Chapter 1 #2
I’d been staring much too long, and I saw his lip twitch up in amusement, as if he could read my thoughts.
“I’ve been meaning to ask. How much longer are we going to do this?” His voice was a low purr, and it took me a second to wrench my thoughts out of the gutter and answer his question.
“What do you mean?”
“You know. This whole”—he twirled a finger in the air—“punishment. Dancing around each other. Giving me the cold shoulder. I’ve tried to be patient. To behave. But I’ve already waited years to have you back.”
My stomach swooped, even as my irritation rose.
Oh no.
He thought I was going to make this easy?
He hadn’t even fucking apologised!
I swelled up in indignation. “You entitled prick!” I lifted my chin. “How are you acting like the victim here? You fucking love bombed me, then gaslit me over the whole thing. And—newsflash—I got over you!” I stepped around him as the elevator doors slid open.
“Fine. Throw your little tantrum. I’ll be here when you’re over it.”
“How many times do I have to say ‘I’ve moved on,’ Jewel?”
He shot me a devastating smile. “I don’t know. Try a couple more, and maybe you’ll start to believe it.”
The doors closed on his smug face. Fuck!
It was more embarrassing than if I’d stuck my fingers in my ears and chanted lalalalala, can’t hear you!
He’d waited years to have me back, huh?
Boo fucking hoo, buddy. He didn’t just get to waltz back into my life and claim me like I was some swooning fairy-tale princess.
He didn’t just get to have whatever he wanted.
Nope.
He was not going to out-fucking-stubborn me.
?
I tried to shake off the bad mood Jewel had left me with, but it still clung to me as I pulled up outside the mostly-empty duplex.
The building was one of my properties, and I’d offered it as a recovery place after we’d busted everyone out of the Crimson Palace.
Ocean had been feral after Laurel’s dad had used him as a rut fighter in the pits, and her pack had taken one half while he recovered.
The other side had housed Jewel—who had been locked in a concrete room underground—Hugo, another rut fighter, and Casey, who’d been in forced servitude as a security guard for the feral alphas.
I’d met Casey and Hugo when I posed as a security guard to help free Ocean. I’d spent a few weeks down in the Blood Well, helping Casey managed the ferals. Talk about exhausting.
I’d been crashing here for a while as well to help Casey and Hugo while they transitioned back into normal life. Jewel had been an unfortunate condition of their stay.
Casey was now the only one left, and I was helping him move out today. I jumped up the steps and knocked on the door, bouncing on my feet. I waited a moment, then pushed the door open
“Peaches? I’m here!”
Was I imagining that my voice sounded strained?
“Oh, hey Miss Jade!”
I looked up to see Casey standing in the doorway of my office. His large frame took up nearly the whole space, and he was looking down at me with concern in his brown eyes. I ran over and threw my arms around him, breathing in his faint scent of peach tea.
“Casey. It’s so nice to see you.”
I felt some of the tension leave me; Casey’s hugs made everything better. This was exactly what I needed right now.
I pulled back and he gave me his soft smile, which almost made me blush. I hadn’t let myself get close to anyone since Jewel. And honestly, it hadn’t been hard. The kinds of people I crossed paths were criminals like myself; not exactly warm and trusting.
I think I’d forgotten good people existed, and I’d been completely unprepared and unequipped for guarding my heart against Casey.
He’d been kind to the feral alphas he was in charge of, even when he was exhausted. Done little things to preserve their dignity, like keeping them covered as much as possible when changing their clothes when others just stripped them bare.
Yeah, my heart didn’t really have a chance. He was soft-spoken, gentle and kind; pretty much the exact opposite of every other guy I’d been with. Jewel included.
“You all ready?” I asked him. I raised an eyebrow at the bag. “Got everything?”
He nodded, but shifted on his feet. I peered up at him.
“Everything alright?”
He gave his head a slight shake. I gave him a moment, though. Casey sometimes took a few seconds to decide what to say.
“It’s strange. To leave. Part of me is a bit scared to, actually.”
I nodded. I got it. I didn’t want him to leave. We’d had this little bubble just to ourselves for a little bit.
Honestly I was terrified of what would happen when we walked through that door. Casey would be reunited with his family. He’d start living his life again.
The time we’d spent together in the Blood Well had been intense. Stressful, exhausting and hard work.
Outside of that, what place did I actually have in his life? I wouldn’t fit.
“You alright?” he asked as I started the car. His voice was kind of like a hug as well; soft and sweet. I’d give anything to read his mind right now. Was his concern the same that he gave everyone else? Or more?
“No.” I frantically searched for a reason to explain my mood other than his moving out.
“Did you see Jewel’s post?”
Casey nodded.
“He’s driving me absolutely bonkers. It’s like he’s making it his personal goal to one-up the stupidest person on earth.”
