At the Table
Stefan
I stare at the hallway watching as Jack and Yuki disappear behind a small door. What are they doing in there? Did I say something that made them mad?
“Can I get you anything else?” Lucy asks as she prepares another place setting next to Yuki’s seat. I wonder if it’s for the bearded alpha. How many people are in this pack?
Or are they even a pack?
Maybe they’re just friends who all live in the same house, or they’re related. I think about Yuki’s distinctive features and decide that’s not likely, but you never know.
“Sir?” Lucy pulls me from my thoughts. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No.” I look down at my plate full of food. There’s still so much there. Jack won’t be happy when he sees all the food I wasted.
“Sir?” Lucy moves around the table, looking down at me with big worried eyes. “I don’t want to be too forward, but are you okay?” Her motherly tone sends a rush of fresh grief over me. It’s painful, lancing my chest and squeezing my throat.
Stop it! I yell at myself in my head. Mari would never wallow like this. She’d suck it up and move on like the warrior she was.
“I’m fine,” I lie, forcing a smile. It’s time I start acting like the adult I am. No more crying or pouting. This is my life, and I might as well accept it. “My name is Stefan,” I say with a little more confidence. “Stefan Kane. And I’d really like it if you called me Stefan.”
Lucy’s smile pulls a little tight. “I’m not sure if Mr. Stanley will allow me to call you that. He’s a very formal alpha when it comes to the staff.”
I nod, thinking about Jack’s powerful presence. Then I drop my gaze to my plate. There’s still over half my steak and way too many potatoes. They’re delicious, but it would take me a week to eat them all. “He’s going to yell at me,” I say to myself, trying to accept the inevitable.
Lucy walks off, but I don’t look to see where she went. I’m just so desperate for a friend. Yuki doesn’t seem very friendly, and I haven’t seen the bearded alpha since last night. He seemed nice when he spoke to me in the car, but I might have imagined that in my drugged-up state.
A spoon suddenly comes into my line of sight, scooping up heaps of potatoes and placing them on a little plate. Surprised, I look up at Lucy, not sure what she’s doing.
“Sometimes alphas struggle to understand that the rest of us have normal stomachs. We can’t eat a whole horse in one sitting.” She gives me a sympathetic smile as she cuts off a big chunk of my meat, placing it on her little plate. “Just promise you won’t tell on me,” she whispers like we’re sharing a secret. And I guess we are. “I don’t want to get in trouble.”
I quickly nod, so thankful. “My lips are sealed.” I sit a little taller, fighting the urge to hug her. And it’s hard not to. She smells so good this close. Like fresh ocean air, or what I imagine the ocean might smell like. Slightly sweet with notes of salt. “Plus, I think I’d probably be in more trouble than you.” I glance at the door where Jack and Yuki are talking.
“No!” Yuki’s angry voice cuts through the door, followed by a low growl. It vibrates through the air, making my stomach tighten and my privates tingle. I squeeze my thighs together, confused by the sensation.
“Let me go and put this away.” Lucy gives a wary look into the hall, disappearing through the archway, to where I assume the kitchen is.
Not sure what to do with myself, I stare at the hallway. Jack and Yuki are clearly fighting. I hope it’s not because of me. I get the feeling Yuki isn’t very happy I'm here.
“Good morning, Mr. Cosner,” Lucy steps back into the room right as the bearded-alpha appears.
I have a vague memory of the alpha from last night, but I don’t remember him being nearly this big. The man in front of me is huge. He looks taller than Jack, with arms the size of tree trunks. The thin blue fabric of his shirt is stretched tight across his chest, and the hem of his sleeves cuts into his biceps.
“Morning,” he says in his deep voice, and I quickly drop my gaze. This man looks like he eats nails for breakfast.
“What would you like to drink?” Lucy asks. “Coffee, tea, or juice?”
