"I do not like this color," Natalia said, putting her hands on her hips as she let out an exasperated sigh. Beta Scott looked just as frustrated, with all the paint colors in his hand and the excess sunlight that filled the room.
He shook his head to clear off sleep that he had unwillingly woke up from, and it remained a mystery how Natalia had even known his home.
"Alpha does not like such bright colors, miss. I assure you."
"I do not need him to like it!" She stamped her foot and he nodded quietly. "I want another color."
"These are the only available paint colors here. There is no other."
She watched him for a while, till he started to move on his own, and went around to the pack's depot.
The pack's depot had everything there, for free. It was one of the responsibilities of the alphas to take care of it, and refill the stocks. Alpha Axton always kept it filled to the brim with literally everything one would need, but even with the availability, most wolves took only exactly what they needed.
No one indulged in their wants, especially when it came to bright light and paints.
Beta Scott soon came back, his eyes glancing from Natalia's satisfied expression to the massive spiral stairs that led to Axton's room.
He knew it would not go down well with him, with all the omegas working to repaint the house, and the dark drapes that covered the sun and left the house in darkness pulled down.
"You did well." Natalia said to a male omega who shyly smiled at her and nodded his head. He had been the only in charge of painting the largest wall.
"Maybe you should not be like that with an omega. They are way below us, and the alpha will not appreciate it." Beta Scott said to her, noticing the Omega's lingering stare.
"What is wrong with it? He is working because of me and I am appreciating it. You and your alpha are all the same." She rolled her eyes and comfortably wrapped an arm around the omega's shoulder.
Beta Scott touched his head in a frustrated manner, then took in a deep breath. The pack was not going to contain everyone if alpha Axton cane down to see this.
Gradually, the pitch black painting of the house turned into sky blue, with white covering the ceilings. The appreciation in Natalia's eye was almost contagious, as Beta Scott realized just what potential the house actually had.
"It is beautiful." Beta Scott said against his own self. The house looked like the bright morning sky, the elegant lights that were never turned on and royal furniture that had all been covered before gleamed under the omegas' hardworking hands.
"You think so too, right? Axton just will not let the light in, when everything around him is so beautiful."
Beta Scott almost agreed. He nodded and was about to walk around the house when he said the same omega again, standing in a corner, the washing clothes in his hands, and a dreamy smiled plastered on his face.
Beta Scott turned to the direction of his gaze, and it immediately fell on Natalia.
"Omega. I assume everyone is working?" Beta Scott asked, his tone commanding.
"Beta, I..." He took a step back.
"What is wrong?" Natalia said, coming between them. She brought the omega close to her again, holding him like she would her little brother.
But to Beta Scott, it didn’t quite seem that way, with the boy turning red in his cheeks as he stared up to unsuspecting Natalia.
"I said get out of here!" Beta Scott yelled, causing the boy to squirm further into Natalia, who naively protected him by putting her arms around him.
"Can you stop? What are you yelling for?"
Beta Scott took in a deep breath. "Miss, you really should not be doing that, I assure you. You really should not be getting so close to an omega."
"What is wrong with an omega? They are humans...no wolves too. You and Axton talk like they do not matter."
"They matter miss," Beta Scott said, trying to keep his voice low. "But they do not belong around you. Look at how he is..." He stopped. It was not his place to say such things, and he didn't want to risk Natalia feeling disrespected.
"Please stop," She told him, then turned to the omega who had broken into silent tears. He looked young and boyish, but he was probably around her age, or a little older. He looked timid and shy too, and when she cupped both his cheeks to wipe his tears, she felt him get warm under her fingers.
"I am sorry," He said to her and lowered his eyes.
"If you are sorry, get out." Beta Scott interrupted sharply.
"Can you just stop?" She asked, raising her voice a little higher than Beta Scott's controlled one.
He pushed his hands into his hair and let out a few angry puffs.
"You should not be sorry for anything." She said to the omega and brought her face lower to meet his eyes. His back was hunched and his head lowered and it spoke a lot to her about his confidence.
"I will join the others," he said. They were all spread in the other part of the house, excluding Axton's room, painting and removing the dark drapes.
"You can stay here if you do not feel like working. You can stay with me."
Beta Scott watched incredulously, but before he could say a thing, someone else said it for him.
"What is going on here?"
The voice, Axton's voice was low, yet it filled the expanse of the room, chilling the spines of everyone, especially the omega and including Beta Scott.
They all turned to him. He didn't bother looking at the house that Natalia had changed a lot of, or even the omegas working on changing the dark painting on the stairs he was standing on, or even Beta Scott's apparent frustration.
All he could see was Natalia, and the boy whose face was in between her palms.