Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Sage
Vee makes the first card match when we start the next round—a pair of nine’s.
“I grew up in Chicago, then moved up here when I bought the lavender farm a few years ago.”
I have questions, but I bite my tongue. Questions weren’t part of the game, so I don’t know if they’re allowed.
Riley snags two matches, so Brooks says he has to share two facts.
“I love the beach, but I don’t like sand. And I hate winter. Being cold is the worst.”
When I get a match, my brain blanks as I try to think of something to share. They already know nearly everything about me from our question game over texts.
“Um. I think sheep are really cute. I have a stuffie that’s a lamb.” I cringe as soon as I say it, expecting them to judge me for being a twenty-four year old woman with a stuffed animal. Are they going to think I’m childish now?
Brooks smiles at me, though, then rearranges the cards in his hand.
“Sheep are pretty cute,” Riley says.
And that’s it. No judgment, no laughing at my expense.
I blink, eyes darting around the circle, and my muscles relax another fraction when no one else reacts.
I realize Brooks hasn’t gotten a match yet, and I’m starting to wonder how he’s so bad at this game.
He got last place in the other round, too.
We continue sharing random facts, and each of Riley’s devolves from interesting or fun to more and more absurd. He’s winning—gleefully—and yet he seems to have no shortage of things to share.
“I love getting my nails done, but no acrylics for me. Trying to get them off when I want a new design days later is such a hassle.”
“I once thought I broke my pinky toe, but I didn’t. I wanted the attention though, so I put a bunch of makeup on it to make it look way worse than it was.”
Brooks snorts at that one, muttering, “Of course you did,” under his breath.
“I wish I could speak to dolphins,” Riley says with his next match.
Does that count as a fact? I could do plenty of wishes.
“Mushrooms are the largest organism on earth.”
“That’s not about you,” I point out, then shrink in on myself. He’s not an alpha, but still, I probably shouldn’t correct him.
Vee aims a finger at him, though. “She’s got a point. Try again.”
My shoulders loosen as Vee shoots me an encouraging smile, and the game continues.
It’s so fun the time flies by, and before I know it, it’s getting dark out.
The sun has dipped behind the trees, shadows stretching over us, and the temperature is slowly dropping. I shiver, rubbing my hands on my arms.
I wish I could be with these alphas for my heat.
The thought spears through me and I freeze, my stomach dropping. Brooks’ nose twitches, Vee’s nostrils flare, and then all three of them snap to face me.
“What’s wrong, Petal?”
“No, nothing,” I say.
Brooks eyes me, but it’s Vee who speaks next. “Please don’t lie to us, Sage. If you don’t want to tell us, that’s okay, but we ask because we care.”
My eyes start to water and I look down at my hands, scraping at the skin around my nail. Brooks’ large fingers enter my blurry vision, and he taps my hands to get me to stop. I want to slip my palm into his, but I don’t.
“You can tell us, if you want,” he says, voice soft and gentle.
“I just, the thought popped into my head, but it’s silly. A silly dream,” I mumble.
“I love silly dreams,” Riley says.
That quirks my lips up, because of course they do.
“I wished that I could be with you all for my heat,” I say, whispering the words as I stare at my hands and try to hold the tears at bay.
The birds twittering in the tree above us seem suddenly loud, and all relaxation I had gained over the last hour bleeds away. I clench my jaw and my hands curl into fists. I can sense them all exchanging looks. They don’t want me. As I said, a silly dream.
I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Sage,” Brooks says, waiting until I glance up at him to continue. “When is your next heat?”
I do a double take. That’s not what I expected him to say, but I shrug one shoulder in response. “It’s hard to keep track, never been super regular. But probably in a few weeks?”
“And…” he continues, speaking slowly, like I might spook or something. “What do you normally do for your heats?”
I wrinkle my nose as my scent pitches, turning bitter and acrid. I hate my heats. “Josh is in charge of them. I spend it with him and whatever other alphas he invites.”
Silence descends as they all freeze, but I don’t know what it means. This time, not even the birds chirp to fill it. Panic is starting to rear its ugly head in my chest as it tightens, restricting my breathing.
“Sage,” Vee says, scooting closer across the blanket. “Take a deep breath, let it out slow.”
Her and Brooks’ scents are starting to break through the dampeners, but they smell off, a little burnt. I don’t like it.
“Can you explain what you mean, Petal? When you said, ‘Whatever alphas he invites’?”
I shake my head as my brows pinch. There’s not much to explain. It is exactly what it sounds like.
“He has his friends come over. They say…” I trail off. I can’t say the vile words out loud, don’t even want to think them. “They do what they want, when they want.”
“Do they take care of you?” Riley asks.
“I…” I don’t think I know what it means to be taken care of, but I don’t think they do. I shrug again in response, and both alphas growl, their burnt scents bursting through the dampeners.
“Shit,” Riley says. He throws himself between us and shoves both alphas away. “Get yourselves together,” he hisses.
Brooks and Vee both stand and stalk off, then pace back and forth a dozen feet away, talking quietly. Their bodies are rigid, alpha dominance rolling off them in waves, and I regret ever opening my mouth.
“Hey, Sage.” Riley draws my attention back. “To address your initial wish—they would love nothing more than to be part of your heat. They’re not mad at you. They’re upset because you’re not being cared for.”
I nod, only half believing him, until the alphas stride back over. Their scents have settled and they look determined.
“We’d like to get you out,” Vee says, and all I can do is blink.
“We want to take care of you during your next heat. Sweet Sage,” she says, kneeling down in front of me.
Her gorgeous face and afro obscure everything around us, and I drink her in, falling into her earnest brown eyes.
“We have time to come up with a plan. If we figure out a way to get you out of that house—for good—would you come with us?”
I open my mouth to reply, unsure what I’m going to say, but she holds up a finger, barely touching it to my lips.
“No, don’t reply yet. I want you to think about it.
If you want, we’ll get you out. I’d love nothing more, no matter what you choose to do after.
We’ll figure out some options, you decide if you want to leave, and when we have a plan put together in a couple days, you can tell us your decision then. Okay?”
I nod, and Brooks clears his throat.
“Yes, Vee.”
“Good girl,” she murmurs.
My stomach flutters at the words, and my eyes widen and dart to Brooks. He looks pleased, like he knows exactly what that does to me.