Chapter 4
Aero
“Not to tell you how to live your life or anything, but I should caution you on your heavy handedness. Pretty sure Silver would be pissed if you broke her dishes,” I quip brightly, grinning when the broody beta glares at me like I’m a demon sworn to drag him back to Hell. Not completely out of the ordinary despite the brotherly love he holds for me, but I’m pretty sure I know what has him much more riled and ready to throw hands this morning.
Hell, I’m pretty sure Silver kept us all up last night, because these walls were not built for keeping out the sweet, sexy sounds of an omega pleasuring herself within the confines of her room. As it was, I spent every second of her saucy session listening very intently, cock in hand, seeping precum before I even stroked myself once .
A better-restrained man would have blocked it all out and fallen asleep. I obviously have no restraint when it comes to the bubblegum baddie I now live with. Because I’ll be damned if I didn’t come almost as much as she did just by listening to her moans and cries of pleasure. There’s a towel in my nest that is in desperate need of cleaning, so much cum poured into that thing that I’d be embarrassed if it wasn’t a natural bodily function. Hell, I could have gone a few more rounds, blessed with an omega’s ability to unload a lot and regularly.
Munro, the dick, ruined it. I have no idea what possessed him to stand outside her door, to open it, and to have a verbal-sparring match with the spritely, little omega, but as soon as he opened his damned mouth, my cock damn near turned into a limp noodle. It was like he’d broken a spell Silver wove around me with those hot, little sounds and the scent I could practically taste seeping under the gap of my door, and I was finally able to think with the head on my shoulders and not in my pants.
Not that it made much of a difference, because I’m pretty sure the head on my shoulders thinks the same as my dick, and has done since the first moment I laid eyes on the beautiful, little hurricane.
Gripping the handle of a pastel-pink mug that has ‘sincerely, go fuck yourself’ engraved into the ceramic, Munro takes a sip of his coffee before muttering, “Whatever. Not like she’d notice. She has a billion more.”
Sure enough, one cupboard in the lavish kitchen we’re standing in contains nothing but ceramic mugs in varying pastel colors, each one etched with crude, but amusing, little quotes. It’s quite funny, actually. In a room that looks like it crawled straight from a fancy magazine for interior design for the wealthy, the mugs are almost a faux pas in comparison. A welcome one, at that. It’s the only thing with a bit of life and personality I’ve found in this house so far, though I’ve only ventured to the kitchen and ‘state of the art’ living room, almost afraid to touch or meander too close to anything.
“Alright, you grumpy bastard. What’s your deal? You’re normally better mannered than this,” I snicker, stealing a sip of his coffee and wincing in disgust when I taste nothing but the bitter tang of creamer-less and sugarless java. “That’s fucking gross. You’re a monster.”
Rolling his eyes, Munro steals the funny mug back and scowls at me, irritated that I took his beverage. He takes his own sip of his soul-dark coffee before grumbling, “Didn’t sleep well.”
“I bet,” I snort, grinning at him when his scowl deepens. “What? It’s not like I didn’t hear it. Hell, I joined in on the festivities from my room.”
“You’re perverted. You shouldn’t have been listening, and it’s deranged that you got yourself off to that shit-show,” the bastard damn near snarls, enough bite in his words that it could almost be mistaken for an alpha’s bark.
Raising an eyebrow, my lips twitching with amusement, I wonder, “You’re telling me you didn’t scamper off back to your room and play a game of willy whacker? Lie to my face, Ro, I dare you.”
I’ve never seen a fiercer look of frustration and annoyance on the beta’s face until this very moment, and I can’t help the way my twitching lips finally morph into a smile, knowing I’m right and he can’t lie to me.
“I knew it, you hypocritical fuck. You’re just as perverted as I am, so shut your filthy, little mouth before you start preaching about morals,” I casually quip, beyond used to Munro’s salty attitude and grumpy disposition. “Anyway, it wasn’t me that barged into her room while she was masturbating. You got a front-row view, you lucky bastard.”
I sigh, genuinely disappointed, because I’m omega and man enough to admit when I have a crush on someone. Unlike this jackoff who is glaring at me so severely that it’s a genuine miracle my head doesn’t roll to the floor after being severed by the proverbial lasers beaming from his dark gaze.
“What? I have nothing against Silver. In fact, she’s my favorite person on this earth right now. I mean, she’s given us a place to stay, left pizza in the fancy fridge, and gave me a sound show to remember,” I list, not mentioning how gorgeous she is, how tasty she smells, and how fucking addictive her personality is. Hell, she’s like a beaming ray of sunshine piercing the storm clouds that have no chance against her. She’s full of life, a vibrancy within her that I’ve never seen from anyone else.
