Chapter 3

Once we were showered, scrubbed and free from the mess that we accumulated on our escapades today, and sporting some fresh and comfy pjs that fit us a lot better than those t-shirts, we built up the courage and descended the stairs and into the dining hall just in time for the usual feast prepared every day for the pack members.

Not all of the pack members choose to have dinner at the Packhouse but it is an option for all. Most have their own homes to go to and choose to spend their time with family. Mostly it was the wolves that lived within the Packhouse, warriors, single wolves and those that are ranking pack members that came here to gorge. But every day, the omegas here at the Packhouse cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for a few hundred wolves. And do not forget, wolves have a huge appetite, so you can only imagine how much the omegas cook.

They are well appreciated here. After all, they cook and clean for many a wolf, they basically keep the place running smoothly. Without all the meals that they provide and cleaning all throughout the Packhouse every day, there would be a lot of hungry wolves and that is something I desperately never want to see.

The meals were always done in a self-serve buffet style, with omegas constantly running back and forth keeping everything topped up. The only time that it was any different was at events such as tomorrows ball. Then you would be seated at a table and served by waiting staff that are usually omegas. For the Mating Ball they will only use mated wolves so that the unmated ones have a fair chance, just like anyone else.

Roast meats, Yorkshire puddings, cottage pie, cauliflower and broccoli cheese bake, different pastas, tortilla wraps and even sandwiches, plus so much more was on display begging to be eaten. Desserts of many different kinds were at the very end of the serving station. Every day a new variation of foods littered these surfaces; these wolves were food gods.

As I first spotted the deliciousness before me, my stomach decided to announce my arrival at the same time as Pops’ did. We looked at each other and chuckled. My mouth began to salivate at all the tantalising smells that were coming from the wide selection of meals and the thought of eating myself into a food coma.

“We’re just so in sync” she said as we joined in at the back of the queue.

Many wolves were already seated and eating amongst the vast number of tables and chairs, a low chatter in the room as people conversed about their day or just generally chatted about shit.

The small line slowly shuffled forward, but not fast enough for an eager Pops. She bounced on her feet whilst looking up and down the queue and food and letting out a little whine. I chuckled at her impatience.

“You really need to learn how grown-ups wait in line. Would you like to go to school and learn with all the other little pups?” I asked the last part in a way that someone would talk to a baby, which earned me a punch in the arm from her. It only made me laugh again at her.

“Fuck off you arsehole.” After speaking to me and giving me a dead arm, Pops turned around to yet again face the queue which was slowly shuffling forward. She still showed her impatience by stretching her neck out like a giraffe to peer over and around everyone so that she could pretty much monitor exactly how many centimetres until it was our turn.

Only a few minutes passed with Pops’ head bobbing away, we could finally reach the first of the meals and start to pile our plates.

“Thank fuck for that! I thought that I was going to end up wasting away waiting in this fucking never ending line.” Pops really does like her food, so her excitement at getting to the front came as no shock to me.

First up……casserole! This is one of my favourites that gets served. Definitely in the top ten of deliciousness sent from the goddess herself. Such a rich, and strong flavour, the beef mouthwateringly soft; soft to the point it just falls apart in your mouth.

I grab myself a clean bowl and fill it as much as possible. If they had buckets to use then I would gladly use one, I just cannot get enough of it. Using a small plate, I grabbed some fresh homemade rolls and some tiny butter pads and steer out of the remaining queue, leaving Poppy to clear whatever foods that she had not quite reached yet.

I grabbed myself and Pops some cutlery then scanned the room for somewhere to park our butts. Not seeing anyone from our friend group, instead finding a table that had a couple of warriors eating in silence and plenty of empty seats.

I navigated my way over to the table through the babble of wolves moving around as if I was in a bumper car, trying very hard not to spill my precious cargo.

I dropped into one of the available seats and let out a sigh of relief, closing my eyes as I did. My whole body sank into the chair as if sighing with me, seemingly exhausted. I reluctantly opened my eyes to see the two male warriors watching my every move. It was then that I realised that I had sat at the table with probably the hottest males this pack could offer. I swear I could feel the colour drain from my face in realization. There was absolutely no fucking way that I was eating until Pops got here.

“Ummmm, hi?” I had to say something to ease the sudden tense atmosphere that had descended upon the table. But fuck me, I could have said anything, and I chose a stupidly basic ‘hi’. Definitely a face-palm moment for me.

