Page 62 of Saving the Pack's Omega

When he leaves my room, I take a second to catch my breath. It really does feel like I’ve opened the floodgates of dirty thoughts in my brain. And I guess I’ve opened the floodgates for Kane too, he’s the last one out of all four of them that I would’ve thought would say things like that to me this early on.

I brush my hair and teeth and try to make myself a bit more presentable before grabbing my tablet and heading downstairs. The scrapes I have feel a bit tight against my skin as I walk and my ribs are still tender to the touch, but that night of rest seems to have really helped with the pain I’ve been feeling.

I’m still grateful when I see a bowl of washed fruit next to a glass of water and my pain medications next to Kane, who’s sitting at a barstool typing away at his laptop.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Of course, you’re welcome.”

“What’re you working on?” I ask, turning on the tablet and looking through the digital library of cookbooks Madden talked about earlier.

“Just some administrative stuff for the security company. Some emails to manufacturers and that sort of thing.”

I nod, getting started on the bowl of fruit. Blackberries this time. I go to the one-pan recipe cookbook because I don’t know if I’m brave enough to try some of the more complicated dishes.

I find a chicken casserole dish that I think we have all the ingredients for and get started.

As I make my way through the instructions, I get lost in all the steps. I feel the weight of guilt starting to lift from my chest. I don’t think I noticed it until now, but I’ve been getting a bit stir-crazy without having anything to do.

Before I know it, I’m popping the casserole in the oven.

“All done?” Kane asks, standing from his seat.

“Yeah, fingers crossed it turns out okay,” I say, leaning against the countertop. It wasn’t necessarily the most complicated thing I’ve ever cooked in my life, but it definitely had the best and freshest ingredients I’ve ever used. I would hate for it to go to waste if I messed up.

“We’re used to eating like shit, so anything other than charcoal is still going to be a hit with us. No need for you to worry.” Kane starts moving as if he’s going to start cleaning the mess I’ve made.

“Oh, it’s okay!” I say, moving to grab his arm as he starts reaching into the sink. “I can clean, I made the mess.”

“You cooked, though. It’s only fair that someone else cleans.”

“But—“

“I really would like to help.” He looks so sincere that I can’t say no.

“O—Okay, thank you.” We trade places, with me sitting at the bar and him in the kitchen. “Did you get to finish some of the work you wanted to get done?”

“Yeah, I haven’t taken time off work in forever, so my people made sure there wasn’t that much for me to get done. They want to make sure I actually take a break.”

Kane does seem like the type to be a workaholic.

The door to the garage flings open.

“We’re home!” Chase says, a big grin on his face.

Chase’s arms are full of a huge assortment of bags from what look like a ton of different stores.

“Surprise!” he says, raising his arms and shaking the bags a bit. “Holy shit, what’s that smell? It smells fucking amazing.”

“It’s—it’s a chicken casserole,” I say, a bit overwhelmed by Chase’s excitement.

“It smells delicious,” Madden says, giving me a smile of pride as he enters the house behind Chase, his arms also laden with shopping bags.

The cold air from the garage makes goosebumps rise on my arms.

“Will you idiots move and actually get into the house?” Archer growls from behind them. “Can’t you see Luna’s getting cold?”

“Shit, sorry!” Chase says, making his way further into the house and setting the bags down in the living room. “Anyways, surprise!”

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