Oh, yeah. I’m crushing hard enough to make diamonds. My first ever crush, too, because I’m one fussy omega. Sure, the others have dated casually before, but they never last. Oftentimes, their conquests aren’t big fans of having an omega in the pack. Attention whores be like that, though, and my pack will always choose one another over any outsider. After the last relationships the guys had turned sour simply by my existence, we all decided it was better to cut off the whole dating thing and work on school and careers.
I was totally okay with that before meeting Silver Gage.
Now, though? Hell, I want her. I want her real fucking bad, too. A maddening experience for me, because I’m a fussy bastard when it comes to girls. The only other girl in the world I’ve actually liked is Juniper, and that’s more of a brother-sister thing. There is nothing brotherly about my feelings for Silver.
Narrowing his almost inky black eyes on me, Munro lowers his mug and glares. “What’s that look for?”
“What look?” I ask quickly, shaking my head with fake confusion, blinking rapidly with an innocence I’m sure he doesn’t buy.
If the bland expression he wears is anything to be considered, he definitely isn’t buying what I’m selling. Proven by his following words. “That weird, dreamy look. I’ve seen that look on your face a few times now, and it’s always when Silver is around physically or verbally. What the hell is that about? You fancy her or something?”
I shrug, opting for honesty, because a pack as close as ours doesn’t lie. Chosen brothers, we all formed a pack built on trust, honesty, and love. If I can’t be honest with them, who can I be honest with?
“Hell yeah, man. Don’t you?” I counter, throwing it back at him as though it’s ludicrous for him not to have a crush on the girl. I’m fairly confident in my assessment and have determined that he does, in fact, have a crush on the sassy omega. However, the stubborn bastard will deny it until he’s blue in the face, lying more to himself than us. He gets a free pass, though, because Veronica really did a number on him and my guy is still not fully healed from it.
Munro almost chokes on his next swallow of rancid, bitter coffee, coughing and slapping his chest before he glares at me. “What the hell?”
“What? It’s just a question. Cool your jets,” I snicker, rolling my eyes at the little drama queen.
“You like her?” Munro pushes, seeking confirmation that I mean what I say.
I’m nodding easily as I answer, “Sure. I don’t know what your problem is with her, but I don’t share them. She’s a knockout, smells like heaven, and has no problem sassing you back when you give her shit. Well, that’s when you’re not ignoring her like a big bastard. She’s funny, clearly generous, and I like the way she doesn’t give a shit about the world around her. So, yeah, I like her.”
“How long have you liked her?” the beta frowns, staring at me like he’s looking at a stranger and not the guy he’s been best friends with for ten years.
I shrug. “Pretty much since the moment I saw her.”
“And you didn’t want to mention anything?” he snaps, genuinely annoyed by this development.
“And have to deal with this particularly fun conversation?” I snort, raising my eyebrow in question. “Bro, the moment you met her, you were acting like she was the bane of your existence. I figured it was better to keep my feelings under wraps so you didn’t get all weird.”
“So, why are you telling me now?” he grunts, hand tightening on the mug in his tatted hand.
“One, because you asked. Two, because we’re living under her roof, in close quarters, and I don’t have the same willpower as you do. And three, I figured it was better to share now, because I plan on chasing that little omega until I’m breathless and clutching my sides with a stitch,” I declare, making the decision there and then and feeling pretty damned good about it.
After keeping my little crush to myself for weeks on end, pretending like I don’t watch Silver’s every move when she’s around, don’t seek her out in crowds, and don’t light up on the inside like some sap when she’s near or busting Munro’s balls, I’ve decided I’m not bottling it anymore. I want to be her friend, I want to date her, I want a whole bunch of things concerning Silver Gage. What better opportunity to chase after what I want when I’m living in the same house and have access to the bright ray of sunshine now?
I never chased her before for Munro and our pack’s sake, because he clearly has issues concerning the omega and the other three are clearly a little dubious, but now that I know he’s affected by her and is battling it hard enough that he’s getting pissy with me for declaring my own crush? All bets are off. Munro can either get on board or get over it, and the others can make their own damned minds up, because I’m done pretending Silver Gage doesn’t do things for me.
I’ve had a sniff of her pleasure, heard those sexy, little mewls, and I want more. I want to be the one dragging those noises out of her. I want more of those vibrant smiles, the full-body laughter that always turns infectious, and the smart-ass mouth that always has something to say.
