Chapter 24 – Seth
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SETH
“Do I want to ask why you’re wiggling so much?”
June glances at me, giving me a disgruntled look as she crosses her arms and huffs in the passenger seat. She’s cute when Bennett works her up and then leaves her on edge. It’s damn time she got a taste of her own medicine — considering how often she does it to me .
“You know why.” She turns partially in the seat, pouting. The back of my SUV is stacked with boxes, every single one is full of enamel pins, bookmarks, and signed bookplates. We sat up for hours, watching movies while she signed them all. I’m not sure how I keep getting so lucky to spend hours uninterrupted with her, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Her first signing sold so many tickets that the independent bookstore hosting the event had to change the location from their store to the New York Public Library.
“Are you sure we have time?”
“Yes,” I answer her immediately, easing her anxiety as I merge onto the highway, slinging my arm across the back of her seat. “There’s a reason we’re leaving a day early. We have a nice hotel room for the night and we’ll take it easy after we drop these boxes off. You will rest before tomorrow.”
She hums, her hazel eyes vulnerable. “Arin keeps fielding interview requests.”
I shake my head at her, glancing at the road. The DNN interview aired, and as Florence said, it ignited a conversation about omega rights, putting June right in the center of it. I’m proud of her, but I don’t like the extra eyes on our pack. I’ve spent years making sure that the Seth Harding that others meet is the affable, goofy beta who is glued to his alpha’s side.
“If you want to do another, we will.” I brush my knuckles over her shoulder. “But if not, we can tell everyone to fuck off and move to Antartica.” My parents probably have room somewhere down there between their biological research into penguin fucking — or species retention . I know my mother genuinely loves it, but it also brings her the furthest place possible from New York City.
June snorts and my heart warms as she flings back against the seat, reaching for my hand. “We can’t tell people to fuck off . Well, maybe we can, but it has to sound professional.”
I grin. “Bennett would phrase it as, ‘ We are no longer choosing to speak publicly about our pack’s private lives.’ ”
She makes a little noise. “That’s good, you should write that down.” June toys with my fingers, fidgeting before she whispers, “Can I ask you something?”
“Always.” I twist my wrist, threading our fingers together as I split my focus between the road and her. “What’s on your mind, beautiful?”
“Why weren’t your parents at the party?”
“The party you skipped out on to get fucked by Arin for two days straight?”
“ Seth. ”
I laugh loudly, pulling my hand away and watching her cheeks light up. My mind spins as I try to come up with an acceptable answer. Bennett is the only one who knows everything about my past, and it was only right for him to know as one of my oldest friends and my bonded — I don’t want June to be entangled in it.
She deserves the goofy beta side of me, not the other side.
“They’ve never been hands-on with my brother and I.” I shrug. “We’re all betas, so we did our own things, chose our own paths in life. They sent a congratulations card when Bennett and I bonded. I’ll tell them about you whenever you want.”
“Oh.” Her expression softens.
“Not a big deal, they’re biologists. But the boring kind, not the kind that looks up designations and figures out how all that works.” I run my tongue over my teeth, tasting the bitter lie and carefully hiding it from the bond between us. “I have a cousin in the city, but we don’t talk much anymore.”
Not since I left the family business .
She doesn’t question anything. The conversation moves on, but I still feel a nudge of guilt for not being forthright. She doesn’t know — Arin and Theo don’t either.
It’s history and it can stay buried.
The drive passes in a blur, between singing loudly to the radio and a couple gas station stops for snacks. I smile as June presses her nose to the window, her eyes lighting up at the sight of New York City through the car.
“You know, I used to think I’d just never travel” — her breath fogs the glass — “because of the anxiety.” The word sounds like a curse and the urge to murder her mother jolts through me. I’d have her in the Long Island Sound, never to resurface.
June keeps going, blithely unaware of the restraint I’m showing. “It was easier for a long time to not do anything. I moved out as quickly as I could, first to dorms and then again when I left college. I think I got really lucky that I could even get out, you know? Still, I just let my life be paused because I was scared for so long at their reaction to what I wanted to do, what I wanted to write.”
I glide the car into the traffic trying to get into the city, headed toward Brooklyn.
June pulls away from the window.
“Not very many people can sell their first piece. I had an English professor who really loved romance books and got me in contact with an agent, and from there it was a lot of back and forth, but she believed in me. I guess I should be thankful.”
I stay quiet as she shrugs her shoulders, her eyes sparking a little when she sees the water. “Arin was right, I really don’t like the city.” I have no idea when Arin said that, but I don’t dare interrupt her as she sighs, almost wistful. “But I think I could be happy going around the world as long as you’re right beside me. You make me feel safe.”
My heart shouts in joy. The way she settled so comfortably into our pack, into my life , just wrecks me. She deserves to be this happy, vibrant and stunning, all the time.
I get us into Brooklyn and then flick the hazard lights on, parking in front of the bookstore as I turn to her.
“June.” She flushes when I grab her hand and kiss the back of it. “I love you so fucking much, it’s physically painful when you’re not around. Never forget that. I’d do anything for you.”
She smiles at me and then leans in, brushing her lips with mine. “I know. London proved that.”
