Page 64 of Building a Pack is Ruff: Part 2
Seriously, I think changing all my clothes to black, taking up guitar, and getting my face pierced was probably a relief to her since it gave me an outlet separate from the depression and ugly things that seemed to be stuck in my head. Wondering why he didn’t want me anymore.
Trying to shake myself out of my thoughts, I don’t want to dwell on how fucked up I was back then. I didn’t mention it earlier because…well…it freaks everyone out. Plus I don’t want to give Sam any more reason to hate Vee, just because I made a stupid decision. Hell, I don’t want Vee to know because he would worry.
But Mom was there. After…everything…she got me in to see a really helpful therapist at the center. Dr. Dana specializes inomega problems, including a lot of the anxiety and depression that are so common for us. She’s the one who suggested that Mom get me Jessie and a bunch of books on learning to play guitar. She was right, of course. It was easier for me to express myself and my erratic fucking emotions more physically. Plus, learning how to play was a much needed distraction to my batshit crazy hormones.
Dr. Dana also helped me see that even if Vee didn’t want me, it didn’t mean no one would. I mean, let’s be honest, nobody did for a long, long time because of my size and even at the omega center, I was more of a novelty. In truth, I got along well with a lot of the other omegas more than visiting alphas. Omegas saw me as less competition than the alphas did. Which is ironic on every fucking level.
I met Sarah right after I arrived at the center. Once I finished healing up, she took me to the gym to work off some of my stress. We both liked lifting, and it was a good way to burn off excess energy. Her sisters had already met their packs, so she didn’t really have anyone else there either. We became workout buddies, and it helped to burn off even more of the excess energy I had going on. She helped a lot with explaining some of the freaky ass changes my body was going through, including how much harder I now had to work to build muscles. I feel a small pang of regret that I’m going to be leaving her there alone.
Vee opens his mouth, closes it, and drops his head in his hands. He takes a deep breath, before looking at me again. “Bear, listen…I—” His phone starts ringing this time, and he turns a bit green before he slides the button to answer it. I can hear Marc’s voice from here, even without the speaker on. “What the fuck are you two doing? Did you actually fucking hang up on me earlier, you little shits!”
Ah yes, Marc Carson, head of the Carson pack and dear old dad to the guys who were once my best friends. What a fuck-stick. Steve opens his mouth, but he can’t seem to make words. After a few seconds his father starts back up again. “Don’t give me any shit, Steven. Your mother told me that she talked to you about that fucking omega, and now your GPS shows you in the middle of Mississippi. Really, fucking Mississippi? I wasn’t born yesterday, you little come-stain. Get your ass back in the fucking car and go home, and take your brother with you. God knows he doesn’t have an original fucking thought in his head. He’ll follow you wherever the hell you lead.”
Garret’s breath comes in a series of harsh pants as he looks at the phone. Vee's still staring at the fucking thing, gaping like a fish as his father continues to spew vitriol at the brothers. I know Sam told them to take care of it, but I’m not sure if they can right now. Their old man’s always been a verbally abusive piece of shit. I’m not sure if either of them is mentally capable of breaking out of it right now.
Fuck, I wish Sam was down here. Not so he can fight my battles for me, or for them, but as moral support. Marc’s yelling hasn’t slowed down. If anything, he’s getting louder the longer neither of them speak. “You little son of a bitch! Don’t just sit there gawking at the phone like the moron that I know you are. Answer me, goddamnit!” Vee’s hand shakes as he reaches towards it. I don’t know if he’s going to hang up, hit speaker, or actually lift the damned thing to his ear and get yelled at up close and personal. But I’m done with this shit.
Vee meets my eyes as I reach for the phone. His mouth finally snaps closed and he picks it up, pressing the speaker key and holding it between himself and his brother. Garret reaches out a shaking hand and grabs Vee’s wrist. They both swallow a few times before either of them is able to speak. Vee makes it first. “Dad, Dad…DAD! Jesus, shut up and listen.” The line goes suddenly silent and if I didn’t see the green button still glowing on the screen, I would think the call was disconnected.
The twins both jump at the voice that screams through the phone. “What the fuck did you just say to me, you little piss-ant? I dare you to fucking repeat that.”
