Chapter 5 #2
We all just sat there, staring at the screen. The silence stretched on and on, because there were no shitty jokes to fill it this time.
“He’s right.” Grey always had weirdly pale eyes, but they fairly glowed because all colour had left his face. “If we… you’re fated to be together, then you have to wait for her to walk back into your life.”
Turns out we didn’t have to wait all that long.
The next few weeks sucked. Every single time someone walked into the office, I watched Tex’s face light up, thinking it was the omega returning.
It wasn’t. The bloke was a chaotic presence on a work site, always cracking jokes and leaving a mess, but each time it turned out to just be some delivery guy or a hardware supplier, it was like a flame spluttered inside him.
I met him and Grey in this very building years ago, when the three of us were still kids.
While all the other boys eyed me suspiciously, Tex walked over with a big grin.
Challenging me to a PvP session on one of the game consoles, he’d set me at ease instantly.
He was the one who got Grey out of his bad moods, even if half the time Tex was the reason he was mad in the first place.
There was no sign of that man now. The work site had never been so orderly, and for some reason that just felt wrong.
Which meant something needed to be done.
“Bloody toast.” On the final day at Good Vibes, I walked into a haze of smoke that was pouring out of the toaster. Tex stomped around our kitchen, switching the appliance off at the wall, then opening the windows and putting the fan on to blow the smoke outside. “Stupid damn thing.”
He grabbed the burnt bread, then threw it into the bin with undue violence. I blinked, able to see something else, someone else, for just a second, before stepping into the kitchen.
“Hey,” I said. Tex whipped around, then frowned when he saw me. “We’re doing the handover today. After we’ve walked Brendan through the office, we can have a chat with him, see if we can’t get him to make an exception.”
“You reckon he’d tell us where the omega has gone?” he asked.
That light was flickering to life again in Tex’s eyes.
“Maybe?” I shrugged. “But we’ve gotta try, right? After today, we’ll never walk into that office again.”
“No, we can’t.”
Grey appeared in the doorway and surveyed the two of us coolly.
“Why not?” Tex said. The fire alarm went off then, the blaring sound setting my teeth on edge. “Why the fuck not, Grey? I need to find her. My mate, she’s out there somewhere and—”
Grey climbed up on a chair, disconnecting the fire alarm, but there was no relief to be had from the sudden quiet. “We can’t badger a former client, Tex. It’ll ruin the business’ reputation.”
“I don’t give a shit about our reputation. She’s—”
Two people barely containing their fury. It was a situation I knew all too well. Getting between them, stopping Tex from lunging at Grey, happened without thought.
“Hey.” My voice was unnaturally calm. Hands were thrown up, right as Tex bared his fangs with a snap. “Everything’s gonna be OK. Fate, remember? You and this omega, you’re meant to be together, so you’ll find her again.”
The cords stood out in Tex’s neck and his whole body went unnaturally still as he struggled to master himself. It was the wolf I saw, his fur prickling across Tex’s arms, his claws emerging from the ends of his fingers, right before they were forced back.
“You’re right.” Tex’s voice was tight and his eyes burned silver as he stared at Grey. “She is mine and I’ll find her somehow. So, let’s go and do this handover.”
An hour or so later, we were standing in the foyer of the brand new office, talking to Brendan.
“Everything looks fine,” he said, casting a cursory eye over the room.
Didn’t even notice that I matched the exact shade of pale celadon green he’d found in a magazine.
“But I thought we were going to do the handover yesterday?” He glanced down at his smart watch. “I’ve got clients arriving shortly.”
“Well, if you’re happy with the way things have turned out—” Grey started to say, handing over the bunch of keys.
“Is she…?” Tex spoke first, thought about it later, so seeing him so hesitant was weird. His brow creased as he stared down at Brendan. “Is she coming in today?”
He didn’t need to explain what that meant. The way the air in the foyer changed had the receptionist looking up, faintly puzzled, as Brendan squared his shoulders.
“I want to apologise again for the mix up.” I could see why he was a good therapist. His voice was calm, even, as he met Tex’s silver gaze without blinking. “But as I said before, I can’t—”
“Tell me if she is.” Tex nodded, stepped back and then turned towards the door. “Grey, I’m gonna…”
“I’ll go with him,” I said. “Brendan, if there’s anything you need touching up, just let us know.”
Grey should’ve stayed where he was, did his big project ending spiel, but instead I glanced over to see he was keeping pace with me.
“Tex!” he called out, both of us jogging over to the elevator where the big man seemed determine to burrow his finger through the button and into the wall. “Tex.”
We stopped just short of him and I took in the slump of his shoulders, the way his head was hanging.
“It’s gonna be OK, mate,” I said, drawing closer. When my hand landed on Tex’s shoulder, he flinched and that wasn’t good. “We’ll…”
I intended to try and come up with some actual comforting words, but instead the lift doors slid open.
And there she was.
Fuck, I thought I’d made up how damn pretty she was, but nope. The harsh lighting of the elevator carriage would’ve washed out most women, but she damn near glowed.
As her mouth fell open.
“Oh…”
She made that sound when Tex wedged his knot inside her, then over and over as he rocked back and forth.
I’d felt a similar gasp vibrate through me as she sucked my dick.
Not-so-little Ethan rose then, ready for another round as I remember the velvety clasp of her throat. Instead, Tex stepped forward.
And so did Grey.
Interesting.
Crowding her into the back of the lift, I walked in too, then slapped the close door button.
“Omega.”
I don’t know who actually growled that, but we were all thinking the same damn thing. That heady perfume was so much sweeter now. Maybe because she was sucking in breaths faster and faster.
“You…” She couldn’t work out where to point it seemed. “I didn’t think I’d see any of you ever again.”
“Must be fate.”
Tex was all smiles now as he leaned against the back of the elevator and stared down at her.
“You…” she babbled. “If I had any idea… If I bothered to ask.”
“Take a breath, omega.” I didn’t think anything could tear my attention away from the mystery girl, but Grey’s tone softening did it.
She obeyed him instinctively. Of course she did.
Grey’s wolf was so damn strong. With a blink, she glanced at each one of us in turn, then her cheeks burned bright red.
“I am so, so sorry. I thought you worked for Good Vibes and everything was all part of the scenario…”
“Scenario, huh?” I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.
“Ethan.” I tapped my chest. “That idiot there is Tex.” He was grinning down at her like a wolf that wanted to eat her all up.
“And Grey. Now how about you tell us your name and why would a woman as beautiful as you need the services of a sexual surrogate?”