Chapter 30
THIRTY
Tae
“Crap!” I dash back to the oven and peer into it. “It looks like it’s burning!”
“You were supposed to set a timer.” Jagger sounds equally exasperated, madly wiping down the countertop. “The recipe said you had to cook it for exactly forty-five minutes.”
“I know,” I groan. “You only reminded me 1,000 times. I followed the instructions.”
“This has to be perfect.” Jagger looks into the oven at the congealed mess that’s supposed to be lasagna. Cheese has bubbled over the sides, dripping over the oven racks while turning black on top.
Cooking might not have been our best idea.
I take it out, having to wrestle with it to sever the burned cheese connected to the oven.
Nash sighs as I place the mess down. “I don’t think it’s supposed to look like that.”
“No shit,” Jagger snaps, checking his watch. “They’re going to be here in ten minutes.”
“Maybe we should just order takeout?” I gingerly poke the black mass with a fork and am met by hard resistance before being able to access the middle of it. How is it possible for it to be so black on the outside yet the pasta sheets still be crunchy in the middle? “This is beyond saving.”
“How about pizza from Marco’s?” Nash suggests.
“We can get pizza from Marco’s anytime,” Jagger sighs. “Tonight was supposed to be special. We’re trying to impress Delilah’s friends and prove to them that we’re not total assholes, remember?”
I sniff the lasagna. “They’re not going to be impressed if we give them food poisoning.”
“Fine!” Jasper huffs in frustration and throws his oven-mitted hands in the air. “I guess Marco’s will have to do, but they’re always so busy.”
“The pizzas will be here in thirty minutes,” Nash remarks smugly.
Jagger’s jaw drops. “You already ordered?”
Nash shrugs nonchalantly. He thinks of everything. “I wanted a backup plan.”
“Did you have that little faith in our cooking?” Jagger demands crossly.
“Do you really want me to answer that question?” Nash scoffs.
Jagger glowers at him while I wrap my arm around Nash’s neck to give him a noogie. “You’re the fucking best, man.”
The sound of the doorbell has us all jumping.
“They’re early,” Jagger wails, quickly stashing the ruined lasagna back in the oven before hurling the oven mitts across the room.
“Chill, dude.” I pat his shoulder. “We’ve got this, okay? The main thing is that they’re here.”
“Easy for you to say,” Jagger mutters. “They don’t already hate you.”
“And tonight is your chance to change their minds, remember?” I give his shoulder a squeeze. “Delilah is giving you a second chance, so her friends will come around too. You just have to show them what we see.”
Granted, if I went off what I read about Jagger in the media, I’d probably think he was a major asshole too, but it’s probably best to keep that to myself. I’ve never seen him this rattled.
When the doorbell buzzes again, Nash, the more reserved of the three of us, darts his eyes nervously toward the door. Despite his relaxed posture, I can tell he’s nervous too, so it’s down to me to play host and make sure that my packmates don’t mess this up.
“I’ll get it,” I tell them, enthusiastically bounding over to greet Delilah and her three friends.
“Finally.” As soon as I open the door, I find Kady impatiently tapping her foot. She’s the one we’re going to have to work the hardest to impress.
“Hey, Tae.” Delilah smiles shyly, stepping over the threshold as I open my arms to welcome her into a hug.
She looks positively breathtaking in a silky orange dress that perfectly complements her skin tone and the golden butterfly clips in her dark hair.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Everyone else fades into the background as we make eye contact. “I’ve missed you.”
“Are you going to invite us in?” I quickly turn my attention to the loud redhead, who interrupts our moment. Sabs puts her hands on her hips. “Or are we going to freeze to death while you two get lovey-dovey?”
“Of course, sorry!” Shit! I better up my game. “Come on in.”
“We didn’t formally get introduced at the concert.” She steps inside. “I’m Sabs.”
“Tae.” I pause in the hallway. “Can I take your co—”
Before I even finish my question, she has swung her jacket over her shoulder and is craning her neck to look over my shoulder at the living area.
“I’ll keep my coat on,” Kady mutters coldly, crossing her arms. “We may not be staying long.”
Ouch.
“Nice place.” Sabs lets out a whistle. “But I kinda expected something bigger for a celeb—”
Delilah nudges her in the ribs. “Sabs!”
“What?” Sabs gasps. “I was only making an observation.”
“Thanks, Tae.” The final omega with golden hair and a flowery dress passes me her denim jacket. She’s soft-spoken, and her brown eyes are kind. “I’m Faye.”
“Thanks for coming, Faye.” I breathe a sigh of relief, sensing I may have found an ally in the group. “We’ve really been looking forward to meeting Delilah’s friends properly.”
“And we’ve all really wanted to meet you too,” Faye replies politely.
Standing beside Faye, Kady snorts.