Luckily, Pops’ timing was spot on as always as she decided then to drop into the empty chair on my right. Her arse had barely touched the seat before she had grabbed a knife and fork and dug into her Mount Everest of food.

She was thoroughly distracted by the food that she had placed in front of her, to the point I do not think that she even noticed dark haired hottie number one and two sitting across from us, who were stealing the odd quick glances between their own mouthfuls.

I gave my ignorant best friend a sharp kick to the shin under the table. Through a mouthful of goddess knows what, she grunted then looked up at me, babbling something completely incoherent. All I could do was focus on the chewed-up mush in her mouth as she mumbled. It is a good thing that I have a good gag reflex, but fuck me, that shit was still gross.

I tilted my head towards the two soldiers so that she would notice them and perhaps suddenly obtain some manners and stop eating like a pig in a trough.

It was wishful thinking on my behalf. Once again, she tried speaking with a gobful of her now unappealing food.

“Alright boys?” Little blobs of food sprayed from her mouth to the table, the soldiers definitely did not miss the pieces flying ever so much closer to them.

Her attention returned to her plate of soon-to-be digested fucked up mess. All I could do was stare at her completely gobsmacked at her capability to be so oblivious, especially when food is involved. Bloody she-wolf practically inhales her foods.

I eventually finished my gifts of yumminess from the best cooks in all of the wolf kingdom. The two warriors had long since finished and left, leaving me and an almost comatose Pops to our own little bubble. That was until my heart dropped into my arse at hearing the one voice that puts instant fear into any wolf, regardless of how skilled a fighter they are. Poppy froze, her fork heaped with the indistinguishable pulp that was remaining from her food challenge, fear very much evident on her face.

“Where the fuck have you two been?” Not quite shouting, but not quiet enough for a normal conversation, leaving me to immediately realise that all the remaining wolves here in the dining room were about to hear us have our arses handed to us.

All conversation in the large room ceased, a good portion of the wolves quickly upped and left, not wanting to be caught in any crossfire from the demon Marthe and her pitiful targets; Poppy and myself.

Not one wolf resumed their conversation whilst I watched and dreaded Marthe charging through the remainder of the dining hall to stand abruptly and challengingly in front of us. Hands on hips, straight back, firm pose, tufts of hair protruding from her tightly wound bun with slithers of grey and an extremely pissed of expression on her aging face; yep, we're fucked.

“You two are right little fuckers! Fobbing off your work and leaving us to pick up the slack from your lazy butts that I am going to kick from here to kingdom come! You remember there's the mating ball tomorrow, right? There's a ton to be done, yet you insist on being little shits. Olivia, I expected more from you. Why did you choose today of all days to follow this miscreant?”

All I could do was watch the woman in terror throughout her rant, little bits of spittle flying from her mouth.

“Hey! I'm right here. And besides, who said I'm the instigator of todays escapades?”

Of all the times Pops could speak out, now was definitely not one of them. This girl really needs to learn to read the room and when she needs to just button it.

“Shut it, you! I'll deal with you in the morning. Be in the kitchen and ready by 6am tomorrow. It gives me plenty of time to imagine what lovely ways I can teach you not to disappear on your duties.” A cruel smirk played on Marthe's thin lips. But it worked, Poppy kept quiet and lowered her head, submitting to her superior.

“I umm….. see, we thought….umm… it's like this uhhh, oh shit.” Stuttering like a person with torettes, falling over my words unable to make sense of them, I had no idea what to say to the strict as shit woman before me. I quite literally slapped my forehead and dragged my hand down my face, sighing hard outwardly, shoulders sagging, I gave up.

“We did it because Poppy thought it may help me deal a bit better with tomorrow.” I was completely defeated in my eventual answer that finally came out as a coherent sentence.

I watched as this fierce and strict she-wolf quite literally deflated. All challenge from her stance gone and a completely different she-wolf stood before us.

“Oh honey,” she cooed to me, taking small steps towards me as if I may suddenly combust if she approached too eagerly. “Don't say any more, I understand how you are feeling. Scared, worrying about the what-ifs. But don't, you are a remarkable she-wolf that only an idiot would turn away. You will find him and know what love is.”

With that, she placed a chaste kiss to the top of my head and left us in a stunned silence.

