14
Scarlett
I f Kate doesn’t stop staring at Wren, I’m going to seriously have to reconsider my decision not to pluck out her fucking eyeballs.
It doesn’t help either when she makes stupid remarks like, “I’m sorry, Scarlett.
He’s like every book boyfriend come true.
Except this one’s a sexy viking god.” I can tell it amuses Wren, but only because I’m getting so worked up about it.
I may not be able to allow myself to have him fully, but that doesn’t mean he’s up for grabs for other omegas.
“Don’t you have a shift at the diner this afternoon?
” I grouse where I’m seated on our ratty couch.
She’s lounging back on the cushion she’d been sitting on before those Detectives had come, and poor Wren’s managed to squeeze his massive frame into the narrow recliner we have across from us.
There’s a whole coffee table between us, and I don’t fucking like it.
It’s like my body’s trying to tell me it’s a sin having him so close and not being all up in his business.
“Yes, but it’s ten o’clock in the morning, Scar. Lighten up a little. Don’t you have a client sketch to finish?” She can be just as snide as me sometimes, and that’s annoying as hell.
I narrow my eyes on her, opening my mouth to snap back, but Wren cuts in. “Client sketch? Are you a designer?” I groan inwardly at the question, and Kate turns towards him with glee in her eyes I really don’t like.
“Oh, Scarlett didn’t tell you? She’s really talented. Tell me, Wren, are you an art enthusiast?” She practically purrs the question at him, and it takes all of my will power not to reach out and slap her. It’s like she’s desperate to spill all of my secrets.
“Shut up, Kate. Seriously. That is not something you have the right to divulge.” I’m glaring daggers at the side of her face, but she just waves me off like she’s not concerned about my threatening tone.
Wren’s watching me when he answers her, but I refuse to look directly at him for this conversation. “I enjoy art, but Apollo–my pack brother–is more into that scene than I am.” I perk up at that bit of information, shifting slightly on the couch.
“Scarlett’s made a pretty big name for herself in a lot of online forums and galleries.
I’m sure your little Apollo has heard all about her.
Well, at least her alias, anyway.” Kate taps a finger against the coffee table where one of my sketch pads sits, closed thankfully, and it snags Wren’s attention like a bear to honey.
“May I?” He dips his chin towards it when I finally meet his eyes, and I only hesitate for a second or two, before I nod with a shrug.
“It’s really nothing special.” I mutter, but I hold my breath as he takes the worn pad in his hands. He falls silent for several minutes, his facial expression doing all sorts of weird things while he looks through it, most of the emotions coming and going too fast for me to read them.
He pauses on one of my favorite sketches, a piece I published on my art blog a few months ago after I first arrived here.
“This is… this is the pier.” His voice sounds strange as he stares at it, and when he looks up to meet my eyes, I nod.
“You’re Ruby. Ruby Rain. I never made the connection.
” His tone makes me wonder what it is about that piece that he connects with so much.
The Parkway pier wasn’t even one of the most popular destinations here in the city, though, admittedly, it was one of my favorites.
“It’s just a hobby.” I shrug again. I don’t usually get uncomfortable with praise for my art, but the way he’s looking at me now makes me shift again on the couch cushion.
“You sold this about six months ago in an online auction after you posted it on your blog. Apollo wouldn’t shut up about it.” He says in disbelief, and I quirk an eyebrow at him.
“Yes. I remember selling it.” Understatement of the fucking century. I got ten grand for that piece during that auction. “How do you know about the auction? From Apollo?”
He shakes his head, looking back down at the sketch again before looking back up.
“You came in through the employee entrance at Raven , so you wouldn’t have seen it.
I know about that auction because I’m the one that bought the piece.
It was meant to be for Apollo’s birthday, but he wanted to hang it up in the entrance lounge of the club. ”
Shock ripples through me, and I’m stunned for a solid thirty seconds before Kate bursts out into inappropriate giggles.
When my head snaps towards her, it turns into a full on belly laugh.
“Holy shit! Your scent matched alpha was your sugar daddy before you even met him!” She howls with laughter, clutching at her abdomen.
My mouth gapes open, and Wren’s deep chuckle brings my attention back to him.
“Well?” His eyes sparkle as he shuts my sketchbook and places it back on the coffee table.
