Page 43 of An Alpha’s Guide to Finding the One

Lainey

Hey. I hate to ask, but can you come pick me up? I’m on the bench outside my old dorm.

Concern rushes through me, hot and insistent. Lainey doesn’t ask for favors, and last I heard Posey was going to pick her up and bring her home after they got coffee. If she’s asking me to pick her up instead, something must be wrong. It’s times like these I would give anything to already be bonded to her. I don’t want to risk Lawson panicking, so I sidle up to Rhys as casual as I can. “Hey, can you check your bond with Lainey and tell me what she’s feeling?”

He side eyes me, likely because I’m whispering at him in a corner like a weirdo, but the Daire brothers aren’t known for their level-headedness when it comes to our omega, so I would rather not involve them until absolutely necessary. She could be totally fine and then we will all look like psychos who overreacted about Lainey wanting a ride home from school.

Rhys frowns hard, the creases between his brows deepening. “Her side of the bond is completely shut down. I can feel the barest hints of a negative emotion, but I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is. Why? What’s wrong?”

I shake my head slowly, trying not to let my worry show on my face. “It’s probably nothing. She texted me asking if I can pick her up at her old dorm. Can you cover for me with the guys? If it’s something bad I’ll bring her straight here, but she reached out to me and I don’t want to break her trust by showing up with everyone when she didn’t ask for that.”

He nods in understanding, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. We like to razz him about being a Dom, but Rhys is a caretaker to his core and that applies to his whole pack, not just Lainey. That he trusts me to take care of this is a huge boost to my confidence. “I’ve got these two. Take care of our girl.”

The words aren’t a bark, but they might as well be for all the effect they have on my system. My shoulders straighten and I stand a little taller as my alpha perks his head up. Unlike the other three, I didn’t present as an alpha at eighteen. I was a late bloomer, and my designation didn’t come in until last year. It was strange, suddenly going from being a Beta to an Alpha overnight, and at first I resented the hell out of my biology for forcing me to handle all of the changes that come with presenting. It’s easier now, but my alpha still seems… reluctant. I notice him the most when I’m with Lainey, and that’s okay with me since it tends to boost my confidence with her.

Waving to Rhys, I slip out the back and make the short jog to my SUV. It’s much smaller than Rhys’s monster of a vehicle, but it’s been perfect for me, Lucky, and all of our gear. I throw it into drive and make the two minute drive to campus in one, parking just outside of the Anderson dorms. The fourth floor of the building closest to the road is still singed black, but there are people coming in and out which makes me wonder if they finally cleared it structurally and allowed students back in.

I spot Lainey immediately right where she said she would be. She’s parked on the bench outside and even from here I can see her red eyes and the tremble in her shoulders that tell me she is or has been crying. I don’t even bother turning off the SUV before I jump out, springing to my girl. My knees hit the grass in front of her and I immediately grab her hands, peering up into sad, glistening brown eyes. “Honey,” I murmur softly. “What happened?”

She doesn’t answer for a long moment, but wet sniffles escape every few seconds. Her eyes meet mine and the hurt in them about bowls me over. “Can we go to the car?”

I nod, not hesitating to pull her up with me. She has a hard time getting around some days with all the pain of one twin being firmly pressed up against her spine. The doctor warned us that might mean back pain instead of regular contractions, and I’m terrified we might not realize what’s happening when that day finally comes.

Lainey is moving slow on the way back to the car so I scoop her up bridal style and keep walking. I know something is wrong because not a single peep of protest leaves her lips. Instead her head falls to rest on my shoulder, nuzzling until her nose rests just under my chin where my scent is strongest. “Thanks for coming.”

A quiet huff slips past my lips. “In case you haven’t realized, I would do literally anything for you.”

She’s quiet until we get to the SUV, and when I set her down, she peers up at me through her lashes. “Does that include taking me to get a cinnamon roll?”

A small but genuine laugh escapes, and I plant a kiss on her forehead as I buckle her in. “Yeah, honey. I’ll take you to get a cinnamon roll.”

Lucky made the mistake of telling Lainey she was going to turn into a cinnamon roll if she keeps eating them and she didn’t speak to him for four days. He did nothing but pout; at the house, at practice, during a game. He was a miserable dick for days all because he didn’t think before opening his mouth, and we all learned his lesson with him.

Needless to say, when the pregnant omega wants a cinnamon roll, she’s damn well getting one.

Lainey refuses to leave the car when we arrive at the bakery so I run in and grab two rolls, bringing them back to the car with forks, napkins, and two decaf iced coffees because what else are you going to drink with a sweet treat? “Wanna go sit somewhere? I know it’s still pretty cold but⁠—”

“I need to be outside if that’s okay. I always get really hot when I’m anxious.” Her voice is raspy as she says this but her eyes are dry.

“Whatever you need, honey.”

I drive us to a quiet park a few minutes outside of town. There’s no play equipment, just a quiet open space with several large trees that provide shade in the summer and cover from snow and rain in the winter. There’s a bit of snow on the ground now from a freak late season snowstorm, but the temperature is sitting well above freezing and I have a thick blanket in the back of we need it. It’s getting dark out now so there shouldn’t be anyone else around, meaning I’ll have my omega all to myself for the first time in weeks.

Once she’s settled and warm on the waterproof blanket, I lean back against the tree and pull her until she’s nestled between my legs with her back against my chest. She softens into me with a sigh as all the tension falls off her shoulders. Her hair is down, so I take the opportunity to run my fingers through the silky strands. “Wanna talk about it?”

Her sigh is loud in the quiet night air. “Not really. But I know I need to tell you.”

I wait patiently, not wanting to rush her. The last thing I want to do is push before she’s ready to talk and have her shut down completely. Now that I can see her and know she’s physically safe, I have a feeling the pain she’s in is more emotional than anything else, and I understand why she called me and not one of the others. I love my pack mates more than anything, but they aren’t the most gentle bunch. Me thinking I was a beta as long as I was allowed me to maintain some of the more softer aspects of the beta designation even after I presented as an alpha, which I’m incredibly grateful for in situations like these.

“My mom texted me today,” she whispers.

My jaw drops. The last I heard she wasn’t in contact with her mom. “Here,” she thrusts her phone into my hand. I didn’t even notice her getting it out, but then I’m too distracted by the sheer rage clouding my vision to care.

Laura Ryan

Ran into an old friend today. Why did I have to find out through her my only daughter is PREGNANT!

I cannot believe how fucking stupid you are Magdalene. You had one chance to go to school and find an alpha or pack to take care of you and you screw it all up by getting pregnant your first semester? I knew I was raising an omega, but I didn’t realize I was raising a slut.