Page 1 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
Chapter 1
Mable
“I’m sorry, Mable, it’s so hard to get the hang of,” Kyle, our newest hire, said, frowning at the jug of milk he had just scorched.
“Take over the cleaning, I’ll make the coffee,” I instructed the tall, awkward alpha who was standing helplessly at the coffee machine. Steaming milk wasn’t an overly difficult job, but Kyle was struggling.
He was staring at the machine, his face filled with panic and confusion. “It did the wrong thing,” he muttered.
“It’s okay. Go take care of customers,” I said softly, waving him toward the register.
“Thanks, Mable, you’re the best.” He sighed in relief, happy to dash away to the register, leaving me and one other staff member at the coffee machine.
“You’re too nice to him, he’s a moron.” Luke chuckled under his breath.
“Be nice,” I chided.
Coffee shops had an abnormally high turnover rate, especially those located on university campuses. Other than me, the only employee who had been here over a year was Bethany, who had recently left to join a pack after becoming pregnant.
She was now living a perfect life with a pack that adored her, a little baby, and a stepdaughter who was as cute as a button.
If I were honest, part of me was jealous.
I was a creature of habit.
Routine was comforting, predictable.
Some may call it boring, but I call it safe.
I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly; classes and my part-time job at the café were enough for me. I enjoyed spending time alone with my plants, and besides, I’d never had much luck when it came to meeting alphas. The patrons of the café were usually lost in their own worlds, and when an alpha occasionally asked me out, they did so in a way that made my skin crawl.
As I started steaming a fresh batch of milk for the ruined lattes that Kyle had made, I wondered what it would be like to have a family. It had been just my mother and me growing up, and while it had been amazing and I loved her dearly, I still wanted more one day.
I wanted a pack.
Children.
A large house full of people who love each other.
My mother was a beta, and the fact that she had an omega daughter was both baffling and somewhat problematic, as she’d had no idea what to do with me. She’d been completely on her own and had done her best to raise me. She had worked crappy job after crappy job to save up enough money for me to go to university, though I had insisted on getting a part-time job to help mitigate some of the costs.
She had given me all the love and attention I could ask for growing up, even if we couldn’t afford the best of everything. The only place my education lacked was in how to handle life as an omega.
Sure, I’d watched informational videos, and I knew how to handle my heats and the physical issues that came with beingan omega, but that was all the cold, clinical stuff. Unfortunately, I was one of the few omegas who had an allergic reaction to suppressant medications, so I had to ride out my hellish horny phase solo. It wasn’t fun, but I had toys to get me through it.
I knew that omegas dated packs, which was useful when it came to satisfying heats… but I had no idea how to even go about that. Occasionally, I ran across a pack in my day-to-day life and tried to strike up a conversation with them, but it quickly became overwhelming. There were so many of them and only one of me. That alone made holding a conversation difficult.
Orders started coming through, and I was actually happy to be working the coffee machine. It was the most solitary job, and that suited me just fine. Most of our customers were nice, but often I stumbled over my own words and embarrassed myself.
On the counter beside the coffee machine, my phone buzzed. Lifting it so I could read the screen, a smile spread across my face.
P
This day is dragging on forever. I just want to go home and eat.
D
You’re the one who chose to study so hard.
