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fifteen

VIC

I think all four of us are starting to go a bit stir crazy at this point.

It’s been about an hour now, and we’ve gotten through most of the clues, but still haven’t found the final answer.

Internally, I’m trying to figure out how Henry sold this idea to all of us.

I’m impressed, to be honest. Simon is helping a bit, but he’s more interested in goofing off than getting out of here.

Jesse is a true loner, only interacting when he finds a clue.

Henry’s pushing everyone to just enjoy it.

My ridiculous self is overly invested in the whole endeavor.

When Henry suggested going to an escape room for a Pack Bonding activity, I never thought Simon or Jesse would go with it.

Simon, because I know him, and Jesse, because I could tell at dinner he’s a bit of a loner.

Nice enough guy, but he paves his own path, goes his own way, takes the other road, well, whatever analogy I can think of, it fits.

Henry and I are working on the current clue while Simon and Jesse wander around the room.

“Jesse, come look at this,” Simon calls out.

Jesse walks over to peer at whatever Simon’s looking at. “What?”

“Do you think the skull is from a real person?”

“Probably. I can just imagine someone leaving it in their will to donate their skull for an escape room.” Jesse’s dry humor makes me smirk as I finally work out the next clue.

“Stones, jewels… rubies!” I exclaim.

Henry looks up at me, “The stolen pirate treasure.”

The two of us turn to head over to where the prop is sitting, only to find Simon standing in front of it with his arms crossed.

“Arr mateys! Ye be tryna pilfer me treasure? Ye’ll ne’er get it while I be livin’!” he declares.

“Not bad on the pirate speak,” Jesse comments idly as he watches.

I dance a little on my toes, anxious to get this last clue figured out. “Simon! This is the last clue, move!”

“Come closer ‘n I’ll skewer ye wit’ me cutlass!” he proclaims.

Henry leans in close, “I’ll distract him, you get the clue.”

“Deal,” I say, amusement filling me and a smile coming to my face.

It’s fun to see Henry playing along with Simon. There may be hope yet for both of them. Simon especially, with his hesitance around Packs. Maybe Henry will change his mind.

“Avast! I challenge ye for the treasure!” Henry challenges, standing as though he’s holding a sword.

Simon eyes him for a moment before trying to hide his smile.

“Have at ye!” Simon declares, and takes up his own invisible arms.

The two of them start a fake sword battle, and Henry manages to maneuver them away from the treasure just enough that I can slip in. I start digging in the treasure chest, looking for the ruby that I think will open the door. I feel more than see Jesse walk closer and look over my shoulder.

“Try the sides,” he says, still sounding uninvested in the outcome.

He cares more than he lets on, I can tell, but he’s not used to interacting with people.

I take his advice and slide my hand down the sides of the chest, feeling for a large gem.

My hand knocks against something with a lot of edges, and I grasp with an excited smile.

Pulling it out, I can see the giant ruby is cut the way one would expect, but the crown of the gem has small nicks that look like a pattern.

I walk over to the door and see the handle, but nowhere to put the gem.

Thinking through the last clue, this gem is what will get us out.

The nicks on top tell me it fits in like a key somehow.

Jesse is quiet next to me, but I can see him analyzing the door and its frame, trying to find the spot.

In the background, Henry and Simon are still dueling it out, but it doesn’t sound like they’re making any progress.

Silently, Jesse reaches around me and pushes at a piece of the doorframe, and it slides back, revealing an impression that matches the gem in my hand.

“Good eyes,” I tell him.

He shrugs with a slight blush but also smiles at the compliment. I put the ruby into the impression, and it takes a moment to orient it correctly, but then it slides into place, and the door pops open. I turn back to look at Simon and Henry, but they’re still locked in battle.

“Hey, Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow, we’re free!” I call out.

The two of them stop their battle and see the door propped open.

“Huzzah!” Simon cheers as Henry laughs.

“Wait, which of us is Jack Sparrow?” Henry asks.

I shrug, “Pretty sure Simon is Jack Sparrow with all that hair.”

Henry and Simon eye each other, then shrug and agree. We exit the room with smiles and laughter, and it feels perfect. As we go, we take the obligatory “we made it” picture and thank the employees for their time. I look at the others as we exit the building and decide I’m not done yet.

“Drinks?” I ask.

“I’m up for that,” Henry says.

Simon smirks, “I’m at your mercy, you drove us.”

Jesse’s quiet, but I can see some tension in his shoulders.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, man, it’s okay,” I tell him.

He loses a sigh and glances over at me. “No, I should spend more time getting to know you guys. Especially you, since we’re both Matched to Josie. I just… don’t like people.”

