisting that he not be on the date with Aisling that we’re commandeering.

He seems to think that it’ll ruin the pack’s chances of getting a second chance.

I don’t think it will, since taking her options away leads to the only one that matters. She’ll be ours, we just may need to keep her with us until she sees the truth. I’m obsessive in my need to possess her.

Domh:

Are they awful? Can we kill them?

Me:

They’re not bad alphas…

“So you all feel like this?” Aisling asks.

“The doctor in me doesn’t want you to have another heat where you’re in pain,” Adrain says. “I’d like to get to know you more, but yes. I’m on board for us to be your pack to ride your heats out with.”

Over my dead body.

My milkshake doesn’t taste as good as I watch them laugh and chat. They give her every ounce of attention, ask questions about her life, and never once show an ounce of judgment.

“Do you need clinic nurses for your shelter, Aisling?” Adrain asks. “I have a few student nurses that need some hours. They’re completely competent, I promise.”

“At the moment, I don’t have a clinic,” Aisling says. “It would be incredible to be able to have it staffed. If you’re offering, I would love to take you up on this. The only thing, and it may seem silly⁠—”

“You’re keeping your building clear of alphas?” Adrain asks gently.

“Yes,” she sighs. “I’m aware I may get some backlash from it, but some of the people who come to us had traumatic experiences with their packs or alphas in general. I want it to be a tranquil, safe place for them.”

“I can respect that,” he says. “The nurses I have in mind are omegas and betas. Cuts, bruises, general check ups, those are the things you may need.”

“I could probably do the research on what I’ll need for a clinic, but could you give me an overall of what you think I’d need?” she asks.

Her question is a smart one, because sometimes the internet suggests too much or not enough. A professional opinion can go a long way. Adrain explains what and why he’d suggest, never once speaking down to her. If she has a question, he answers as thoroughly as possible.

My French fries aren’t even making me happy as I dip them into my milkshake and eat them. Aisling deserves the world, but I want it to revolve around us. I know she’ll continue to work and that she has friends. I’m not looking to isolate her from her life.

No, I want to claim her for myself. She belongs to Pack Hayes, she just doesn’t know it yet.

“My offer stands, even if you decide that we’re not what you’re looking for,” Adrain says as they finish up dinner.

Aisling had a burger, and the pack could not stop watching her as she ate. Fuck, I don’t even blame them. She’s so damn sexy, even when she’s chewing.

“Really?” Aisling asks, eyes wide. “That’s incredibly generous. Thank you so much.”

Adrain nods, giving her his business card.

“We’d love to be the pack you choose, of course,” Cyrus says, “but I understand that this is a big decision.”

Aisling nods, taking a sip of water as the waitress clears their plates. Once she leaves, Aisling says, “You’re the first pack who isn’t making me feel bad for what I need.”

“Why should biology have the need to be right or wrong?” Adrain asks. “I think that’s incredibly narrow minded of those other packs. You’re making an important decision for your health. I’ve seen omegas have less than pleasant outcomes without an alpha or pack to help them through their heats. Some can ride it out with an arsenal of sex toys, but that doesn’t always help.”

“Basically, those other packs are judgemental assholes,” Cyrus grunts. “I know you have other dates, but keep our number close.”

The alphas pay for the bill, and I throw way more money than necessary on my table for the waitress as I watch them walk her out. Sliding out of the booth, I trail them. I’m impressed that they walk her to her vehicle, watching as she drives off.

Stepping back, I disappear into the alley behind me to double back to my truck. They’re decent alphas, and I’ll always remember that.

Me:

We may have a problem. They hit it off, but I have a feeling Aisling is still thinking about her scent match. Even though all she has is a mysterious scent and nothing else, it’s still tugging at her to be on these dates.

Caelin:

Still think you need to be all chivalrous and shit, Aiden?

Aiden:

Yeah. I care about whether or not you get the girl.

Me:

Dude, when her heat hits, she’s going to want you. What are you going to do then?

Aiden:

I’ll give her every fucked up piece of me when she’s out of her mind with heat. I won’t hurt her like that. The problem is when she comes out of it. She’ll hate my goddamn guts.

Maybe, maybe not. Getting into my truck, I head home. It’s our future self’s problem, not ours. I hope we’re smart enough to figure it out by then.