Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kane
My whole body was tense as we walked through the crowds of people at the food truck event. I’d thought it would be fine, but my alpha instincts were going haywire, and all I wanted to do was throw Kayla over my shoulder and get her home.
I held on tightly to her hand as we stopped in the center of the large picnic and grassy area the food trucks were arranged around. “Where do you want to start?”
There were at least twenty different options and the aromas filling the air drowned out any other scents. It should have comforted me not to have to worry about Kayla’s scent catching the nose of another pack, but not being able to catch her scent also made me paranoid about losing her.
Kayla looked around, her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know.” Was that a hint of a whine in her voice?
“We’ll get some food and then go sit on the beach. Lots of people make me antsy too.” I led her toward a Mexican food truck since I knew she loved tacos and corn.
“Oh, they have esquites with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crumbled on top!” She was lifting to her tiptoes to see the menu that ran down the side of the truck. “They have a taco sampler. Let’s get that too.”
“I’ve never tried esquites. Seems disgusting.” I made a face, and she hit me playfully on the chest. “I mean, mayonnaise in corn?”
“There’s some kind of sour cream in it sometimes too. Don’t knock it until you try it. You pick out a food truck too.” Her mood that had seemed on edge had made an abrupt one-eighty. She was now chipper and had an excited glow in her eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I put the back of my hand to her cheek, and it didn’t feel any warmer than usual.
“I’m fine. I just haven’t been around this many people in a long time and that motorcycle ride was hot.
.. in more ways than one.” She winked, and we moved forward in the line.
“I’ve been worried about Kara too. Maybe once we bond, we can have her for a visit.
I’m sure Omega Protective Services will allow it as long as we’re taking all the precautions. ”
“Once we bond.” I turned her toward me and grabbed the side of her neck gently, bringing her forehead to mine. “You mean it?”
“Yes.” She sniffled like she was about to cry, and I kissed her gently before pulling her closer to wrap my arms around her.
“You don’t understand how unbelievably happy you just made me.” I nuzzled into her neck and didn’t care that the gap between us and the people in front of us was widening.
“I don’t want to tell the pack yet. I want you guys to focus on Alphaball.” She didn’t realize how hard it was going to be for me to keep it a secret, but she did have a point.
If she told the other three the night before playoffs, there was probably no way we’d get on the plane to go to Portland in the morning. A bond, especially a new one, would make us incredibly territorial and protective of her.
After ordering and getting our food from the Mexican food truck and a barbecue truck, we walked the short distance back to the parking lot and then to the beach where we found an empty bench.
We laid out the cartons between us, and she grabbed the bowl of corn and popped the lid off, lifting it to her nose. “I’ve loved this stuff forever and used to wish when I perfumed I’d smell like it.” She took a large spoonful and ate it. “Fuck, that’s good. Not better than my dad’s, but it’ll do.”
She handed me the bowl and I sniffed it. “I’m glad you didn’t smell like this.” I took a bite and didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either.
“It’s not for everyone.” She lifted the plate of tacos and took a bite out of one. “You know those two guys from the parking lot have been watching us this whole time?”
“What? Where?” My focus had been on her for the past few minutes, so I hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.
“It’s probably nothing, but they were in the food truck area and are now sitting on the tailgate of their truck in the parking lot.” She handed me the taco plate. “I can save the esquites and throw it in their faces. Maybe some Hot Cheeto dust will get in their eyes.”
I took a bite of the taco, turning my head to the side so I could glance in the direction of the parking lot. Sure as shit, those assholes were watching us.
They were fans of the Killer Gnomes, but I could feel at least one of their demeanors change when Kayla had come back from the bathroom. For now, they were keeping their distance, and luckily, it had seemed only the one had taken interest in my omega.
Or I was just thinking about it too much and they were just out enjoying the evening like we were.
“They aren’t going to try anything with so many people around.” Kayla grabbed the to-go plate of barbecue and scooted next to me. “You’re growling.”
“Damn right I am.” I turned a bit and glared at the two men. They weren’t even looking at us now, and I wanted to kick myself for overreacting. It’s not like people hadn’t stared and watched me before, I just had precious cargo with me now.
“Hey. Let’s enjoy ourselves.” She grabbed a rib and held it out to me. “Here, open.”
“You’re going to feed me? I should be the one feeding you.” My attention was back on her and the rib that was floating in front of my face. I took a bite as she held onto it.
“Are you ready for your game tomorrow?” She handed off the rest of the rib and grabbed one for herself.
“Yeah. We’re as ready as we’re going to be. Last year we were ready, but Rylan broke his arm in our second game.”
“You guys should have alternate players, or does that not work when you’re playing as a pack?”
“A lot of teams do have a relief player, but they’re almost all a part of the pack.
We never could find a fifth alpha that fit in with all of us.
We agreed earlier on we were willing to deal with any negative impact of only being a quad.
Last year was one of those times.” I shrugged.
“We have so much other stuff going on business-wise that not winning the championship isn’t the end of the world, but it would push our pack to billionaire status because we’d get a lot more endorsements plus prize money. ”
Her eyes widened. “Billionaires? As in nine zeros?”
“Yup. Beck has been working nonstop since starting college to never be without money again. It’s tiring at times, but we also have some big philanthropic projects in the works.”
“Are you guys sure you don’t want to trade me in for my sister? I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a billionaire pack’s omega.” She looked out at the ocean.
She had barbecue sauce on her cheek, and I swiped at it with my thumb. “You’re perfect. Don’t let how we ended up together take away from what we have.”
“But you don’t even know if you’d have a stronger connection with her.”
Why was she talking like this? A few minutes ago, she’d been talking about bonding with us and becoming a member of the pack, and now she was offering us her sister?