Vee swallows again. “I said, shut up and listen, Dad. Shit, we can’t get a fucking word in edge-wise.”
Garret chokes and starts coughing. There’s no way to tell if it’s shock or he inhaled spit, but he suddenly sounds like a three pack a day kinda guy as his voice croaks, “We’re not coming home, Dad,” is all he manages before he starts coughing again.
Marc isn’t one to sit silently—ever—and before either of them can say anything else, his rant starts up again. “You know what’ll happen if you stay? Your apartment, car, credit cards, school, even this fucking phone. I’ll cut off funding for everything. You won’t have a pot to piss in when I’m through with you. Omegas are a dime a dozen. Is he really worth losing everything you’ve worked for the last ten years over?”
Vee looks at me, his eyes bright with unshed tears. “Yeah, Dad, he is. Heisworth it, he wasalwaysworth it, and I should have done this then. Everything’s pointless without Bear. I don’t care about school, where we live, nothing’s as important as him. Just seeing him again after all this time, I finally feel like I can breathe again.”
Marc’s snarl cuts him off. “Oh, what a load of sentimental bullshit. I should have known better than to try to convince you, you little faggot. Garret! Garret, you were never involved in this stupidity. Get your ass back to Los Angeles now or you lose any chance of support to find your own omega. You’ll lose your residency, and you won’t be getting another one, that’s for damned sure. All that time spent on college, wasted. Is that what you want? All so your brother can go off and play house with some nobody little boy.”
Vee stares at his brother now. Garret has turned an unpleasant grayish green, but he manages to choke out a reply. “I’m notcoming home either, Dad. I met somebody here…Her name’s Kelly, she’s mine.”
Marc huffs out a sigh, his voice still angry, but less of a screech. “Why didn’t you fucking start with that shit? So, you found your omega. Ok, well…that’s something then. We can work with that. I’ll need to get her information run though? We can’t have just anyone join the Carson pack. Omegas are only after one thing, and we need to make sure she’s worth the trouble of being brought into the family. You’ll need to send me her full name and omega center ID number so I can get started on a background check before you do anything stupid like try to bond the little bitch.”
Garret’s back snaps straight and all his color comes back at once, quickly moving to an angry red flush. “Yeah…that’s not gonna happen. Kelly’s mine. She’s a beta, and she’s mine if she’ll have me.”
Now the choked noises are coming from the other end of the phone. “Christ on a crutch, are you two fucking serious right now? I forbid you two to start a pack with a male omega and a goddamned beta. You will pack your shit, you will get into the fucking car, you will start back to Los Angeles tonight. Or you won’t have a car when you get up in the morning. Am I clear? I will have that fucking thing towed and you can walk back to L.A. when you finally pull your heads out of your asses.”
Garret actually snorts laughter, meeting his brother’s eyes. “You wanna tell him, or just let him deal with that pint-sized terror on his own? Good luck getting a tow truck out here, Dad.”
Vee finally chimes in. “Even if we were inclined to agree, we’re stuck, in a snowstorm, at our new pack leader’s house. We aren’t going anywhere for at least a few more days.”
Marc’s roar of anger echoes through the room. “Are you actually fucking telling me you are in the middle of bumfuck Mississippi, and you’ve packed up with some random alpha, abeta, and that fucking omega? I’m on my way. You two pieces of shit better keep your fucking mouths closed. Because if anybody has a fucking bonding mark when I get there, I will sue their fucking asses and have their pack permanently dissolved, do you understand me?” The call disconnects. I guess Marc had to have the last word.
Garret's back to that odd greenish gray, scrambling out of his seat and making a break for the stairs while holding his mouth. Vee’s just gone pale, but sweat is beaded on his forehead and upper lip. “Shit…Bear. What…What did I do? He’s coming here. He can’t come here!” his voice rises in near hysteria. I pull him out of his seat and into my lap. Shit, it’s a good thing Sam bought sturdy furniture. My purr kicks up, and he snuggles against me. He’s only a couple of inches taller, but he barely seems to weigh anything. I wonder again at what they left out of their story from earlier.
