Chapter 12 #2
My eyebrows rise at that. I haven’t heard from my dad in a few days, so I have no idea what Forest is talking about.
“How is it weird?”
“He doesn’t seem to like Rhodes all that much. Fia keeps trying to get them to bond.”
“That’s not like Dad,” I say, and River chimes in again.
“Yeah, it’s not. What’s he have against the poor guy? He seems nice enough. Kinda quiet, but yeah.”
Forest shrugs and finishes his can of beer. “No clue. He’s just tense and annoyed most of the time. Was thinking about asking him to go up north with me to the Crimson Howlers’ territory—”
“I can do that,” I interrupt before he can finish his sentence. “It’s supposed to be beautiful up there in the hills, and I need to take a few vacation days so I don’t lose them. I’d like to do a road trip with you.”
Forest cocks his head. “Yeah, guess it would be nice to have someone come along with me that isn’t Dad. I will be busy when I’m there though…”
His words trail off, and his ears turn pink. I say nothing about it. River, on the other hand, can’t help himself.
“What are you gonna be busy doing?” he asks, his head cocked.
I move into the kitchen and bump into River, trying to give him the hint to shut up. It doesn’t work.
“I mean, there isn’t much to do there besides hike around and fuck the Howlers, who are all alphas, right?”
Forest’s cheeks darken, and River howls. “For fucking real?”
I slap him on the back of his head, and River grunts, rubbing the sore spot.
“Hey, that wasn’t nice. That hurt. You know you’re bigger than me.”
“So, shut the fuck up then and help me put the water on the stove.”
River grumbles an apology to Forest and does as I ask. When the water is boiling, I hear the crunch of gravel outside, and I move toward the door as quickly as I can. I don’t want Arbor to see the werewolves outside and immediately leave.
I push open the door and make my way toward his car, the cats meowing at me as I go.
I ignore them, focusing on the fact that Arbor’s car is still idling in the driveway. Thankfully, as I approach, it shuts off.
“Hey,” I say when he hesitantly opens the door.
“Why are they here?” he whispers, still not getting out of the car.
“They kind of won’t leave. I fed them once, and here they are. Every damn day. And by the way, it turns out, they’re not Howlers. They’re werewolves.”
He gasps, and then a giggle escapes his mouth. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. But gods. I feel like this would only happen to you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on. They’re safe. A little annoying, but they’re not gonna hurt you.”
“We heard that!” Corvin shouts. A hiss and a yelp manifest behind me, and I know his booming voice irritated one of the cats. But as I turn, I see he has the cut on his skin to prove it.
I know they heal fast, though; werewolves are notoriously very resistant to injury. Their bodies literally break every full moon and are pieced back together again.
“Oh, I brought you something.”
Arbor reaches into the passenger seat and hands me two bottles of wine.
“I stopped off and grabbed some. Didn’t know which you liked—red or white—so I got one of each.”
“Thanks.”
He nods, closing his car door and locking it with an audible beep. He pushes into my side, and my alpha flares. I place an arm around him, my fingers curling around his waist, and he lets out a sigh of pleasure. I like the sound he just made, too. Can’t even pretend not to.
“Will they be joining us for dinner?” Arbor asks softly, and I shrug.
“I mean, yeah, but they like to eat outside. But, shit, I—well, my brothers are here, too.”
“Oh. Okay. That’s fine. Do you want me to leave?”
“No. I don’t want you to leave, Arbor.”
He peers up at me, wetting his lips. I stare down at them, wanting to close the distance and kiss him, but he moves onto the porch, not saying hello to the werewolves, who watch him intently. I get it, though. He has every right to be wary.
They scared him that day, and the result was my icing him out.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have done that.
“Are you sure your brothers won’t mind me being here?” he asks softly.
The way he says it, I know he means the scent of him. My brothers won’t mind, though. And if they do, they were raised better than to say anything about it.
As soon as we step inside my house, my brothers’ gazes land on Arbor.
Arbor raises a hand in greeting and seems almost shy in the moment.
“Hello, I remember you,” he says to Forest, and Forest salutes him with a drink.
“Sure do. Loved the cheese, man.”
“I’m glad someone enjoyed it.”
River jostles his brother and moves around him, trying to get to us. His eyes slide to my hand that is still clutching his hip, and I slowly remove it.
“Arbor, you met Forest, but this is my other brother, River.”
River sends up a wave, and Arbor returns it.
“Hello. Nice to meet you, River. I, uh, brought wine.”
I set the bottles on the counter and nod to River. “Open one, please. And don’t get the fucking cork stuck in the bottle again.”
