Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Silver
“That guy is the coolest fucking guy in the world,” Aero whispers, his lips tickling my ear as his breath brushes over my neck, a hint of the freshly made cinnamon rolls still lingering on his lips from the orgasmic food Barnes made for us all today.
Grinning in Alek’s direction, I watch as he pulls back another arrow in his fancy new bow, his white-blond hair—matching to mine—tied back in a messy bun with two braids lining either side of his head. The rest is shorn short, only a fuzz of stubble left behind, because his hair is hella thick like mine. Shirtless and wearing only low slung, tan colored sweatpants that look a little worn and haggard, the dude looks like a damned Viking come to life, and I roll my eyes as the big bastard shoots off another arrow at the free-standing target he’s set up in the gym.
“I should have made you put a bet on it,” I snicker, leaning on the wall with my arms crossed, my own hand decked out with shooting gloves made for archery.
Ignoring my statement, he gushes, “Did you see the swords?”
“Hard not to notice it when they take up the entire wall,” I joke, taking my eyes off my cousin to glance at the collection of beautiful weaponry my cousin collects. Some are antique, some new, but all in top notch condition. There are several detailed beauties up there that cost a mint, and some that didn’t cost a kidney, but each one is considered Alek’s pride and joy. Touch one, and he’ll lob your fingers off with a rusty butcher knife.
“Also, what the hell is the bow and arrow thing about? Coolest fucking hobby ever,” Aero continues, the awe bleeding through his words with such clarity that I can’t help but grin a little bigger.
Before I can offer an answer I’m sure will go ignored, because the omega is fully fan-girling over my cousin right now, Alek lowers his bow after shooting the arrow, piercing the bullseye only just within the circle. He holds out the bow toward me and says, “Have a go of that. It feels better than the last one I bought.”
The air shifts with how fast Aero turns his head to look at me, and I’m still grinning as I accept the bow, feeling its weight in my hand and testing the string. “Lighter, too. When did you get this one?”
“Couple of days ago. Laz wouldn’t let me test it out until the new target arrived, which it did this morning,” he answers, crossing his meaty arms over his chest as he stands back with Aero while I retrieve an arrow and lightly nock it in the bow with expert precision.
Taking a deep breath, I draw the arrow back, my hold on the bow relaxed and steady. With my back straight but body otherwise loose and relaxed, I inhale and hold my breath before releasing the arrow. There’s a whizzing sound as the arrow shoots through the air before it hits the target with a thud, the ass-end poking out of the center of the bullseye, proving once more that I am the superior archer to my Viking cousin.
Lowering the bow, I turn my smug grin onto the two men watching, Aero’s face an absolute picture. His mouth is slack with shock, hands on his hips, with his pretty eyes solely on me. It’s a heady feeling, having his attention so thoroughly, and I do my best to hide how much I like it.
My cousin helps with that, the whopping boob scowling playfully at me.
“You cheated,” he proclaims like always, throwing his arms up like he’s actually bothered that I beat him yet again.
Rolling my eyes, I hold out the bow and ask, “Explain to me again how I can cheat at archery. What do you think I did, rigged the arrows before coming over here? Promised them a life of freedom if they only listen to me?”
“I don’t know how you did it, but I know you did, and I will prove it one of these days,” my cousin playfully gripes, accepting the bow back.
“You’re an idiot,” I quip, removing the glove and handing that over, too.
Alek only grins as he replaces his new weapon, carefully balancing it on the new hook he’s had installed since I was here last. “An idiot with a bow and arrow and a wall of swords. You’ll do well to remember that.”
At the last minute, his eyes drop to Aero, and I burst out laughing when the omega’s eyes widen a fraction and his head snaps in my direction.
“We’re so scared. Shaking in our sneakers,” I mock, still chuckling as Aero shakes his head like he’s just stepped into another universe and he’s still adjusting. I mean, it is pretty wild standing in a large gym built at the back of a massive property that sits in the solitude of the countryside, shooting arrows and gushing over swords and shit with a dude who looks like a descendent of Ragnar Lodbrok. And that was after watching Mac and Ford beating the shit out of one another with their MMA instructor. Pretty sure that was an intimidation factor when Alek informed them I had a friend coming with me, because I’m sure MMA training is on Friday, not Sunday…
But I digress, because in spite of all that, Aero somehow found eating brunch made by Professor Barnes Champion the trippiest thing he’s experienced thus far. It’s the little things, right?
