Chapter Forty-NineBrennan
Chapter Forty-Nine
Brennan
I stared at the ceiling of the room Jett and I shared, which was illuminated only by the alarm clock on the nightstand. Sleep escaped me as Jett slept soundly, curled into me. My bond with Evan was quiet. Now. It hadn’t been for most of the night.
Evan and I had a long talk, and I think he’d be okay. While I knew he loved his job, every alpha instinct inside me wanted me to demand that he quit and stay where I could see him at all times.
That, of course, wouldn’t go over well. Also, I’d never actually do it.
But the alpha in me wanted to.
Before I could physically reassure my omega when we got back home, he’d started doing shots with Grace in the kitchen.
She’d eaten a lot of sugar while we were being questioned, and all I could think of was that she burned a shit-ton of energy and needed to replenish it, and, well, it was also probably the shock of a gunman trying to hurt Evan.
Finally, Wes hauled the both of them off to his room, and I’d felt them all go for a long time.
Part of me wanted Evan here, under me–not with them. But I’d seen Grace’s face. She probably needed him. After all, this was her birthday.
Sighing, I changed positions, willing myself to sleep.
Fucking shit. Someone tried to shoot Evan. My Evan.
And Grace stopped him.
Grace. All four-foot-ten of her.
Her doing that had been utterly terrifying. It could have ended badly. I didn’t like gammas being unpredictable–especially if it meant putting herself in danger. If something happened to her, Wes and Evan would be gutted.
I still couldn't believe she risked her life like that for my mate. Yet, if something were to happen to Evan, I would be gutted.
“Hey, sleep,” Jett mumbled, throwing a hand over me.
“We could have lost him.” I turned over to stare at his sleepy face. That face that had literally saved my life. More than once.
“We didn’t. It’s fine. If they didn’t have plans, I’d tell you to stay home with him. I could handle the tournament myself. But I’m sure Wes has this. You could always ask to go.” He chuckled. His hand caressed my face.
I snorted. “As much as I want to stay close, I’m pretty sure Evan’s romantic birthday trip is just him fucking her in his cabin all weekend.”
“She sort of deserves all the fucking though?” Jett replied.
“I never expected Grace to put herself between Evan and a gun.” I’d been ready to pounce when Grace hit the gunman with a fucking chair.
“It was kinda hot. You’re right, it could have gone wrong, quickly,” Jett agreed.
No. Not hot. Terrifying. Is this what life with her would be like?
I felt longing and sadness through the bond and sat up.
A moment later, I heard the door to the bedroom open. Evan stumbled in, holding a bottle.
“Hey, Love. Come here.” I held out my arms.
Jett took the bottle from Evan and put it on the nightstand. I bundled him into my arms.
“Someone tried to shoot me,” he sobbed into my shoulder. He reeked of booze and peaches.
“I have you. You’re safe. What do you need?” I peppered his face with kisses and sent all the love I could through the bond.
“Knots. Please, Alpha?” His whine cut my heart in half. “I need your knot and Jett’s cock.”
“Always, Love.” I stroked his hair, trying to ignore that he smelled of her.
“Absolutely, Baby. Anything you want.” Jett kissed him deep.
Jett was so fucking good with him, and it made me so happy Jett loved him as much as I did. It was Jett who fell first and then convinced me that I should talk to Wes about us courting Evan, and the four of us forming a pack.
“You’re safe and with us,” I told him, kissing the booze off his lips. “Now, let us show you how much you mean to us.”
“Here you go.” Jett slid a plate with an omelet on it in front of me.
“Thanks.” My belly growled as I began to eat. Spencer was golfing, and Wes, Evan, and Grace had already left to spend the weekend at Evan’s cabin.
“Food,” Jett yelled. We’d drop Riley off at school on the way to the boxing tournament.
Part of me worried about Wes being alone with both of them, given he’d told me last night he had his hands full with them. I texted Evan again, just to make sure he was okay.
“This is amazing,” I said as I continued to gobble it up.
Jett laughed, as he joined me at the table with food of his own. “Hungry? Evan did keep us up half the night.”
“Not the worst thing.” I took a sip of coffee.
At some point last night, he’d slipped out of bed, then came back again right before dawn. I wasn’t about to begrudge my omega anything, especially after last night.
Even if he came to bed smelling like peaches.
“Maybe we should have asked them to stay?” Worry about being away from him ate at me.
Jett took my face in his hands and kissed me. “Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone well. Look, he’ll be fine. They’re going to the cabin. We have security cameras. I really only have to fight today. We could go up tomorrow if you’re still unsettled and crash their party.”
I sighed. “I don’t want to ruin Grace’s birthday trip. You know we’re banned from the restaurant now?”
“Well, that’s shitty. The food was extraordinary.” He made a face and took a bite.
“I’m just happy that everyone is okay,” I added.
“Me too. It was fucking scary. Grace has the omega growl, didn’t expect that,” Jett told me.
“I think with Grace we should expect the unexpected,” I replied. An omega growl was a rare and terrifying noise that could stop an alpha in their tracks and was usually only heard in two situations–an omega defending their children or their mate.
