Chapter 20
When I agreed to look at houses over the holiday break, I didn’t expect it to take up the entire week after Christmas. But here we are, house number twelve, and my packmates won’t stop bickering. Seriously, how much does it take for a realtor to drop you as a client? This poor woman.
Leaving my two packmates arguing like toddlers in the living room, I follow our realtor, Alice, into the kitchen.
Honestly, this place is nicer than I could have imagined.
I’m shocked it’s in our price range. But she says it’s on a short sale…
which I’ll need to Google once I get a chance so I don’t look like an idiot for not knowing.
Even her fake smile is strained as she walks me through the dining area and points out the six bedrooms. Then we come to the crux of all the arguments—the nest. While this place would solve Alistair’s main complaint that we need the additional space for a library, he seems strenuously against any sort of nesting space.
Meanwhile, Spence is insisting we need one “just in case.”
While I’m all for planning for the future, I don’t really care about any of that.
If the house has a nest and we get an omega, fine.
If we don’t end up with an omega, we can turn the space into a game room or some shit.
I just want to actually have enough space that we each get our own room, and maybe a small dining area so we don’t have to stand around the kitchen counter to eat.
If it happens to come with an area for a guest room and Al’s library, then I guess that would be nice too.
Alice is trying to give me time to look around, and I’m doing research on my phone.
According to Zillow, this house sold five years ago for almost twice what they’re asking now, so what’s the catch?
A speedy search for short sale answers that question.
We are going to be idiots if we don’t buy this house.
It’s way above what we would normally be able to afford.
Fuck…don’t we need an inspection or something?
I turn to ask Alice about that, but we’re interrupted by raised voices traveling down the hallway into what I’m guessing is a den or family room where we’re standing.
“And I’ve told you, we don’t need a nest…
it’s an…an…an unnecessary extravagance! Just ask Kelly.
How would a beta feel if she wanted to join our pack and saw we had a nest. She might not feel like she’s good enough.
Did you think of that?” Now Alistair sounds like he’s just grasping at straws, but poor Spence looks upset.
The big guy will do just about anything to make people happy, and he’s about to have some kind of existential crisis.
We’re done with this argument. We don’t have to use the nest as a nest if we don’t need it, but this house is too good to pass up.
Tuning out the apparent toddlers that are my packmates, I turn to Alice.
She’s visibly grinding her teeth, and her left eye has taken on a noticeable twitch…
well, that’s not good. “So, Alice, how do we get the ball rolling on this? Do we just put in an offer? Do we need an inspection or some kind of cash upfront? I read about something called earnest money, so we have some of that set aside, and a pre-approval letter from the bank.”
Her shoulders visibly relax, and she stares up at the ceiling, her lips moving briefly…probably thanking whatever deity she follows that she’s almost rid of us. I can’t even blame her as Alistair’s voice starts to get shrieky…oh, it’s aimed at me this time. Fun.
“What do you think you’re doing, Paul! This needs to be a group decision, and we can’t afford this house; it has too many things we don’t need.
There’s no point in having a…” He stops talking, staring pointedly at Spence, who’s grinning like he just won the lottery.
Like I have signed and stamped my approval on some imaginary omega that’s all ready to move into this new nest that we don’t even have yet.
Fuck me sideways. Alice’s eye goes back to twitching as she stares between the three of us.
Alistair looks like he’s firing up for a second tirade, but I cut him off.
“No, listen. This house is worth almost twice what they’re asking.
We need to get it inspected and I can check the local records to make sure nothing’s wrong, but we’d be idiots to pass this up, ok?
It’s not an extravagance. Our mortgage payments will be just slightly higher than the rent on the apartment, man.
Just fucking go with it. You two are never going to agree on anything, so I’m putting my fucking foot down. ”
There’s a sharp intake of breath, and Alice looks aghast at my language. I can’t even blame her; I’ve been the laid-back one this whole time, just trying to keep these two from strangling each other.
Alistair’s voice is almost a whine. “But we don’t need a nest, what about—” And I’m done.
“Listen to me, Alistair. Spence and I have been infinitely patient about you not wanting an omega. That’s fine, we don’t need one, but we are getting this house.
I don’t care if we have to convert the nest into a goddamned tiki lounge, ok?
Just because it’s a nest now doesn’t mean it has to stay a nest. We can figure it out later, just chill the fuck out!
” Three pairs of eyes stare at me in shock, and I smooth the wrinkles down on my T-shirt just to give my hands something to do.
I’m the mellow one; I don’t argue, I don’t freak out.
But I am fucking stressed with so much right now and these bickering nincompoops aren’t helping.
I’m getting too old for this shit.
If I lose my job, at least we can still swing the payments on this one.
Unless I go to jail…in which case I’m kicking the shit out of Xan when I get out.
I just want one goddamned thing to go right this year.
And the year is almost fucking over.
Alice clears her throat, bringing me out of my morose musings.
“Well, gentlemen, if you’re sure, then let’s head back to my office and go over your offer.
” Alistair grumbles a little, and Spence is bouncing on the balls of his feet.
He’s vibrating like he’s trying to hold all his excitement in…
and failing miserably. Poor Nadine, if he doesn’t calm down, he’s gonna shake that poor little car to pieces.