“Whatever. Come on, you little shit,” he snickers, grabbing his beige tank top and throwing it on as he leads us back out of the gym and along the path that takes us to the back of the beautiful and updated wood-and-brick farmhouse with a wraparound porch.
Leading us inside and to the open and airy living room with an oversized, flat-screen TV that hangs from the damned ceiling, Alek sits on the floor, back against the pillow-like couch with a pleading look on his face already. I know what he’s going to ask before the words slip free of his mouth, my eyes still rolling as the dumbass asks, “Think you can fix my braids for me? Laz tried, but his fat fingers didn’t do them tight enough.”
“I heard that, you ungrateful bastard,” Lazarus shouts from upstairs, likely in the office which sits just at the top of the stairs, his English accent thick and charming. “I warned you that you’d be better off waiting for Silver, but did you listen? Did you fuck. Don’t come crying to me next time.”
Alek is grinning at me, and I shake my head. “He’s going to strangle you one of these days.”
“Nah. He loves me too much,” Alek assures, as though it were an actual possibility but Lazarus’s love for him keeps him safe.
“As much as I love stepping in shit,” Laz calls back, and I hear the smile in his voice that proves he’s joking.
Taking a seat beside Alek, Aero claiming the seat directly beside me, close enough that I feel his body heat, I begin unravelling Alek’s hair. Running my fingers through his still thick hair, unknotting any snags with gentle touches, I ask, “So, how’s things?”
“Good. Stocks are up, so good news for us. Took a hit a couple of weeks ago, but we’re on a steady incline and back to making money,” he answers, tipping his head back for me without me having to ask.
“Love to hear it. How’re things outside of business, though?” I wonder, feeling Aero shift beside me as though he’s leaning in to watch me braid Alek’s hair. Sure enough, a quick glance shows him with his head almost close enough to mine that our cheeks would brush if I only shifted slightly to the right.
Smiling, I begin separating Alek’s hair into different strands as he answers. “Good on that front too, kid. Barnes has a crush, but he won’t tell us who it is. He’s keeping secrets because, and I quote, ‘we’re all unstable nutcases who don’t know how to be chill with women.’ He’s full of shit, obviously. Laz is mad chill. The twins are super chill.”
“That leaves just you without the chill, dude,” I point out.
“Okay, so maybe he won’t tell us because I have no chill. I’m curious, sue me,” he grouches, lips twitching with a suppressed smile as he rolls his eyes. “Anyway, all I know is that she smells like a banana split, works at the university, and isn’t keen on alphas.”
I pause, sure I know exactly who that is, because I only know one person in the whole of North U that smells like Alek’s favorite dessert.
“What? Why did you stop?” he blurts, watching me from where he’s peering at me upside down.
Shaking my head, I make the quick decision not to share, because if Barnes isn’t revealing the identity of his new crush, then there has to be a reason for it. Each of the alphas in Alek’s pack are all honest, almost to a fault. They don’t keep secrets, ever, so there has to be a good explanation for why he’s keeping Miss Favero a secret from his pack.
“Just had a thought,” I answer, quickly switching the topic just as I begin to twist one portion of Alek’s hair into a Dutch braid. “Have you talked to Meemaw lately?”
Alek stares at me for a long moment before nodding, receiving a slap to the forehead a split second later. Wincing, he glares and mutters, “Okay, one, ouch, you bitch. Two, yeah. I spoke to her yesterday. Did you know your mom and dads are planning a charity benefit?”
I groan, already fully aware and regretting my choices. “Yup. Meemaw suckered me with that shit.”
“You’re going?” Alek blurts, his face morphing into one of horrified amusement.
Nodding as though I’ve been sentenced to death and simply have to accept my fate, I sigh and explain, “Only because Meemaw, Paw Hudson, and Paw Copper want me there. They guilt-tripped me until I said yes, using the excuse that they never see me anymore. I can’t say no to them, even if I saw them last month for an entire week. They still wrangled a promise from me that I’d show my face, and I regret being so weak-willed where they’re concerned.”