“That was, like, one time,” River grumbles.
“It was at least five times,” Forest corrects.
Arbor lets out a soft laugh as he lowers himself into a chair at the small island.
“Can I help with anything?”
“Nah, it’s simple. Just gonna warm everything up and it’ll be ready. Just sit down and relax.”
I hear the pop of a cork, and River gasps. “I did it!” He beams and glances at Arbor. “You’re good luck, my man.”
“I think that was all you.”
River laughs loudly, and I nudge him, not wanting him to get any ideas about my omega. Not that River has ever shown any interest in men, but still. Arbor is unique. Everything about him is different, in the best way.
“Your eyes are cool,” River says. “Neat to have two different colored ones.”
“Yeah,” Arbor replies as he pours himself a small glass of wine, and then River chuckles, takes the bottle from him, and fills it to the brim.
“No need to be shy, dude. It’s cool. I wish I had something interesting like that about me. But I don’t. Sadly.”
Arbor glances at River. “You don’t need it, though. You’re very handsome.”
River perks up at that, and I growl slightly at his comment. I don’t need Arbor thinking my brothers are handsome.
I just want him to think I am.
“You think so? I mean, hypothetically speaking, as an omega, would you want a guy without a knot?”
Arbor chokes slightly and then clears his throat. “I’ve never heard of that. Is that a thing?”
River blushes. “Dunno. Just something I heard once and was curious what an omega thought.”
“Well,”—Arbor’s eyes flash to mine before moving back to River—“I mean, I think if you loved someone, and they loved you, it wouldn’t matter.”
River nods his head and then laughs, a strained, awkward sound. “Well, guess that makes sense. I’m gonna have another beer.”
“You have wine,” I say, but River just rolls his eyes.
“It’s called double fisting, dude.” He cracks open a can and takes a long sip of the beer, and then glugs down the wine. “And I really need it.” He burps. “Been a hellish week at work.”
“Where do you work?” Arbor asks, genuinely curious.
“A start-up IT company. Kinda boring, but it pays the bills. Pays pretty well, actually.”
“Interesting.”
“Kind of, but tell me about your eyes. How did that happen?”
“Leave him alone,” I grunt, trying to get River away from Arbor, but Arbor doesn’t seem bothered by my brother’s questions. Thankfully, it’s just River. Forest is content to just watch it all play out.
“I’m part fae.”
River gasps, and Forest leans toward Arbor and raises an eyebrow. “That so? Thought they were too potent for wolves.”
“Not all, just some. And a lot of that is a rumor, started by our elders. The fae don’t like wolves much.”
“And yet, here you are.”
“You’re not wolves. Not anymore, at least.”
“Still have the best parts,” Forest says, and Arbor blushes.
“Leave him alone. For real this time. Let him drink in peace.”
Arbor shoots me a look as the door opens, and Vick peeks his head in.
“Yo, the food ready?”
“It’s coming,” I grumble, and Arbor rolls his lips between his teeth.
“Should I offer them some wine?”
“Fuck no. They ate some of the cheese and the jam you sent me. They can have water.”
“It was good fucking cheese. We’re gonna head over to Blessed Butter one day and have a look around,” Vick chimes in.
“Oh,132
gods,” Arbor murmurs. “Tell them to be nice to Eudora. She’s lovely.”
“I will,” I reply. “Don’t worry. The little bit of cheese I had, I enjoyed.”
Arbor’s cheeks flush. “I expected you to throw it away.”
“I thought about it.”
“Why?” River asks, topping Arbor’s glass off. “What’s the tea here?”
Forest chuckles and leans back in his chair. “Yeah, big bro. What’s the tea?”
“Fuck off.”
Forest and River continue to rib me as Arbor looks on in amusement. I enjoy seeing him relaxed and smiling. I haven’t seen him like this since before he ran that stone across my temple and I passed out.
I was mad after that. Furious. Hurt more than anything.
But to think that my actions, my coldness, made him so upset causes something inside of me to twist. I understand why he felt he had to do it. I do. The fae are reclusive, like he said. And for good reason.
Our kind hasn’t been good to them.
I’m sure he was taught to be careful with alphas. If not by his parents, then by someone else. I know he lost them far too young, but their deaths have shaped him just like the loss of my mother has shaped me.
“Come on, dinner’s ready,” I say.
River refills Arbor’s glass and clinks his against it.
“Glenn is the best cook.”
“Yeah, he is,” Arbor says, peering over at me almost shyly.
I feel a flutter in my stomach as I hand him a bowl.
