Chapter 18
Silver
A week passes after the twins and I cross the sexy threshold of our do over, and those days are spent at work or school, where either they or Aero find me. Any spare moment between classes or lunch breaks I find myself with their company, and I love it. I love feeling like they want me around as much as I want to be around them. It makes what’s happening between us all feel like something real, something I can count on.
“Why are you pushing me away, baby?” Aero pouts, and I laugh in his face, my arms wrapped around his shoulders as he carries me from the cafeteria with Juniper’s pack laughing behind us. It took very little time for pack Baines to suss out that things have escalated between me and the guys, mainly because Aero has no chill. The moment I agreed to be his, he was shouting it from the damned rooftops, and I’ll lie to him before I confess just how much I loved it.
As soon as Juniper realized we’d become a thing, she sighed and muttered, “Thank the fucking gods. It’s about time,” with agreement from each of her bonded. Bunch of lovable assholes that they are, it was impossible to be mad, and I’ve found myself grinning more and more as the days pass, practically walking on cloud nine.
The only thing that could make it any better was if Pace was around more, and if Munro stops sulking around the house like a moody vampire. As it is, Pace has been working a lot, only having time to spend an hour or so with us at lunch or dinner before he vanishes long into the night.
Munro, I’ve deduced, is a lost cause. I can’t figure him out. After my crying jag that I’m now embarrassed over, he’s been different. No longer am I receiving the silent treatment I was before, nor am I on the receiving end of nasty sneers and dirty looks. Instead, he watches me like he wants to strangle me for shutting his apology down. He watches me like he wants to shake me until I agree to talk to him. And he watches me with a look that I thought could be jealousy or envy, but that clearly has to be my delusions. I’m sure he’s just pissed that I won’t give him the time of day so he can clear his conscience and go back to being a thundering dick to me.
Right now, however, he’s trailing at the back of our group, and I can feel his eyes on me. I opt to ignore it, because he doesn’t deserve my attention.
“I said I need to get to class, not that I want to be rid of you, you goose,” I snicker, scratching my nails through his hair and trying not to perfume when he groans prettily.
I never thought I’d see the day, but I’ve officially turned into a sex-crazed hussy. Aero, Haze and Rage have all turned me into a needier, friskier, more-demanding version of myself, but they seem to love it. Any chance they get, I’m impaled on one of their cocks while another fucks my mouth like I’m a toy to be used. I never thought I’d get off on that shit, but I’ll be damned if my sex life isn’t currently thriving and better than ever. I have no doubt it’s because of who I’m exploring it with, my comfort levels around pack Larsen growing far past what I would have imagined.
Aero sighs and shakes his head in mock disappointment. “Just say you hate me, babe. It would hurt less.”
“Oh my god, you’re so dramatic,” I snicker, pecking his lips with a brief kiss, knowing Aero will take advantage and turn it into more if I don’t.
“I’m an omega. Of course, I’m dramatic,” he blandly quips, making me laugh, because same.
Chuckling and kicking my feet, still being carried as though I don’t have perfectly capable legs to walk on, I snicker and say, “And so needy.”
“Omega, baby,” he quickly points out with a shrug, patting my ass to cement his point. Then he raises his eyebrow and declares, “You should know. You’re just as needy. And clingy.”
He’s right. I am. I can’t help it, sue me. Since introducing sex to whatever is going on between us, it’s been difficult to stay away from them. I want to be with them all the time, in their space, with their scents surrounding me. I’m scent marking them without realizing, only for them to do it back. Technically, they’re enabling my behavior so I’m not really at fault. Omega math, right?
“Maybe, but I don’t stop you from going to class. You know, that place where you should be right now?” I snicker, the sound cut off when Aero leans in for a more thorough kiss, drawing it out like I knew he would.
Chuckling against his lips, I murmur, “Get lost, you doofus. You can have all the kisses you want when we get home.”
Groaning against me, he pats my ass once more before finally releasing me. “You better keep that promise.”
I offer him a scouts’ honor, and he rolls his eyes with a grin before he reaches over for a hug from Juniper, and tells me, “I’ll see you later, my bubblegum baddie.”
“Uh-huh,” I answer, grinning like a happy omega.
I watch as Aero sighs and turns, heading in the direction of his class, right before he turns and runs back for another kiss. Only when I’m dopey and grinning does he finally disappear, leaving me with Juno, Lowie, Leylan, and Munro. The others must have dispersed while Aero had my attention.
“That’s just grossly cute, you know,” Juno quips, linking her arm with mine the moment I don’t have my omega clinging to me like an octopus.
“How do you think I felt when I saw you with your guys?” I tease, leaning into my best friend as she snorts and nods.
“Fair. Still, I’m happy for you and shit,” she mumbles, tucking her purple hair behind her ear as she shrugs as though it’s no big deal.
It is. Juniper doesn’t do cutesy things as a rule. I mean, she’ll tell me she loves me now, but it was like pulling teeth trying to get that from her. But this? Damn, she’s going soft.
“I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. I still have claws, so you better shut your mouth,” she gripes playfully, and I mimic zipping my mouth shut and throwing the key away.
I hear several snorts, and I’m surprised to find one of those coming from Munro. He clears his throat quickly, avoiding my eyes as though he didn’t just acknowledge me, but it does something funny to my chest anyway. Not enough to pay him more attention than that glance, but enough to fill my chest with something… I don’t know, fuzzy maybe?
“So, when’s our first group date?” Lowie boldly asks, and Juniper sends him a horrified expression that has him laughing.
I know the offer isn’t real, because big group activities would be enough to send Juno into a fit of hives, but that’s not to say I don’t play on it, because winding my best friend up provides me with a plethora of amusement.