“Stefan.” I allow myself to peak up through my hair. The second our eyes meet, he smiles and it completely transforms his face. The alpha changes, looking like he could rip everyone in the room limb from limb to such a friendly expression. Almost like we’re old friends.
“Did you sleep okay?” Bear leans back as a plate of food is set in front of him. It’s not steak, but some kind of egg dish, mixed with a ton of other stuff. “Were you warm enough?” he asks. And for some reason, I feel compelled to answer him. Maybe it’s his kind eyes or his pleasant aroma—he smells cozy. Like worn leather and spicy cinnamon.
It’s wonderfully intoxicating.
“I was warm,” I say, pushing a piece of potato around my plate. “The bed was a little too soft.”
“Too soft?” His eyes widen as if struggling to believe that. “I thought omegas loved soft things.” He picks up his fork then leans in, looking at me like I’m the most interesting person he’s ever met. “I always imagined your kind would sleep on marshmallows if you could.”
I can’t help but laugh at the image. “I do love marshmallows,” I say, remembering the bag Mari stole from a campsite once. They were so sugary sweet. We ate the whole bag in one sitting, then spent the rest of the night moaning about our aching bellies. It was worth it. “I think my body is too used to sleeping on the ground.”
“The ground?” Bear’s smile falls, and worry etches between his dark brows. “Did you sleep on the ground a lot?”
I nod, happy to have someone to talk to. “Yeah. Sometimes we’d find a plush bit of grass, but we mostly slept on the ground or in caves. Caves were safer, but I always hated the rock floor. Too chilly.”
“ We ?” Bear asks as deep sadness pulls at the corner of his eyes. I don’t know if he can sense my grief, or if he’s just expecting it given where I was found.
“Yeah.” I drop my gaze, pushing a piece of potato under what’s left of my steak. “My big sister. But she died.” I pause, expecting the words to punch me in the gut, but they don’t. It’s just a cold, numb fact.
“I…uh…I’m so sorry,” Bear says with a slight grimace. He looks lost, like he doesn’t know what to say, and, honestly, neither do I. He slips one big hand around his glass of water, taking a long drink. I stare at him, taking in the fading bruises that curl around his knuckles.
How did he get them? Was it a fight? An accident? Could he have been saving puppies stuck in a tree and slipped and hurt himself? It’s a very unlikely story, but I don’t want to think it was something violent. I want it to be a sweet, innocent story.
“Is there anything you need?” Bear asks, making me look up. “To make the bed better? Pillows? Different blanket?” His dark eyes hold me, genuine worry etched around them.
I’m so caught off guard by his kindness that I don’t know what to say.
“Who died?” Jack asks loudly as he enters the room. I immediately drop my gaze, hoping he doesn’t see the horrified look on my face. “Why does everyone look so damn sad?” He sits down.
Bear takes a big bite of his breakfast, ignoring the alpha’s question.
“Don’t forget you have a nine-thirty with Terrence Panner.” Lucy pours a little more coffee into Jack’s cup, warming it back up.
“Fuck.” Jack cuts an angry look into the hallway as if looking for someone. “I’ll let Yuki know.”
Bear looks up. Deep lines are etched between his dark brows. “I thought I was?—”
“No,” Jack says firmly, cutting the alpha off. “You aren’t working with me today. You’re on omega duty.”
My attention snaps to Bear. The shift in his expression is undeniable. The lines between his brows vanish, and he sits a bit taller before his gaze drifts to me. His expression is intense as he drinks me in, scanning every inch of my face. I slump down, suddenly feeling very restless.
“Get that fucking look off your face.” Jack gives Bear a pointed look. But the bearded alpha doesn’t seem bothered at all as he tears his eyes away from me. “There are rules while you’re with Stefan.”
I stare at Jack, too scared to look back at Bear. I don’t think he’s looking at me anymore, but I don’t know.
“No touching,” Jack says forcefully. It’s an angry command, making my back curl inward. “No scenting, stroking, flirting, or staring.” He leans in, glaring hard as he whispers, “If I find out you’ve touched a single fucking hair on this boy’s head, I will end you.”
