Chapter 28
I’d been holed up drawing in my nest for so long that the sun had set, and the moon peeking through the stained glass windows was nowhere near enough for me to see without turning on the twinkling fairylights strung along the A-frame ceiling, even with the backlight of my tablet.
Deciding that it was time for a break in the form of whatever I could scrounge out of the fridge—a decision absolutely not brought on because Marcus’ car had just pulled into the drive—I clicked the screen of my tablet off and left it behind to head downstairs.
Something about watching my alpha—er, Marcus—get ready on a date with another omega hadn’t sat right with me.
I wasn’t bothered about him going out with Eva specifically…
I just… wanted some of that effort from him for myself.
I’d been Indigo’s boyfriend for long enough, I wanted the rest of the pack to try and accept me too.
Even if I wasn’t exactly what they pictured.
I knew I wasn’t the typical omega. I wasn’t soft or easy to be around. I didn’t live to make the alphas in my life’s fragile egos feel better.
Not saying that Eva did, but how I reacted to the guys probably wasn’t helping my already rocky circumstances.
Really, what kind of pack would stick by an omega that didn’t want a bond?
I could hardly blame them for being as apprehensive about me as I was them.
Indi was fast asleep, snoring softly as I passed by our room, a game console on the bed beside them playing a familiar lofi tune as they napped. Undeniably cute.
I stretched my arms above my head on my way downstairs, trying to loosen the tightness in my shoulders and back from spending most of the day curled like a shrimp over my tablet.
As I got closer to the bottom of the steps, Eva and Marcus’ scents, blended together like the counter of a high end coffee shop—well, except for the actual coffee…
maybe a bakery was more accurate—hit my nose, making my steps even faster with excitement.
When I made it to the kitchen, overly bright even in the night thanks to the cabinets and countertops, my mouth was positively watering.
Marcus kneeled in the suit he’d left in, helping Eva out of her shoes. She’d dressed for the occasion in a silken pink mini dress that clung to her upper thighs, a map of criss crossed cuts marked into her perfect, creamy skin.
For a minute, I almost forgot to be annoyed.
The alpha stood, leaning down for a soft kiss to Eva’s shoulder before moving away to place her shoes by the door.
“Joon!” she said excitedly, hopping up to race around the island to me, arms going around my neck for a kiss. “Give me, like, five minutes! I want to steal some comfy clothes from Indi. Marcus is going to make dessert.”
“Sound great,” I said, catching her around the waist for a quick squeeze. “Careful, Animal Crossroads took their ass out again.”
“Hmmm,” she hummed mischieviously, stealing another kiss before she pulled away. “What I heard was Eva, go jump on Indi so he doesn’t miss crème br?lée.”
I laughed, giving her ass a playful little smack on the way past. “Let’s see how that works out for you, princess.”
When I returned my attention to Marcus, he’d removed his suit jacket, laying it on the round table in the breakfast nook, and was in the process of rolling up his sleeves over his impressive forearms. He really was huge, even for an alpha.
Where Indi and Cameo were on the leaner side, Marcus was a full wall of muscle.
And those muscles were built on the back of hand whisking and probably moving heavy bags of flour or whatever the fuck else you did at a restaurant.
“Have a nice evening?” he asked, removing ingredients from a grocery bag with the crinkle of paper.
“Yeah, fine,” I said, brows furrowing slightly. “Don’t they serve dessert at that fuck expensive restaurant you own?”
Marcus chuckled. “They do. Eva said it sounded so delicious that she wanted to share it with everyone.”
Irritation flickered again as I leaned on the island.
Of course, sweet as pie Eva wanted to share with everyone. It’s what sweet, perfect omega’s would do.
Me? I would’ve eaten in the restaurant with Marcus. No guilt involved.
“That was nice of her.”
The alpha pulled out a pot, starting the base so quickly that I barely caught the ingredients past what’d been set on the counter. Eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, and a whole load of strawberries and chocolate. He faced the stove, whisking away as he brought the contents of his pot up to temperature.
"I had a feeling you’d appear the second we got home. Want to know how it went? Or trying to snag some time with Eva for yourself?”
"I didn’t come down for you," I lied, rolling my eyes. “I just wanted water."
“Then I guess you don't want dessert, is that right?”
“Really?” I scoffed, not in the mood for the alpha’s… was this teasing?
Unlikely. Marcus didn’t tease. I was pretty sure that if he so much as accidentally stumbled into innuendo he’d have a coronary.
