Avery
The alpha didn’t look to good.
Avery had been sitting on the couch all morning with Marian’s books. He couldn’t actually read, but they had pictures of plants and food. Marian had set down a plate of cookies in front of him earlier and he was nearly finished. His stomach growled. He wondered when lunch would be ready. Cory was out hunting with the pack.
He’d been just about to doze off when the scent of the alpha grew closer. He perked up and twisted his neck to look out the window just in time to hear a knock on the door before it opened and Jarrett wandered in. He looked thinner, somehow. His eyes were sunken in with deep purple bags hanging under them. His face was pale and pinched, and his usually glossy black hair was dull, hanging flat and lifeless.
Marian hurried out of the kitchen to greet him. “Sorry! I wasn’t expecting you until after the hunt!” She took in his weary state. “Honey, you look exhausted.”
“Just had a rough night is all,” Jarrett said gruffly. He turned to look at Avery. “Hi,” he muttered, pink tinging his cheeks.
Cocking his head to the side, Avery nodded back. A rough night was putting it lightly. He’d watched the alpha stumble home, swearing and muttering to himself. The stench of alcohol blocked out his sweet scent. Alcohol seemed to make people either really happy or really angry.
Avery kind of wanted to tell him that he hadn’t been following him this time. Last night, he’d been hanging out in the watchtower again. As he’d made his way back, he’d heard Jarrett’s voice, loud and almost raspy. He’d passed the pub just in time to see Jarrett storm out with JJ. The two had been fighting about the old pack alpha. Avery hadn’t liked how JJ had just stormed off. It was obvious his little brother was in pain. Avery wasn’t even mad that Jarrett had snapped at him.
“I’ll go make some tea,” Marian said when she was done fussing over him. “You just take a seat and try to relax.”
Jarrett glanced at Avery again before sitting down in Freddie’s armchair. He kept rubbing his face. His eyes were scrunched and he was chewing hard on his lower lip. He looked completely miserable. He noticed Avery watching him and scowled. “Can I help you?”
“No,” Avery said. He could still smell remnants of sour beer. And sweat. It wasn’t as heavy as last night, but it made his nose twitch anyway. Cory had been drinking lately too, and Avery really didn’t like it. His brother was obnoxious enough without help.
“Can you stop then?” Jarrett snapped.
“Stop what?”
“Staring.”
Avery just blinked. “Why?”
Jarrett just gave him an odd look. “Because it’s not polite?”
“Why?” Now Avery was confused. Why was the act of looking at someone considered rude? He stared at Cory all the time and he never said anything. What else was Avery supposed to look at? He shrugged and turned his back to the alpha.
The alpha just groaned. “That’s even worse. God, you’re weird.”
Avery couldn’t stop the small giggle from escaping him. Cory said that to him a lot. “Yep,” he replied. He turned back around. Jarrett had both hands over his face now. Small tremors wracked his shoulder. The smile slipped from Avery’s face. “Are you hurt?”
“Great observation,” Jarrett muttered. “Does Marie have any painkillers?”
“I think so. I’ll look.”
In the kitchen, Marian was just setting up the tray. “Do we have any painkillers?” Avery asked. When he’d first come here, he’d woken up with a sore back. Cory had explained that it was because he wasn’t used to sleeping in a real bed. Cory had given him two little white pills that tasted bitter. But he’d marveled at how the pain had faded.
The older lady frowned. “We should. Do you have a headache?”
He shook his head. “No. Jarrett does.”
Marian tutted. “I’ll get him something.”
Avery went back into the living room and sat down again. “She’s bringing you something,” he announced.
“Thanks,” Jarrett said quietly.
The alpha looked miserable. Pale and shaky. He was cranky and quiet too. Avery thought back to their first few days. Jarrett had been happier then. It was what first drew Avery to him. The only other shifter Avery had for company for a long time was Cory. Cory was great, but Avery could see how tired he always seemed to be. Even the other shifters here seemed tired and weary. Jarrett wasn’t though. He just seemed so…alive. That was a good word for it.
