44. Ember #2
“She’s visiting her mom,” he said almost apologetically. He was good-looking, with long eyelashes and nut-brown skin. His glossy back hair was tousled and he wore dark wash jeans with a white T-shirt. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the time being. I’m Dominic but most people call me Dom.”
He smelled good, like being near the ocean on a sunny day, all watery minerals with a hint of citrus.
“So long as you know where the romantasy is,” I said, mollified.
“We got a new shipment in,” he said, gesturing at a thick stack of books. Terran and I made a beeline for the books.
Terran handed me the next books in my current series, and we picked up extras for Holly and Holly’s stepdaughter, Mari. We had a book club going and I felt proud we’d managed to get our hands on it first.
Terran glanced over at Dom again, and I hid my smile. The alpha did smell good. Not enough to tempt me, but maybe I wasn’t the only one who noticed. I’d never seen Terran give a guy a second look, but there was a first time for everything.
I approached the counter with my haul, and Dom smiled. “Found some books you liked?”
“Yes, thanks.” I tapped Terran’s shoulder. “Pay up, brother.”
Just so the alpha would know we weren’t together.
The alpha gave Terran a warm smile and looked him over. Terran looked like he had just finished yard work, because he had. His jeans had holes and grass stains, and his T-shirt had a few dirt smudges.
None of that seemed to deter the alpha. “My omega is obsessed with the Oath of Ash and Wing series too.”
Terran perked up. “Oh? Most readers like Stormbound more.”
Dom shook his head, still giving my brother the same thousand-watt smile. “He says Oath of Ash and Wings has better plot twists and in-depth worldbuilding.”
I hit Terran’s shoulder. “That’s what Terran says. You should invite him to the book club.”
“Sure.” My idiot brother nodded, the heat in the alpha’s gaze going right over his head. I rolled my eyes heavenward, praying for strength. When Alejandro or Ben looked at me like that, it felt like my panties would combust.
How did Terran not see his flirting?
“We’ll have to take you up on your offer.” The alpha gestured around the store. “We could use some of the rooms if you don’t have a space? We’ve been wanting to start up a book club.”
“Oh, we use the lodge,” Terran said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But this is the best bookshop in the area, so I’m sure…” He paused and looked at me. “We wouldn’t mind changing up venues?”
“I’d love that,” Dom said, almost purring.
A male omega bounced down the spiral staircase. “I’m coming, Jesus, Dom.” He had curly brown hair that hit his shoulder, sort of like Rian’s, and pale skin.
“Oh, hi.” He smiled at me and then paused on Terran. “Hi, I’m Ezra.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said brightly. Maybe I should move up the dating pool bet on Terran sooner. And not tell a single family member why.
“This is my omega,” Dom said, his eyes on Terran. “Terran thinks Oath of Ash and Wing is better than Stormbound too.”
The omega’s eyes lit up. “Right? The worldbuilding alone. And then the twist with the Nightbloom dagger being traced back to the Ever King?”
Terran nodded, but he had the same pleasant look he gave Hank the hardware dude. Judging from how he was angled toward the male omega, he wasn’t unaffected, but didn’t pick up on the flirtation. I wished I could develop telepathy and tell him to amp up the beta charm.
“I’m going to check out the mysteries,” I said, sliding back.
Terran was instantly alert. “I’ll come with you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine.”
Terran crossed his arms over his chest. “Sure, you will.”
I heaved a sigh. I was going to have to help him out. I looked at Dom. “Sorry. He’s dense. We’d like to have book club here or at Cosmic Bonds. Where we work.” I jerked a thumb in the general direction of “out.”
“Really? I always wanted to try that,” Ezra said. “But the thought of meeting so many strange people make me want to crawl into a hole and die.”
“It can be a really slow process too,” Terran said softly, using his gentle intake voice. The voice that calmed the most anxious person down. “However you prefer.”
Ezra’s blue eyes lit up. “That sounds really nice. Maybe book club first?” He looked at our stack of books. “I need fresh victims to listen to my theories.”
“Boy, does he,” Dom muttered, putting our books in a tote bag. “My ideas aren’t groundbreaking enough.”
Ezra slid closer to Terran, angling himself between his alpha and my brother. “I’m sure you have some amazing ideas.”
“Nothing much.” Terran shrugged modestly, and I could have told the omega that asking Terran about himself was a surefire way to make him clam up.
The urge to meddle was so strong. I was a professional matchmaker, for crying out loud.
Terran took the bag. “Thanks. We’ll let you get back to work.”
He was hopeless. I fished around in my purse and handed them a card. “We can set up book club details later?”
“I’d like that,” Ezra said, looking at Terran when he said it. He looked winsome and adorable, like a little puppy.
“If you don’t mind more people?” Dom braced his hands on the countertop.
“Sure, the more the merrier,” Terran said, flicking his gaze between Dom’s biceps and Ezra’s happy expression.
We left and I waited two seconds for the door to shut behind us before I shook my head. “Oh my god, you’re hopeless.”
“What?” Terran frowned. “I know it’s a small store, but I haven’t checked all the exits. Your pack and the rest of the family would have me for lunch if I let you get snatched.”
“I mean the alpha and omega duo flirting with you like there was no tomorrow.” I threw my hands in the air. “Dom has been mentally undressing you since we got there, and you just know he tugged on that bond so Ezra could come meet you.”
Terran looked utterly baffled. I loved my brother so much, but my goodness, he could be dense. “No, he wasn’t. Didn’t.”
His cheeks turned a little pink even under his tan, so that was a good sign that the interest wasn’t one-sided.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Yes, yes, they were. I could go ask?—”
“No,” he said quickly. “They’re probably not…I mean, I’m not their type.”
“Sweet, hunky beta?” I gestured at my brother. “I’m pretty sure you’re exactly their type judging by the heat coming from them.”
“You’re imagining things,” he said with a sigh. “He was just doing his job.”
“Uhh-huhhh,” I said, shaking my head. I wanted a medal for not turning around and going back to the bookstore and demanding they set a date on the spot.
But I could be good. I was growing.
“They’ll come to book club,” I said. “We’ll have more people to talk about Mercury Creation with.”
“Yes,” Terran said, visibly brightening.
I elbowed him. “You should break their hearts gently if you’re not into them. I’ve never seen you date dudes.”
“I, ummm, usually don’t notice guys, but…” He turned bright red and shook his head. “I can’t talk about this with my sister.”
“If you can’t talk about your bi awakening with your sister, who can you talk about it with?”
Terran covered his face in his hands. I took pity on him, only because if I pushed too hard, he would stubbornly convince himself that the alpha-omega couple couldn’t possibly be into him.
He’d probably already be dating Abby if the rest of the family didn’t ask him all the time when the date was.
We climbed back into the truck, and I checked in on my cellphone that I was, in fact, fine. I also told my pack about what happened with Terran and demanded a gold star for not being pushier.
West backed up my decision, echoing my thought that pushing him would only make his little introverted beta heart hide more. I plotted ways to secretly get the three of them to meet up on the ride back, and relaxed.
Terran was right. I already loved my pack. Every time something happened, I wanted to hear about them, see who would crack the first joke. Make me feel better. Support me.
I loved them. I might as well embrace that all the way. It wouldn’t hurt any less if something happened to any of them. I’d still be brokenhearted. I might as well enjoy every bit of loving them, rather than trying to protect myself.
I couldn’t protect myself from the ravages of love. I was in deep, with no escape.
But somehow, I couldn’t picture it any other way.