My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 12

Caitlyn POV

The sound of my warrior's chair rapidly scraping the floor as he rose from his seat to turn to the girls made everyone in the cafeteria go silent. More than two hundred wolves were present, and they were all now looking at us. The Beta's son and the Gamma's daughter were both alert, but they didn't seem too bothered to intervene. Jasper, who was sitting in the back, had an amused grin on his face, fiddling while Rome burned. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and it made me uneasy. The three she-wolves took a few steps back, shaking in fear. A few seconds ago, they were teasing Lance for being a stray, but they knew he was one of the pack's strongest warriors; they weren't looking to start a fight with him. However, the fire in my man's eyes told everyone he was ready to make them eat their words. It made sense for him to be angry; though he didn't seem to care much about being talked down by others, he definitely didn't appreciate it being done to his mate.

Honestly, I wasn't used to being disrespected because of my position, but it didn't bother me at all. I didn't even know those girls; I couldn't care less what they thought of me. Still, I knew my place in the pack's hierarchy, and I knew what happened to Omegas who refused to bow their heads to higher ranking members. Right now, all I could think about was how much trouble my mate would get into for laying a finger on a group of Kappas - or whatever their ranks were. Alpha Dario might be fond of him, but he was also a strict leader; he wouldn't hesitate to punish the stray for his behavior. And it scared me.

Time seemed to slow down around me, my mind racing as I watched the situation unfold. I shifted my gaze back and forth from Lance to the she-wolves, thinking of what to do. I was running out of time; if I didn't act fast, things would get nasty. A risky idea crossed my mind as realization struck me. It was quite simple, and if my understanding of the situation wasn't correct, it could create an even bigger mess.

But it was all I had.

Before Lance could take his first step, I stood up in a rush. Blinded by his fury, he didn't seem to notice me until I gently placed my hand on his arm, catching his attention. There was only confusion in his eyes as he turned to me, but my touch seemed to have succeeded in calming him down. I flashed him a reassuring look, letting him know I could handle the situation myself. Now, I just had to approach the she-wolves.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. Werewolf hearing and all," I started in a respectful low tone, measuring each of my words. "You're right, I'm new here and these guys have offered to show me around. I haven't had the chance to meet other pack members yet. I'm Caitlyn, by the way." I smiled fondly, trying my best to ignore my friends' confused looks. "I'd be happy if you girls could teach me some more about Diamond Tempest." For a while, they just stared at me in silence, which could be considered a positive reaction. I took in a deep breath before asking, "Why don't you come sit with us?"

"What?!" Sasha and Luke both yelled in unison.

"There's always room for more, right?" I turned to them with a serious expression, hoping they would catch on to what I was doing.

"I mean, I guess..." The Gamma's daughter shrugged, arching an eyebrow at me.

I sighed in relief before smiling back at the girls. "So, what do you say?"

The three of them exchanged looks in a silent conversation. At last, one of them took a step forward. "Okay. We were born and raised here, so we can definitely help you get settled."

"Great! Thank you." I nodded at them, rushing to grab a few nearby empty chairs for them to sit down.

***

Lancaster POV:

In disarray, I watched the she-wolves calmly join us at the table as if they hadn't just mocked my royal-blooded friends for seating with the Omegas. What was Caitlyn doing? Most importantly... what was I doing?

It took me a few more minutes to process the situation. With my anger slowly subsiding, I was able to think clearly again. I lowered my gaze to take a look at my shaking fists, and it stunned me. Was I about to attack these females? I wasn't an aggressive person; more on the contrary. It never bothered me to be talked down by other wolves. Yet, when I heard them disrespect my mate, I saw red.

"Lance?" Her soft, melodic voice pulled me out of my daze.

There was concern in her beautiful hazel eyes as she gently tugged on my hand, inviting me to sit by her side again. As I obliged, I couldn't help but stare at her, trying to understand her actions. At first, I thought she was just following her instincts to submit before a higher ranking member. However, when I noticed how she held her head up high, I realized how foolish I had been to think even for a second that her response was a sign of weakness. Caitlyn was strong; she was wearing the triumphant semblance of someone who had played a game and won.

The rest of our meal was surprisingly peaceful. For the first few minutes, the girls started up a conversation with the Beta's son and the Gamma's daughter, who were both as confused as I was. They even seemed to hit it off with Jasper, who obviously didn't miss the opportunity to use his charms on the females. Then, they actually taught my mate more about Diamond Tempest, who listened attentively as they went on about our pack's history and rules. To my astonishment, they were actually very nice. Once lunch break was over, each of us went our separate ways to work. It was terribly difficult to make it through the day when all I could think about was how Caitlyn handled the situation earlier. No matter how hard I dwelled on it, I couldn't quite perceive the intentions behind her plans. Time couldn't go by any slower as I impatiently waited for the working day to be done so I could have a chance to properly speak to my mate. However, the second I walked through the door and looked into her eyes, my curiosity suddenly seemed irrelevant.

As we cooked dinner together, I listened attentively to how Caitlyn's first day as the Alpha's assistant had gone. It made me indescribably happy to know how content she was with her new position. I had no doubts she would thrive by Dario's side; he was a wise man who would definitely explore and develop all of her potential. The conversation started to die down once the meal was ready, which reminded me of the issue that had been going round in my head throughout the entire day.

"About the situation with the Kappas at lunch..." I introduced the subject carefully, never taking my eyes off her. "It's not uncommon, you know. Jasper and I have been getting those comments since we were pups; it doesn't bother us anymore. But just hearing the way they talked about you..."

