Their Stubborn Omega

Ch. 4 Tug of Fate

~Jaxon~

I close my eyes and grip the back of my neck. I hesitate before saying anything. I know what going to the moon gathering tonight means. I'd see Noelle. Today is her 21st birthday, which means her first moon gathering. We grew up in the same neighborhood as kids. I'd always thought the little spitfire was beautiful. She was 3 years behind me, but her brother Hayden was my age. We were good friends and her parents' pack was so loving and welcoming that I spent a lot of time there. My family pack was always working, leaving me alone a lot. The Banks' home was always open to me. When she presented at 16 as an omega, I was already at university and had just formed the pack with Xan and Dom. Hayden told me she presented and I wanted to go home immediately and see if she was my mate, but I didn't. I've kept in contact with both her and her brother through the years. Her brother more so than her since she's been at OEC. I haven't seen her since she presented, though.

What if I had to watch as she met her mates tonight? Would I be able to keep my jealousy under control? I have no doubt she's only gotten more beautiful over the last few years. Probably sassier, too. When we were kids everyone thought she'd present as an alpha because of her personality. 'Docile' and 'submissive' weren't words in her vocabulary. She also always said that omegas had the shittiest end of the deal with our kind, that they lost all individuality and sense of self. Was she miserable as an omega? Has she changed her mind?

Aware of my brothers watching and waiting on my response, I release my grip on my neck and meet their gazes. "I say we go to the moon gathering to show your father we're willing to try. We agree ahead of time that a chosen is still not an option. We give ourselves 6 months to find our fated mate. If in 6 months we still haven't met her, we can talk again about whether we want to try again with a chosen mate. That gives us 6 months for us to work out a better system for looking for a chosen mate if we decide that's what we want."

They stare at me like they've never seen me before. Or like I've lost my mind, and maybe I have. I was the one most against finding a mate 3 years ago, because it just didn't feel right. I was the most distant with Courtney, which actually turned out to be a good thing, but that's not the point. I've been the one from the start that has been openly against a mate. They don't know exactly why, they think I have some lost teen love that I can't let go of. Which isn't exactly it, but it isn't too far off base either.

I know there's a reason I was drawn to Noelle for all those years. I know there's a reason that the gods decided to have Xavier nudge his son into finding our pack's mate and going to the moon gathering for the first time in years, tonight of all nights, on her birthday. She has to be our mate. Fate wouldn't be cruel enough to have us be there on the night she turns 21 just to make me watch the woman I have wanted since I was a kid be mated with someone else.

"So, you're okay with moving forward with this?" Xander asks hesitantly.

I nod and look at Dom.

He shrugs, "What the hell, sure. But only if we somehow find our true mate. I'm not going for a chosen mate. No offense to your parents, Xan, but not every chosen mate match Is perfect."

Xander nods, but is studying me. I meet his stare and raise a brow as If to say, "What?"

"Why now? Why are you okay with it now? You were the most hesitant of us all when we first started looking 3 years ago. You had no interest in Courtney, or any of the omegas really. So why are you the first to agree now?"

I feel my lips pulling into a slight grin. "I feel a little tug from fate. I want to see if it's tugging us to our fate or if it's just trying to tell me I'm an idiot."

Dom snorts, "Well you are an idiot, so probably option B"

I laugh and flip him off. "Well fellas, it looks like we have a moon gathering to get ready for." I head up the stairs and into my room to shower and get ready for tonight. I'm going to see Noelle Banks for the first time in almost five years, and I'm going to find out if she's my mate.

I haven't felt nerves over anything involving a woman in years. Tonight, however, I'm a nervous wreck. I know my packmates can feel the nerves through the bond and I'm hoping they chalk it up to the fact that I've always been reluctant to find a mate, and not try to delve too deep into why I'm so nervous. I walk downstairs and meet the guys in the foyer. We're all dressed similarly, in dress pants, a button-down shirt, and a tie. Nice, but not too flashy. The omegas are usually dressed nicely as well, since they have their headshots taken for the courting packets on their first moon gathering.

Xander's phone dings and he makes an annoyed sound, "Apparently father didn't trust us to make it there ourselves. A car is outside waiting for us."

We walk outside to see the sleek black SUV and the driver waiting to usher us in. I can tell both my brothers are apprehensive.

Once we get inside the car, Xander looks at us and says, "We all agree we're only going to go for our true mate, correct?" I give him a brief nod, while Dom just grunts his affirmation.

"Well, we looked for months the first time, I doubt this will be much different," he says.

I don't meet his eyes. I don't have the nerve to tell him that I'm desperately hoping he's wrong because I really don't know that I can handle watching Noelle find her fated mates if it isn't us.

45 minutes later we're at the moon gathering and they're bringing out the trays of finger food. Twinkle lights strung between the trees gave the area a warm glow. The platform was bathed in lights. That was where they introduced the new omegas to the packs. They were just getting started. The First three new omegas were coming out and starting to line up next to theplatform with nervous smiles. Noelle wasn't one of them. The three of us stood there chatting, not about anything in particular, just shooting the shit, when the wind shifted. All three of our heads whipped in the direction of the most mouthwatering scent, a mixture of warm vanilla and honey.

There, walking out of the OEC building towards the platform, was Noelle Banks.

Our mate.