“For fuck’s sake,” Munro gravels, irritated beyond belief for reasons I can’t comprehend. I mean, I know Veronica fucked his head up, but it’s been a year since Munro wiped his hands clean of the nasty alpha, and Silver is nothing like that vindictive, little bitch. In fact, if there were two people who were complete polar opposites, it would be Silver and Veronica.
“Be pissy about it, bro. But I’ve never once kicked up a fuss over the relationships you guys have had with girls outside of the pack. I finally like someone enough to chase, so that’s what I’m gonna do. And, just so we’re clear, I won’t even be mad if you chase her, too. I mean, after you get over your hangups and problems with her,” I tell him with an even tone, a nonchalant air about me when I’m feeling anything but. I am very much chalant , a giddy, little excitement growing in my chest now that I’ve decided that I’m going after the omega that sounds, smells, and looks like all of my fantasies combined.
Munro releases a derisive snort, shaking his head in denial, and says, “It’ll be a cold day in hell when that happens. But you do you. I’m going to Juno’s. Later.”
Then the surly beta downs the rest of his coffee, rinses his mug, and disappears, leaving me with rolling eyes and a prediction that he’s going to fold much faster than I originally anticipated. It’s clear he’s making his own diamonds where Silver is concerned, but I know how hard he’s fighting it. I don’t know why, or why he’d even bother, but his problems are his own and he’s allowed to work shit out in his own time. But there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll cave one day, and when that happens, I’ll be wearing a hat, jacket, and scarf at the ready.
Washing, drying, and putting the discarded mug away quickly, I begin to form a plan in my head on how to go about dating Silver. I’m about to catch myself a bubblegum baddie with pastel-streaked hair, an ass that I want to sink my teeth into, and a smile that could end wars. I better form a really fucking good plan.
***
I knock on the door to Silver’s room again, awkwardly balancing a glass of apple juice in one hand and a plate of toasted bagels slathered in peanut butter and jelly in the other.
“Silver? You alive in there?” I call through the door, sure she’s inside, because I heard her groan, sigh, and rustle around before it went silent again after I knocked the first time.
When she doesn’t answer, I chew on my lip and wonder what I should do now. I mean, I can’t very well chase someone if they remain locked away in their room, can I? The only logical next step is to simply invite myself inside.
Tucking the glass of juice into the crook of my elbow and hugging it to my ribs securely, I reach for her door handle, amused that it turns without resistance. She’s probably used to keeping it unlocked, what with her living alone pre our arrival. Since this is the second time her privacy is being invaded, I’m going to have to make sure she doesn’t form a habit of locking it. I can’t very well have a girlfriend who locks her door and keeps me away from her.
Entering the nest, I take a heady lungful of Silver’s scent. It’s every-fucking-where, surrounding me in an instant before seeping out of the now open doorway. Creamy, sugary bubblegum overwhelms my senses, and I groan at the back of my throat at its thickness. There’s something else there, too. Something distinctly Silver, mingled with the traces of her pleasure last night, and I find myself fighting a boner that has my dick aching beneath the ratty sweats I threw on when I woke up this morning.
Fighting the arousal that floods my system at a single waft of the omega hidden in the aesthetically-pleasing blankets and pillows, I step into the spectacular nest and shut the door with a careful nudge of my sock-covered heel.
“Silver?” I call, gentling my voice now that there isn’t a door between us. “Wakey, wakey.”
A sassy, little huff answers me, and I grin down at the girl wearing nothing more than booty shorts and a cropped shirt that reveals a whole lot of creamy skin.
“I have to be dead and seated in hell, because that’s the only explanation I can conjure as to why I’m being dragged kicking and screaming out of such a good dream,” Silver groans, rolling over until she’s lying on her belly and shoving her face into a pillow with another huff.
“You’re not in hell yet,” I inform, meandering deeper into the nest and fighting the urge to fall into it with her. That might be a little forward, especially when she doesn’t even know my intentions.
Silver groans as I get closer, and I can just about hear her when she grumbles, “What do you want, Aero?”
Snickering at the grouchy omega, I eventually make my way over to her, dropping slowly into a sitting position with her breakfast. “Well, I came bearing gifts, if that’s going to soften you toward me.”
There’s a pause.
“What is it?” she mumbles into her pillow, and I bite my lower lip when my grin grows a little too obnoxious.
“Why don’t you wake up and see for yourself?” I counter, still holding her breakfast.