“Omega first,” I tell everyone, and my brothers stand back, waiting for Arbor to dish up. He does so with cheeks flaming, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When he’s seated again, sipping on his wine and eating slowly, I take a seat next to him, my plate completely full, my stomach rumbling.
“This is really good,” Arbor says, taking a small bite, a bit of sauce lingering on his lips.
“Thank you. I can’t take credit for it, though. This is all from that Italian store in town.”
“Well, it’s delicious.”
“Yo, can we come in now?” I hear the werewolves ask.
I sigh and shout that they can, and within moments, the three of them are barreling toward the kitchen, grabbing plates and filling them up. I see Marlow has a cat under his arm, its kitty claws holding on to his shirt for dear life. Not that he seems to mind.
Seems he’s found a friend.
“Fucking good, like always,” Vick murmurs as he rips into a piece of bread.
They’re loud and obnoxious, but they wander back outside after a few moments, leaving everyone in peace and the food nearly gone.
“Hope you all got what you wanted because they took most of it,” I say, and River and Forest nod their heads.
“We’re good. I had a feeling they have big appetites,” River says, slurping up a spaghetti noodle. “So I gave myself a double helping.”
My knee hits Arbor’s gently, and he lets out a content little sigh, finishing his wine and setting it on the counter.
“I’ll open another bottle,” River says, standing up. “I mean, might as well, right?”
Arbor gives a cute little hiccup.
“I should tell you,” he whispers, his leg pressing into mine a little more. “This is fae wine I brought…” He hiccups again as River pours him another glass. “It’s very potent for me.”
“Maybe you slow down, then.”
He cradles it in his hands. “No. Plus, it won’t be in me for very long. My body metabolizes it quickly. And also…” He waggles a finger at me. “Don’t tell me what to do, Alpha.”
The way he says that makes my cock thicken, so does the way his throat bobs as he drinks the second glass of wine down.
He sets his elbow on the counter and eats slowly, a noodle hanging from his mouth.
I lean over and swipe it away.
“Oops,” Arbor says. “Am I embarrassing you? I can’t find my manners right now.”
I huff. “No. You’ve met my brothers. I have low standards to begin with.”
“Hey!” River says and then lets out a burp.
Arbor gasps and then gives a small round of applause. “That was very skilled. I love it.”
“I can do it on command if you want. Can even burp the ABCs.”
Forest kicks River, who frowns.
“No one wants that right now, dude. We’re in the middle of dinner.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Arbor hiccups again, and his leg presses into mine a little more. He’s listing to the side slightly. And I place my arm around him to keep him upright.
“Seriously, maybe you should lay off the wine.”
“Nope!” He pops his lips on the ‘p’ and winks at me, more like a blink, but it’s cute. Cuter than it should be.
But what the fuck does it matter?
He’s the guy I seem to like.
The door swings open suddenly, and Arbor nearly falls into my lap.
“Seconds?” Marlow asks.
“Help yourself. Guess I won’t have leftovers.”
“Dessert?” Vick asks.
“In the fridge.”
My arm tightens around Arbor, and he snuggles into me, his face pressing into my neck, his ass nearly on my lap.
“I should get you home. You’re half asleep.”
“I’m tired. Drinking makes everything heavy.”
I debate letting him sleep here, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. If he sleeps here, I’m going to fuck him. Plain and simple.
The memories lingering are almost too much.
“Can you lock up the house, Riv?” I ask as I gather Arbor in my arms. “I’m gonna drive this one home.”
“Sure thing,” he says as I grab Arbor’s keys and then help him to his car. I’ll drive him back to his place and then grab a rideshare home. It’s not that far to the city, and I can afford the cost to get back here. It all makes perfect sense.
And I won’t be staying at his place.
Not at all.
“You want me to follow and give you a ride back home?” Forest asks from the porch.
“No, I’m good. See you later. And let me know when you head up north. I want to join you.”
Forest nods, and I help Arbor get settled in his seat. He moans softly when my hand touches the skin below the hem of his shirt, and the werewolves’ ears perk up at the sound. But I send them a glower, and they back off.
Not that they’d do anything, but still. They don’t need to hear how sweet Arbor sounds at the moment. How fucking good.
“Come on. Buckle up.”
“If I do, will you fuck me?” he asks softly as I lean over him and fumble with the seatbelt latch. As I do, his face nuzzles into my chest, his scent honey and vanilla.
It makes me incredibly hard.
“No fucking. Just dropping you off.”
“Shame. I miss you.”
I stare down at him, his eyelashes fluttering, and then he’s snoring softly.
“Fuck me,” I murmur as I walk to the driver’s side and slide in. “And no fucking him.”