Evander #3
She freezes before slowly raising her face from the menu shield.
“I’m sorry, I just—”
“Don’t apologise,” I say firmly. “Be nervous if you need to be. I want you, little daisy. Not the polished version that you think the world needs to see.”
She bites her lip. “I don’t think I understand.”
“That’s okay,” I tell her. “I’ve got enough confidence for us both.”
She nods and places the menu down, taking a deep breath.
Cassie is looking around the restaurant uncertainly, when movement catches my eye. A familiar scent reaches me a second before I spot her.
“Ev!”
I grin immediately and rise from my seat, ready for the hug that my sister-by-mating is going to inflict upon me.
The tiny omega delicately dances around the tables, with absolutely no regard for anyone else, as she launches herself into my arms.
I huff a laugh, catching Odelia, as she breathes my scent in desperately.
Lia is one of the best things that came out of Emme’s mating—well, her and Dellan, of course.
She’s the sweetest, most perfect omega to exist, and half of that is because she was practically trained to be. Forced into classes to become this, she perfected the art of wearing the omega mask better than anyone I know.
I glance at my nervous mate and hold in a sigh.
Nearly better than anyone I know.
“Hello to you, too, menace,” I say, squeezing her once before letting go.
She laughs, tucking her hair back into place, as she beams at me. “I’ve not seen you in weeks.”
“I literally saw you last weekend as you were leaving Em’s.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“It absolutely counts,” she says snootily.
I roll my eyes. “You sound exactly like your brother.”
“Good. Oscar’s always right.” She sticks her tongue out at me, and I groan.
“That’s objectively false.”
She gasps dramatically, holding her hand to her chest.
Behind her, Cassie sits frozen. Fuck.
Her scent is muddled enough that I can’t figure out what’s going on, especially not from this distance. But the expression on her face is one I immediately want to wipe away.
I might not be telepathic, but I know the worst is running through her mind right now.
“Odelia, stop terrorising your mates,” I say, gesturing to the table she ran from.
She grumbles under her breath, but I speak before she can complain further.
“Cassidy, meet Odelia. My sister-by-mating,” I say, grinning at my gorgeous mate. “Odelia, meet… Cassie.”
Lia’s eyes widen, and she immediately turns to my mate, smiling at her with genuine warmth.
“Hi,” she says softly. “I’m so sorry for ambushing you both. I thought you were Isaac, and, well—”
“No, no, please don’t worry,” Cassie says, shaking her head quickly. “I can let the two of you—”
“No,” I warn, rounding the table to stand by her side. I place my hand on her shoulder, and my mate stares determinedly at her menu.
I mouth help me to Lia, who gives me the dirtiest look I’ve ever received from her.
“I think my… mates will be against that,” Lia says, gesturing to the table she vacated.
I give Lucien a nod, and he returns it, despite the impatience running through him.
“Oh.” Cassie is completely overwhelmed, and I hate that I’ve put this doubt back into her.
“Lia’s Oscar’s twin sister,” I explain to Cassie. “One of Emme’s mates.” I look at Lia. “And Cassie is Sterling’s cousin.”
“Oh, my gosh, I have so many questions,” Lia practically squeals, grinning at Cassie. “I’ve heard so many things about you from Ev, and Isaac, but—”
Cassie’s eyes widen, and Lia immediately bites her lip.
“I’m doing a terrible job here,” Lia mutters, and her vanilla cream, cotton blossom, and warm milk scent sours with her anxiety.
I wrinkle my nose.
“Only good things,” she says quickly.
The tension leaves Cassie’s shoulders, but not entirely.
Like she’s still waiting to discover what part of this evening she’s misunderstood.
I wish it wasn’t something that needed said in the first place, but at least it’s helped.
The last thing I want is for Cassie to think we’ve all been discussing her behind her back.
Even if that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.
Odelia smiles warmly.
“It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Before Cassie can respond, another voice cuts across the table.
“Odelia.”
The omega’s entire face scrunches up immediately. I don’t even need to look, I know exactly who it is and why they’re annoyed.
I don’t blame them, really.
“Ignore him,” she says firmly. “How about we meet up some time, Cassie, and I can spill every secret I know about Ev and Isaac, and you can—”
“Odelia,” the alpha calls again, cutting her off.
She breathes through her nose, and despite the brief flash of annoyance in her face, her scent betrays nothing.
Fuck, she’s good.
“Unfortunately, that’s my mate, who did not learn the same manners I did,” Lia says, shaking her head.
“I think all alphas are like that,” Cassie offers, and Lia beams at her.