Silence answers me for only a handful of seconds before Alek bursts out into laughter, and my lips twitch even if I find my new predicament as annoying as Munro’s beautiful face.
“Oh, man,” Alek breathes, crossing his meaty arms over his defined chest. “That’s funny. I only agreed to go because Ford and Mac’s company are auctioning a vacation getaway and they’re presenting it at the benefit.”
“So, we’re both fucked then?” I snicker, keeping Alek’s hair tight in my grip and ensuring the braids are snug enough that they won’t get loose.
I feel him begin to shake his head and lift my hand at the ready, only for my cousin to stop immediately and use his words to answer me. “Not as fucked as you, kid. You know as well as I do that your parents will be trapezing several packs in your face all night, trying to force you to consider courting a pack they approve of.”
Offering him a bland look, I grumble, “It’ll be an ice-cold day in hell when that happens. You and I both know I’m not interested in that circus.”
“So, take a date,” Lazarus quips from the top of the stairs, descending like a fancy English Duke wearing modern-day clothing. His shirt is plain, gray with a little tick logo on the chest, while his jeans fit him snugly. His caramel-brown hair is impeccably styled, coiffed out of his face, and it tests my urge to run over and mess it up just for shits and giggles.
“A date?” I ask, moving on to the next braid in Alek’s hair.
“Sure, a date. If your mother insists on parading potential packs under your nose like a steak to a lion, then why not beat her at her own game by taking one of your choosing? That way she will leave you alone for the night, and you put her in an awkward situation at the same time. She’ll have invited those packs with a promise of an introduction with the heir of the Gage fortune, only for you to show up with a pack she hasn’t vetted, handpicked, and ensured would produce perfect little Silvers. Play chess, not checkers, darling.”
I pause, mulling over his words, finding them a lot more appealing than they rightfully should be. It would get her and the dads off my back for the evening, I’m sure Meemaw and Paws would get a kick out of it, and it means I can actually relax for the evening instead of creating crafty ways to escape the pushy and demanding attention of the packs my mother keeps trying to set me up with. Wealth-born, blue collar, fancy-pants packs I have literally zero interest in. The only problem? Who the hell would I ask?
“I don’t know a pack that I could take with me. I’m not asking Juno to let me borrow her bonded, that’s for sure,” I point out, glancing at Lazarus as he takes a seat in the cozy armchair near the unlit fireplace.
I catch the moment his mossy-green eyes glance at Aero, and I’m suddenly all too aware of the omega who’s been as quiet as a church mouse all this time and is still seated right beside me. I can still feel his warmth, hear his steady breaths as he continues to watch me braid Alek’s hair in concentrated silence, and smell his mouthwatering scent that I want to bottle and bathe in.
Subtly, I shake my head at Lazarus, warning him with my eyes not to go in the direction I’m now all too aware he’s racing toward. In my alarm, I accidentally tug a little too hard on Alek’s hair, and the big baby yelps, drawing everyone’s attention.
“I didn’t pull that hard, you drama queen,” I tease, gentling my hold and rolling my eyes.
“Damn near tore my hair out from the roots, you monster. Be careful. I’m precious goods,” he volleys, breaking the tension that started filling my body. “Meemaw said so herself.”
“Meemaw is a filthy liar. The only thing precious about you is your cuddly toy collection,” I mock, falling back into the usual banter between my cousin and me.
“You have to stop bringing that up. I was eight,” he reminds me for the billionth time, and I relax into the playful bickering, all too aware of Lazarus’s knowing smile and Aero’s body beside mine.
Even as I try to ignore the obvious insinuation from Laz, immersing myself into playing hairdresser for my cousin and enjoying the remainder of my visit with him and his pack that I consider just as much as family as I do Alek, I can’t help but wonder if Laz might have been onto something.
That thought carries me all the way through the visit, my mind still running with it by the time Aero and I find ourselves back in the car and driving back to the house I now share with them.
Lost in thought, it takes me a moment to realize Aero is trying to get my attention. “Earth to Silverrrr. Anyone home?”
Blinking rapidly and momentarily concerned that I wasn’t paying enough attention to the road, I clear my throat and blurt, “Sorry, I was miles away. What did you say?”
Aero softly chuckles before he repeats himself, “I asked if everything was okay, because you’ve been a little spacey since Alek mentioned some ball your parents are hosting. Are you good?”