Now though, he seemed the least alive of any of them. Avery wondered if maybe he could help. He didn’t care what Cory said either. What anyone said. He’d heard the other wolves talk too. They all said that Jarrett just needed space. Well, Avery had been watching them give him space for a while now, and it obviously wasn’t working.
Marian set the tea tray on the table. Avery immediately helped himself to the plate of biscuits while she poured them each a cup. He took a sip of tea. No milk, no sugar. Just a sharp and bitter flavor.
Jarrett continued to rub his forehead as he sipped on his. Marian watched him with a look of concern. “So how have you been doing?”
He shrugged. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“I’m worried about you,” Marian said. “All alone in that big house. Are you eating right? You know you’re welcome here anytime.”
“Thanks,” Jarrett said quietly. “But I’m fine. Really.”
Marian pursed her lips but didn’t push him further. Avery inwardly scoffed. Anyone could see that the alpha was pretty fucking far from fine. He wondered if this was another trait of ‘Polite Society’. To let each other stew in their misery. Well, Jarrett could lie and say he was fine all he wanted, Avery wasn’t going to play along. From the moment he saw the alpha, caught his scent, he knew he wanted to be close to him.
“So,” Avery said, “I was thinking, I’d like to hunt. But I’ve never hunted with a pack before. I think I might need some extra help.” He tried to make his voice sound small and timid.
Marian frowned. “Well, I don’t know how I feel about a sweet young omega like yourself running amok with all those alphas.” She sighed and turned to Jarrett expectantly. “He’s right though. He’ll need guidance.”
Jarrett’s cheeks started to turn pink. “Um, yeah, I suppose.”
Avery inwardly grinned. He could kiss the older lady right now. She glanced at him with a knowing look and he had to stifle a giggle. She knew what he was up to, and was helping him along.
“Excellent!” Marian clapped her hands together. “I know you won’t let anything happen to him.”
Her eyes were shining and she gave Jarrett a grateful look. Reluctantly, he nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
An alarm went off. “The coffee cake’s ready. I’ll be right back.”
The second she was out of the room, Jarrett turned to glare at Avery. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he hissed.
“I just want to find my place in the pack,” Avery replied innocently. “It was really nice of you to volunteer to help me.” You’re miserable and lonely and I want to help.
Jarrett crossed his arms tightly. He didn’t seem to have a reply to that, but his face lost some of its anger, and Avery doubted just how genuine that anger was in the first place. It was more like the alpha was just trying to look angry. “You’re really weird. And obnoxious. You know that, right?”
Avery just grinned. “I’ve been told.”
He didn’t let the alpha’s anger faze him. He knew that alphas had a tendency to get angry if they were hurting. He remembered countless nights where Cory would be upset for reasons he wouldn’t share, and he would be cold and angry as a result. Avery learned very quickly not to let it bother him. Alphas were emotional creatures, and they were also terrible at admitting it.
“I just want to be left alone,” he muttered. “Is that to much to ask?”
“It wouldn’t be,” Avery said, “if I actually believed you.”
“What?” Jarrett gaped at him.
Avery just shrugged. “You’ve been alone, for weeks. And it’s not working, is it?”
Jarrett just stared, but Avery could tell he had hit a nerve. Jarrett didn’t have time to reply before Marian returned with the cake, oblivious to the slight tension in the room. Avery ate in silence while she and Jarrett talked about pack affairs. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this,” she said, “so you didn’t hear it from me. Olivia’s expecting again!”
“Seriously?” Jarrett smiled. The first genuine smile Avery had seen in a while. “Good for them! When did they find out?”
“Just a couple days ago. So when she tells you, act surprised.”
“Will do.”
Eventually, Jarrett stood up to leave. He turned narrow eyes to Avery. “Hunt’s leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
“Sounds good, boss,” Avery grinned.
The small group at the gate seemed to be surprised to see him. Gerald and Jack gave him a wave. Cory didn’t look happy, though. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to hunt,” Avery replied brightly. “Jarrett’s going to help me!”
Cory turned to glare at the alpha who shrugged. “Not my idea.”
“Avery,” Cory draped an arm over his shoulder and led him to the side. “Maybe you should go work in the greenhouses.”
