Part 61. Ava cooks a meal

“Do you want to talk about it?”



Ava politely shook her head at the question, swallowing the lump formed in her throat. “No.”



The omega was permitted to return from Jade’s house now that she could walk on her own. Coming back was not easy, walking towards the packhouse when several pairs of eyes stared at her. Ava didn’t let that affect her, focusing on Rayly’s hold on her wrist and walking straight to their shared room.




The sky was overcast, thick white clouds hiding the sun even though it’s midday, temperatures moving towards the negative as predicted. Despite that, she could see dust particles flittering through the air. There’s a large jug filled with coffee on the nightstand, one that looks like a piece of art.




The beta, who had been sorting her drawer with a frown pulling at her features, looked up. “Are you sure?” Her breath produced white wisps, contrasting the black knitted jumper she’s wearing, sleeves rolled up.




“Very,” She replied, holding her gaze steadily but nearly sighing with relief when her friend decided to refocus on her task at hand. The beta flexed her arms, pulling at something, gritting her teeth. A small bead of sweat dripped from her hairline, trickling down the side of her face and curling around her jaw.




“May I know what you are doing?”



“Finding my secret money”, She breathed.



Ava angled her body towards the beta, mouth parting as those words sank in. She leaned forward, eyeing the desk with curiosity. “Did you hide it in here?”




“Mhm, no one would look here, right?”




The beta seemed pretty proud as she uttered those words, so Ava nodded along. With several seconds had ticked by in silence, her lips gained a tentative edge, uncertain. She glanced back down at the beta, pulling her lower lip into her mouth, biting down on it until the already pale skin around it whitened even further.




“But why?”



“Because we are going shopping.”



“We?” Ava raised her brow.




Rayly didn’t say anything for few seconds; her eyes narrowed towards the desk until she finally managed to retrieve a white envelope underneath. The beta made a triumphant sound at the back of her throat before standing up, hands covered in dust and some of it clinging to the side of her cheek. “I found it!”




“I am happy for you.”




“Let’s go then!” Her eyes mirrored the confidence Ava has learned to put on nicely. “Hurry up!”



“Rayly, I appreciate….”



“Take a spin for me, will you?” The beta suddenly said, and Ava shot her a confused look before she complied, spreading her arms and turning on spot. The sleeves of her jacket almost brushed her knuckles, and it strained a little around her shoulders. Also, the jeans she wore stopped just an inch short of the floor, although the material does cling nicely around her hips.



Once Ava was back to facing Rayly, her eyebrows drawn together and a vertical line between them, the beta huffed. “Now, do you get it? We need to buy new clothes.”




The line between her eyebrows deepened, emphasised by harsh morning light which slanted into their room. She glanced down at herself with a frown before her gaze met her friend again, tone slightly defensive.




“I am fine wearing your old clothes, Rayly.”




“How long are you going to make excuses and stay indoors?” Her friend crossed her arms, lips twisting but no judgment in her tone.




Ava looked away. It's been three days since she returned from Jades place and refused to step out of the room. The Alphas came to see her multiple times, but she made a lame excuse of still recovering and needing some time away. Guilt swarmed in her belly at the knowledge that she put the entire pack in danger. She didn’t want to face them after that and barely saw anyone except for Rayly in these past three days.




“I-I don’t know.”



“Well, at least you are honest with that.” The beta let out a sigh, taking a step further in her direction. “Ava, no one is blaming you, not after we heard what went down. I think you are unnecessarily harsh on yourself.”




“Heard my story?” She echoed dumbly.



“My brothers called a packed gathering two days ago while you were sleeping. He made sure to tell everyone what happened and also ordered them to be patient with you.”



A low gasp slipped out of her lips, eyes widening as she pictured the Alphas commanding their Pack. “Really?”



“Yes. They are trying to make this right and also giving you space. Don’t you think you should talk with them now?”




The omega ducked her head, feeling her cheeks flush at the question. There was a weighty pause before her pink mouth turned up into a real grin, cheeky and bright, humming at Rayly. “I will, but after we go shopping together.”




“That’s my girl!”
***
The Alphas were at the training, so she quietly slipped into their cabin. Her throat clogged as soon as she stepped into the living room, her nose filled with familiar scents. Wiping at her misty eyes, she trudged into the kitchen, feeling confident after having a nice relaxing day with Rayly in the town. She had a haircut, trimmed the edges and curled her hair, got some tips from the lady to maintain her hair, bought some nice lingerie though her face was red the entire time and some warm clothes for the upcoming season.




Ava decided to cook a meal for her Alphas, it’s something she has not done in a very long time, and the omega doubted she’s still good at it. She needed to do something to make things right.



Thankfully, she’s familiar with the kitchen layout by now, doesn’t need long to collect bowls, a rolling pin, flour, eggs, milk and some meat from the fridge. She remembered some simple recipes and started weighing the ingredients, whisking egg before pouring it into the flour, kneading and rolling before the biscuits were in the oven.



With that out of the way, she made fresh salad and fried some ham. A soft ding startled her out of her trance, nearly dropping the spatula she’s currently holding. Ava turned off the oven.
***
As the knob jiggled, she held her breath, heart, in her throat. There’s a shiver she couldn’t seem to shake that’s coursing through her body, and it went along with the tingling at the back of her neck.




The sound of heels clicking echoed in her ears, and she immediately rushed towards the living room. Standing in front of the Alphas, for a split second, she hesitated, seemingly unsure, which was odd for her. The three of them froze, their eyes going wide as the omega went in for the hug.




Dante’s breath hitched, but she found herself enveloped in arms that were stronger and more solid than she recalled.



Ares buried his face in the side of her neck, his thumbs rubbing her shoulders.



Zach, on the other hand, remained stiff, and when she released him after a moment, Ava couldn’t do anything but stare. His jaw was also sharper, more pronounced, hair messy. The Alpha was wearing a dark colour jumper and tight jeans; eyes narrowed at her.



“Ava!” Dante mused. “What are you doing here?”



She felt breathless at their stares, toes curling around. “I came to see you.” The young woman lifted her head, peering at them through hooded eyes.
***
Ava suppressed the persisting ache, filling the cups with water before sitting down opposite Ares; she felt strangely drained and out of breath.



“So…”



“So,” Dante echoed and tilted his head slightly to the side, unabashedly observing and assessing her.




“I am sorry for avoiding you. I needed some time away to think after everything that happened.”




Zach didn’t say anything, merely twisting his mouth like he was holding back.




“Let’s talk about it after lunch.” Dante nervously chuckled, breaking the silence that settled over them.




Ava nodded her head. “You all look tired.”




“It’s been rough nights,” Zach grunted.



“Because of me?”



Dante shook his head, but that’s all the answer she needed. Ava’s stomach tightened at the thought of Alphas turning and tossing in their bed while worrying about her. She should have come back sooner and sorted it out.




“Any reason you decided to cook for us?”Ares asked, filling up a plate and smothering everything in a thick layer of gravy and arming himself with a fork.




“When I came here, the cabin was empty, so I thought I’d do something useful in the meantime. Start my apology with something delicious.”




“It’s working.” Dante beamed at her.




From the corner of her eyes, she watched as Zach took a massive bite of everything, a low moan escaping past his lips. “This is good.”




Ares hummed. “I agree. Thank you so much for this meal, omega.”



Ava blushed, tongue heavy in her mouth to say anything to that. She stuffed the gravy infused bite in her mouth hastily, nearly burning her tongue. It’s worth it.
***
Idk why I struggled writing this chap, but the next ones will be better, I promise!
***