“I do think you’re quite right. I suppose it’s a good thing we don’t give in to their whines,” Lia says with a wink.
“Pretty sure you’re supposed to listen to the alphas,” I offer, and both girls give me one of those looks. “Or not. I’m totally a good alpha tonight.”
“I don’t think you’re ever been good,” Lia says, shaking her head.
“He can be,” Cassie offers, and I meet her gaze, softening under the look.
“I should go rescue him before he starts sulking,” Odelia says. “I’ll see the two of you another time. It was so lovely to meet you, Cassidy.”
Then she points between the two of us. “We’ll talk properly soon.”
Then she turns and practically skips back across the room towards the waiting alpha.
I watch her go for a moment before shaking my head.
“She’s impossible.”
Cassie is smiling now, a real smile that reaches her eyes. I move back to my seat and return it like I’ve earned something precious.
“I’m sorry about that.”
Cassie shakes her head. “Don’t be. She seems lovely.”
“She is,” I offer. “But she’s like an annoying little sister, even if she is older than me.”
Cassie’s laugh twinkles like little bells. “Trust me, I’ve got enough of those to count, and I’m an only child.”
“Really?” I ask.
She nods and launches into a story about her twin alpha cousins, Kai and Koa, who are a handful. The more she speaks, the more I realise her dynamic with them—and likely with the rest of her family.
The waitress returns with drinks, and Cassie wraps both hands around hers once she’s gone, barely breaking from the telling of her story.
She focuses on the ways she helps them, how she can use her scent and her wants to give them a purpose.
How she can calm them with a touch, and how she’s good at offering a lending ear for their troubles.
Well, that explains a fucking lot.
How she works herself to the ground and still doesn’t think she’s good enough. Doesn’t think she’s offered enough of herself.
“What about you? Any wider family?” she asks, flushing when she realises I’m just staring.
I shrug. “Not until recently. It’s only been Emme and I, plus our dads, and then—”
“Only your dads?” she asks before paling. “Shit, I mean, oops, I am—”
“One day, we’ll get to the physical part of our relationship, and I’ll make you count all these apologies before I spank you for every single one,” I murmur, my voice carrying despite the low baritone.
Her scent perfumes the air, thickening with lust as her eyes darken, too—so fast it makes my chest rumble in response.
“Van!”
I smirk before sighing. “My mum died giving birth to Emme and me. She wasn’t with her pack… we learnt a lot more about the situation when Em fell pregnant with Dellan, and it’s clear the pregnancy was rough on her.”
“I’m so sorry,” she says softly, and it’s strange. Normally, when I hear those words, it angers me.
You’re apologising for something that’s not your fault. For something that you can’t ever understand.
But looking at Cassie, she does understand.
“Who did you lose?” I ask carefully.
Her eyes fill with tears, but she doesn’t let them fall. “My daddy. My parents are alphas—you met my mum, and they’re all just as formidable. But Daddy, he was the omega. The one who got me, you know? I hadn’t presented before he died, but I think he knew.
“We all did, really. He got sick and died when I was seven,” she murmurs. “It was rough on us all, but my parents… they’ve never really got past it.”
I let out a shuddering breath and reach across the table for her hand before I can talk myself out of needing to touch her, needing the reassurance of her scent beneath my fingertips.
I rub my thumb against her scent gland, soothing both of us without thinking about it.
“I get it,” I offer, and she nods, because sometimes that’s all grief leaves room for.
With that shared, the conversation between us comes easier, much easier, and she relaxes entirely.
One story turns into another, and Cassie listens to it all. She laughs at Em stealing all of my toys and how she broke her arm when I landed on her after jumping off a garage roof.
She compliments me on punching kids in school for making Emme cry and seems to genuinely pay attention to what I’m sharing.
It’s ridiculously attractive.
Being listened to.
Actually heard.
“How were things—” I start before our waitress arrives with food.
As we eat, we continue discussing the lighter topics, avoiding work, the campaign, and the others.
“Your family seems close,” I offer, and her attention fixates on her plate.
“We are,” she says softly. “We always have been. Being part of a big family is great.”
Her smile returns, but it’s not the genuine one I’ve come to love. It’s a small one. Sad, even.
Practised.
The sort of smile she’s learnt because she’s spent years telling people she’s okay.
Lying to people.
“My daddy would’ve loved you,” she says, and I blink in surprise. I didn’t expect the change in conversation, but weirdly, it feels nice to be accepted by someone she adores so much.
“He would?”
She nods with a smile. “He loved the big shows of affection, and the… alpha behaviours of being an alpha.”
Cassie laughs. “Now you can tell why I didn’t go into the editorial side, huh?”