My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 6

Caitlyn POV

"So, Alpha Dario," the black-haired man started. He was sitting behind his desk, the three guests organized in front of him while I served them fine whiskey. "You have requested my assistance with a werebear problem. May I know exactly what it is you're facing?" "Of course, Alpha Cedar." The other leader nodded. "It all started a few months ago, when a few bears snuck onto our territory. There were only four of them, if I remember correctly. I initially thought they were trying to steal our food, since they're known for such a habit. But then, their numbers began to rise. They've gone from just a few to dozens in a short timespan, which leads me to believe they're working as a team. Maybe they constitute a sleuth." He looked up at me the second I poured some of the liquor into his glass. "Thank you, lovely."

Following hierarchy, as per tradition, I proceeded to serve Beta James before I approached my mate, trying hard not to lose my concentration. However, as soon as I lowered the bottle, he lifted up his hand, gesturing for me to stop. "I'm more of a tequila guy." Lance winked playfully, immediately making me blush. Did he know tequila was my favorite? I shook my head; he couldn't possibly know that.

"How frequent are the attacks?" Cedar went on, pulling me from my thoughts before they made me paranoid.

"It varies. They usually happen once every two to three weeks," Dario revealed.

"I see." My Alpha was thoughtful for a moment. "What is their goal?"

"I'm afraid I have given you all of the information I have." The visiting leader sighed in disappointment.

"Have you noticed if they ever take anything? What part of the territory do they usually attack?"

"We have been managing to kill most of them. The few runaways always leave empty handed." Dario shifted in his seat, trying to hide his distress. The mysterious situation had definitely taken a toll on him. "As for what side they come from, it changes every time. They've never started their attacks from the same location twice."

"It seems you replace yourself in quite a predicament." Cedar scratched his head before leaning forward, his fingers interlaced over the table. "However, I will do what I can to help you get out of it. I'll try to contact the leader of our ally sleuth later today and see if he knows about other werebear groups near Vancouver. We can talk again afterwards."

"Thank you, Alpha Cedar. Your assistance is much appreciated." Our guest nodded.

"It's my pleasure." The young Alpha's eyes clouded over for a second before he stood up from his chair with a fond smile in his face. "My Beta will be waiting outside the office to show you to your rooms. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out to me."

The visiting Alpha and Beta nodded respectfully as they rose from their seats, turning around to leave. Lance glanced over at me invitingly; we had agreed on going back to my house once the meeting was done. However, I only managed to take a few steps in his direction before I felt Cedar's hand on my shoulder.

"Can I talk to your mate in private, Lance?" my Alpha asked - as if he needed permission. The warrior's gaze shifted between me and the man hesitantly. "Don't worry, it'll only take a minute. You can wait for her outside."

In the end, Lance nodded reluctantly. I could tell he didn't want to be apart from me - after all, I felt the same way. For some reason, my mind tricked me into remembering Caleb and the cold way he rejected me. Even before that, he spent two years avoiding me after he found out I was his mate. Did he not suffer at all? Or was being with an Omega such a horrible option that he didn't mind enduring the pain?

"Whatever his motives were, it doesn't matter. It was irrelevant then, and it's even more now," Faye scoffed inside my head. "You've been given a second chance at love, Cait. Just hold onto that."

"I'm sorry to keep you from your mate. Congratulations, by the way," the young Alpha's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He was smiling sweetly at me, as always. "You deserve to be loved, Cait. I'm happy for you. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad as well." "Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him, genuinely confused.

"Well, Lancaster seems like an amazing guy, and he's definitely lucky to have you. But he's from Diamond Tempest Pack. Now that you've found each other..."

I widened my eyes, finally realizing what he meant. "Don't worry, Alpha, I'll stay here! I won't leave you hanging!"

"Your loyalty knows no bounds, does it? Which is why I'm sure Alpha Dario will be lucky to have you in his pack." Without a warning, he pulled me into his arms, hugging me tight. He stepped back after just a few seconds. "Thank you for serving Ninebark so well. I wish you the best of luck in your new life."

"But Alpha-"

"Enjoy your last night here, Cait." He completely dismissed me, opening the door for me. "And don't waste the opportunity to have a fresh start in a different place." "Thank you, Alpha," I ended up saying at last, but I was still freaking out on the inside.

It seemed so obvious. How could I not have thought about it until now? Everything was happening so fast it must have slipped my mind somehow. Mates have to be together; staying apart for too long after they accept each other weakens both parties. In some cases, the wolf side will lose all of its vital strength until only the human side is left. It could even lead to the person's death depending on how powerful the bond is, which is why it is common for one to die following their mate's passing. Yet, the idea seemed so surreal. Ninebark had been my home from the day I was born. How could I leave it behind?