My phone rang. I growled at it.
“She’s going to call until you answer.” Jett pushed it to me. “Ri, your food is getting cold,” he yelled again.
I glared but took the phone as I grabbed my cup and headed to the coffeepot for a refill. “I only have a moment,” I snapped, answering it.
“No need for that tone. I wanted to make sure everyone was okay,” my mother snapped back.
No. Her publicist needed to know what to say.
“Everyone is fine,” I told her, taking my coffee back to my seat.
“It was a… spectacle.” Disapproval hung in her voice.
Morris’ didn’t make spectacles. We only got in the news for good things.
“Well, you’re the one who made us go to Supressa,” I retorted.
Riley came out in black and green workout gear and lime green sneakers, and went straight to the fridge to pour herself some juice.
“I wasn’t expecting Grace to hit a gunman with a chair. That’s unacceptable. Katie will coach her on proper behavior before the gala,” my mother retorted.
“Are you expecting gunmen at the dinner, Mother?” My voice went tart. “Grace was defending Evan. ”
Riley grabbed her eggs and toast and sat down at the table.
“He has alphas for that. It makes you look bad that there were three alphas and a police officer and she was the one who took him down. She can’t do things like that. Why would she even–”
“Mother, do you know anything about gammas? They react unexpectedly.” I rubbed my forehead.
“Well, it’s creating a headache.”
Something inside me snapped.
“This is my pack. Mine. Not yours. If you’re so worried about me reflecting badly on you, then we’ll take a pack last name and distance ourselves from you. Honestly, I’d love to stop attending your boring parties and having you interfering all the time. Now I have to go.” I ended the call.
“Did you just tell your mom to fuck off?” Riley poured half a bottle of hot sauce on her eggs.
Jett hugged me. “You stood up to your mom. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
I stared at my phone as the realization of what I’d said hit me. “Oh, fuck.”
What did I just do?
Jett gave me a kiss. “Feel good?”
“I’m going to pay for it.” My chest went tight. Siobhan Morris always got her way–and she wasn’t afraid to resort to underhandedness.
“No, because if she tries, you’re going to follow through. Let’s do it. Pack last name, pack tattoos, no more of her parties.” Jett wrapped his arms around me. “Spence can keep his last name professionally. He might even be happy to be our pack representative since he enjoys going to events.”
“True.” My gut churned at what I’d just done. Not that I truly regretted it.
“You don’t need her money or influence. You’re tired of her trying to run your pack. So, let’s go no contact,” Jett added.
“It’s not that easy. She can make our lives miserable.” I cleared my plate, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher, my gut wrenching. My mother had made my life miserable more than once to prove a point and Jett knew that.
“So can we. We have hackers and mad scientists.” He looked at Riley.
“I’ll fuck her up for you,” Riley told me.
“We’ve got your back. Grace can always hit her with a chair,” Jett added.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the image. “Or slap her.”
My phone rang. I ignored it. Maybe I’d accidentally block my mother for the weekend. Jett was right, this time I had the power of the pack behind me.
“Do I get a tattoo? Are we making up a pack name or are we picking someone’s last name and going with that?” Riley asked. Both were normal, just like keeping your name if you wanted. Jett had taken my last name, but Evan had kept his.
“When you turn sixteen. Wes designed our crest. It’s what’s on our rings. Speaking of rings. Here’s yours.” I fished hers out of my pocket. Spencer had given it to me this morning.
“I get one?” She held it like it contained the secrets of the universe.
Regret at not giving it to her earlier shot through me.
“You’re one of us.” Jett patted her shoulder.
Riley beamed and put it on, holding out her hand to admire it. “Thanks, fuckers. It even fits.”
“We know a few things about you,” I told her. Okay, Spencer did that. I glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. “We’ve got to go soon. Are you going to be okay on your own this weekend?”
Her eyes rolled. “Um, yeah. I have spent a weekend at school before. I’ve got the skate smash clinic today and the dance tonight. Tomorrow I’m going to Marcos’ to do homework and eat food.”
“Just checking. Spence will be in town, so call him if you need anything,” I added, taking another sip of coffee.
“I know.”
“Also, you can come over whenever you want. You don’t have to wait until we have things planned,” I said.
Riley’s expression went amused. “I know. Why do you think I randomly come over sometimes? Jett, what’s wrong with your boy?”
“We just want to make sure you know that you’re a part of this family, that’s all.” Jett shrugged.
“Not you, too. Shit, one gunman and everyone becomes a sappy fuck.” She polished off her food.
We could have lost Evan. That’s why we were being sappy fucks. We’d already almost lost him once.
“You okay? Must have been scary seeing someone come for your brother,” Jett added.
“This is why I live at school.” Riley stood. “I knew one of you was going to take him down before anything happened to Evan. Just didn’t think it would be Grace. She’s the shit.”
I grimaced. “That’s not how you react to an active shooter.”
“Okay.” Riley snorted and put her dishes in the sink. “Um, you taking me in your PJs? Because we need to go.”
Jett grinned. “Fine, I’ll go put on some pants. After all, I’ve got a tournament to win.”