35. Ezy
Chapter thirty-five
Ezy
E zy Aged 28
The woman is flirting with me outrageously, and while I have no intention of following through, the attention is nice.
“What’s your name, love?”
“Nat.”
“Nat, it’s nice to meet you, my name's Ezy.”
She laughs. “Is it because of how easy it is to get you into bed?”
I laugh and pretend like I haven’t heard that joke a million times.
She moves closer, and I get a hint of her clove scent. She’s cute for a beta, compact, minimal makeup but confident in herself.
I like that.
But there is something else in the air around her. It’s faint and almost non-existent. A hint of sweetness of some exotic nighttime flower.
What is it?
I lean in so I can try to chase the scent, but the clove scent intensifies and washes the more subtle fragrance away.
She walks her fingers up my thigh and gives me an inviting smile. “Do you want to come back to my place?”
I study her inviting, charming face. We’re only in Black Valley for a night. I want to find that scent, but not at the expense of leading this woman on.
“Sorry, love, I’m not on the market right now. But have you met my friend Shawnnesy?”
Nat’s disappointment vanishes as she gets a good look at the not so smart but incredibly hot surfer who is making his debut.
“He is pretty.”
“Yep, and single.”
“Oh, my favourite, okay, darlin’, introduce me to your friend.”
I clink our glasses together and lead her over to the big man whose eyes light up like all his birthdays have come at once.
I, on the other hand, turn and walk away, leaving the pub behind me.
What was that smell?
P resent Day
The visitors start showing up on the day after our failed excursion.
Seeing the faces of people from the world I’d left long ago shocks me. Henry, Pol, and Tai look so different that when they arrive, it’s like I never even knew them.
They are dressed in shirts that cost more than all the clothes I wore on the islands and sip my parents' whiskey like its water.
“How was it? Surfing? I could not believe it when we found out,” Tai says and takes a seat, making himself comfortable.
“It was-”
I don’t get anything out before Pol stands up and rushes to a vase that is sitting indulgently on a tall, carved piece of wood. If I sold it, I could probably have paid Aspyn’s rent for the rest of her life.
“This is stunning. I had no idea your parents had this beauty.”
“Who cares about the vase? Tell us about the women. The omegas, the betas, the alphas? What were they like?”
“I had a pack,” I say sharply.
I remember the night I met Nat, though, at that exact moment. I’d forgotten we’d met before. It was so long ago. It was Aspyn’s scent on her.
Fate or Destiny. How many times did we almost meet?
Someone laughs loudly, drawing my attention back to my guests. How soon can I send these idiots packing?
“Yeah, but, surely, you weren’t just with them. I mean, being faithful to your pack is such an old school thing.”
I stare at Henry until he stops talking.
“We heard about your omega, such a tragedy. It’s so sad about her family and her injuries.”
“Thank you,” I say tightly.
“See, that there is what I’m talking about. She’s injured. I mean, how can six of you be satisfied with her? She’s got baggage and issues, man. Bond her, but find your pleasure elsewhere. That’s the way it’s done.”
“That’s not the way I do it,” I growl, glaring at Henry and wishing him dead.
This is what I ran from. This feeling of being boxed into a life where I end up hating myself as much as I hate these people.
“I have some things to attend to-”
I stand up, but before I can say anything, a group of seven walk in. They greet Henry, Pol, and Tai and then turn to me with expectant smiles.
I remember the plan to oust Typhor from society. How we need everyone’s help, and I swallow the furious, bitter words I long to spit.
“Come and sit down.” I force a smile. “Welcome to my home.”
In the doorway of the room, I see Aspyn in the shadows. She gives me a sad smile and steps backwards, out of sight.
I’ve never hated myself more.
I stand at the top of the stairs, watching Holt. He’s whispering to the delivery man. I’m wondering what nasty surprise he’s got for me this time.
“Are you thinking about how to fire him?” Kelly asks.
“To be honest, I’m wondering where is the best place to hide his body.”
Kelly moves so he’s next to me, our shoulders pressed together.
“He revoked Shale and Aspyn’s codes on the door scanners. They were locked outside for an hour in the rain,” I say, seething all over again.
Kelly is silent while he absorbs that.
“He’s going to pay for all of it. We just need to be patient,” Kelly whispers.
“I hate him so much. He used to tell my parents when I did anything wrong. I’d find him lurking outside my door, peering through cracks, making notes of everything I did. It was bad enough I was too fat, too slow, not smart enough, not suave enough, but he made it all worse. He told them if I ate the wrong thing, if I fell asleep early, if I spoke to the wrong person. Holt even had the housekeeper, who was the only nice person, fired with no references and no pay. He’s a slimy piece of shit, and I want him gone.”
“Your wish, my command,” Keagan says and nuzzles my shoulder.
Kelly grins at him, and I see that we’re all on the same page. Whatever was holding us back is gone now. They pushed us the last bit closer.
“Aspyn was crying.”
I hang my head, wishing I could just burn the house down. “I’ll make it up to her.”
“You don’t need to make it up to her, Ezy. She understands. We can all feel how much you hate this place.”
Holt turns and looks up. He freezes, one foot in the air, his face transforms into a sneer.
“I want to give him all the filthy jobs in this house to do. I want to keep him working from dawn until dusk, but I can’t stoop to his level.”
“It will be okay, Ezy.”
Will it, though?
A spyn fell down the stairs. Luckily, Gael was there to catch her, but the just-polished floors have had their carpets removed. Everyone knows you can’t just leave the polished floorboards with no runner. It’s a death trap, especially with the ancient shit my parents used to use to polish them with.
I slam Holt up against the wall and growl into his face.
“You cowardly piece of shit.”
“You’re as unnatural as your parents feared, Ezekial. You and your pack.”
I snarl and shove him back into the wall. He bounces off, hits my fierce thrust, bounces to me, but I slam him in again. His eyes widen, and I think I see the first threads of fear.
He glances behind me, looking at my pack.
“Don’t look at them. They won’t save you.”
“Kill me, then. Kill me because I will never stop trying to prove what a beast you are. You don’t deserve the name, you don’t deserve to be their heir.”
“And you want it? I’d die before I’d let someone like you take the Boothe name.”
“I don’t want it. I’m not worthy, but neither are you.”
“If you try anything, if she gets hurt,” I breathe hard, my lungs aching, my head pounds, “if anything happens to her-”
“It will be a marvel and, surely, a sign from your parents, who are looking down in horror.”
I lose it. I wrap my hands around his thick throat and squeeze, roaring into his face.
“How dare you!”
“Ezy, let go now.”
“NO! HE NEEDS TO DIE!”
I fight the hands that pry me from him, but then I’m thrown into Beau and Keagan, who pull me away.
Keagan presses his lips to my ear. “Not yet. We need him, just a little bit longer, and then I promise you and I, we’ll make him suffer.”
I shake, but I allow them to draw me away.
Shale gives Holt a long look. “You’ve pushed too far, old man.”
He spits on Shale.
Spits on my alpha.
I roar and redouble my efforts, fighting even as Beau and Keagan drag me down the hall.
I roar the pain of my entire life, the indignation that I can’t destroy him and the fury that he dared touch what was mine.
When they haul me back to the room, it’s Aspyn who limps to me and cups my face, tears slowly running down her cheeks.
“It’s going to be okay, Ezy. It’s going to be okay.”
I wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her shoulder. Squeezing my eyes closed and trying to control the rage, the fury that demands I answer the insult with blood.
And only in the arms of my omega do I find some semblance of peace.