A sharp tremble cuts through me, and I cross my arms, trying to shield myself from Jack’s obvious threat.
“Yes, sir.” Bear holds his head high.
Jack’s dark eyes narrow, and he slowly straightens his back, sitting at full height. “Lucy,” he barks the beta’s name. She silently moves to his side, waiting for her orders. “You’re being reassigned.”
Twin lines etch between her brows, but she doesn’t speak.
“You are to watch over Stefan and report to me if Bear even thinks about breaking one of my rules.”
I don’t know where to look—Bear looks angry while Lucy looks almost scared.
This time, when Bear speaks, it’s a deep, restrained growl. “You’re having a beta watch over me?” he asks, like it’s an insult.
Lucy’s expression drops, clearly not happy with his tone. “Sir,” she pulls in a deep breath, forcing her attention on Jack, “my job?—”
“Has changed.” Jack finally tears his eyes off Bear, looking up at Lucy. She immediately drops her gaze, not wanting to challenge the alpha. “You’ll watch over the omega,” he says, acting like I’m not sitting next to him.
Lucy’s eyes flicker to me. She’s trying to look happy, but I can see the apprehension in her blue eyes—she doesn’t want to watch over me. And I can’t blame her. She seems to have some kind of important job, taking care of the alphas. Watching me probably feels like a demotion.
“What should I do with him?” Lucy asks as her worried gaze bounces between me and Bear.
Jack’s face screws up at her question. “Feed him. Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself. Entertain him until I decide what I want to do with him.”
Bear sets down his knife and fork. “Can I talk to you?”
Jack’s brown eyes narrow as he thinks it over. “Fine.” He lets out an angry huff and stands. The two alphas march into the hallway, speaking in hushed tones.
“I’m sorry about this,” I say to Lucy. “I know you don’t want to be stuck with me.”
“That’s not it.” Lucy smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “The thing is,” she cuts a wary look into the hallway, making sure the two alphas aren’t listening, “I don’t want to be Bear’s keeper,” she whispers. “I’m a beta . I’ve got no business telling any alpha what he can do with his omega.” Her eyes go comically wide. “One wrong word, and he could crush me with his thumbs.”
I have to agree. While I thought Jack was massive, Bear is even bigger. He’s at least four or five inches taller than Jack and easily twice his size. His navy polo struggles to contain his big barrel chest, and his hands look like they could strangle a bear. Maybe that’s how he got his name.
“My word is final.” Jack walks away from the bearded alpha, leaving him in the hallway.
Bear pinches the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated, but he doesn’t yell or growl. It’s weird. He stands there, breathing slowly, as if to calm himself. What an unusual pack. They go against everything Mari taught me about alphas. They aren’t the vicious beasts she warned me about—they all seem to have so much self-control.
It’s a wonderful surprise.
“I have a full day,” Jack says to Lucy. “Stay with Stefan at all times, and then tonight, make sure he’s bathed and in my bed at a decent hour.”
…in my bed.
I guess I’m sleeping with Jack again tonight, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
It’s true that last night wasn’t terrible, but I was also exhausted and very loopy. Tonight I’ll be fully aware, and I’m scared he’ll want to touch me again.
I really don’t want that. I like girls. Not boys.
Dropping my gaze, I rest my hands against my protruding ribs, thinking about my skinny legs and arms. It’s not likely a girl will ever want me. I’m too small and feminine. Female alphas and betas want male alphas. They want strength and power. They want to be protected.
I wish I were bigger and stronger, but I’m weak and pathetic. I can’t even stop myself from trembling every time an alpha glances my way.
I guess I should get used to being a mate for a man.
Closing my eyes, I think about the look in Jack’s eyes as he pinned my hands over my head. It was a hungry look. Possessive. Like he wanted to eat me alive.
A shiver makes me tense, and a weird heat grows in my belly.
I definitely don’t like this.