Silence answers me for a long moment, and I can practically hear the gears in her head turning before she finally mumbles sleepily, “Nah, I’m good. It’s not worth it. Sleep calls to me like the ocean calls to Moana. Now go away. I’m ignoring you all like you all ignored me yesterday.”
Well, hell, that has my smile disappearing and a frown pulling at my eyebrows. Ignoring her? I didn’t ignore her yesterday. In fact, I distinctly remember flirting. I winked, damn it! My days of ignoring this girl are long over, so what the hell?
“I didn’t ignore you,” I state with absolute confidence, because I’m pretty sure I’d remember doing that. There wasn’t even a moment that I could have ignored her, because as soon as I went to my room, I had a long-ass shower and napped for a little while, lazing in the remainder of the sunshine that beamed through the wall of windows like a lazy house cat. By the time I woke up, the house was quiet and there wasn’t a soul in sight. I did find several boxes of untouched pizza in the fridge with a note, though.
Silver snorts humorlessly before sighing deeply and rolling over. Pretty gray eyes peer up at me, an adorable scowl on a beautiful face, and she says, “You absolutely did. You and the other dickwads I’ve stupidly allowed to invade my home.”
“When the hell did that happen?” I ask, genuinely confused now.
“Last night? When I knocked on each of your doors asking if you wanted to join me for pizza? Look, I don’t know what any of your problems are, and I don’t actually care anymore. I offered an olive branch and got slapped with it five times over. So, now I’m repaying the favor. You can leave the bagels and juice before you go,” she answers with a sass that overshadows Juniper’s, a snarky, little smile on her face that I’d love nothing more than to wipe away with my fucking mouth.
Goddamn, this girl.
It takes a minute for her words to finally sink in, and when they do, I’m groaning and dropping my head back with self-directed irritation. Damn it. “I was sleeping.”
“What?” she blurts, voice as confused as her face.
“When we were done carrying shit into the house, I decided to have a shower and I crashed for a couple of hours after. If I didn’t answer, it’s because I was dead to the world. I didn’t ignore you,” I answer earnestly, desperate for her to know I wasn’t being a dick. “I can’t speak for the others, but I was most definitely not ignoring you. I would have eaten pizza with you.”
The promise seems to wash away any animosity the little spitfire woke up with, and my shoulders relax just as an easy smile breaks out over my face. A thrill goes through me like a rush of a wildfire when it dawns on me that Silver sought us out for dinner, knowing she was angry that we didn’t answer her invite. Because that means she wanted to spend time with us. She was making an effort to do so. Fuck, yeah!
“Does that mean I get to stay? Maybe spare me the silent treatment?” I cautiously ask, offering her a pleading smile that seems to melt her a little.
Her body turns slack, and she frowns up at the ceiling as she holds her hand out for the juice. I pass it over just as she asks, “Why? I was under the impression I wasn’t very liked within your little merry band of jerk offs.”
I laugh, both in shock and amusement, because she couldn’t be further from the truth. At least, where I’m concerned, anyway. So, with a simplicity that can’t be mistaken, I inform her, “I like you. Wouldn’t be here with a peace offering otherwise. Damn near risked my life walking in here.”
Silver rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch, and I claim it as a victory.
“So, can I stay?” I push, internally pleading for her to say yes. Fucking hell, I’m already whipped, I can feel it.
“I mean, I guess,” she agrees, shrugging her shoulders. It feels like I’ve won the lottery, and I’d feel a whole lot more ridiculous about it if pure joy wasn’t filling my body from top to bottom. “I don’t know why, but I’m not entirely convinced I’m still not sleeping.”
“You’re awake, trust me,” I snicker, handing over the bagels with a wink that makes her shiver. Damn, I like that reaction. I like that a lot. “Here. Eat those.”
“Thanks,” she mutters, eyeing the bagels before eyeing me with no short amounts of skepticism. “So, why are you invading my nest on this fine morning?”
I shrug, acting nonchalant again, and lean back against the blankets and pillows now that my hands are free. “First, I wanted to thank you for letting us crash here. It means a lot, you know? You didn’t have to let us crash at your place, but I appreciate it all the same. Second, I figured we could get to know each other now that we’re living together.”
“You only figured that because you’re staying here? Not any other moment before then?” she inquires, and I hear a bite of frustration in her voice that shouldn’t amuse me, because she sounds genuinely put off by the notion that I’ve only just decided to make an effort with her.
So, deciding to start this thing with honesty, I declare, “I wanted to, but I figured it was better for Munro and the others if I didn’t. I’m clingy, get attached easily, and have issues giving things up.”
