Chapter 15 #3
I can’t demand this of him, but I need to know he’ll try. That he won’t just slip away into his mind and never return. I won’t watch him turn into a shell like my father did. Maybe I don’t owe him anything, but for the little boy who helped save me, I can do this much.
For the girl who loved him with her whole heart, I can give him this second chance.
“Okay, Plum.”
“Pack a bag, beta,” Nick grunts. “Your bed isn’t big enough for the four of us.”
Kai nods, and I let Nick lead me out of the bedroom and into the living room. I’m very distracted by the bed size comment, so when Nick pulls me into him, I’m too surprised to resist.
“Come here,” Nick growls, pressing his lips to mine in an aggressive, consuming kiss. I kiss him back, forgetting where we are and why we’re here, until the scents of the two other men reach me through the fog of lust Nick wrapped me in.
When I break away from the kiss to glance toward the bedroom door, Benson and Kai are both frozen, watching us.
“Shouldn’t you be packing?” Nick asks, lifting a brow at Kai, who jerks back and disappears into his room. Benson, however, just smirks. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?” Nick’s words don’t fully sink in because they’re such an abrupt topic switch.
“Oh?” I ask, blinking up at him.
“Not as long as I’ve been waiting,” Benson argues, stepping up behind me, and I spin around to face him.
“I don’t know; I have been flirting with him for a while now,” I say as Benson pulls me against him, wrapping me in his comforting arms.
“Years,” Nick grunts. Benson blushes adorably, clearing his throat.
“In the spirit of honesty, you should know something. I’ve had a crush on you since I was about twelve,” Benson admits. His sudden blush makes more sense now. I feel my own cheeks heating.
“That’s a really long time,” I murmur, and he shrugs one shoulder.
“I’m aware. So, as long as my big brother has liked you, he’s got nothing on a ten-year crush,” Benson says, glancing over at the other alpha.
“Ten years? Yeah, Benson wins this one.”
“When did you start liking me?” I ask, wondering if he remembers the first Thanksgiving I spent with his family. “The first time I hit on you, you were firmly uninterested.”
“You were nineteen and drunk on Thanksgiving. Of course, I wasn’t interested,” Nick says defensively, and I smirk. So he definitely remembers.
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“Wait, that's when this started?” Benson asks. He releases me from his hug but pulls me onto his lap as he takes a seat on the couch, and I wrap my hands around the back of his neck.
“For me,” I say, watching the older alpha. “I wasn’t drunk, just slightly tipsy. You were so grumpy. Glaring at everyone and everything. I wanted to see if you could smile.” I shrug. “I’d always just seen you as my friend’s older brother. Until I didn’t.”
“You didn’t so much as look my way the whole night.” Benson snorts. “Despite my best efforts to get your attention.”
I pout, cuddling into him and feeling slightly guilty.
“I noticed you. It was hard not to, but you were off limits. You weren’t being subtle, and you made me nervous.
Shy. Kind of scared,” I admit, nuzzling his neck.
“So I focused on making him crack, so I wouldn’t flirt with the slightly younger alpha that kept flexing his muscles whenever I walked into the room,” I admit, teasing him as I nibble at his neck, before looking over at Nick.
“So, what was it? What finally made you snap at me?” I ask, and Nick sighs.
“Listen, in my defense, you were coming in very aggressively. Your scent fucked with my instincts, and in my opinion, nineteen was too young for me,” Nick says. “I was trying not to be a dick, but then you scent-marked me.”
“I did not!” I gasp, eyes wide as I stare at him with my mouth open.
“Yeah, you fucking did! Trust me, Plum, that’s not something I would forget.
” Nick pushes off the wall, taking a seat beside us on the couch.
“You cuddled into my side while I washed dishes and rubbed your cheek all over my bicep.” Nick chuckles.
“I was so fucking shocked, I didn’t know what to do or say for so long that you seemed to take that as an invitation. ”
“Oh my god, I didn’t even realize… You smelled so good. Shit, maybe I was more than just tipsy.” I wince, embarrassed by my past behavior around this man.
“Well, by the time I got my shit together, you were wrapping yourself around me. Do you remember me grabbing your shoulders and holding you back?” he asks, and I nod.
“I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I know it was something like, ‘Quit rubbing on me like that. You’re too young, and I am not going to fuck you. ’
“That’s basically what you said, yeah.” I blush, pressing my face into Benson’s chest to hide.
“Well, I bet you don’t remember the way your eyes lit up like Christmas lights.” Nick snorts. “It was like my rejection unlocked something in you.”
“Jeez,” I mumble.
“But to answer your question, it was probably a year later, give or take. In my mind, you were still too young for me, but it didn’t seem like you actually wanted me yet anyway.
Not really. You clearly enjoyed getting a rise out of me.
I liked that you felt comfortable with me, though.
” He reaches over, patting my hand. “But it wasn’t until I saw you hugging Benson just after Halloween that I realized I was waiting for you. ”
There’s a long stretch of silence after that. I don’t really know what to say to any of that.
“For me, I think it was the first time I saw you dressed as Santa Claus while playing dress-up with Rhian and Sable. You did that a lot that year,” Benson teases. “Something about you stuffing a red jacket with pillows really called to my preteen hormones.”
“Oh my god, Benson!” I holler, giggling as memories of doing exactly that surface.
“What about you, Kai?” Nick asks when the beta walks past the door carrying a bundle of clothing. “When did you realize you liked Plum?”
I hold my breath as I wait for him to respond. Is he going to freak out and lose his shit again? Is this conversation too much for him? Shit, is it too much for me? I think for a second, quickly deciding that I’m okay, especially wrapped up in Benson’s arms. I want to know the answer.
Kai steps out of his room, his eyes landing on me. I can see the way he takes in how Benson is holding me, how I’m snuggled into the alpha, comfortable and content.
“Both of you always wanted this to be real, didn’t you?
” Kai asks the other two men, making the three of us fall silent.
“When she grabbed you at the Halloween party, I could tell you wanted her. I mean, who wouldn’t?
” Kai’s smirk is charming as he tilts his head at Benson and then me.
“I thought Plum looked terrified because of me, but that wasn’t all it was. ”
“You’re annoyingly perceptive,” Benson complains, but I keep my eyes on the beta.
“You already liked him, just a little bit,” Kai adds, grinning when no one contradicts him.
“Fair. To answer your question, I guess I liked Plum from the moment I met her. There was no defining moment. I think a part of me just knew there was no one else for me. Kissing her the first time was a bit of a risk, given how fiery she is, but she didn’t slap me… ” Kai chuckles, and I roll my eyes.
“You pinned my hands to the floor above my head,” I say flatly, ignoring the heat that climbs up my neck at the memory. “How was I supposed to slap you?”
“After.” Kai shrugs, still grinning, but I can see the sadness that lingers behind the smile. His scent gives away how the memories really make him feel, even if he tries to hide it with a grin.
“She can slap you now, if you like?” Benson offers in a grumbly tone that reminds me of Nick.
“Not the kind of punishment I’m hoping for, but if that's what Plum wants,” Kai says, but I’m already shaking my head no.
“Are you done packing?” I ask quietly.
“Almost.” Kai turns away from us and back into his bedroom. The tension in the room makes me uncomfortable, and the alphas notice immediately.
“We can stop if we’re upsetting you,” Nick eventually says, but I shake my head.
“No, it’s not that. He’s just…” I huff, not sure what’s bothering me exactly. “Speaking.”
“We can fix that.” Benson grins, and I can’t say the feral glint in his eyes isn’t sexy.
“How?” I ask, but rather than answer, the alpha simply kisses my head and gives my ass a small squeeze.