Casey gave me a smile, showing off two cute dimples that made my heart flip in my chest. “Don’t worry, Miss Jade, he still adores you. I don't see him bonding a pack unless they adore you too.”
“I—” I felt my cheeks redden. “No! No way. I don’t—!” I was floundering. “Who wants a pack, anyway?”
Casey shrugged, going quiet. I snuck a look at him.
“Oh,” I managed. “Shit, I didn’t mean—do you want one?”
He shrugged again, face reddening a bit. Was that it? The reason he was holding back with me?
“I know it's stupid, but I used to hope I’d be an omega. And even when I knew I wasn't one, I dunno.” He cleared his throat. “I thought, maybe…I wanted to be a Sweetheart.”
Wanted. Past tense. Right?
“Look, I’m sorry. Of course it’s not stupid to want a pack.”
“It’s okay, I know it is.” He gave a sad smile. “I, uh, actually went to the Sweetheart Academy to apply. It was dumb. I’m you know. Not Sweetheart material.” He gestured at himself.
“You'd be a perfect Sweetheart!” I told him indignantly.
A Sweetheart was a professional beta companion, trained to balance packs without an omega.
Casey had been a natural at calming and soothing the feral alphas we managed.
“Any pack would be lucky to have a beta like you. And who the fuck told you no?”
“That's very kind of you, Miss Jade. But it's all right. My family needed me, anyway. If I hadn’t been there, I don’t know what my family would have done when they came to collect on Dad’s debt.”
“Your reunion with your family was yesterday, right?”
Casey smiled, but it looked a little sad. “Yeah. It was so great to see everyone again. I missed them so much.”
“…but?”
He sighed. “My mum kicked my dad out.”
“Oh, shit, really?”
He took a shaky breath, looking down at his hands.
“Dad was really mad when he saw me. He thought I’d run away from Thaddeus, and the debt collectors would be back for him again.
I guess he hadn’t told Mum about his debt or that I’d agreed to work it off for him.
When Mum found out… I’ve never seen her that angry.
She didn’t even let him get his stuff, just shoved him out the door. ”
“What about her medications?”
That was the whole reason Casey had agreed to take his father’s place as a wage slave in the Blood Well. His father’s job came with benefits his mother needed.
“Well, she has me now.”
I looked at Casey. If it were me, I’d view this as a major win, but Casey had a soft heart.
I let us sit in silence, waiting for him to collect his thoughts.
“I don’t know where he’ll go.”
“That’s not your problem. He made his choices, and now he has to live with the consequences.”
He sighed. “I know. It’s just… I always get my hopes up. That maybe this will be the time he’ll step up and do better. I don’t know why, because he never does. There are some times when I can see he does love us, but I think… when it comes down to it, he loves himself more.”
“I’m sorry, Casey.”
He nodded. I hated seeing him so sad. I wanted to bundle him up away from the world and stop anyone from ever hurting him again.
“How are the rest of your siblings?”
“They’re great. I missed them all so much. But… it’s strange being back. I used to do so much for them, but they’ve learned how to get by without me. I don’t really feel like I fit in anymore.”
He paused and looked up at me.
“I know it’s a weird question, but do you miss working in the Blood Well?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Mainly, I miss working with you and Hugo. Why, do you?”
He shrugged. “I felt helpful there. I miss that. But that’s okay, I just need to figure out how I can be helpful here as well.”
“Of course you’re helpful here! I don’t know what I would do without you.”
He beamed at me, his dimples coming back in full force. My heart fluttered again, but it was all twisted up with the anxiety and my gut sense that something was off.
Fuck it. I was gonna shoot my shot.
“Look, I was thinking… maybe we could grab dinner sometime? It’s been so hectic lately, and I feel like I don’t get to see you enough.”
I bit my lip as I waited for his response.
“Of course, Miss Jade. You’ve been working so hard and deserve a night off.”
“Yes!” I said, punching the air. “Thai food, right? Or do you want to start with pho? Oh god, that’s such a hard choice.”
“Whatever’s your favorite.”
“Uh, I don’t have a favorite. I’ll flip a coin, okay? It’ll be a surprise.”
He returned my smile, but something still didn’t feel right.
I dropped him off at his family’s place, declining the invitation to come inside. He walked up the front steps and glanced back over his shoulder at me, giving a little wave.
The door opened, bathing him in warm light. I could hear delighted screams as two small-ish children practically tackled him to the ground.
I swallowed a lump in my throat as a round woman with Casey’s warm eyes pulled him into a hug.
It was a world so far removed from my own.
I wanted Casey more than anything, but who was I kidding?
I was crass and impulsive and allergic to responsibility. I was trying really hard to be better. To grow up and do adult things.
But that world Casey has just stepped into?
Warmth and love and family.
What place did I have there?
I did hookups, not relationships. I’d given my heart to only one person before, and that had ended in disaster.