Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
LEVI
The moment the words leave Sasha’s lips, a silence settles over the car so thick it feels like I’m breathing underwater. Kismet omega . Two words that change everything, that make my grip on the wheel tighten until my knuckles go white.
I don’t react immediately. I can’t. The air feels too heavy, her voice echoing in my head. Flynn. Flynn, of all people.
Sasha sits beside me, her chest rising and falling quickly. I can hear it, the slight hitch in her breathing, the way her hands fidget in her lap like she’s trying to expel the tension rattling inside her. I want to reach for her, pull her into me, calm her down the way only I can. But my own head is spinning too fast, tangled up in what she’s just said.
From the corner of my eye, I see Stone shift in the backseat. He’s sitting too still, too quiet. That alone makes my hackles rise. I haven’t known him long, but I know he’s the type to pipe up with some remark. But right now, he’s watching Sasha with a look that I can’t quite pin down. Sympathy? Worry? Something else entirely?
I clear my throat, the sound harsh in the silence. “You’re sure?” I ask, my voice low, careful.
Sasha snaps her head toward me, her eyes blazing. “Of course, I’m sure,” she snaps. “Do you think I’d say something like that if I wasn’t?”
I flinch internally at the bite in her tone but keep my expression neutral. She’s spiraling, and I don’t blame her. Hell, I’m not exactly feeling calm and collected either.
“Okay,” I say, keeping my voice even. “Okay, you saw him, and you felt it. That pull. That connection.” The words taste bitter on my tongue.
I shouldn’t be bitter. Little Brat and I sharing an omega, especially a Kismet, is the best-case scenario. So why am I feeling iffy about sharing her? Not him… her.
Her gaze softens, just a fraction, but her lips press together like she’s holding back more than she’s saying. I know that look. She’s overwhelmed, running every moment in her head on a loop, probably tearing herself apart with questions she doesn’t have answers to yet.
Before I can say anything else, Stone finally speaks up from the backseat. “It’s not her fault,” he says, his voice softer than I expect.
I glance at him in the mirror, narrowing my eyes. He’s leaning forward slightly, his elbows on his knees, watching Sasha like she’s the only thing that matters right now. There’s something in his gaze, something almost... tender. It makes my stomach twist.
What the hell, Levi. Get it together. You’re an alpha. You’re made to have a pack and share. What is your problem?
“I didn’t say it was her fault,” I reply, my tone sharper than I intend. “I just wanted to make sure she was sure that’s what it was and not just panic ‘cause she saw him.”
Stone meets my eyes in the mirror, his expression unreadable. “You’re tense,” he says simply, like it’s some kind of excuse for the edge in my voice.
“Of course, I’m tense,” I snap, turning in my seat to glare at him directly. “We’re talking about our omega here. This changes everything, and you’re sitting there acting like it’s nothing.”
Stone’s jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he’s going to snap back at me, but instead, he looks at Sasha again. “I’m not saying it’s nothing,” he says quietly. “None of us expected this.”
The way he says none of us makes something click in my head.
“Oh, would you two just stop?” Sasha snaps, her eyes blazing as she shifts in her seat to glare at both of us. “Levi, if you want to question me, fine. Do it. But don’t make it sound like I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.”
Her words are like fire, scorching away any lingering doubts I might’ve had about her resolve. She’s leaning forward now, her finger pointing at me, daring me to push her further.
“And you!” She whirls on Stone, who stiffens slightly but doesn’t look away. “If you’re going to play the calm, rational one, at least have the balls to say what you’re really thinking instead of hiding behind those big, broody silences of yours. I’m not some delicate flower who needs your quiet concern. Say it, or shut the hell up.”
For a moment, neither of us says anything. Stone’s gaze flickers to mine, and I can see the tension in his jaw, the conflict warring just beneath the surface. He doesn’t speak, though, and Sasha exhales sharply, leaning back against the seat with a muttered, “Typical.”
“You’re right,” I say finally, my voice low. “You’re not a delicate flower.”
Her eyes narrow, and I can see the defiance in her gaze, but there’s something else there too—something softer, more vulnerable, that she doesn’t let show often.
I glance at Stone again, half-expecting him to finally jump in, but he just looks out the window, his hands clenched into fists on his thighs.
I turn back to the wheel, gripping it tighter. “We need to focus,” I say, my voice clipped. “This isn’t just about us. Flynn is our Kismet omega—” The words feel foreign still. I can’t believe that the three of us now have an omega. “We need to figure out how this is going to work. For all of us.”
Sasha lets out a shaky breath beside me, and I finally glance at her. She’s staring out the window now, her fingers twisting together in her lap.
“I don’t even know where to go from here. I was so worried about sharing you and now I’m sharing an omega with you,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible.
My chest tightens at the vulnerability in her tone. I reach over, placing my hand over hers, stilling her fidgeting. “We’ll figure it out,” I say firmly, meeting her eyes. “Together.”
She nods slowly, but I can see the apprehension lingering in her expression. She’s nervous and I can’t blame her for that either. I’m sure she’s running every what-if through that pretty little head of hers.
“Flynn,” Stone says, breaking the silence again. “Was he okay… well, you know, given the situation?”
Sasha stiffens beside me, and I can feel the shift in her mood like a storm rolling in. She turns to face him, her eyes narrowing. “We need to get him out of there and fast,” she says, her voice tight.
“Agreed,” Stone replies, his tone calm but firm. “We couldn’t hear what was being said, but we saw enough of your interaction with the alpha fuck who answered the door to know it’s worse than we thought. You were in over your head, beta.”
“I had it under control and you fucking know it,” she snaps back.
“Did you?” Stone counters, his gaze steady. “He was bigger than you and had his hands on you. Within seconds, he could have dragged you into the house and god knows what would have happened behind the doors. Did you think of Flynn? What just stopping in would mean for him?”
“Stop,” I cut in, my voice sharp. “This isn’t helping.”
They both fall silent, but the tension in the car is suffocating. I can feel it like a live wire, simmering just beneath the surface.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. “We need a plan,” I say, glancing at Sasha. “We can’t rush into anything. We need to be smart about this.”
Sasha doesn’t respond immediately, but eventually, she nods. “You’re right,” she says quietly. “We need to be smart.”
Stone leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s watching me again, his gaze like a weight on the back of my neck.
I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more he’s not saying. More he’s holding back. And it’s not just about Flynn.
But right now, I don’t have the energy to dig into it. Not when everything else is already spiraling out of control.
I start the car, the engine roaring to life. “Let’s go,” I say, my voice firm. “We’ve got shit to figure out.”
As I pull out onto the road, I catch Stone’s reflection in the mirror again. He’s still watching Sasha, his expression soft but conflicted.
And for the first time, I wonder if he’s not just worried about Flynn.
I wonder if he’s worried about her.
And I wonder what the hell that means for all of us.