I nod and hold out my knuckles for him. He raps them gently, and we head to our cars and drive as a small procession to a nearby pub.

Simon rides with me, and his energy is actually really positive.

It makes me happy to see him enjoying time with our future Pack.

I’m sure we’re all going to bond, even if he isn’t.

We find a nearby pub and grab a table, none of us having been here before.

The atmosphere seems chill, but there’s also a fun energy while people move around to play pool and darts.

Having both vibes going makes it easier to enjoy ourselves.

Once we’re all seated and drinks ordered, we sit in a beat of awkward silence until Henry speaks up.

“I want to make a point and say that I’m really glad you all came today. I’m excited to get to know you all more, and I hope you guys enjoy it too. It’s definitely a lot, I mean I never expected to find my Pack and a beautiful Omega in the same year, let alone the same month. So, thank you guys.”

Jesse’s reply is a nod and a shoulder shrug, which seems to be standard for him. Simon rubs the back of his head, and I think he’s uncomfortable with so much candor so quickly. I guess it’s up to me.

“I know we all have our hang-ups or issues, but I’m really glad we found each other and that we’re getting to know each other. So, here’s to group bonding activities!”

Simon puts his hand on his face. “Vic, we don’t have drinks yet.”

“I was on a roll, we’ll just pretend,” I insist.

Small talk overtakes us as we wait for drinks, and even for a bit after.

I learn little tidbits about Henry, like he’s the youngest in his family, he hates the color beige (who doesn’t?), and he’s always wanted his own.

Simon shares superficial things, favorite colors, and foods, while Jesse shares that he’s used to being alone and usually works remotely in his condo.

Alone. That actually explains his earlier comment about not liking people.

It’s fitting based on what interactions we’ve had so far.

Anyone can tell he’s crazy about Josie, but beyond that, he struggles.

Even though the interactions we’re having are superficial, I can feel our tenuous bonds building as we chat.

There’s a way to go yet, but it’s a feeling of contentment that grows in my chest. It feels right to be here with these guys.

I just hope the rest of them feel it. I can easily see Jesse or Simon dragging their feet.

Simon is a little easier to persuade since I’ve known him so long, but Jesse is a complete unknown.

He’s a Match for Josie, so that has to mean something, right?

“I have an idea!” I announce in a lull of conversation.

Everyone looks at me silently, waiting for me to continue.

Pitching my voice high, I say, “What’s your idea, Vic?”

“Oh, I’m glad you asked!” I say with a smile, “I think we should each share one big thing with each other, just to rip off the proverbial band-aid.”

“I’m game, but I don’t want to force anyone,” Henry chimes in.

Simon hums thoughtfully, “I guess I’m okay with it.”

We look at Jesse, who just shrugs, so we take that as acquiescence.

“I can go first,” Henry volunteers.

So far, he seems to be the de facto Lead Alpha for us, which I don’t particularly mind. Considering I’m not an Alpha, and neither Simon nor Jesse are stepping up, it makes sense. Henry takes a deep breath, thinking.

“I haven’t had close contact with my direct family in years. It’s like we just drifted apart. No bad feelings, we still talk on occasion, but it’s fuckin’ lonely.” His eyes drift between all of us as he speaks.

Reaching out, I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze before talking.

“I’ve been in love with Josie since I met her in high school, and we used to have a pact that we’d marry each other by a certain age. I don’t know if she even remembers that, but she’s it for me.” I say, showing how deeply attached to Josie I am.

Nervously, I peek over at Simon, terrified I’ve hurt his feelings by not sharing how deeply I feel about Josie, but he gives me a soft smile. A gentle nod tells me without words that he already knew all this and is glad I’ve said it out loud. A small smile comes to my face in response.

Simon clears his throat, “Uh, I’m not sure how big we’re going here, but I should probably share that I’ve never expected or desired to end up in a Pack since I was in college.”

Henry looks shocked while Jesse looks intrigued. I reach my foot out under the table to bump his foot, trying to convey that I’m here for him. Logically, I know he’s aware of that, but sometimes it’s easy to forget when emotions are involved.

“Wow, I never thought anyone would feel that way,” Henry confesses softly, “Thank you for telling us that.”

Simon nods, clearing his throat again. Jesse looks up at us before turning his attention back to the drink cradled between his hands.

He blows out a breath of air but doesn’t speak for a moment.

We give him the space he needs before he starts speaking.

The silence stretches for another minute as Jesse continues in his internal battle.

He doesn’t give us any indication that he’s paying attention to us other than the occasional glances up.

Finally, he stands and grabs his wallet, dropping five dollars on the table.

Then he turns and walks out of the pub.