“Why?” Avery asked, though he already knew why. His brother was ridiculously overprotective. But even if Jarrett wasn’t hunting, he still wanted to. His nerves twitched and his wolf paced. He wanted to run through the forest again. He wasn’t meant to have four walls around him.
“Because…” Cory floundered for a second. “Because it’s going to be rough work. You’ll have a much more pleasant time with the other omegas.”
Avery glared. “You don’t think I can handle it. You think I’m just some timid, helpless omega.”
“No, of course I don’t think that. I just-”
“Because I took care of myself just fine,” Avery growled. “Remember? When you’d be gone for weeks on end?”
He felt a small twinge of guilt as the fight drained out of Cory and remorse filled his face. He sighed. “Fine. Just, stay close and do what we say. Alright?”
“Thanks,” he said softly. “Let’s go.”
He followed the small hunting pack’s lead as they stripped off their clothes. There was a cloth bag hanging on a tree to hold them. As they shifted, Avery kept his eye on Jarrett. That was another reason he’d wanted to come hunting so badly. He’d never seen Jarrett’s wolf form, and had been imagining what he might look like. No image he’d conjured in his mind could have matched the real thing.
Jarrett’s fur was black and glossy. Unlike his brothers, it was shaggier, giving him a wild look. He was bigger too. Broad and heavy and radiating power. His large, expressive eyes were a bright yellow with flecks of orange. Like the sun. Avery wanted nothing more than to rub his face against that soft fur. To get lost in those bright orbs.
Jack let out a growl, calling for their attention. Cory gave Avery a pointed look and he pulled himself together. They were hunting deer today. He was in for a good, long run. As Jack set off, he kept the pace easily, falling in between Jarrett and his brother. They didn’t push themselves too fast. They would need to conserve their energy for when they caught up with the herd.
He’d been briefed before the hunt. Since they were bringing meat back to the pack, they were to keep the bite marks to the minimum. Ideally, they needed to aim for the neck and snap it. Also go for the male. Females with babies were to be spared.
Avery could feel Jarrett’s eyes occasionally flicking in his direction. He hoped they were impressed with what they saw. He might be an omega, but he was stronger than normal. His years of fending for himself had blessed him with good muscle and tough skin. He was pleased to note that he was slightly bigger than the others in the pack. This was hardly the first time he’d hunted deer. This was his chance to really get Jarrett’s attention.
They found the herd easy enough. They kept hidden in the thick foliage, slowly creeping closer. Avery caught Cory’s eyes and flicked his own toward a large buck. The message was clear. This one was his kill. Cory didn’t look happy, but he would pass the message along.
As soon as the leader of the herd looked up, Jack let out a howl. In easy unison, they shot forward. Avery had his sights locked on his prey. While the other alphas focused on the largest buck, he was off like an arrow through the trees.
It felt amazing to be out in the forest again. The grass beneath his paws felt amazing, and the wind ruffled his fur and burned his eyes. He was gaining ground on the buck, his pack getting further and further away from him.
Hopefully Cory wouldn’t give him too much shit for this.
The second he was close enough, he leapt through the air. His teeth sank into the tender flesh of the buck’s flank. The creature let out a sound of pain before crashing to the ground. As quickly as he could, Avery snapped his jaws around its throat and gave it a swift twist. As much as he reveled in the kill, he didn’t enjoy the hurting.
He let out a howl, signaling his kill, before barking happily. The deer was huge! Even if Jarrett still thought he was annoying, there was no way the alpha wouldn’t be impressed by this. He dug his teeth into his hunt’s leg and started the long process of dragging it back.
Before he could get very far though, a very deep, very loud growl resonated through the brush. He froze, recognizing that sound and not liking it one bit. He really hoped it was just a fellow shifter that had wandered into their territory, but he knew better. It didn’t have the scent of a shifter. It was one hundred percent wild animal.
Slowly, he turned to face the inky black, angry face of the panther. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that the chances of taking this creature on by himself was rather slim. He cocked his head, before letting out a high pitched howl. The panther let out a blood-curdling screaming sound, before lunging forward.
His last coherent thought, before his instincts took over, was that Jarrett would definitely have to be impressed if he took this creature down.