My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 8

Lancaster POV

now.

As soon as the Alpha officially accepted my mate into our pack, I could already feel a connection between us. Thanks to the pack bond, I could now reach her through mindlink, and I knew our ties would grow even stronger once we completed the marking process. I was trying hard not to think about it too much since I didn't want to push her until she was ready, but Atlas' insistent whimpers were getting harder to ignore. The damn wolf knew no patience; he wanted to claim our mate, cover her in our scent, and he wanted it It was a good twenty minute walk to my house near the border of the territory. Throughout the entire way there, all I could focus on was fighting my counterpart's anxiety so I wouldn't lose control of my own body - I knew he would take over if I let my guard down for a brief second, and Goddess only knows what he would do to Caitlyn if he succeeded. Right before we made it to the front door, I managed to push him to the depths of my mind, overpowering him. He would fight his way back to the surface soon, but at least I would get a few minutes of peace until then.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" I cheered as I pushed the door open. "It's not a big palace, but I hope you like it."

She remained silent for a second, and I felt the apprehension growing in my chest. However, it didn't take long for her to show me a warm smile that melted my tension away.

"It's lovely. Are you sure I can live here?" Caitlyn looked away shyly.

"Of course, you can," my first attempt at linking her caused her to jump back in surprise. I immediately pulled her closer, looking straight into her eyes. "It's yours now as well, as is everything I have. It's not much, but I'm ready to share everything I have with you, my mate."

I moved a strand of her chestnut hair off her face, gently placing it behind her ear before I leaned down to graze my teeth against her earlobe. A pleasurable moan escaped her lips, causing a guttural groan to vibrate in my throat.

"Mark her!" My wolf's voice was loud and clear inside my head. I had to roll my eyes at how fast he managed to come back. Maybe I shouldn't tease Caitlyn as much if I wanted to keep him at bay.

"Thank you so much, Lance. You're so kind to me," my mate's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. There was innocence in her eyes, but also a hint of pain - I instantly knew she still hadn't gotten over the stupid mutt who rejected her.

"You are my mate, Caitlyn. I have no intentions other than to make you happy," I told her sincerely, grabbing both of her hands in mine. "I have no doubt I'll make mistakes along the way. I'm far from perfect. But as long as you're here with me, I'll never stop trying to be better for you."

"I'm sorry. I don't have a lot of experience, and the one I had..."

"We'll learn together." I flashed her a reassuring smile before leading her inside. "Come one, let's get you settled."

For the next couple of hours, I showed her around the house and cleared out some space in the wardrobe for her to store her clothes. She also had a few other belongings she intended to keep inside her suitcase, but I insisted she placed them in the room to help her get acclimated. Now, there was a cute photograph of her and Megan on the wooden stand, and a wolf plushie - which had been sewn by her mother - on the bedside table. My house wasn't prepared to accomodate more than one person, so I would still have to make some minor rearrangements. Thankfully, my small double bed was spacious enough for the two of us.

Once Caitlyn finished unpacking her stuff, we sat on the living room couch. I was about to prepare some hot chocolate so we could get to know each other better when I heard a knock on the door. She flashed me a confused look; at first, I too had no idea who could be visiting so soon. But then, I remembered the two goofs who usually hung around with me. I had no doubts they were curious to know how the meeting had gone. For a few seconds, I pondered on whether I should open the door and let them ruin my peaceful time with my mate or just ignore them. But when the knocks became louder, I knew the latter would be impossible.

"Sorry. Those are probably my friends. I can tell them to get lost if you don't wanna talk to them yet." I shrugged apologetically.

"No, I'd love to meet them!" she replied sincerely. Her excitement to get to know my friends, become part of my life, filled me with joy. Goddess, I couldn't have gotten a more perfect mate.

I stood up and headed to the door, but hesitated for a while before I turned the doorknob. I had no doubts my friends would love Caitlyn, but I was afraid they would come on too strong. They had a tendency of being loud, and seeing how they were always annoying me about getting laid, I feared they would end up pressuring her. They were my family, and Caitlyn was my mate; I wanted them to get along well. However, there was no way of avoiding them now. With a heavy sigh, I finally opened the door. "What took you so long, Stray? Were you taking a s**t or-" Luke stopped complaining the second his eyes fell on the girl sitting on my couch. Then, his gaze shifted from her to me a few times before a huge grin crossed his semblance. "No way!" "What?!" The next second, a curious Jasper pulled the Beta's son out of the doorway so he could take a look himself. The ginger boy was a good few inches smaller than Luke, so he couldn't see over the man's shoulder. But when his eyes finally landed on Caitlyn, the same ecstatic smile lit up his face. "Holy s**t! You leave for a day and come back with a girl? I wanna go on a trip, too!"

