22. Sterling #2
She’s laughing so hard she has to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes. “Okay, maybe I let it slip that I could get you down here this morning.”
I give her a look.
“What?” she says between giggles. “Quinn looked so hopeful.”
Quinn's lips curl into that easy, knowing smile that somehow manages to be both reassuring and wildly dangerous. He nudges JP with his elbow. The other Alpha barely reacts—just lifts his chin in that ‘I’m too cool to be bothered by this’ kind of way of his, like my presence means nothing at all. But I know better.
Because his eyes never leave me. Not for a second. And my heart beats a little faster because of it.
“Oh, this is rich,” Gentry drawls, her Southern accent all honey and amusement as she takes a slow, smug sip of her latte, leaning back onto the booth.
Lily gives me a little push. “Go say hi, sweets. Your pack’s here.”
“Not my pack,” I grit out, cheeks burning.
But I’m already standing. In fact, I stand up too fast and bump the table, sloshing coffee all over the tabletop.
I take a steadying breath, smoothing my hands down the front of my hoodie like that’ll somehow make me less obviously nervous.
Blake perches in Cass’s arms, chattering about something with wild gestures, while Quinn leans in, listening with that soft look he reserves just for his son. JP is stone-faced as usual, but I catch the flicker of his eyes the second they shift in my direction.
I remind myself to breathe. To act normal. To remember how small talk works when you’re not in the middle of a full-blown identity crisis about whether or not you want to be courted by three absurdly hot and very interested Alphas.
Just be cool.
“Hi,” I say, stopping a few feet from them.
Cass turns first, blinking like he’s genuinely surprised. “Well, look who’s here.”
Quinn raises his brows, playing it casual as he glances toward the Omega table. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”
JP just nods in that slow, unreadable way of his. “Didn’t expect you.”
I fold my arms, narrowing my eyes at all three of them. “Really?”
Cass shrugs, doing a terrible job of hiding the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Total coincidence.”
“Complete surprise,” Quinn echoes, biting back a smile as he lifts Blake from Cass’s arms, hugs him tight, and sets him down gently on the floor.
JP doesn’t say anything, but I catch the slight twitch in his jaw. Busted.
I glance over my shoulder at Daisy and the Omegas who are definitely watching and trying very hard to look like they’re not.
“I’m going to kill her,” I mutter.
Cass chuckles. “If it helps, we were ambushed, too.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, not even trying to hide my suspicion. “You all just happened to swing by Dizzy D’s at the exact time Daisy lured me here with a promise of free breakfast?”
“Wild, right?” Quinn’s eyes twinkling.
“More like being thrown out of bed before the sun’s up by a sister who thinks 6 AM is a reasonable time for a visit,” JP grumbles, shooting Daisy a murderous look.
“Baker’s hours!” she shouts back, all sass and zero fucks given.
I laugh.
Because I like that they’re here.
I like it way too much. It’s so easy to fall into their company.
I’m about to invite them to join us when the bell over the door jingles again.
A second gust of cold air sweeps through the restaurant and the temperature in the room shifts. The warmth drains out of the room like someone flipped a switch.Not just the air, but the energy. All eyes snap to the door behind me.
Cass’s entire body locks up—shoulders going rigid, arms dropping down and tightening around Blake, his jaw clenched so hard I swear I hear his teeth grind.
A chill slices down my spine. I turn slowly, every hair on my body standing on end, and find the behemoth that is Cass’s father. He is huge, hulking and gives off this slimy aura that makes my skin crawl. How can someone as beautiful and alluring as Cass come from someone like him?
Blake goes still.
Then I watch as his small fingers curl tighter into Cass’s pants, his tiny body shrinking in on itself, his face pressing against Cass’s legs.
“Well,” Graves says, his voice smooth, dripping with contempt. “Look at you playing house, Caspian.” Cass is already bristling, but his father ignores him.
Instead, his cold, calculating gaze shifts to me.
“Though it is nice to meet you,” he muses, his lips curling into something that might be a smile if it weren’t so fucking cruel. “Without my son’s hands under your skirt.”
Cass steps in front of me so fast it’s dizzying, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
“Watch your fucking mouth.”
“This isn’t the place for this,” Quinn grits out.
Graves laughs.
I can feel my face heat with humiliation. It makes me want to curl into myself and hide. A feeling I promised myself I’d never let anyone make me feel again.
Just then, Blake wriggles free from Cass’s grip. And runs. Straight to me.
I barely have time to react before his small body collides with mine, his arms wrapping tight around my waist, his face pressing into my stomach.
And when I finally look up, meeting the cold, piercing gaze of the man standing in front of Cass—I feel a deep well of fire burning in my belly. Every cell in my body screams at me to protect this child, my instincts burning away the humiliation and fear.
I feel my teeth bare, my Omega surging forward, unrelenting.
I don’t care who he is, Alpha or not, because Blake is clutching me like I’m the only safe place in the room.
