Bailey laughed manically. "Ha! Go suck a dick, Cam."

The steady blush heated Harley's cheeks like a burner left on low. Bailey loved competition--that much had become obvious the second the group began playing video games--but so did Cam. The two had been smack talking for the past two hours--while one wasn't insulting the other's mom, the other threatened body parts.

They had been playing a game--Mortal Kombat?--ever since they walked through the door. The rule was, any time someone lost, that person had to give up their controller since the game was geared for two players. Both Harley and Jamie, not as into video games, had decided to sit out on this one. Which was fine. Harley liked to watch, though the rather graphic ways the characters died left her a little squeamish. Seeing someone rip the spinal cord from another character, freeze them, then shatter them into frozen chunks with their own spine would make anyone nauseous. Right?

"Who's next?" Bailey turned to the group sitting on Will's long grey U-shaped couch.

Ben, beside Harley, rubbed the back of his head. "I guess that's me."

"Bring it on, little one."

Ben snatched the controller from his older brother and muttered something about not being that much younger, but Bailey, sitting cross legged near Will's rather large flat screen, either didn't hear him or didn't care.

"Harley?" Will peered over at her from across the couch. "You sure you don't want a turn?"

When they'd made themselves at home in Will's nice grey-toned living room, Harley had decided to go the safer route and chose a spot all the way at the other end of the couch on the reclining section. Ben sat dutifully next to her with one of his kind grins. Meanwhile, Jamie put herself at a very close spot next to Will on the other side, her shoulder plastered onto Will's.

She'd desperately tried to keep her attention on Bailey and her uninterrupted winning streak. But then she'd catch Will's deep green v-neck shirt and dark jeans and have to remind herself of all the reasons why liking Will was a bad idea.

The biggest reason: Jamie's glares and pointed looks were brutally turned in her direction.

She could practically feel the threatening demeanor Jamie cast in her direction since the moment she'd joined up on the event. Maybe Harley should've just stayed home. At least her books didn't promise her any more danger than a nasty paper cut.

"I'm okay." She said, "I think I'll just watch."

On her right, Ben leaned in closer, the warmth of his body a hot press to her side. Despite being tucked abnormally close into Ben, Harley didn't feel the urge to squirm away. If it were anyone else, she'd find a way to maintain distance. With Ben, there wasn't any awkwardness.

"That's okay, I'll beat Bailey for the both of us."

Bailey scoffed, "As if."

"Just because I'm an Omega doesn't mean I can't kick your ass." Ben said, then cringed as Bailey's character threw him across the screen.

Omega? None of the others reacted to the word. In all her life living with packs, she'd never come across the term. Did it stand for something? Or was it an inside joke?

"Come on, Ben." Bailey tapped away at buttons. "I know you're better than this. Give me a real challenge."

"I'm trying, damn it." Ben's button tapping came faster than Bailey's as he tried to escape her hold.

"So Will," Jamie broke in, "Dad says you snagged one of those rogues during your trip. You think he'll give you much?"

Harley barely flinched. He'd actually got one of them? But...but he told her nothing really happened. Why did Jamie get to know? Who was she kidding, of course Jamie knew. As the Alpha's daughter, she was important to the pack. Already, the list stacked in her favor. She wasn't some quiet, boring orphan with anxiety issues.

"Almost, Jamie." Will said. "Almost snagged."

Cam swirled his beer bottle, peering down at the contents. "If he'd gotten one of them, he'd be in a hell of a better mood."

"Shove off, Cam."

Cam smirked and took a sip. "I'm just saying. I wouldn't worry though, Alpha Mark's been bragging about you since the moment you finished your training. You could blow up the pack house, and he'd still think you walked on water."

Blow up the pack house. Will's attention shot straight to Harley. She gave him the most reassuring smile she could and waved it off. Cam, as if just realizing what he'd said, froze and looked to her. "Sorry, Harley."

She made herself roll her eyes, despite her sour stomach. "You guys worry too much."

Will frowned as if he didn't believe her mock bravado and opened his mouth to speak, but Jamie beat him to it. "Yeah guys, it's not like saying 'blow up' is a trigger. Give the girl more credit."

Then Jamie launched into a detailed story about her friend Natasha who often constructed bombs for fun using household items. "Not anything serious of course," she assured, "just little explosions in her backyard."

When the story was over (turns out Natasha was in juvie now) Cam gave a long sigh and glanced down at his relatively empty beer on the dark wood coffee table. "I need another beer."

Will, draining the remainder of his, put a finger up. "I got it. Anyone else?"

