Chapter 54
Chapter Fifty-Four
Brooks
I’ve hardly seen Sage (apart from last night’s evening romp) since Riley gave her literally the best gift.
I don’t know how we are ever going to top that, but I can’t be upset about it.
Sage is so fucking happy. It radiates from her, and her scent is pure joy.
She’s been spending every spare moment in the pole barn or outside in the sheep’s grassy enclosure, and I’m starting to get a little jealous of the tiny creatures.
I guess they are pretty cute, though, and I can’t fault her for wanting to care for them the best she can. She’s never had a pet before, despite always wanting one.
Every night at dinner, she chatters to us about everything she’s learned from the books and spending time with them.
How the lambs are doing today, what cute things they did, what snacks they did (Daisy) and didn’t (Bramble) like, and what she’s going to do with them tomorrow.
She also informs us that to have less than five in a flock is torture for the social nature of sheep, and therefore we need to get at least three more.
Or a couple goats, apparently.
I can’t tell if she’s being honest or playing us, but either way, we’re getting more animals.
I hoped to snag some time with her yesterday, but when I saw her chatting in the community garden with the other omegas, I knew I couldn’t interrupt. I’m thrilled she’s branching out and making friends in the community.
Today though, I’m back at work, right across the street from Steve and Josh’s house. I wasn’t around for a week due to Sage’s heat, and I haven’t seen anything from them since I’ve been back, despite my best efforts to catch sight of them leaving again.
As I’m trimming a row of hedges along the sidewalk, I hear that tell-tale engine as their garage door rises. I turn sideways, attempting to surreptitiously see which of them is leaving, but the sun is against me causing a glare, and I can’t make anything out.
But then the truck pulls up next to me, and the passenger window rolls down.
“Hey,” a gruff voice hollers over the obnoxious engine from the passenger seat.
I look up, trying to keep a neutral expression on my face when what I really want to do is strangle him. I put a hand up to my eyes so I can make them out, noting Steve is driving, and Josh is in the passenger seat.
Josh waves me over, and warily, I cross the few feet of sidewalk to meet them.
“You’re the one we hired that day, the one our omega took a liking to,” Josh says.
She is most certainly not their omega, but I can’t exactly yell that at them like I want to. Before I can figure out how to respond, Josh’s nostrils flare and his eyes widen.
“Wait…” he says, trialing off, then his hand is on the door and he’s pushing it open.
Too late, I realize what he must smell on me.
Lavender and vanilla.
Her scent is practically baked into my skin at this point, and even when I shower, it doesn’t fully come off. Just the way I like it.
Except now, it’s about to get me in a load of trouble.
“Why the fuck do you smell like my omega?” he growls, throwing his dominance out like a suffocating cloud around us.
I flare mine in response, but then Steve joins him, and I might be big, but they’re still two alphas against one. I can’t underestimate them, no matter my size.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grit through my teeth, wishing I could scream from the rooftops that it’s because she’s my omega, not yours.
“Like fuck you don’t!” Josh lunges at me, grabbing my shirt in his fists as he attempts to throw me around.
Unfortunately for him, I’ve easily got seventy-five pounds on him, so he doesn’t have much luck. Regardless, I hold my hands up in a sign of surrender and slowly pull away, trying to widen my eyes like I’m scared and innocent.
It’s a tough act for an alpha to pull off, and I have no idea if I’m successful. But these assholes cannot know where to find Sage. They know my name, my business information. I might have moved recently, but it wasn’t all that far. I’m a lead that I can’t afford to give them.
“If I find out you’ve taken her, I’ll make you both suffer,” Josh sneers, then throws his hands up as he releases me.
“Honest, man,” I say. “I don’t have any omega of yours, I swear it.”
Inwardly, I smirk. Because it’s true. I don’t have any omega of theirs. Sage is mine.
Josh narrows his eyes, exchanging a glance with Steve.
“Why do you smell like lavender?” Steve says, suspicious.
“Because I like lavender soap? It’s proven to have relaxing qualities,” I say. “What’s it to you?”
Steve turns his back to me, muttering in Josh’s ear. “He might be telling the truth, it doesn’t smell the same as what she did.”
“Close enough, I’d say,” Josh growls.
“Come on, man,” Steve says, squeezing Josh’s shoulder.
They eye me once more, then without another word, they turn and hop back up into the truck. Josh glares at me as he rolls his window up, and then Steve is gunning the engine as they drive away.
I slump with relief. That was way too close of a call. I don’t know if I convinced them, but at least they’re not convinced I do have Sage. I take a long pull from my water bottle, then go back to trimming my new least favorite hedge.