"Are you okay, beautiful?" Lost in thought, I only noticed I had walked straight into Lancaster's arms when I crashed against him. "What did the Alpha say?" He furrowed his brows, probably concerned the man had hurt me somehow.

"Nothing, he just... he congratulated us, that's all," I explained briefly. I knew there was fear in my eyes as I looked straight at him. "Do I have to leave with you tomorrow? Forever?"

His face fell, and he pulled away a little. "Don't you want to be with me?"

"I do!" I sounded a little more desperate than I wanted to, which was Faye's fault. There was relief in my mate's semblance. "It's just... All I have are my friends and family. It's scary to leave them behind to go to a completely new location, with new people, and-" "Hey, look at me." I immediately followed his command, as if I was hypnotized by his smooth voice. "I can't imagine what it's like to say goodbye to everything you've ever known. But I'll be there with you, Cait. I'll be with you through it all." We had met only a few hours ago, but the impact his words had on me was insane. I couldn't even remember what I was worried about anymore.

"Thank you, Lance. I feel better now," I told him sincerely, bravely taking his hand. "Come on. My mother will be devastated if we're late for dinner."

***

"Fighting a werebear on your own?" My mother gasped in surprise. "You're such a brave warrior!"

Once the meeting was over, I brought Lance back to our cottage so we could have dinner. Alpha Cedar offered him a guest suite in the packhouse, but we decided it would be best for him to spend the night here so we could get to know each other better. I also considered staying in his temporary room with him, but since I was leaving tomorrow, I really wanted to enjoy my last moments in the house where I grew up. With that settled, we gathered at the table to ravish our meal. Both my mother and I were listening attentively as my mate told us about his most recent fight.

"I didn't have a lot of time to think, honestly." The warrior shrugged. "The Beta's son was hurt and alone. I was just following my instinct to protect a higher ranking member."

"In a very heroic way!" the older woman chanted. She too had been mated to a warrior, and she used to love hearing stories of his battles. The only thing that comforted her upon his death was to know he had sacrificed himself to save a few helpless pups. I couldn't remember my father very well, but I always saw him as a hero.

"Not quite, to be honest..." Lance laughed, making Faye purr inside my head. I think we had just found our new favorite sound. "The werebear knocked me down in less than a second. The Beta had to step in to save me."

"There's no need to be so humble! Buying time to allow stronger members to arrive is just as heroic as defeating all the enemies on your own," my mother replied adamantly, taking a spoonful of the soup she prepared. "But now that you found Cait, I hope you will be more careful."

"Don't worry, ma'am. I wouldn't dream of leaving her alone." He squeezed my hand as he flashed me a wink. I felt my cheeks getting warmer and had the urge to hide my face.

Suddenly, a loud bang made us all jump in surprise. A cool breeze hit my back, and I didn't have to turn around to know the door had burst open. Judging by the poor manners, I already had an idea of who just barged in. Then, it dawned on me - oh, Goddess! She would freak out when she saw Lance!

"Hey, babe! So, I was thinking if maybe I could..." Megan stopped mid-sentence, widening her eyes at the stranger dining with us. Then, her confused gaze landed on me. "Who's the guy?"

"Oh, hey, Meg!" I smiled nervously. She would definitely kill me. "So, uh... Lance, this is Megan." I waved my hand in her direction before I touched the warrior's shoulder. "And this is Lancaster, he's... he's my second chance mate."

For a few seconds, my best friend just stared blankly at the three of us in the most awkward silence. Her attention shifted between me and my mate until she eventually forced a weird smile, but her frown denounced her fake happiness.

"Oh wow. That's great!" She clapped her hands. Lance could barely comprehend what was happening, but I understood her reaction too well. "I would've brought you some champagne to celebrate, had I known sooner." I swear I could see flames dancing in her eyes. She never took them off me. "Anyway, I'll just use the bathroom real quick."

"You came all the way here just to use the bathroom? Don't you have your own house for that?" My mother frowned, but Megan had already disappeared in the hallway.

I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. There were no secrets between me and my best friend; we always told each other everything. I could definitely understand why she would be mad at me, even if I had just met Lance. If she didn't immediately link me to tell me she had found her mate, I would be a little upset too. We were together through the highs and the lows. We cried together, and we laughed together. It was only natural for her to want to celebrate this moment with me.

"I forgot something in my room," I blurted out, abruptly standing up. Both my mother and my mate were staring at me in confusion. "I... I'll be back soon!"

I rushed towards the bathroom at the end of the hall where I thought Megan would be, but before I got there, a hand pulled me by the arm into my room. Once the door closed with a loud bang, I noticed my best friend standing in front of me. She had the classic angry child look, with her brows creased and her arms crossed.

