Alpha Assignment (BL) Chapter 7 (Early Access) (Patreon)

Despite the intense exhaustion that Quinn had ended the day with, he didn’t sleep well. His first full day of Remi had been intense, and he had so many events he needed to process. Turning over all of his actions, the tone he had used, how he could change his behaviour to put the man living with him at ease.

And what the chances were of those two Assembly jerks returning with a new home lined up for his charge. How long would it take? Did they have to wait for an omega in another pack to die? That seemed quite cruel to hope for. But Quinn knew he wasn't equipped to care for Remi long term. He had little experience playing the role of pack leader, and even less experience with omegas.

If you believed the Assembly and their ridiculous rules, this shit was supposed to come naturally.

Quinn was still irritably turning over this thought as he prepared for work the next day. He had given Remi's door a soft knock and called the time in to him but the small creature hadn't stirred. Probably for the best. Hopefully he would sleep the day away while Quinn was at work and that would leave less time for him to get himself worked up over some imaginary offence.

Quinn shook his head and it distorted the meditation recording in his ears for a moment. He needed to move on from the memories of the previous day, it would only put him in a bad mood. He couldn't change the past. No matter how much he wished he could step back just one day and advise himself it will feel better to let Remi cry than use alpha authority over him. Even if it hurt to watch, at least then he wouldn't be disgusted with himself now.

Coffee cleared his head temporarily, and he savoured its rich flavour while his headphones drifted into silence after the soothing meditation outro music.

There was still no sound from Remi when he hesitated at the front door. It would be fine. Remi was technically an adult...

Quinn sighed and slipped out, locking the door as quietly as he could behind him.

As he pulled into the office car park, Quinn realised he had driven in complete silence. Usually he would have fifteen minutes of a podcast, maybe some instrumental music, or an audiobook. Today, his brain hadn't been able to release Remi from his thoughts long enough to notice he had nothing to entertain him on the drive.

He hoped Remi was warm. He hoped Remi was comfortable. He hoped Remi was able to find food he liked to eat throughout the day. He hoped he wasn't scared in the house alone.

Primitive thoughts, he realised. Quinn froze halfway out of his seat. The pack mentality was  creeping in at the edges of his mind. Worrying over his pack's food, warmth and shelter was what a wolf would do. For moment, he remained half in and half out of his car, turning the revelation over in his mind. Was it a normal instinct? Or had Remi unlocked it? Humans worried about these things, too, right? But this felt primal, like a pull in his stomach to run, not drive, back to his house and check on the little one that needed him.

Quinn snorted and heaved himself free of the car. Remi did not need him. He was safe at home, with central heating and cupboards filled with food. They were not living in the wild, relying on each other to survive. Quinn hadn't had to catch his own food since he was a teenager. If he were to be without supermarket access for more than a week they would both be in trouble. So no, Remi did not need a big strong alpha to protect and take care of him. He needed a roommate with a healthy bank account and the knowledge of grocery store locations.

And for a healthy bank account, one needed to work, Quinn reminded himself as he stepped through the automatic doors into the office building shared by multiple companies. The one Quinn worked for was situated on the second floor. Stood in the elevator, he made small talk with a woman from the retail sales department. The woman was already feeling the pressure of Christmas on the horizon. Apparently, advent calendars were coming out earlier and earlier and if she wanted to get her children the coveted toy calendar, she would have to begin her hunt on the first weekend of September. Quinn expressed agreement with everything she said, and wished her luck in finding the calendar. They separated once they reached the reception area. Quinn headed to the left, the woman to the right.

He was glad that the sales teams were all on one side of the floor, it was a lot noisier on their end of the office space. Quinn's side held the departments that worked on more quiet projects like the graphic designers, accounts clerks, web developers...

And Quinn and Jordan: the analysts.

Quinn could collate data, organise it into correlations and reports displaying statistics, but it was Jordan that cracked the code of ‘why.’ Being raised in a pack, an environment that humans would describe as a commune, maybe even a cult, left Quinn without the context for so many human behaviours and opinions. Somehow, Jordan thought Quinn was the brains in their data analysing duo, but his numbers and percentages meant nothing without an explanation and reactionary suggestions. Quinn’s job could be taught, Jordan’s required an upbringing amongst their customer base.

It was rare that they were scheduled in the office on the same day, usually one of their pair was sat facing an empty desk. Today, Jordan bustled in seven minutes late with a coffee in hand and a big grin on his face. Quinn had heard him coming from down the hall, loudly greeting every person he came into contact with.

"Quinn! Oh, how I have missed you!" he cooed as he rearranged his mess of a desk.

Jordan often said things that Quinn didn't know the correct response to. There was an over-familiarity that Quinn took as teasing, but didn't know how to reciprocate. He knew he probably came across as gruff and boring, but better that than say something completely inappropriate.

"Hello, Jordan," he replied, straightening the L-shaped desk planner that curled around his keyboard. "How was your commute?"

"Shit as always, but at least it was the train that got delayed and not the bus this time so I could get a coffee at the station. I would have grabbed you one, but I know you don't drink cheap chain coffee."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Quinn clarified carefully. "I just prefer my own."

"And there's nothing wrong with that either," Jordan added with a grin.

Quinn smiled back and then shifted his gaze to his screen. He had to catch up on some work from the previous day before he could even start his end-of-week projects.

Just before lunchtime, his phone buzzed with an Assistant notification. Quinn snatched it up and unlocked the screen with frenzied fingers.

Please tell him good morning and please tell him it is Remi saying good morning.

"What'cha grinning at?" Jordan called across their desks.

Quinn started, his posture bolting upright.

"Oh, I just... got a funny message."

"From who?" Jordan's brows were bouncing.

"Um, my friend."

Jordan's grin widened, it brought a nervous sensation to the back of Quinn's neck. "The kind of friend that sleeps over?" he asked, heavy with insinuation.

Quinn was fairly sure he was being asked about sex.

"He sleeps over at my house, but separate bedrooms," he answered, hoping to clear any misunderstandings his co-worker could possibly take from his words. Jordan loved to try and find double meanings in the things people said. It made him laugh.

He didn't laugh now, just nodded with a knowing look and pursed lips.

Quinn left it at that. He wasn't looking to dig himself into a hole and end up leading anyone too close to the situation in his home.

He quickly sent a message back to Remi for the assistant to read aloud to him, and went back to work. Only when a silent notification came through on his watch did he let his eyes leave the monitor again.

Message delivered: Good morning, Remi. There is a bowl of cut fruit in the fridge for you. Help yourself to anything you like for lunch.

Work breezed by with the calming influence of the knowledge that his pretend pack would be fed and warm at home. A deep internal contentment that he ignored.