Bitter Winter

Chapter 7

I eat and eat, polishing off my first plate, then my second. Dayn pours me a glass of water and I drink it immediately, realizing my thirst the moment the cool hits my throat. After he feels satisfied that I've eaten enough, he piles a mountain of food on his own plate and eats it, watching me carefully the whole while. He pauses in his meal to pour me more water and offer me more to eat, but I think I might explode if I accept. Dayn can put away a lot more than I can, but clearly none of it goes to waste, given how he looks without a shirt.

After his third plate, he clears his throat and begins, "So, uh, I know usually... abused omegas that come to us aren't ready their first week, but I can just... I know you feel safe around me, I can feel it." He seems almost guilty, and hurriedly amends, "not that- if you don't actually feel that way, it's fine too I just... the bond...", tangling his words into a fluster.

"No! I, uh... really feel safe around you. You make me feel like I'm not subhuman; I can feel just as much as you can through the bond." I cut him off, verbalizing what he can feel through the bond anyway, making it real.

"Well, I was just hoping... Maybe I could introduce you to some of the pack?" Dayn seems unsure of his own question, not sure if he's treading too far. Hurriedly, he interrupts his own thoughts, "Of course, it's ok if you're not ready- you've done very well already- I just thought..."

"No, no, it's fine... I feel like if I keep moving forward maybe my past won't catch up with me. You make me feel like I can outrun it", I confide. "If you're there... I think it will be fine. Just not a lot at once", I smile shakily.

"Don't worry, you're gonna love everyone. We have a lot of alphas, but they've all swore fealty to me. A lot of them are mated to Omegas, and a lot of their mates come from places like you. They won't hurt you, let alone scare you. Alpha presence alone can be really intimidating, so I'd bet only Tess shows up today."

"Tess? Was she with you when you raided the train, I think?" I interrupt, surprising myself. I would have never done that a week ago.

"Oh, you remember! Yeah, Tess was there. She's my best friend and was abandoned by her parents as a kid because they didn't want a female alpha for their pack. I found her and... we've been saving people ever since. She's the closest thing to family I've got. She's gonna be sorta like your sister-in-law, and I'm sure she wants to give you her big ol' welcome." Dayn smiles, pausing for a second. "I guess that's not quite true, really, everyone here is my family. That's what a pack is, right?"

"I think a pack should be a family - this one seems like one. I trust you, and that includes your pack. You can feel if I get scared anyway." I smile, feeling like I understand Dayn completely. Underneath the warrior, there's a heart of gold. I must have won the lottery.

Rising from his side of the table, he takes my hand in his own and gives me a gentle tug upward. I don't think anyone's ever helped me up before. Holding my hand in his, he guides me down a spacious hallway, room for at least six weres side by side comfortably. Up ahead, the hall empties onto a balcony overlooking the first floor with a hallway leading out the otherside, and another door that opened straight onto the balcony. The space itself looked nothing like my old pack's, it was immaculate and open, with natural light flooding in through plentiful, large windows.

"This is the mating cabin. It's kind of gross to think about all the other people fucking in there before us, but it gets cleaned really well - foreign pheromones would drive a mating couple out in an instant anyway."

"So where were you planning to take me today?" I ask after he finishes his explanation. I feel good having my hand wrapped in his, enjoying being gently guided.

"I wanted to take you to Tess and Lisbeth's cabin, and then show you some of the Omega centered spots, like the garden. And maybe if you're up to it, the pack house for dinner." Dayn turned to me and smiled, "how does that sound?"

"That sounds... great", I smile back and give his hand a gentle squeeze and walk just a little closer.