Jamie wiggled hers with two fingers. "Me." Despite being underaged, Jamie had been happy to join in on the alcohol consumption with Will and Cam. Harley, on the other hand, couldn't get far enough away from the stuff. It tasted horrible. Besides, having an aversion to the wheaty nastiness wouldn't be the worst thing ever.

Will stood up and snagged Cam's now empty bottle. "Harley? Help me out for a second?"

She didn't think he really needed help grabbing a couple of beers, but it gave her something to do. She hopped up. "Sure."

She trailed Will past the archway and into the next room. Of all the rooms of Will's house she'd seen so far, the kitchen was by far the best. All the cabinets had been painted white to contrast the black granite countertops. The island in the middle gave him a place to entertain while he cooked. All his guests could then sit at the little four person table in the nook that overlooked the backyard.

For such a young guy, Will had a decent amount of money.

"Your house is very nice, Will." Harley said.

Will grabbed a few beers and popped the tops off with a bottle opener from one of the drawers. Chink. Chink. Chink. "Thanks. It's not much--there are only two bedrooms--but it's served its purpose."

"Did you decorate it yourself?"

His teeth flashed as he laughed. "Are you kidding? I can barely match up my clothes." Really? Because he seemed to be doing a great job so far... "Bailey did it for me."

"Bailey?"

He rested his forearms on the island and leaned forward, closer to her, his cologne teasing her nose. "Bailey likes to downplay herself. She's got a lot of talent in that skinny body. Though she'd die before she admitted it. Which is why I like to tell everyone I can of all of her accomplishments."

She made a note to ask Bailey later about her experience with interior design.

"Harley...are you sure you're--" He cut himself off. "Nevermind."

"What?"

He stared at her for a moment and she had to resist squirming under his gaze. The room felt warmer, her cheeks hotter. Finally, he asked. "Are you happy?"

It was completely out of left field. Was she happy? Definitely more than this time last year. Last year she'd been stuck with her Aunt Tracy and Uncle Eric, working her ass off. Last year she had half the amount of friends--if they could be considered that. She was happy. Just maybe not in the way Will meant it.

"I am." She lied. Then, to try and convince herself, "I'm in a good place. With good people."

If Will caught her lie, he didn't say anything about it. He nodded. "Good."

"Would you like a drink?" He asked, "I've got soda, milk, water..."

"Soda would be nice."

Harley bit at her lip while Will got her a soda. "Will, what's an omega?"

With a whosh and click, the soda opened. Will poured it into a glass. "An omega? I'm surprised you haven't come heard of them yet." Them? So there were many?

"No one's ever talked about them near me."

"Omegas are rare." Will explained. "Probably 1 in 1,000 wolf shifters are omegas, which is why they aren't talked about as much. Some don't even believe they exist."

"What makes them different?"

He chuckled once, "They make you calm, for lack of a better explanation."

Make you calm? What the hell did that mean?

"They are less likely to become violent, less likely to go feral, and sooth all the wolves around them. It's why Ben has a million friends in this pack, and also why he has a lot of people ready to spill blood for him."

That's why she felt the way she did around Ben? But, she wasn't even really a wolf. How was that possible?

"Dominant wolves love an omega. They are the cooling to their fire. In the old days, omegas were assistants to healers, used like a sedative for injured wolves, though omegas were more common then."

"Can latents feel the omega's ability?"

Will slid the glass over to her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Latents are even more rare than omegas. In all the research I've done so far, it hasn't said anything about not feeling the omega's effects." He cocked his head. "Is that why you're gravitating towards Ben?"

"I--"

"Will?" Jamie called out. "What's taking so long?"

Will's focus never left her. "Coming!"

"Let's go! I didn't come over so you could ignore your guests."

With a deep breath, Will picked up the beers by the nozzles in one hand and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder as he left.

"Will, wait." Harley bit her lip as he turned back. "Thank you. For doing research, I mean."

His eyes crinkled at the corners. "Anytime."

After Bailey kicked ass in Mortal Kombat a couple more times, the group decided to switch over to a movie. Cam and Bailey fought over an action flick while Jamie bartered for a romantic comedy. Harley didn't care either way---her eyes already felt like solid weights.

In fact, she didn't pay attention to what movie was picked. Fifteen minutes in, her head, propped on her hand, started to lull to the side. The exhaustion of training and working a full shift set in.

She drifted off.

Distant voices tried to drag her from solid sleep. "...don't worry about it...get her home tomorrow."

"...no trouble..."

"...be fine...training tomorrow morning anyway..."

"But, Will...."

"Go home, Jamie."

Strong arms pulled her from the corner of the couch. She woke, but her eyes were so heavy. Back to sleep. She just needed more sleep. The warm body near her laid her down on a cosy surface. A blanket wrapped around her.

She settled in and slept.