Twenty minutes later all the boxes are out of the car with some help from the booksellers at BOOKS AND BONDMARKS . June waves at them excitedly from the window, beaming at me as we drive off. “Tomorrow will be fun.”
“I’ll remind you that you said that when you’re freaking out before going on stage.”
She grimaces at me. “You’re an asshole, don’t remind me I’m supposed to do a Q and A .” She shudders, glancing out the window. “I’m hungry and you promised me shitty pizza. Where are we staying tonight?”
I stay quiet and her eyebrow raises. “Seth?”
Miming zipping my lips shut, I turn the car down another road, headed toward the Brooklyn bridge. June gasps when we reach the throng of people, the sun setting on New York City, lighting it up gold. It takes us some time to cross the bridge, but once we do, I pull into our hotel in the financial district, the building spanning multiple blocks.
June makes a noise when someone opens her door and I jump out, rounding the car to help her out. She looks down at her jeans and sweater, hissing at me, “Seth this place is fancy .”
“Baby.” I lean down, wrapping my arm around her as I let them get our bags. “I’m rich .” She squeaks when I drag her inside around a group of men in suits. Striding up to the desk, I tug out my card, confirming it with the receptionist. Bennett and I have stayed here a few times, but seeing the space through June’s eyes makes me appreciate the sprawling gold decor, the lobby open to the floors above us, shops and restaurants all on the main floor.
“Mr. Harding,” the receptionist greets me. “Welcome back to the Signa , we’re so happy you chose to stay with us again. Your room is ready and your bags should be upstairs when you arrive. Please don’t hesitate to call the front desk if there’s anything else we can help you with.”
I snag our keys, flashing her a smile before I look down at June. Her head swivels like an owl, and it’s adorable as I mutter, “Come on, let’s get upstairs and get settled.”
“ Oh my god that fountain has ducks. ”
Her words come out in a rush as she twists my arm, looking behind us at the huge fountain in the center of the lobby — where, yes — there are multiple water fowl swimming and washing themselves. I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed it.
“This is not the kind of place we can order shitty pizza to the front lobby, Seth .”
Snorting, I drag her into the elevator with me and flash the attendant our card. He presses the button to unlock the higher floors and June stares out the glass, passing multiple floors full of amenities, giving her a peek at the pools, a restaurant, and part of one of the spas.
She clings to my arm, dragging me closer. “I want a massage.”
I smile at her excitement. “We could extend our stay. Or I could take you to one of the spas that Arin is a shareholder of in the Alps.” Her lips pop open in a little ‘ o ’ as I lean closer and whisper, “We’ll take a pack trip.”
“Okay.” Her soft voice is full of awe as the doors open. This floor is limited access, with only a handful of doors leading to suites, and I thank the elevator attendant with a nod and a tip slipped from my palm to his as I guide June toward our room. Swiping my card, the lock turns green and I let her in.
“Go explore. Be feral.”
June throws herself past me, squeaking as she races into the suite, gasping over and over again each time she finds something new. Her words race together, one long sentence of excitement — “Seth! The view! We have three couches! There’s pizza !” The last one has her the most excited and I close my eyes, grinning as I shake my head and lock the door.
Love radiates through me. Sometimes I forget that all of this isn’t normal. Not all the time — but especially not now , not seeing June’s reaction firsthand to the way Bennett and I have lived for years, and the way we plan to spoil her forever.
Pushing away from the door, I step into the living area. There’s two New York style pizzas waiting for us — pepperoni and sausage — her favorite. All hot and fresh because I made sure the hotel knew we were coming the second we left the bookstore.
The expression on her face is worth it.
She barrels into me and I grunt, catching her as she drags me down to kiss me senseless. My brain short-circuits. I might not be an alpha, but the feeling of her wrapped around me is enough to make me feel as dumb as one.
Humming against her lips, I walk her backwards until we reach one of the three couches and then push her onto it. She laughs, pulling me with her as her fingers card through my hair, untangling it from being tied back into a bun.
She makes a little noise, frowning at the scrunchie in her hand.
“This is mine.”
“Yup.” I grin. “Sure is.”
June scowls. “Are you the one who’s been stealing all my scrunchies?”
I shrug, holding onto her hips as I kiss down her neck and throat. “I like them. They’re like little pieces of you that I get to keep with me all day.”
“Oh.” She lets out a breath, melting under me. “That’s so cute .”
Her legs wrap around me as I lean up and kiss her, slowly pushing at her sweater so I can reach her stomach. The skin is so pliant and soft , it makes me groan as I whisper, “I wanna eat you out, baby. I want to dig my tongue in your sweet little cunt.”
She moans, nodding rapidly under me. “Okay. You should do that.”
Her giggle is like music to my ears as I work at her clothes, getting her pants off and running my hands up and down her legs. With one palm on her knee, I spread her open for me, snorting. “I am so fucking lucky all those idiots couldn’t come with us. I get you all to myself.”
June grins, her eyes bright. “That’s right, I’m all yours.”
Dropping lower, I kiss her through her underwear, muttering as I pull it to the side. “Eating out, then pizza, then more sex, then bedtime.”
She makes a cute little noise as I slide my tongue through her slick. June’s fingers tangle in my hair as she gasps out, “Sounds good.”
All I can do is give her a thumbs up. My mouth is already preoccupied with my favorite meal.