Lancaster POV

As soon as the Alpha officially accepted my mate into our pack, I could already feel a connection between us. Thanks to the pack bond, I could now reach her through mindlink, and I knew our ties would grow even stronger once we completed the marking process. I was trying hard not to think about it too much since I didn't want to push her until she was ready, but Atlas' insistent whimpers were getting harder to ignore. The damn wolf knew no patience; he wanted to claim our mate, cover her in our scent, and he wanted it

now.

I heard a sweet laughter behind me, and it immediately calmed me down. When I turned around, my mate was standing right beside me. I didn't hesitate to wrap one arm around her waist. "Guys, this is my mate, Caitlyn." I smiled at her. "Cait, this is Luke and Jasper." "It's a pleasure to meet you." My best friend took the lead, planting a quick kiss on my mate's hand. Atlas growled possessively at the gesture, but I dismissed him; Luke was just being courteous, and if I didn't want to scare Cait off, it was in my best interest not to listen to my wolf full of hormones.

Jasper, on the other hand, analyzed my mate from a distance before finally turning to me. "Okay, how'd you do it? She's too good for you," he teased.

"I take it you're the funny one." Cait laughed, shaking his hand. We all glanced at her in confusion. "Well, every boy trio has the funny one, the smart one, and the romantic one."

"I'm the smart one," Luke and I said in unison, frowning at each other soon after.

"I guess we'll figure this out soon enough," she chuckled, opening the door wider. "Don't you guys wanna come inside? It's freezing out there."

"She definitely has much better manners than you," the Beta's son pointed out, purposefully bumping on my shoulder on his way in. Jasper straight up punched my arm. I rolled my eyes at their attitude, but couldn't hide the smile on my face.

Once we were all inside, the house seemed a lot smaller. Caitlyn was sitting beside me on the couch while the younger warrior took the vacant chair, forcing Luke to sit on the floor. None of them seemed bothered though; as long as we had four walls and a roof to keep us warm, we were fine. I still couldn't understand how the Beta's son, who had grown up in a luxurious room inside of the main building, could feel so comfortable in such a simple place. I guess he never really cared much about extravagances, especially after he started hanging out with the strays.

Every second that went by, I fell deeper in love with my amazing mate. If anything, my friends' extroverted personality seemed to help her come out of her shell. It was incredibly relieving to see how she was already fitting in, and I loved the way she slowly showed her true self. Aside from being outstandingly beautiful and extremely smart, she also had a fun side. I know love blinds, but I honestly don't see how she could be any more perfect. The more time we spent together, the more I realized she had been made for me. However, I still had one question on my mind: if she was truly destined to be with me, why did she belong to that jerk first?

"WHERE IS SHE?!" A loud yell interrupted my train of thought.

Only when the door burst open, I realized I forgot to lock it again after the guys came in. We all turned to the entrance to replace the Gamma's daughter just standing there with her mouth wide open in surprise. Her clear blue eyes were focused on Caitlyn, who had confusion written all over her face. Before I could explain what was happening, the black-haired woman rushed inside, not hesitating to hug my mate.

"Oh my Goddess, oh my Goddess, oh my Goddess!" She hopped cheerfully. Sasha was mostly a serious she-wolf, and it was really weird to see her this excited. "I can't believe it!"

"Calm down, bunny!" Jasper grabbed the girl's hand. "You're gonna scare her like that."

Sasha looked at him, blinking a few times before she turned back to my mate. "I'm so sorry! I'm just so happy for Lance! And for you, of course..."

"Caitlyn." My mate stretched out her hand, never ceasing to smile. "And don't worry, I'm really glad to meet you all as well."

"I'm Sasha, by the way." The Gamma's daughter giggled. "Goddess, you have no idea how long I've been praying for one of these idiots to replace a mate! It's rough being the only girl around here," she complained, earning a few frowns. "You definitely got the best one out of the three."

"Really?!" Jasper raised his hands in annoyance. "Why is Lance always everyone's favorite?"

"Well, first-"

"It was a rhetorical question, Sasha! Goddess," the other stray scoffed, standing up to offer his seat to the girl. "Alright, let's change the topic. Why don't you tell us a bit more about yourself, Cait?"

"Me?" My mate was surprised for a second. "Well, let's start from the beginning..."

The five of us talked for a couple more hours, exchanging funny stories. Of course, most of the time my friends took the opportunity to mention all of my worst failures. But well, Caitlyn didn't mind it, so I didn't either; as long as she was happy, I was too. Around dinner time, my friends left for the dining hall. For the first time, I didn't join them. My mate said she was okay with eating alongside the other pack members, but I knew it could be overwhelming to be in a room full of strangers. Instead, I decided to cook her dinner. I'm glad I insisted on it, because she seemed much more comfortable with the idea of having a few more hours to adjust to the life in her new pack.