“We do know, Kayla. You deserve happiness just as much as your sister does. Don’t let your guilt over the situation ruin this for you.
” I took her chin between my forefinger and thumb and turned her face toward me.
“We might not have seemed like we cared about having an omega at first... we honestly didn’t until you came into our lives. ”
“Sorry, I’m being stupid.” Her brows furrowed. “I guess I’m just worried about Kara. She’s always been the solid twin and now she seems so... lost.”
“You’re a good sister.” I gave her a quick kiss and then gestured to the food on our laps. “We should finish eating so we can take a stroll while the sun sets.”
“Look at you being all romantic.” Her mood did another complete one-eighty and she dove right back into her food.
My alpha instincts were screaming at me that she was going to start her heat. All the signs were there—abrupt shifts in mood, hot flashes, uncertainty—but she said she wasn’t and she knew her body best.
My alarm went off at six in the morning, and I grabbed my phone to turn it off. I hadn’t had the best night’s sleep and the temptation to go back to bed was strong, but I could nap on our flight.
After Kayla and I had finished our food the night before and walked on the beach, we’d come home and watched a movie. She’d seemed completely normal when we’d parted ways to go to bed, but I wanted to check on her before we headed to the airport.
Apparently, everyone else had the same idea as I did because Beck, Rio, and Rylan were all coming from their bedrooms. It was eerie how we sometimes didn’t even need to communicate to know what we needed to do as a pack.
I’d wanted to sleep with her, but she’d insisted we all needed our beauty sleep so we could be at our best for our playoff game later that evening. I couldn’t have cared less about the playoffs at that point.
“I slept like shit,” Beck muttered as we walked across the hallway to the primary suite. “Jesus, I can smell her already.”
“I told you guys she was going into heat.” I reached the door first and opened it, a plume of her perfume smacking me right in the nose and the effects going straight to my dick.
The room was dark besides light coming in through the open French door. My skin prickled from the chill in the air.
Beck shoved past me, going to the side of the bed closest to the door that Kayla had made her spot. He sat down gently and pulled the covers back just enough so we could all see her.
She was beautiful when she slept and the peace on her face was confusing since I’d half expected her to be panting and sweaty from a heat spike.
“Kayla, wake up.” Beck leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
She groaned and rolled over, grabbing a pillow and tugging it under the blankets. “Go away.”
“We’re going to leave soon... say the word and we’ll stay.” I knelt on the bed and tugged the pillow away from her so she couldn’t hide. “You slept with the door open all night and you’re perfuming more than ever.”
She rolled onto her back, her fists going to her eyes and rubbing. “Huh?” She sniffed. “I’m fine.”
“Did you stop taking your pills?” Beck started stroking her arm. “If you’re about to start your heat...”
“I’m still taking them.” She let her hands drop to the blankets covering her. “Even if I am about to start my heat, it’ll be mild. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Maybe she should come with us.” Rylan went and shut the door to the balcony. “She can stay in the hotel suite, and we can post some guards outside.”
“If she’s about to be in heat, it’s not safe for her to travel.” Rio adjusted himself in his boxers. “We either need to withdraw from competition or-”
“No.” Kayla sat up, the covers dropping to show her flushed, naked chest which she quickly remedied by pulling a sheet to cover herself. “You guys have been working your asses off for this. I always run hotter during my heats. I don’t think that esquites agreed with me either, but I’ll be fine.”
Fine usually didn’t mean she was actually fine.
“Beck, where’s your thermometer?” I asked, heading for the bathroom.
“Left drawer.”
I grabbed it and came back, ready to stick it in her ear. She batted me away with an annoyed whine. “Let me go back to sleep. I don’t need my temperature taken.”
“Let him take your temperature.” Beck’s alpha bark had the boner I’d popped quickly deflating. “You’re as stubborn as a mule.”
Falling back onto the pillows, she glared up at Beck as she turned her head to the side. “I’ll show you a mule when I kick you in the balls.”
“Do it.” Beck was back to stroking her arm, and the only reason I knew he was talking to me and not telling Kayla to kick him was because he was looking at me.
Too bad. I would have liked to see her put him in his place.
I put the thermometer in her ear and pressed the button, pulling it out when it beeped. “Ninety-nine point eight. That’s a little elevated.”
“Kayla.” Beck put his hand on her cheek. “Say the word and we’ll stay.”
“I don’t need you guys to stay. What I need is some sleep.” She pulled the covers up sharply over her head, forcing Beck’s hand away and hiding herself from our concerned stares.
Beck growled and stood. “You’ll call us if anything changes. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Now go before you miss your flight.” She didn’t uncover her head and we all shared a brief look before leaving the room. We didn’t need to correct her that the plane could wait.
“What are we going to do?” I started pacing in the hall. “We can’t leave her.”
“She wants us to go. We’ll go.” Beck strode back toward his new room.
Rio had been awfully quiet, and I turned to him. “What do you think we should do?”
“Honestly? She’s been going through heats for years, and if she says she’s fine for us to leave...” He seemed unsure and rubbed a hand over his face. “We can come back right after the game.”
“I don’t know. It feels wrong to leave her when she’s going into her heat. I don’t care if she’s been handling it before now.” With one last look at her door, I followed Rio and Rylan back toward our rooms.
“It’s not how we feel about it. She’s fiercely independent, and as much as it goes against some of our instincts, if we don’t listen to her, we could ruin things with her.
Let’s go, like she wants, and use this as fuel to win.
” Rylan might have been the youngest, but sometimes his words made so much sense.
He was right that she had her own way of dealing with her suppressed heats, and if she didn’t want us around then we had to respect that.
Even if it felt wrong.