“What the actual fuck of all fucks just happened?” Pops spoke out first, completely confused and gobsmacked by the turnout of Marthe's lecture.

“I have no clue, but shut your mouth and keep it shut before you jinx us and she flies back in here shouting ‘fooled ya!’ I'm taking that as a fucking win.” I warned my nutjob of a friend, I really did not want to risk seeing anymore of Marthe’s insane temper tonight.

“Amen to that sister. Let's go before she changes her mind and comes back, demanding us to clean the floors with our tongues and shit.”

“Wow, you really have a wild imagination.” I both awed and laughed at my friends ability to draw up scenarios like that.

I both stood up and pushed my chair backwards in one fluid motion, slid my chair back under the table, grabbed my dirty crockery and walked over to the station set up by the door to dispose of it all. Another thing to respect the omegas for; cleaning up after us dirty, greedy bastards.

I could hear Pops shuffling behind me as I moved through room, again navigating through the masses of tables and chairs. She was still lagging behind as I stepped through the oversized doorway to the hall, where I stopped so she could plod up alongside me. I knew what she was going to say before she even took the sharp breath in to speak.

“Oh my fucking goddess, I think I ate too much. I feel sick as pregnant bitch.”

I mouthed the words as she said them. The words were permanently ingrained into my memory because she said them every night after dinner. After every meal in fact.

“The same thing every night without fail. And will you ever learn? No.” Upon saying no, it was like there was an echo around me in the light and wide hallway, meaning she had said it at the same time.

Lecturing her was futile. She never listened; she always did what she wanted without thought until after, when the regret seeped in. I swear the girl was only born with a devil on her shoulder. The angel must have thought ‘fuck this, what's the point.’

“Come on bitch-tits, let's gate-crash the common room for a bit. See if any idiots are hanging around risking life and limb with management on the warpath.”

I chuckled at her endearment towards others, shook my head at her and started to slowly move along the hallway. Looking around at the plain off-white-coloured walls as we traversed forward, thinking of both nothing and everything at the same time. A comfortable silence between us, we did not have to constantly converse to show each other that we were in good place.

We trudged into the massive common room within the Packhouse, starting to feel bloated from dinner. Loads of overstuffed armchairs and sofas were placed in groups around the room so wolves could keep within their friend groups.

There was a pool table to one side of the room, a large tv on the wall of the opposite side with more comfy and inviting sofas directly in front.

We could see some of our friends on the sofas in front of the tv talking excitedly, hands moving to emphasise what they were saying to each other. Smiles were all over their faces and most of the other wolves in the room. The hype for tomorrows ball was definitely causing a buzzing feeling in the air even though it was getting so much later in the day. Usually, the atmosphere is very chill and relaxed at this time, but not tonight.

We waddled over to a spare sofa by our friends and quite literally dropped down onto it at the same time, limbs being flung everywhere and staying exactly where they landed. I closed my eyes and tipped my head back to rest on the sofa. I expelled a sigh of contentment, feeling like I was just melting away from everyone else into the land of squishy sofas.

“What have you guys picked to watch tonight then my lovely turds?” Again, Pops’ way of showing her love for people shining through. All I could do was again slowly shake my head at her antics.

“Tonight, the one and only loveable arsehole, it has been decided that we shall be watching the wonderful and amazing………..Deadpool.” Sounding like a salesman pitching his merchandise, our friend Tony answered with enthusiasm and matching Pops’ endearment towards others.

Tony was a bit of your average wolf; five foot eleven, dark hair, shaved back and sides, slightly longer on top and left to do its own thing tonight, a lean build and toned muscles just like everyone else because of all the exercising we do.

I tuned out, the chatter just a distant murmur until I heard the film starting up, bringing me back to the present.

I did love a bit of Ryan Reynalds, but put Jason Mamoa in front of me and I do not think that I would have the ability to remember that anyone else existed.

I opened my eyes and started paying attention to the film, but no matter how I tried I could not give it one hundred percent. Beaux was pacing about and muttering to herself, really anxious about something. I tried to talk to her, find out what had her so worked up, but the little bitch refused to respond to me, completely oblivious to me even quizzing her.

About an hour into the film, the group numbers started to dwindle, leaving us for their well needed beauty sleep and rest for tomorrows extravaganza. Finally tearing my gaze from the gunfire on the screen, where I was still not paying full attention to it, I noticed that there was very few of us left. Stragglers just milling about here and there around the common room, the atmospheric buzz toned down from earlier but still ever present.