Cass moves to put both me and Blake behind him and I feel Quinn and JP come up behind me.
Graves lets a low, dry chuckle escape, like Cass just proved his point.
“So easy to rile up,” he mutters, checking his watch. “Still so predictable.”
Cass shakes with fury, his fists clenched at his sides, but Graves just keeps talking, voice laced with mockery.
“Get out,” Cass demands.
“I think it’s time you find another place to get coffee.” Daisy comes up next to me. But Graves ignores her, his eyes only for Cass.
“What, now you need Omegas to fight for you?” he mocks, giving us a cold look. “You always were weak. Some things never change.”
“I don’t need anyone to do shit for me,” Cass snaps, his voice louder than before. “No one ever has…except these people right here. Especially not you. I’ve been dealing with your bullshit my whole fucking life. So either tell me what you want, or get the fuck out and leave me alone.”
His eyes close for just a moment, like he’s trying to bury the intensity before it breaks through.
But he’s struggling, I can see it—the way his muscles coil tight, the way his jaw clenches, the hard lines of his face sharpening with restrained fury.
Graves can, too, and instead of leaving, he just steps closer, dripping with antagonism.
I know he’s about to push Cass’s buttons until he hits him. I can feel it radiating off Cass like a storm building just beneath the surface.
Graves just lets out a bark of laughter, egging his son on, trying to get him to do something that he’ll just tear himself apart over.
Blake flinches as Graves steps closer again until he’s almost touching Cass. I feel Blake’s distress: his little fingers tighten against me, his tiny body curling tighter, trying to disappear.
It tugs hard on my heartstrings.
Who does this to their own kid? Who acts like this in front of children? Hell, who acts like this at all?
And just like that, I’m done.
Graves might hold something over these Alphas—but he holds nothing over me.
I’m so damn tired of bullies.
Of people who think power means control.
Of men like him.
I shift, swinging Blake around to my back so he doesn’t have to look Graves in the face. His little arms clasp around my neck and I feel him bury his face in between my shoulder blades. I lock my arms behind me to support him. I step in front of Cass and glare up at Graves.
I can feel JP, Quinn, and Cass try to stop me but I glare at them too, digging deep and pulling out my best ‘disapproving teacher’ stare.
“This stops now. You need to leave. You’re embarrassing yourself and scaring Blake. Enough.” My voice is steady, despite the rage burning through me.
He arches a brow, amused.
“Oh?” he drawls.
“Now.” And I put every ounce of fire I have into that word.
Cass’s father studies me, like I’m some kind of puzzle he can’t quite figure out.
Then his gaze drops back to Blake, his big eyes peeking over my shoulder, lingering just a second too long.
“Be careful, sweetheart,” he says with a smirk. “You might think you’ve snagged yourself a perfect little family—that you’re safe with him. But trust me—he’s got Redgrave blood in him. And that will ruin you. The same way it ruined his mother.”
Cass growls. It’s low, deadly, vibrating through the entire room.
“If I were you, I’d find a reason to get gone real quick,” Graves says, his gaze sliding back to me with a sneer. “This pack isn’t worth your time.”
I hold my ground, my fingers tightening protectively around Blake.
“That’s not your decision to make,” I say.
“We’ll see.” His smirk deepens. “Soon enough.”
Then he turns and leaves.
And the moment the door shuts behind him, all the adrenaline that had been fueling my fury floods my system.
My chest tightens, my limbs tremble, and I feel close to hyperventilating.
It’s no small thing for an Omega to stand up to an Alpha—especially one as potent as Graves.
He’s a bad man, no question. But he’s also a powerful Alpha, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel it. Didn’t know what kind of danger I’d just poked in the chest. I don’t doubt for a second that today’s stunt will come back to haunt me.
Why did he even come in here? He didn’t want coffee or anything else. It’s like his only reason for showing up was to mess with Cass. To twist the knife. To hurt him.
And that makes my blood boil all over again.
I slowly exhale, my grip on Blake easing as the weight of the moment settles.
I glance up at Quinn, already bracing myself—ready to apologize, to explain, to say something. I expect censure. Anger. A look that says I overstepped. That I put my nose where it didn’t belong.
But his expression freezes the words in my mouth. He’s amused. He tilts his head at me, a sly smile curving his lips.
“That,” he says, slow and approving, “was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen.”
I blink, caught off guard.
I glance at JP, and to my surprise, he looks…appreciative. Maybe even a little proud.
He doesn’t say anything—just turns and heads toward his sister. But not before casting a very pointed, very heated look in my direction.
The kind of look that makes my breath catch and my knees feel a little less steady.
A laugh unexpectedly bubbles out of me—a nervous, skittish-sounding thing. And a weight eases from my chest…until I look over at Cass.
He’s seething, barely containing himself beneath the surface.
I’m left wondering if I just made everything worse when Cass storms out of the café without a word or a glance in my direction.