Still… when the alpha turned his head to catch my eye, the light in his green eyes was something decidedly close to humor.
"If you want something more than water. If not, I'm sure Cam will eat it."
"I want it," I said quickly, but the feeling of instant defeat stung.
God, I was weak to custard and caramelized sugar…
Something that made Marcus just about the most dangerous alpha in the house. Well, aside from Cameo, who was literally dangerous with the whole knife thing.
I went looking for a glass, but the alpha was right in front of the cupboard where they were stored, putting eggs into two bowls.
"Excuse me," I said, waiting for him to move.
"You're excused," he said, cracking another egg on the countertop and using the two halves of the shell to separate the yolk away from the white.
"I need a cup."
"Do you?" he asked, turning towards me.
Was there a reason he needed to be so fucking stub—oh.
That nearly playful glimmer was in his eyes again, a smirk playing at the edge of his mouth that was decidedly playful.
"I do," I said, poking him hard in the chest, my words missing half the bite they usually would’ve held. "Now move."
"And if I don't?"
"Then I'll just go around you."
His brow rose, half-smile teetering dangerously into actual smile territory. "I'd love to see you try."
I was kind of hoping he wouldn't call my bluff since he was the size of a damn refridgerator. But I was nothing if not determined. My first instinct was to stand on his feet and jump, but that clearly wasn’t going to work.
Instead, I tried to shimmy behind him, but he was so heavy I couldn’t separate him from the counter.
Especially not with the alpha locking his arms with his hands flat on the countertop, keeping himself in place.
"God, did you eat a brick house or something?" I grumbled as I kept trying to get behind him.
"Not the last time I checked. Though Indigo’s pancakes aren’t far off from a brick."
"Smartass."
I wasn't giving up. I kept trying to push him, as futile as it was. Nothing better came to mind. Classic Marcus, get me all riled up so I couldn’t think about much more than his stupid, sweet, creamy scent and how easily he’d be able to throw me around this kitchen if he wanted to.
That was a big if.
"You know, you could try saying please."
"Please?" I asked incredulously.
"Almost, but more like a full question. Less like you’re giving me attitude."
“Just give me a glass,” I said, a whine coming through my tone stronger than I intended.
“You were closer before,” he said, combining the yolks and sugar he’d placed in the bowl with a bored expression that made me want to give in even less.
I tried a few more hard shoves with the same result. Not an inch of movement.
"God, will you please get me a glass?"
“No need to call me god,” Marcus chuckled, grabbing one of the glasses from the cupboard. “Alpha suits me just fine. Now, was that so hard?”
"Was that so hard?" I mimicked brattily as I reached for the glass.
He pulled it back just before I got a grip on it, keeping it out of my reach with his longer arms. “You should be nice to someone doing you a favor.”
I groaned, tired of this game before it had even really started. I was a younger brother and an omega, keep away was practically gospel in my house growing up. And Mason? He was just as tall as Marcus.
And probably even more annoying.
“Fine, I don’t need your cup,” I said with a sniff, turning my mose up at the alpha and stomping over to the sink. I turned on the faucet, pulling the hose near my mouth, ready to take a drink.
As I moved my face towards it, the water shut off, Marcus’ hand landing on the faucet.
Playtime, it seemed, was over. That impassive look returning to his eyes making me wish that I’d just played along with him a little longer.
“Use a cup. I don’t want to scrub the sink.”
“My mouth isn’t dirty,” I huffed.
“Everyone’s mouth is dirty.”
He moved me out of the way and filled the glass before pushing it into my hands.
"Brat," he mumbled before turning back to the stove.
If he thought I was being a brat just then, surely if was my responsbility as his omega to show him what a real brat looked like, right?
I set it down the glass before lifting myself to sit on the edge of the island, scooting myself back on the flat surface until I could cross my legs comfortably.
"What are you doing?" Marcus asked, turning as soon as he heard me.
"Drinking my water," I said, bringing the glass to my lips pointedly.
With the boost from the island, we were almost the same height. It was strange looking at Marcus eye to eye after months of basically looking straight up his nose.
"You're sitting on my counter," he said, equal parts of irritation and disbelief in his tone.
"Very observant," I praised. “Going to tell me I make a handsome brunet too?”
"Funny. Get off."
"What happened to please?"
The growl that rumbled from his chest shot straight to my cock.