As we were eating at the small kitchen table, I couldn't help but admire the sounds she made whenever she brought a spoonful of my stew to her mouth. Knowing my food satisfied her made my heart flutter, and my mind flood with thoughts. I would love to show her the many ways I could pleasure her...

"You're friends are really nice," she said, pulling me back from my dirty mind. I had to blink a few times to process her words. "I think Megan would love to meet them."

I could sense a hint of sadness in her tone, which was only natural. I would be devastated too if I had to leave my group of friends behind. In an attempt to minimize her somber mood, I placed my hand over hers, gently brushing it with my thumb. The second our skin touched, I felt the same electricity that always made me feel warm on the inside. I was starting to get used to it, but I don't think I would ever get tired of the sensation.

"She can come visit us whenever she has the time. I'm sure Dario would be more than willing to offer her one of the many guest suites," I suggested, smiling when I saw her eyes twinkle with hope. "Or we can take Luke's car on one of our days off and spend the day in Whistler." "That sounds great. Thank you."

"You don't ever need to thank me for anything." I stared straight into her eyes, dead-serious. "Whatever you want, just say the word and I'll be more than happy to give it to you. I don't care if I have to work until the day I die for it." Her sweet smile was the best reward I could get.

***

Caleb POV:

I was in my room, balls deep inside Lacey when I felt it. The light tingle of pain which announced the departure of a pack member, either because they passed away, or because they cut their ties to the pack. My eyes widened with shock as I realized what had happened. We weren't under attack, and there was no reason for any members to leave the pack. Except for one girl.

Instinctively, I pulled out of the former Beta's daughter as a wave of mixed feelings washed over me. Either way, f*****g her wasn't remotely fun anymore, unless when I closed my eyes to picture the barbie doll was someone else... the one my wolf urged me to claim.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lacey complained, slightly lifting up from the bed using her elbows.

I didn't bother looking at her as I gathered my clothes. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

"Someone's pack bond being broken? Yeah, but I can't see why that would be relevant right now." She arched an eyebrow at me. Her frustration was evident in her high pitched voice, which had never sounded so annoying. As soon as her eyes widened, I turned around. "Don't tell me you're going after that stupid Omega." I stiffened, but kept heading towards the door. "If you walk away now, Caleb, we're done! You're never gonna have me again! Caleb!"

I could still hear her screaming my name as I rushed out of the room, but I didn't care. There was only one thing on my mind as I headed towards the small cottage near the border. However, before I even made it there, I stumbled upon the Beta. He was confused at my rush at first, but it didn't take long for a smirk to cross his face. I could feel his happiness when he told me she had left with her new mate - a filthy Omega.

"Good. You deserve to suffer, foolish human," I heard my wolf, Boris, scoff. Ever since I found out Caitlyn was destined mate, he pretty much stopped talking to me; he didn't approve of my plans of rejecting her. Now, he only came to the surface to insult me, and he never called me by my name again. "I pray to the Goddess she will kill us quick, so I can be reborn with a better counterpart. I don't know what I did to deserve such a stupid partner."

Completely ignoring him, as I usually did, I headed back to the packhouse. When I stormed into Cedar's office, I found him sitting at his desk calmly reading a few reports. He didn't even bother lifting his head to look at me. I was his Gamma, yet he chose to take her side. They all did. She was a no one, the lowest of the low, but they deemed her more important than me.

"Where is she?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"If you're here, I'm sure you already have that information," the man replied casually, flipping through the pages.

I slammed my palms against his desk, finally catching his attention. "How could you let her go so easily?"

"It wasn't my place to decide. She found her mate, and he accepted her."

"She was mine first!" I roared, watching as he furrowed his brows.

"I truly don't know what your deal is. You had her, and you rejected her. In an unnecessarily cruel way, even."

"You're always so full of s**t, but I'm dying to know what you would've done if she was your mate!" I growled, daring to look him in the eye. "She was an Omega! I couldn't have her as my mate. She would stain my reputation!"

He finally stood up, towering over me. "Why do you care so much about her leaving then?"

"I don't." For once, I backed away. My fists were shaking as I tried my best to hide my anger.

"Good. You said she was the source of all your problems. Now that she's gone, you should be able to concentrate on your Gamma duties again." He scoffed before sitting back on his chair, as if nothing had happened. I was about to turn around to leave when I heard his voice again. "Oh, by the way... If the Goddess had paired me with her, I wouldn't think twice before accepting her. A powerful Alpha needs a wise Luna, and she definitely was one."

I felt the hairs on my neck bristle as I considered turning around to punch him, but I couldn't. He was still my leader; the magical ties between us prevented me from actively disobeying him. Instead, I left feeling even more frustrated than I did when I arrived. Everyone who had once been my ally had turned their back on me, even my own wolf. All because of a stupid, weak Omega. Yet, nothing I did seemed to get her off my mind.