"I understand," she cut me off, nodding reassuringly. "And I appreciate you standing up for me, but you shouldn't care, because I don't. I might not be used to mean comments, but it doesn't affect me."

"I noticed. You were so calm, when all I wanted to do was make them swallow their tongues," I replied honestly.

"You don't fight fire with fire."

Once again, her maturity showed, and it never ceased to impress me. Any other wolf in her place would have either lost their minds or bowed their heads. Yet, she did neither. There was this aura surrounding her, as if she knew much more than someone her age should. She was a special she-wolf indeed, and I had been blessed with her company.

The subject was easily forgotten as we engaged in a conversation about our plans for the next few weeks. There were still a few arrangements I wanted to make around the house to accomodate my mate better, as well as help her feel more at home. The place had been entirely decorated by me, and I felt it was time for a change. Now, I had a reason to change. She also told me about her wish to visit her best friend in her old pack. I would need to work extra to make enough money for everything, but I wouldn't mind working until the day I die as long as I could give her the life she deserved.

After finishing our meal and cleaning the dishes, we cuddled on the small couch to watch a random movie. However, it was hard to pay attention to anything else when she was so close to me; I couldn't help but run my hands along her curves, feel the taste of her mouth. By the time the movie ended, we hadn't really figured out what it was about, but it didn't matter. Nothing was more interesting than my beautiful, intelligent, and mysterious Omega mate.

***

Sleeping next to Caitlyn gave me the strength I needed to start a new day. It was easy to get through training when I knew I would get my prize soon afterwards - my mate's kisses. I didn't hesitate to collect them as soon as I met her at the entrance of the cafeteria. Luke and Jasper, who were with me at the gym, went ahead to allow us a few minutes of privacy.

"I think you're still bleeding," she observed on our way to join our friends at their table. There was a hint of concern in her eyes as she brought a napkin up to my face to gently clean a cut under my right eye.

"I guess Luke didn't get laid yesterday, and he took his frustrations out on me this morning," I replied playfully, pulling her close to me with my free hand. "Don't worry. These superficial wounds never take more than a couple hours to heal. You'll have your pretty face back by tonight, and you can use it all you want." I smirked.

"Who's the teaser now?" She giggled.

"Hi, Cait!" I turned around to replace the same three Kappas who joined us for lunch the day before. I was already waiting for the usual nasty comments, but all they did was smile and wave at my mate.

"Good morning, girls!" Caitlyn replied cheerfully.

I confusedly watched the she-wolves walk away while my mate took her seat beside Sasha, who had already joined the other two warriors.

"Seems like you made some... unexpected new friends." The Beta's son furrowed his brows, but smiled nonetheless.

"They're not that bad." She shrugged.

"They seemed quite awful yesterday," Sasha pointed out. "Though I would have loved to see Lance deal with them, you handled the situation pretty well."

"It was nothing." Cait waved her off. "I didn't want us to get into trouble, and I noticed the girls only wanted a chance to talk to higher ranking members. By their tone, I realized they're goal wasn't to insult us, but to get your attention. They were just jealous." "You sure you're an Omega?" Sasha arched one eyebrow at her. "You sound really Gamma-like."

"Well, she is the Alpha's personal assistant for a reason." I wrapped one arm around my mate's neck, smiling proudly.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Jasper frowned, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You should've let this place burn to the ground. Such a fun killer, just like the stray," he joked before smiling brightly. "On the other hand, you gave me a chance to talk to those hotties. Did you see how they were looking at me yesterday? I even made one of them laugh!"

"You did, man." Luke rolled his eyes at him, a playful smile on his face.

"Bet I can get any of the three!" Jasper added.

"Gross," Sasha and Caitlyn said in unison, widening their eyes at each other soon after.

It didn't take long for the Gamma's daughter to embrace my mate in a bear hug. "I'm so glad I don't have to be alone with these idiots anymore! You're the younger sister I never had, Cait. Thank you for replaceing her, Lance."

"Believe me, I didn't do it for you." I laughed.

As soon as we finished eating, we all dispersed as usual. I wished my mate luck on her second day in her new position before setting off to the forest near the border. I was ready to work twice as hard to get the money for the home adjustments as well as the trip to Whistler. If I managed to collect more wood than usual, Dario would pay me extra. It wasn't too hard though, since my job as a lumberjack was quite simple. I loved being in the silence of the forest chopping down trees; it brought me utter peace. It also offered me time alone to think, though I didn't value it as much ever since I found Caitlyn.

However, I strangely felt like I wasn't entirely by myself this morning. It seemed as if there was someone lurking behind the tall pine trees, which was improbable; no one lived near this area, and the Sentinels were supposed to be scouting the east border now. I was ready to believe Luke had hit me too hard in the head in training today, when I shockingly picked up on an uncanny scent. It wasn't too strong, but I knew it didn't belong to a wolf.

The strange distraction completely broke my concentration. Restless, I decided to follow the unfamiliar smell to get an answer. Although I hoped it was nothing, I had to make sure it wasn't a rogue or another enemy trying to sneak into our territory. I wasn't silent as a tracker, but I did my best to hide my presence as I approached the borders, trying to decipher the scent as it got stronger. I stopped abruptly when I finally realized what I was after.

And before I could even shift, a huge gray bear jumped in front of me, making the trees shake with his roar.