“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable?” I lead them to the living area, nerves swimming through my stomach.
Nash stands awkwardly next to the sofas, tucking and untucking his hands in his pockets.
“Whoa…” Sabs looks him up and down. “You’re tall.” She turns to Delilah. “You didn’t tell me he was a giant. I can see why you work security. No one is going to mess with you with him around, Del.”
“This is Nash,” I tell the girls. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights as Jagger emerges from the kitchen. “And this is Jagger.”
“We’ve met.” Kady’s nose wrinkles as she snubs him, turning away to look at a painting.
Faye smiles warmly. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”
Sabs’s eyes narrow, looking Jagger up and down, then her nostrils flare. “What is that smell?”
The acrid, burnt smell wafts through from the next room, getting stuck in my throat.
“Oh no!” Jagger sprints back to the oven.
“We’ve had a bit of a cooking disaster,” I admit sheepishly. “Jagger and I thought it’d be good to cook for you. But it didn’t… go as planned.”
“Let me see what I can do.” Delilah marches after Jagger, her friends following in pursuit.
When they reach the kitchen, Jagger’s silhouette is framed by smoke as he fans the cremated lasagna, and Nash rushes in to open the window.
“Oh dear.” Delilah goes over to inspect it. “Even I can’t save that one.” She chuckles. “Next time you should bake it, not incinerate it.”
“I’ll try to remember that.” Jagger laughs nervously. “Luckily, Nash had the sense to order pizza.”
“It’s the thought that counts,” Faye remarks, bringing some much-needed positivity. “Do you like to cook?”
“I can make a few of my mom’s signature Korean dishes, but drinks are more my forte,” I reply, shaking my head. “Nash’s a wizard with the grill, though.”
Nash merely shrugs and mumbles, “I’m okay.”
“Why don’t you all sit down, and I can bring you some cocktails?” I smile brightly. “At least that’s something I can’t screw up.”
Sabs tilts her head. “Getting us drunk to try to win our approval, huh?”
“N-no!” I splutter. “Of course not, I—”
“She’s only joking.” Delilah’s hand on my arm calms me. “You’ll get used to her sense of humor.”
“I’ll clean this up,” Jagger heads out to the yard to throw away the lasagna remains.
Back in the living room, the girls settle in.
Faye opts for the cozy armchair by the fire while Sabs and Kady sit on either side of Delilah, shoulder-to-shoulder on one of our new velvet sofas.
They’re much more comfortable than the old ones.
Across the coffee table, Jagger and Nash sit on our other new sofa, bodies ram-rod straight, like they’re about to face a judge at trial.
“So who’d like a Margarita?” Shaking my mixer, I retreat to the safety of our newly erected minibar in the corner of the room to prepare the drinks.
“Count me in!” Sabs licks her lips. “I think I’m gonna need it.”
“Water is fine,” Kady replies, pursing her lips as her eyes burn into Jagger, who drums his fingers on his knees.
I play music on low to fill some of the awkward silence while blathering on about some of my recent antics at the Tea House in an attempt to lighten the tension.
Delilah and Faye nod along, everyone else seems to be oddly strained.
If looks could kill, poor Jag would already be decomposing into the cushions.
Sabs sips her cocktail then lets out a satisfied groan. “Woah, that’s good.”
At least I get some props for that.
Nash glances expectantly at his watch, like he’s waiting for an excuse to make an escape. “The pizza should be here soon…”
“Why don’t we just cut the bullshit and get to the point?” Kady’s voice slices through the air like a knife. “We have some questions to ask.”
I gulp, taking a seat. This is way scarier than any job interview or exam.
“Despite being potentially bad judges of character, we’ve already agreed to give Nash and Tae a chance,” Kady continues. Ouch. I’m not sure whether to be relieved or insulted. Then she points her manicured nail at Jagger. “But you have some serious explaining to do.”
“Or you’ll end up in a worse state than that lasagna,” Sabs threatens.
As pleased as I am to hear that I’m not in the firing line, I’m nervous for my packmate. Jagger’s Adam’s apple bobs in an audible gulp.
“Tonight was supposed to be about you getting to know the guys.” Delilah straightens. “Not some interrogation!”
“No, it’s okay,” Jagger speaks up. “I understand that your friends have questions and that they’re angry. After what I did, I don’t blame them. I want to answer their questions.”
“See?” Kady waves her wrist. “Jagger doesn’t mind.”
“If this pack wants to be a part of your life, they have to pass our test,” Sabs proclaims. “You deserve the very best, Delilah.”
“That’s something we all agree on,” I reply.
Nash and Jagger nod in earnest.
“How do we know you won’t run away again, Jagger?” Kady turns up the heat. “Like you did last time.”
Delilah winces, and Jagger’s face falls.