Chapter 5 #2
“I don’t trust you.”
I smile, I can’t help it, she’s all kinds of adorable. “That’s okay; trust is earned.”
“Come on, you, we don’t have time to be sitting here threatening the tourist,” Cordelia says.
Tourist? I scowl at their backs, disliking the way she said tourist. Like I'm a passing fancy.
“How are you okay with Yolanda giving you advice on Sebastian? She dated him for like a year, ages ago. You know Sebastian now. It’s just rude.”
“It’s fine, Imogen. She is his friend, and a good friend of this town, and she knew him well during that time. Yolanda just wants what’s best for him.”
“But, like, don’t you get jealous?”
I strain my ears, trying to hear their quiet conversation.
“No,” Cordie says, but even to my ears, that sounds like a lie. “Not at all.”
We get to a restaurant where Cordelia and Imogen bypass the closed sign on the door and make their way to the kitchen. I follow before anyone can tell me to stop.
Sebastian is leaning against a stove, but there’s a tension in him that I instantly recognise.
I exhale slowly and try not to make any sudden movements.
Chocolate, chili, and roasted almonds slam into me so strong and so potent my cock hardens in my pants.
I bite the inside of my cheek and try to orientate myself.
“Bas,” Cordelia purrs insolently.
His head snaps towards her, and he inhales. His pupils expand, but he doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on. He has no idea. None of them do.
This town is amazing.
“Ah, another busybody to come keep me in check.”
She shakes her head, but he seems even more revved up than yesterday. His eyes flicker towards the two alphas blocking his path out of the kitchen. One has enough of a resemblance to him that I know these must be his parents.
I bet anything that he’s still living at home.
I rub my chin, watching in concern as the standoff intensifies. I pull out my phone and send another, more urgent message to Katsu and pray he gets it in time.
“I need your help tonight,” the older alpha all but growls.
Sebastian’s shoulders tense. “I’m busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Last I checked, it was none of your business,” Sebastian snarls, but Cordelia moves, and he focuses on her, unable to look away. A predator in his prime, his mate under threat. No idea he’s a bomb about to explode.
“We can’t keep doing this with you, Seb. It’s exhausting for all of us. If you could just communicate with us, we could help you.”
He can’t communicate; I’d bet my life that he doesn’t even know what’s wrong with him.
I shift my weight, and he suddenly looks at me.
All that temper, all that strength, smacks into me.
I lift my chin and tilt my head to the side, challenge and submission.
His eyes scan down my body, slowly, before he decides I'm not a threat.
Interesting and hopeful.
The second look he gives me is complete and utter possession. My body lights up, and I have to fight hard not to go over and sink to my knees in front of him.
Sebastian is surrounded by alphas constantly challenging him, trying to ignore the childhood training to obey.
With his scent match so close and completely unaware, he’s one temper spike from falling into a rut whether he likes it or not.
He must be going out of his mind. How has he held on all this time?
“Uh, hello. I’m Fox and…” I pause, because everyone is looking at me. Breathe, Fox, you have to do this. You can do this. “So, um, he should not help you. And he should come and stay with us for a few days.”
“WHAT?” Sebastian almost roars. “I don’t even know you.”
But you want to.
I lose my words and struggle, trying to get out exactly what I mean when Katsu swans in, bringing that cool and calm that grounds me faster than anything else.
He brushes his fingers up my spine as he passes and walks straight up to the raging alpha. My relief has me holding onto the counter so I don’t fall.
“Alpha,” he murmurs.
It’s not a challenge, but Sebastian sees it as one. He snarls, his eyes going almost entirely black, and then he inhales, and suddenly, he’s got Katsu’s shirt and has dragged them until they are chest to chest, their lips almost touching.
Katsu closes the distance, brushing a soft kiss across Sebastian’s lips. They are almost exactly the same height. Katsu is possibly a bit smaller, but his energy eclipses’ Sebastian’s.
“I know what you feel, and I can help you.”
“Listen-” Cordelia starts to say, but I grab her wrist and pull her away.
“Just watch.”
Second by second, the rage, frustration, and anger in Sebastian melt away until he’s staring into Katsu’s eyes with wary curiosity.
“Can I buy you a drink?” Katsu asks. “You look thirsty.”
I laugh softly. Katsu has a thing about hydration. I like to tease that it’s his kink.
Sebastian gulps and glances straight to where I’m holding Cordelia. I tense, waiting for him to blow up, but he relaxes even more. Huh, I’m a safe alpha. That is so heartwarming, and it means I was right.
He’s mine, too.
“What is going on here?” Cordelia grumbles.
The older alphas are frowning, but they aren’t interrupting.
“Catch up with us, Fox?” Katsu says, drawing my attention to him.
I send warmth flooding through our bond, and his expression softens.
Katsu leads Sebastian back towards us, and they disappear back into the restaurant.
“What just happened?” One of the parent alphas asks.
“I’m not sure, Franco.”
“He’s one split hair from a rut,” I say softly. “You didn’t know?”
The alphas inhale sharply.
“No, I mean he seems just a little bit angrier.”
Cordelia tries to pull away to follow him. I hold her tight, refusing to let go.
“I have to-”
“Cordelia Lake, do you have any idea how important you are?” I murmur.
She freezes, looking at me with huge eyes and a little fear.
“I’m going to help you.”
“How?”
“I’m going to get that alpha to see just how deep he’s in love with you.”
“Say what?” the alpha, who I think is Franco, says, collapsing against the other. “My love, did he just say?”
“Yes, he did.”
I ignore them and their baffled commentary and focus on the omega.
She stares at me. “He doesn’t.”
I hum and take her hand properly while she’s all bamboozled. “Sure, sure. I’m going to make it a side quest.”
“A side quest?” they all echo.
I wink at her as I tuck her hand into the crook of my arm.
“Mm, side quest. The main storyline will be the MIA storyteller. Do you want to help me hunt down a famous author? And while we do that, side quest?”
She looks at me like I'm crazy, and perhaps I am, because our scents matches…they need us, and that thought makes me giddy. Still, she doesn’t protest, but maybe that’s because she doesn’t have the ability to speak. I have that effect on people.
Meow.
I look down and smile widely. “Hello, cute and adorable.”
Cordelia huffs. I look back up at her and wink.
“You are the cute and adorable.”
Her cheeks turn pink, and I know that I’m not leaving this town without this omega. Katsu always said I was decisive. Impulsive. I follow my instincts. They all point to her.
Side quest, main storyline, and the plot twist. Cordelia and Sebastian, the author and my omega. It’s a tangled ball of yarn, but I’m going to have it all.
“There’s a cat in my kitchen!” Franco snarls in outrage. “How did it even get in here?”
I scoop up the cat, collect the omega, and we are on our way to what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime.