Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
“Nina, I presume?” Her tone was cold. Her gaze dropped to my chest and slowly went down—derisively. I shakily pulled the silk robe tight, shuffling my pink fuzzy slippers closer together. “Why are you in my Samuel’s home?”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. A sharp tingle spread down my limbs. Was she his wife? Had he claimed another Omega? Nausea rose in my throat. I hadn’t seen any reports of him being married.
“Yours?”
“Yes, mine,” she murmured, stepping forward again, forcing me back a few steps. I looked up at her, eyes wide. She was much taller than me. Not a strand of her hair rustled from its place. Elegance bled from her very posture.
“Is he your husband?” I croaked. She couldn’t be her Scent Match when he believed that I was . . . or had he lied to me?
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve known Samuel since college. We’ve seen each other on and off. We’re bound to make it official eventually. Just because he got a young thing to fuck doesn’t make you special.”
Nausea turned in my belly. I hugged myself. I was so stupid.
“He-he didn’t mention you.” Tears flooded my eyes.
She shook her head.
“Don’t tell me you went and fell for him?” The words struck my heart. Her heels clicked as she moved past me, her cloying perfume wafting to my nose. She settled her purse on the counter and turned with her arms crossed.
“He doesn’t like needy, and you seep clinginess.”
My lip trembled. It was true, I needed him like oxygen, clinging to him like a barnacle.
“I . . .” I struggled with what to say. Shame washed over me.
“Don’t embarrass yourself any more than you have.
Collect your things and leave before you reek this place up with your desperation.
” A single tear trekked down my cheek. I stumbled back, tripping over the threshold sill of the kitchen entrance and falling flat on my butt.
That would bruise tomorrow, but it wouldn’t hold a candle to the pain in my chest.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Samuel stormed down the stairs, and he stared at me on the floor, stunned. A moment suspended in the air. “Get up.”
I flinched at the aggression in his tone. I must have been too slow for him because he grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.
“What is this, Samuel?” She waved a hand at me. “It can’t have been more than a month since we last fucked.”
I sucked in a breath and yanked at my arm to get free of him, but he didn’t let go.
Samuel hissed a breath out between his teeth. “Why are you here, Claire?”
“You didn’t want me here?” She frowned. “Then why did you send me the flowers?”
Claire . . .
“What’s your last name?” I forced out between my lips.
Samuel squeezed my arm, sternly but not enough to hurt. “Get out, Claire.”
“Mons.” She met my gaze.
C.M.
I took a step back, blinking at her.
He said she was no one . . . that they never were together.
He . . . lied?
My heart went into my throat, and I yanked so hard I might have pulled my arm out of its socket if he hadn’t let me go in time to stumble back.
“Get the fuck out,” he snarled at Claire, grabbing her purse and tossing it out the door.
I could only blink in shock. He lied to me.
The door slammed with her on the other side gasping with anger.
He stormed over to me, but I backed up with every step he got closer. “Nina.” I pressed my lips into a thin line. His phone vibrated from where I left it on the counter.
“Fuck!” He went over to it and shut the ringing off.
Only moments passed before it started up again.
Samuel looked down at it, jawline fluttering with anger.
“I have to go do something.” He pierced me with his hazel eyes as he slipped his phone in his slacks and then finished buttoning the open shirt.
“Do not leave,” he pointed his finger in my face, his order stern.
I gawked. He was serious about me staying here. What? He wanted me to twiddle my thumbs while he went off? I scoffed, shaking my head.
“Fuck off, Samuel.”
“Don’t,” he snapped.
I flinched, backing up.
He reached for me. “I’m sorry, bunny, I didn’t mean to raise my voice.” I avoided his touch.
“I apologize Mr. Astor.”
His expression stiffened.
“Fuck.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “Nina. I’m sorry, but let me explain.”
I scoffed and turned on my heel so I could get my stuff and get out of here.
“Whatever,” I mumbled as I walked away from him.
“Where are you going?”
I ignored him, walked to his bedroom and collected my clothes off the end of the bed.
“If you won’t stay put, you’re coming with me.” He caught my wrist and pulled me after him. I stumbled.
“Hey!” I yanked, but he continued to drag me.
“You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Then let me go.”
“No.”
I gritted my teeth.
“W-wait! I’m not dressed.” I eyed the opened front door. He sighed and yanked off the trench coat hanging on the hook next to the door and wrapped me up in it. I fought every move, but he wouldn’t be stopped. He dragged me all the way outside, and down his pebbled driveway to his car.