"Meg, I know you're angry..."

"Angry?" Her frown intensified as she glared at me. "Ever since Gamma jerkface rejected you, I've been worried sick for you! You know what they say about the impact a rejection can have in an Omega wolf..." There was true fear in her eyes for a second. "Then, you get a second chance and you don't even bother texting me? If I hadn't stopped by tonight, would I only replace out about it after you left with him?"

"Of course not! I would've told you. It's just... It all happened so fast!" I confessed. "I'm sorry, Meg. I still want to celebrate with you, if you're down?" I flashed her an apologetic smile.

Her frown slowly faded as she beamed at me, opening her arms to hug me. "Hell, do you not know me at all? I'm always down to party!" She laughed, and I joined her. I knew she wasn't truly mad at me. "Come on, let's go back to the table. I wanna meet your new Prince Charming, and your mom probably hates me for stealing you."

"She hated you before that already," I joked, and she punched my arm softly in revenge.

After exchanging sincere smiles, we both headed back to the table. Megan didn't hesitate to start filling her plate, which earned her a silent scolding glare from my mother. She didn't really hate my friend; in fact, deep down she was grateful I had her company. But my old lady definitely disapproved of her poor manners.

"So... Megan," Lance started once we were all seated. "I take it you're Cait's best friend. How did you two meet?"

"Damn, those eagle eyes! Clever boy, I like you already!" the girl joked. "That's a long story, but we have time, don't we?" She chuckled and proceeded to dramatically narrate the event.

The rest of the night was peaceful. Surrounded by the people I loved most, I treasured the simplicity of this moment - I had no idea when we would be able to gather like this again. I enjoyed every bite of the homemade food, laughed at all of Megan's silly jokes, then at the looks of disapproval my mother would give her. But through the familiarity of the occasion, I also jumped at the sparks that erupted every time Lance touched my hand, and felt my heart flutter whenever his gorgeous light green eyes fell on me. Suddenly, it wasn't so scary to leave my home behind and dive into the unknown with him.

After we were done eating, my mom reluctantly allowed us all to help her with the dishes before she went to sleep; she didn't have the same energy as us anymore. The three of us spent the next couple of hours talking over a cheap bottle of wine, since I wasn't yet ready for the night to end. I was impressed by the synergy my mate and my best friend had; I knew Lance wanted to cause a good first impression, but it all came so naturally to him. At some point, I couldn't help but think of the Gamma's words earlier that day - could the Goddess have truly made a mistake by pairing Caleb with me? Everything seemed so much more right with Lance... almost as if we had always been destined to be together.

Megan had to leave at midnight so she could catch some sleep before warrior training, which started at 6am sharp. She promised to come visit me one last time in the morning before I left for my new pack. After she was gone, Lance kindly helped me pack. I didn't have a lot, so it didn't take too long. Once we were done, we sat together in the single bed in my small room. It wasn't too spacious, but I hoped it would be large enough to accommodate the two of us.

"I hope Meg didn't scare you. She can be a little extra sometimes." I shrugged apologetically.

"Are you kidding? She's so cool! Kinda crazy, but that explains why she hangs out with you."

"What are you trying to say?" I half-laughed, arching an eyebrow at him accusingly.

"She has her head in the clouds, while you have your feet on the ground. You keep her rooted," he explained, staring deeply into my eyes. He had a way of making my heart melt with his every word. "I'm really hoping you can get a hold of me, too."

I slightly opened my mouth in an attempt to reply, but no words came out. It felt as if I was hypnotized by him. I watched Lance slowly lick his lower lip, biting down on it, and I couldn't help but wish he would do the same to mine. As if he could read my thoughts, he started leaning closer, his eyes never leaving mine. Our noses brushed and he wasted no time to capture my mouth with his. The second our lips touched, I felt fireworks exploding in my chest.

His taste was even more heavenly than his scent. There was a fire starting in my heart, urging me to have more of him. Faye howled in agreement inside my head. When his tongue pressed against my lips, I didn't hesitate to give him passage. I followed his lead as he explored my mouth leisurely; locked inside our own personal paradise, we were in no rush. His fingers ran up and down my arm before he gently pushed me towards the bed, caressing my cheeks, my neck, my chest. But when I felt his hand slip under my shirt to try and lift it, I stiffened. He immediately noticed, pulling back to check on me.

"I'm sorry," I uttered, looking away.

"Don't be," he whispered, tracing my chin with his thumb. "We can take it slow if you want to."

"It's just... It feels like I've been in a roller coaster of emotions lately, and it would be nice to slow down," I replied sincerely.

"It's okay. You can set the pace." He smiled reassuringly, laying down beside me. "For now, I'm happy just to fall asleep with you in my arms."