“Come on you dopey git, lets get going. We’ve got a lovely date with the wonderful Marthe early tomorrow.” I chastised Pops, drawing her from her conversation with Beth, another of our friends.

I rose from the chair, all sorts of noises escaping my mouth as I stretched out my muscles trying to work out the stiffness, Pops following suit.

I bid Beth goodnight and started to dawdle out to the hallway towards the stairs. I could hear Pops saying her farewells as I looked around the dimly lit hall, almost all of the connected rooms in unknown darkness.

As I placed my right foot on the first step of the old wooden hill, about to start my ascent into the lowly lit space, Pops decided to creep up on me and stick her fingers straight in my armpits.

“Shitting Jesus fuck! That's twice today you've had me, you wankstain!” I know most wolves in the pack were sleeping, but this girl was about to get a beating.

Pops was hysterically laughing at me, hunched over whilst holding the stair rail. This girl gets a real kick out of my suffering.

She eventually straightened herself slightly, looked at my pissed off face and I saw the realisation seep on her face.

“Oh shit.” And that was it, she took off running.

She was not fast enough for my reflexes though and took a size six straight in the right arse cheek. It was hard enough to instantly kill her momentum and cause her to drop like a sack of shit onto the steps. I took the opportunity to jump on her back and ended up hitching a piggyback to the top.

We giggled like a couple of schoolgirls all the way to the top. My arms were locked around her neck comfortably whilst she rested her hands on my forearms, a small notion of our endearment for one another.

I dropped down from Pops’ back, lightly landing on the floor. The mandatory training I have had over the years helping to pretend I am a stealthy ninja.

We traipsed down the hallways swinging our holding hands, nothing more said between us until we reached our neighbouring rooms.

I turned to face my eternal and loyal best friend just as she threw her arms around me in an embrace.

“I'm going to leave you sleep on your own tonight, you need proper rest.” Winking at me, I did not miss her hint at what I may get up to should I meet my mate tomorrow.

I felt the heat slowly tint my cheeks a few shades redder than normal. Talks like this make me feel very embarrassed and out of place. I am still extremely innocent, but deep down I am hoping someone changes that for me, and soon.

I gave her a light slap on the arm as that was all I could be arsed to do to show her my dissatisfaction at her open crudeness. She already knew what was coming and braced herself by raising the shoulder I was aiming for.

“Goodnight Oli, I love you to bits. But I expect to be the first to know if you smell anything special when you wake. Even before you go off to find him.” Pops threatened, wiggling a pointed index finger at me. “And don't be surprised if you find me curled up with you like usual when we try sleeping apart.” Rolling her eyes at her own mention of our wolves trying to always keep us together.

We have tried all sorts to stop it from happening, every effort futile as they always find a way back to each other. So, most nights we cannot be bothered to attempt anything but sleeping in the same room.

“Goodnight, I love you too Pops.” And with that, I opened my door and stepped into my dark bedroom, closing the door gently behind me. I had drawn the curtains before going down to dinner so the only moon light that forced its way through was the tiny slithers around the edges, not enough to light the room.

Using my enhanced sight, I walked over to one side of my bed where there stood a simple white gloss nightstand with only a basic lamp on, I am a bit of a minimalist. I faintly heard Pops doing the same in the room next to my own.

Using just the low light of the lamp, I went to the bathroom to do my usual nightly routine. I did not even bother switching the main bathroom light on, what is the point? I could see just fine with the eyes I had.

I left the bathroom and went to the side of the bed where I was before. Reaching into the small gap down the side of the nightstand that rested against the double bed, I pulled my charger out. I pulled my phone from the front pocket of my pjs, plugged it in, made sure my alarm was set and placed it on the stand.

I pinched the corner of my duvet and flung it back so I could climb into my little slice of heaven. Drawing the duvet back over myself and making myself comfy for the night, hoping I manage to get a decent sleep. I yawned and rubbed my tired itchy eyes.

‘Goodnight Beaux.’ She had calmed down from earliers restlessness but still had not told me what had her unsettled, or even spoken to me at all.

‘G’night’ she managed to grumble back sleepily to me.

Not even ten minutes of counting sheep and I was out like a light. Todays run had luckily tired me out enough to get some form of rest, ready for whatever tomorrow had in store for me.