Sighing, I nod, and then quickly change it to a head shake. “I’m dreading the whole thing, if you want an honest answer. It’s going to be a shit-show, and the only reason I said I’d show my face was because Meemaw guilt-tripped me like the little player she is.”
Aero snorts, but he turns in his seat to face me. “Okay, so what’s it about this thing that has you on pins? Is it the fact that your mother is going to flaunt packs in your face? Or that you don’t have a date?”
“All of the above and then some,” I answer with a drawn-out sigh, rubbing my temple where a headache has bloomed.
Aero nods slowly. “So, talk to me about it. Tell me everything.”
I glance over at him quickly, finding his expression open and lacking judgement. Not sure how long that will last, but since he’s offering, I decide to divulge a little more of my life to him. That’s what friends do, after all, right?
“Alright, fine,” I agree, trying to think of where to start before blurting out my silly life story to him. “So, you’ve already deduced that I have money.”
Aero snorts, but doesn’t interrupt more than that, lips sealed patiently.
“Right. But I bet you’ve assumed that it came from my parents,” I guess, and based on the small frown on his beautiful face, I’ve guessed correctly. Chuckling humorlessly, I shake my head and stare out of the window as I drive, digging my fingers into my hair as I try to rub a tension headache free of my skull. “Yeah, I thought so. I haven’t had a single cent off my parents since I turned sixteen, and before then, what I received was only approved by my mother and her three husbands. Everything I wore was picked out by them. Any hobby I had was selected specially by each of them, each one ensuring that I had a classical background or whatever. My friends were vetted and approved based on their packs and backgrounds, my studies were all things my parents wanted me to study, and everything I did or wanted to do was always decided by them, from food to how long I slept. I didn’t have an allowance, didn’t get to buy myself things, wasn’t allowed to eat what I wanted when I wanted. They even paid off the boyfriend I had when I was fourteen, ensuring I’d remain a virgin for whatever pack they chose. Twenty thousand dollars to walk out of my life without so much as an explanation. One day he was there, and the next he was gone. My life was ruled and run by my mother and fathers.”
Silence greets me for a long moment after that, and I can almost hear the gears turning in Aero’s head while he mulls over that particular trauma dump. It doesn’t stop there, though. As if my childhood wasn’t a colossal shit show wrangled by invisible chains, then I don’t know what to describe my teen years as.
“At sixteen it all stopped, and that’s only because I finally confided in Meemaw what was happening. Apparently, everyone was under the impression that my mother’s pack was the perfect pack and parents. They doted on me, spoilt me rotten, made sure I had everything I could ever need and want. They painted a beautiful, little picture that I was the loved and cared for omega daughter they always wanted, when in reality, I was a pawn in a game they were playing with my life, because they had a reputation to uphold. And when my sixteenth birthday came around I was told I’d be celebrating by fasting all day before meeting three different packs of teen boys only a year or two older than me, I snuck out of the house and walked two hours to my Meemaw’s house,” I explain, shaking my head while I wondered how the hell I survived that long under the money-and-power-hungry thumbs of pack Gage.
“Everything changed from there, because the moment that woman saw me, she knew something was wrong. I cracked like an egg, told her what was happening, and she threatened my mom into allowing her to take care of me instead. Since Meemaw and my Paws had more money than my mom and her pack, they agreed, and I never went back home, not for any of my belongings that were never really mine, not any keepsakes, and certainly not for my parents,” I divulge, hands gripping the steering wheel while my mind recounts all I had to deal with growing up.
I remember it all so clearly. The salads for dinner every night, the constant water tracking, the way my fucking heats were tracked meticulously. I would be shipped to an Omega center for an entire week while I suffered through my heats, my designation coming in at an early age for an omega. From the age of thirteen I had to deal with painful heats with no relief, only the center to help me through them with methods and ways to ease the pain. Then, as if that wasn’t uncomfortable enough, being taught how to masturbate through a fucking heat cycle, I was told that I wouldn’t be allowed suppressants unless a potential pack allowed it.
Fucking crazy, right? Well, that was my life until the age of sixteen.
I guess Aero wasn’t expecting such a trauma dump, because the guy turns silent for a long moment, so I simply settle into the car ride and wait him out.