“I’m confused,” she blurts, biting into a bagel and moaning around the mouthful she takes.
Fuck. Me.
Hearing that filthy, little sound so clearly is not helping the situation in my pants, so I grab a pillow and place it over my crotch with no short amount of subtly, leaning over the pillow as I explain, “Ro has his issues, and so do the other guys. Before we moved in, there was a lot going on and I figured it would be better to keep my distance. Now that we’re in close quarters, distance isn’t really an option anymore.”
“So, you want, what? To be friends?” she asks, swiping a thumb over her full lower lip before sucking the digit into her mouth. I think this is my punishment. The gods are punishing me so fucking hard right now, damn it.
Hugging the pillow a little tighter to my throbbing cock, wishing it away like I’ve never wished for anything more and ignoring the way I seem to be perfuming in subtle waves, I try for a loose nod and tell her, “Sure. Friends. For now, anyway.”
“‘For now…’” she repeats, another cute frown marring her features. “What does that even mean?”
Snickering, I answer, “It means that I want to get to know you, and you me. It means I want to spend time with you, do stuff with you, go out and shit. And if it morphs into something more than friendship, then I’m here for it.”
“‘More than friendship…’” she repeats, shaking her head like she’s having a hard time comprehending my words. “Aero, you realize we’ve known each other for months but this is the first actual conversation we’re having, right? And now you’re saying, what, that you want to date me?”
Okay, I see that I’m probably coming on a bit strong, so I quickly do a rewind and reevaluate my strategy. I absolutely want to date her, but she’s right. We’ve barely shared a single decent conversation, and even though I want her, I want to do this shit right. So, with a slight shuffle of my plan with the backup option of kidnapping her until she agrees to be mine, I lean my hand on my fist as I lean my elbow into the pillow and tell her, “I want to get to know you, Silver Gage. How about we start there?”
She eyes me for a long moment, long enough that I’m sure she’s going to reject my proposal, and I almost start to get nervous. A strange feeling, one I’m not used to, but it sends another thrill through me and I can’t help but smile at the pretty girl.
Eventually, she sighs before nodding almost reluctantly. “Fine. But only because you had a good excuse for missing pizza last night. The others are still on my shit list.”
Fuck me, I’m turning into a girl, because I’ll be damned if that doesn’t give me butterflies or some shit. I almost have the urge to start kicking my feet and giggle. I’m going to get special treatment and the others are going to get the cold shoulder. Am I an asshole for supporting that decision? Don’t care. I’ll take it.
“I’m good with that,” I laugh, settling into the nest, strategically hiding my boner while I lie down beside her. “So, what’s your favorite color?”
She pauses, and I see her lips twitch before she bites into her bagel. She ponders the question for a moment before she answers, “Pink. But the pretty, soft shade of pink.”
Like your lips , I think to myself.
“Like your hair,” I voice out loud, reaching for a strand of pastel-pink hair, noting the pastel blue and purple, too.
She nods, eyeing my hand as I twirl the strand around my fingers. She doesn’t comment, simply asking, “Yours?”
My answer comes quickly, “Gray.”
“Huh,” she blurts. “Wouldn’t have expected that.”
She doesn’t know it became my favorite the first time she looked at me, those pools of liquid silver glancing at me only once to cement the color as my favorite. I don’t tell her that, though. It wouldn’t be very friend-like, would it?
Instead, I throw another question at her. “Favorite food?”
“I don’t have a favorite food, because I’m a food slut, but my favorite drink is chocolate fudge milkshake,” she answers easily. “You?”
I damn near blurt ‘bubblegum’ like a cheesy dork, but I stop myself just in time, answering, “Burgers. Gimmie a double cheese with fries, and I’m putty in your hands.”
Silver snorts, but she nods. “Good to know. Okay, if we’re doing twenty questions, what’s your favorite season?”
And, just like that, I spend my morning Q&A’ing with the omega, learning shit about her I never would have imagined. The topics and questions are light and breezy, simple enough that it’s fun. It’s nice, even if it’s just surface-level shit. I find I like listening to her talk, watching her facial expressions, and eyeing how her hands move when she speaks.
I’m almost disappointed when her words taper off and she falls back to sleep, the plate and glass of juice long ago discarded. Since she didn’t tell me to leave, I stay exactly where I am, enjoying her presence even while she snoozes some more, catching the zz’s I stole when I barged in here. All the while, I grin to myself, closing my eyes as I take a deep breath of contentment. The first one I’ve taken in I don’t even know how long. And damn, but it feels fucking good.