Knot So Perfect Omega (Omega Match #1)(13)

“She’s not going to ruin everything, man. This has been a long time coming. All of the other packs at our level have omegas. Our bond will be stronger, and then we’ll be unstoppable.” Rylan sat back and elbowed Kane, who was on his phone. “Right?”

“Right.” Kane turned his phone so we could all see. “Did any of you go on a shopping spree, or is this all Kara?”

I took the phone from him and scrolled down the list of charges from the last few days. “Jesus.”

Even I was shocked at all the charges from various online stores. “Brian said he was taking care of everything, but I didn’t think he meant he was giving her free rein of the pack card.”

Beckett grumbled and took the phone, scrolling through the charges. “She spent five hundred dollars at a craft store.”

Rylan laughed from behind us. “Maybe she’s planning on bedazzling your nuts.”

“She’s doing something to my nuts, and it’s not that.” Beck handed the phone back to Kane.

“Maybe that’s why Brian ran off right after our game. He knew he fucked up by giving her the credit card.”

“After this season is over, we need to have a serious conversation about whether we want to get a new coach and manager. I know things are easier in a way with him around, but I question some of his decisions when it comes to our team.” Kane put his phone away and crossed his arms. “Like this omega thing. He didn’t even ask us, just scheduled the meet and greet and expected us to jump on board.”

There were small things Brian did that drove the alpha sides of us nuts. He had been great for us in terms of Alphaball, but now he was overstepping his boundaries. We did not claim him as our beta, yet he acted like he thought he was part of our pack and our leader.

While we all fell into contemplative silence, the driver turned off the freeway toward the hills. I hated that we hadn’t been there for Kara when she arrived, but hopefully she had settled in without us breathing down her neck.

Omega Match was a necessary evil, but I still wondered what it would be like to meet an omega the old-fashioned way. When my fathers met my mother, it had been back when alphas and omegas mingled on a more regular basis without the restrictions the government placed on us. No perfume blockers. No heat suppressants. No applications and hoping for the best.

But as the populations of alphas continued to flourish, so did the problems. It had been a daily occurrence in every city where there were fights over omegas and kidnappings. The worst was alphas bonding to omegas without their consent. Alphas had turned into absolute animals.

Beck opened an app on his phone as we approached our house and opened the gate for the driver to pull inside. The outside lights were on, and it made it look like a display in a museum. My favorite part was the lights that ran the lengths of the stairs, making it look like the steps alternated black and white.

It was a dream home for us, with plenty of space for the four of us and an omega. Although I never vocalized it when we were house searching over a year ago, in the back of my mind, I’d wondered how an omega might like the space.

After the driver helped unload our suitcases and pulled out of the driveway, we went in through the garage, the alarm disengaging as we opened the door.

What none of us expected was to be greeted with a mound of empty boxes and a sweet chocolate and nutty scent lingering in the air. I inhaled sharply, shutting my eyes and savoring the perfume of our omega.

“Fuck me,” Kane practically growled. “She smells like hazelnut spread.”

Even with her probably on scent blockers still, when an omega was alone in a closed-up space, their scent lingered. I could only imagine what she smelled like without them.

“Look at this mess.” Beck kicked the pile of boxes that were stacked haphazardly and sent them scattering across the floor. “She didn’t even break them down.”

I smacked him on the back of the head. “Don’t be a dick.” If I needed to, I’d show my more dominant side.

Rylan put down the retractable handle on his suitcase and grabbed the strap, heading for the stairs.

He hadn’t said a word, but judging by the pace he was walking, he was excited and anxious to meet Kara.

So was I.

We followed him upstairs, where the faint sound of the television greeted us. My eyes zeroed in first on the woman sleeping on the couch, blankets and pillows from our room piled around her. Then I noticed the mess.

I cringed and looked over my shoulder at Beck as he crested the top of the stairs and stopped dead in his tracks. He set his suitcase down and then put his hands on his hips, walking forward with a scowl.

“Beck,” I warned under my breath.

He went to the couch, staring down at our sleeping beauty, who had a bowl of popcorn clutched in her hand with half of it scattered next to her on the couch and blankets. On the coffee table sat two Twisted Knot wine bottles, one empty and the other only about a quarter gone. There were candy wrappers, a pizza box, and half-full cups of water, orange juice, and soda on the end tables and coffee table.

She looked as if she’d had a grand time the past few days, and I couldn’t help but smile thinking of her enjoying her freedom for the first time in years.

“Wake up.” Beck’s bark popped the bubble of happiness I had started to feel, and I felt the tension through our pack bond. He was so angry he was letting his emotions bubble over.