Page 24 of For the First Time
I’d been working with them for two weeks now, and each day I was leaving later and later as the men talked me into staying.And by talked me into it, I mean kissed me until I obliged to make out with them for another five minutes.
I was pretty sure the only reason I managed to leave tonight was because Everett wanted me to go to bed at a decent time, so I wasn’t tired for the drive back in the morning.I was also pretty sure that if it wasn’t summer, and the sky was only barely starting to darken, that I would have been sent home earlier so I wasn’t driving in the dark.
Every day, after I finished cleaning up dinner, the males took turns kissing me until my lips were pink and I was breathless.I had to start putting a special cream on my chin at night thanks to Everett’s beard.No matter how soft it felt, the hair still caused friction against my skin, making it raw.I didn’t mind, though.That was Everett’s way of claiming me.Oaks’s way was actual marks on my neck which I wouldn’t call hickeys since they weren’t full bruises—although they were coming close now that he was running out of available skin on my neck.Atlas simply marked me with his scent every chance he got.He rubbed his cheek along mine, played with my hair, and even sent me home with a sweater or two of his.
I had no complaints.
Well, I had one, but suggesting I move in with a pack that I’d known for less than a month was absolutely not appropriate.Alphas and omegas moved quickly, sure.If I was an omega, I’d probably have already bitten, and claimed, at least one member of the pack already.But I wasn’t.And they weren’t actually courting me.Just, enjoying me.And I was enjoying them.
I was getting used to the long drive back to my apartment.Not the length or the darkness or the fact that I didn’t need any help with directions anymore.No, I was finally getting used to the strange quiet that came from being alone.Sure, I spent most of the day alone.The males all had their own jobs, and I was in their home doing mine.
That didn’t stop Oaks from coming in during his lunch break to eat with me.Or Everett sending me pictures of the cute animals he was working on.Atlas didn’t get a lot of time to be on his phone, but he always made sure to talk my ear off at dinner, and after, about his day.And when he came in to quickly grab his lunch to-go, he always kissed me goodbye.
And even if the males weren’t around, being in their home was a comfort.I could scent them, could feel like I was a part of the pack as I helped their home.
Being in the car without their scents, without their voices, the sky outside dimming as I drove myself back to an apartment that would be dark and smelling of descenter.It wasn’t exactly a reason to speed home quickly.Except for the fact that getting home meant going to bed which meant waking up the next day to see the pack.
So long as I didn’t stay awake thinking about what pack Wilder was doing.Wondering if the three of them were fucking.If Oaks had committed to sucking Atlas’s cock or if Everett had tasted Oaks’s lips to get a hint of me.
I wasn’t exactly sure what the intimacy looked like in this pack.Beyond both Everett and Oaks being alphas to Atlas, were they together?Did they all share affection?When I was around, all of their attention seemed to be on me, so I couldn’t figure it out.If I could’ve found a polite reason to ask—I would’ve.
By the time I arrived home, I was yawning.
It was going to take me some time to get used to the change in schedule.Being tired this early in the night and waking up before dawn.I was just glad that I didn’t have a roommate I’d be bothering with my new hours.
As soon as I parked, I pulled my phone out of my purse, texting Oaks that I’d made it home.He responded instantly, and I bit my lip as I smiled, admiring the picture of Atlas, half naked, his chest fully on display, and completely passed out.Even in the photo, I could see that he’d showered recently, a few wet strands of hair stuck to his forehead.His lips were slightly parted, and he looked so beautiful just lying there.The covers of the bed hid most of his lower half, although I wouldn’t lie and say my gaze didn’t accidentally follow the line of the sheet to make sure he was completely covered.
There was something so beautiful about Atlas.Even in sleep, I could see the outline of his abdominal muscles, and it made him look like a statue.Like a painting.I would call it,A lover’s dream.I’d put that painting in an ornate golden frame and hang it on the wall above my bed.
Walking up to my apartment, I smiled again as Oaks texted me goodnight, mentioning how excited he was to see me tomorrow—and eat the banana chocolate chip loaf I’d made.
On my doormat was a manila envelope.It was strange that the mail person left it here rather than in my cubby in the mailroom.What if it had blown away?Why wouldn’t they put it in my designated mailbox?There was a large slot meant for larger packages and mail, and they could have put it in there and then dropped the key off in my actual mailbox.
My name was obviously on the front, but what truly surprised me was the fact that it came from the city office.I didn’t even wait to get inside before I was opening it.A single piece of paper, definitely something that could’ve been folded and put in a regular envelope and sent to my mailbox, was essentially a letter.
The first time I read it, the words didn’t make any sense.It was addressed to me, but it felt like spam.The same type you’d receive from supposed health organizations that needed donations or else the sick animals or children wouldn’t get the care they needed.I was all about donating, just not to organizations I’d never heard of or never signed up to receive information about.
I looked at the date and it was from only two weeks ago.The timeline made sense.They would print this, mail it, and by the time it got here ...wait, so I was under investigation?For what?
The more I read the limited words, the more questions I had.
I was being investigated for my actions while working with the Omega Compound?
My eyes dropped to the seal, which could have been faked for all I knew, yet it felt real.It was embossed, not just stamped on.The signature had me gripping the paper tighter, nearly wanting to tear it into pieces right then.Fucking Adam.Representative Adam.This was from him, from his office.
Did he even have the right to investigate me?
And for what?
I read the words again, actually reading them this time.I was being accused of misconduct, violation of company policy, as well as endangering protected persons under my care and protection.
What.The.Fuck.
I needed to call someone.My first thought was Everett.He would comfort me, be outraged on my behalf.Or he would wonder why I was being investigated.Would understand the implications of who I would have theoretically hurt and tell me that he didn’t want me around his omega.No—he wouldn’t do that.He would trust me when I told him that Representative Adam was a bully.A designation elitist.Although, even if he did believe that, why would someone like that come after me?I hadn’t yet explained about Hannah.Even if I did, if I told him how Hannah stood up to Adam, and I helped, he might not want me around his omega because I could bring attention.Attention also being dangerous.
My head was pounding as I considered what felt like every possibility.There were so many ways he could react, and none of them I was sure enough would be the right one.
I should write everything down.Yes.That felt like a good idea.I dug through my purse for my keys, not having realized I was still standing around outside my front door.I rushed through everything, taking off my shoes, setting down my purse, and when the choice came to showering, I decided to wait.