“I did drop ten grand on that piece.” Somehow, his words make Kate lose her freaking shit until she’s laughing so hard, she’s crying.
“I don’t understand what is so funny.” I grumble, really wishing I could cross my arms over my chest, but I can’t because of this stupid sling.
“It’s not funny so much as ironic, Sweetheart. You’ve been a part of our lives longer than we realized. Hell, Apollo has an entire album full of smaller pieces you’ve published on your blog. You’ll have to ask him about his super-fan subscription to all things Ruby Rain the next time you see him.”
“Holy shit, that’s priceless.” Kate wheezes as her laughter slowly tapers off to hiccuping chuckles.
“That is ironic. A simple coincidence.” I state in a bored tone, stuffing my free hand into my pocket so Wren can’t see the way it trembles with the news that one of my alphas is already in love with a big piece of my soul.
I’m kind of terrified to tell him.
Fucking hell. It’s only going to make his brand of obsession with me worse.
“I don’t believe in coincidences.” Wren smirks at me, and I roll my eyes, because it’s better than showing any real type of emotion on this particular subject matter.
Doing a complete one-eighty, Kate flips the conversation and shocks the hell out of me all over again. “Why don’t you show your alpha your nest, Scar? I bet he’d like to see where you lay your head down at night. You know, so he knows you’re safe and cozy.”
My mouth pops open when I turn back to face her. She has an evil glint in her eye, and I could absolutely strangle her for it. She’s playing a dangerous game here, though I’m sure she doesn’t care.
Rising slowly to her feet, she stretches like she hasn’t a care in the world. “I’m going to run down to Mrs. Fanning’s place and see if she needs help walking her dog.” Then she saunters out of the apartment, knowing full well the things she’s just done and put into play.
“You don’t have to show me anything, Sweetheart. I can get going if you want.” Wren starts to rise to his feet, and I scramble up to join him. He gives me a sympathetic look, and that somehow makes me want to do the exact opposite of what he’s suggesting.
I’m going to have to kill Kate later for this.
“No.” I exhale in a deep sigh. Against my better judgment, I hold out my hand to him before I can second guess my life choices.
“I want to show my alpha my nest.” I’m not sure why I say it like that.
I blame it on the stupid omega hormones running rampant through my body at the moment.
His close proximity is doing very little to help the situation.
His eyes are fucking smoldering as he lays his hand in mine.
Fuck it. We’re doing this, I guess. My cheeks flame when I begin to perfume while I lead him from the living room and into my bedroom.
I bring us to a halt in the middle of the space and slip my hand out of his to gesture towards my little makeshift nest on my bed.
It’s nothing fancy, but it’s enough for me.
He stares at it for a moment, taking note of all the added things sent from them.
He takes so long observing my nest, I start to fidget, nervous he’s not going to like it.
It had never even occurred to me that I would want or even need my alphas approval when it came to my nest. Is this an omega thing I never knew about?
He turns to me then, his usually cool eyes blazing with an intense heat that steals the breath from my lungs. However, it can’t compare to the next words out of his hot as sin mouth. “You have such a pretty nest, little omega. You’ve been such a good girl, getting your nest ready.”
Fucking shit . I’ve heard stories of alphas giving their omegas praise for building their nests, but to actually be a recipient of that praise? It makes me fucking weak in the knees.
My eyes trail down the length of him, biting down into my plump bottom lip when I catch sight of the noticeable bulge in the front of his jeans. The sight of it definitely has my imagination running wild.
“Do you like what you see, Sweetheart?” His words are practically a purr, edging me on in a way that feels intentional. This alpha is going to be the death of me.
“C-can I have this?” I lift my hand and place it against his chest, my fingers slipping down the hard planes of his muscles.
He quirks a brow at me. “What, Sweetheart? My shirt?”
I nod, biting my lip harder. “All of it.” There’s a little bit of a growl to my words when my fingers twist in the soft fabric of the long sleeved black shirt he’s wearing.
His hands move to push his dark gray jacket off his shoulders. As soon as it hits the floor, he reaches one arm behind him and grasps the neckline of his shirt, before pulling it off in one smooth motion.
Liquid heat pools low in my belly when he hands it over to me. My inner omega is in complete control when I take the shirt from him and march to my nest, bending over to spread it out across one of my favorite pillows, before I turn back to him.