He opened the passenger side, stuffed me into the seat and leaned down. “I will tie you up if you try running.”
I crossed my arms. He jumped in, starting the car. I stewed.
“Don’t be angry.” It’d been a few minutes into the drive, and I could feel him shoot me furtive looks.
“You lied to me.” I couldn’t have stopped the words if I wanted, they bubbled over like poison. “You were my first kiss, and I’m not stupid. Of course I’m not yours. Do you know how much it aches knowing that?” I hiccupped out a cry. “But to see your lover in the flesh? To hear her call you hers?”
His hands squeezed around the steering wheel.
“You’re the last one and the only one that matters.”
“Don’t give me that bull to pacify me.” I seethed. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You lied to me, Mr. Astor, you never cared for me.”
He went silent.
“I haven’t seen her in weeks—”
“You had me send her flowers,” I cried.
“Judy has always been in charge of that without my input, she must have thought—”
“But I asked you,” I whispered, and he went quiet. “I asked you if you were a thing and you lied.” His jawline bunched.
“We will discuss it once we get back, okay little bunny?” he said softly.
I didn’t answer, just looked out into the dark night, tears dripping off my chin.
He wove through a pathway leading upwards until finally we went over a hill and came out of the foliage.
A large mansion stretched high into the night sky.
A large main section sat in the middle, with extensions to the side.
A fountain bubbled in front of the house, smack in the middle of the circled cement drive.
“Where are we?” I’d finally stopped crying but now I sounded congested.
“My family’s estate.” He parked behind a low sports car and another Mercedes.
“What?!” I exclaimed.
“Let’s go.” God no. I was not getting out of this car.
He stopped a few feet from the house when he saw I wasn’t following behind him.
He stormed back to my door, and I gripped the handle to keep it closed, but ultimately, he opened it.
He scooped me out of the car with ease. I shoved against his shoulder, kicking my legs, trying to get down and away from him.
He strode up the ten steps to the chestnut doors with elaborate glass designs cut out in the middle, and gently set me on my feet. He swatted my butt. “Behave.”
I seethed but kept my mouth shut as he gripped my wrist to guide me inside.
An ornate chandelier hung smack in the middle of the entrance and the staircase to the left spiraled upwards.
I gawked as he guided me to the rounded alcove beside the base of the staircase.
Four pairs of eyes rounded toward me upon our entrance. Samuel forced me into the empty seat.
Caine’s eyebrow twitched, but that was his only reaction.
“Why is she here?” One of the brothers I hadn’t met yet rumbled. His voice was deep and his gaze sharp. He and Samuel were the largest of the bunch, but this gruff one had more of a bearlike quality.
“She’s the one I told you he was going mad for, Theo,” a sandy haired man said, lifting his glass containing gold liquid. “He wouldn’t stop calling me.”
“Shut your mouth, Baron.” Samuel snapped. The fourth male snorted, sprawled across the couch in a very feline manner.
“You bring your fuck buddy to meet the family the day Oliver ends up in jail?”
“Liam,” Theo barked, and Liam made a big deal of zipping his lips and winking at me over his phone.
The patter of footsteps thundered down the steps.
A young slim girl with brilliantly blonde hair careened around the corner and right behind her was a girl with a tan complexion like mine, her head slightly lowered.
Her long black tresses swayed around her shoulders.
They were both dressed in silky pajamas and seemed close in age to me.
“Vanessa, what are you doing up this late?”
“You’re not leaving me out of it.” She crossed her arms. “Thanks for the text, Liam.”
Liam only smirked in the face of Theo’s disapproval.
“What has Oliver done now?”
“Been a nuisance, when is he not?” Caine commented. My head was bouncing back and forth to take in everyone talking.
“My younger sister and stepsister,” Samuel whispered near my ear, eliciting a shiver from me. Vanessa was standing near enough to hear, and she whirled to look at me, shock lifting her eyebrows.
“Oh, hello,” she said, bursting forward to pick my hand up and shake it. A waft of her Omega scent tickled my nose. “I am pleased to meet you.”
“You’re going to shake her up.” Samuel squeezed her shoulder, stopping the vigorous shaking of my hand.
A bang made me jump and Samuel stepped toward the noise. A dark-haired, very tall man stumbled through the foyer and upon seeing all eyes on him, he opened his arms wide with a large devil-may-care grin.
“Siblings, I am glad to be welcomed home into the warm bosom of your embrace.” He snickered, those wide shoulders of his shaking.
“Who posted your bail?”
His eyebrows raised.