“I was thinking this weekend. We should all go line dancing, country boots and everything,” I quip, knowing Juno would sooner rather die than dance, be it line or squiggle or zig-zag.
“Line dancing. I like it. I’ll get the cowboy hat out of the closet,” Leylan joins in, and my laughter throws my head back while I lean into an unimpressed Juno.
She glares at all of us, her lips twitching. “I hate all of you.”
“I didn’t do shit,” Munro grumbles, and Juno snorts.
“You’re spared my ire then. Lucky you,” she smarts, and he flashes her a small smile before his eyes fall back on me and it fades as quickly as it came. Fucking A. “Anyway, I’m going to class. I’ll see you later, Pixie.”
“Laters, kitten. Love you,” I offer back, winking at her.
Rolling her eyes, she mumbles it back before dragging her twins away, calling over her shoulder, “Come on, Ro. Let’s bust this popsicle joint.”
Huffing a laugh, I go to walk in the direction of my next class, only to be stopped by a heavily tatted hand and the scent of pine and citrus. My heart stalls in my chest as soon as Munro’s fingers gently wrap around my bare bicep, and I suddenly regret wearing a spaghetti-strapped white top that reveals too much of my skin.
Startled, my eyes snap up to his, and my mouth parts in shock as I find him standing much closer than I would have credited him for being. Usually, the guy can’t stand to be anywhere near me. What the hell is even happening right now?
Raising my eyebrows in question, I mutter, “You're touching me on purpose.”
I’m pretty sure Munro’s lips twitch, but then he’s as stone-faced as ever as he retorts, “Very observant.”
Rolling my eyes and less than amused, I pluck his hand off me, ignoring how much bigger they are than mine. I also ignore all the sexy things he could do with hands that big, because I’m simply not going there. I’m going to have to put my pussy on hiatus or something, because I’ve turned into a sexual deviant, my slutty thoughts having no place to belong where Munro Villin is concerned.
Munro sighs and groans when I manage to remove his touch from my skin, and I have to ignore the way it feels like that single touch has imprinted on my skin like a tattoo. Gods, what the actual fuck is wrong with me? Get your shit together, Silver. We hate him, remember?
Apparently, getting good dick regularly turns one's head into a pit of marshmallow, because that’s the only explanation I have for why I’m being weird about the guy touching me. Weirder is that he’s touching me at all, so I focus on that instead.
“What do you want, Munro? I have a class to get to, and so do you. Pretty sure Juno has gone on without you,” I murmur, crossing my arms over my chest as I peer impassively at the guy who’s pissed me off more times than I’ve had showers and bubble baths.
Munro sighs before wiping a hand over his face. His tired-looking face, now that I’m looking at him properly. I’ve spent my days trying to avoid looking at him entirely, though it’s a difficult task when you live together, eat together, and generally cross paths at school. I can’t say I’ve noticed the deep circles under his eyes, though, or the tightness of his features that display his tiredness.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I just want to talk. I know you told me you didn’t want a truce, but I just want a moment to explain, princess,” he sighs, and for the first time since I had the poor luck in meeting the guy, he looks genuinely defeated. The nickname he bestowed upon me in the early days doesn’t sound mocking or degrading, and there isn’t a sneer or scowl on his face that I’ve grown used to. He looks like he’s walking a fine line that is the last tether holding his sanity together, and I curse my bleeding fucking heart again when I actually feel sympathy for him. He doesn't deserve it, hasn’t done anything to earn it, and yet it’s there.
Shrugging a shoulder and my voice softer than I mean it to be, I ask, “Why should I listen, Munro? Why now?”
He shakes his head and peers down at the ground, looking uncomfortable as fuck, but he does answer, and what he says shakes the foundation I’m standing on more than I would have given credit to. “I want to explain a few things, maybe give you insight to why I’ve been such an insufferable prick. I don’t want to give you excuses and explain away how shitty I’ve been, but I just wanted to give you some insight. Ever since I made you cry in the living room, I’ve felt like the biggest bag of dicks—”
“You are a bag of dicks,” I blurt, interrupting him and drawing the familiar glare I’ve grown used to from him. I press my hand over my mouth, kind of feeling bad for the outburst, and mutter, “Sorry, go on.”
I’m sure his lips twitch again, but then he rubs his tatted hand over his mouth and says, “I’ve felt like shit ever since, because it made me realize you weren’t who I thought you were. I’ve had you pegged wrong this whole time, and I see now that I wasn’t fair to you before. I didn’t give you a shot, and I want to explain why.”
Damn it if my curiosity isn’t piqued enough that I consider hearing him out. I mean, he’s left me alone for the most part. Other than the constant watching and strange looks I can’t figure out, he hasn’t been his usual asshole self. Ever since that day in the living room after my shift at work, he’s been distant. Observing. Keeping an eye on me. It’s been weird, but I haven’t bothered giving it my brain power to work it out.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not intrigued now. I’ve had time to cool off, had plenty of orgasms to tame my bad attitude towards the beta, fucked so thoroughly that I’ve found a strange, little slice of Zen that wasn’t present before. It’s because of that, I guess, that I find myself uttering, “Fine. I’ll hear you out. Won’t change that I’m pissed at you, but I’ll listen to whatever you need to get off your chest.”
As though my words are what he was hoping to hear but didn’t dare to hope for, his body tenses before he relaxes with an audible sigh of relief when he realizes I’ve agreed. I’ll probably regret it later, but I’ve gone and done it now, so it would make me feel like the bag of dicks if I yelled ‘psyche’ now and skipped away without another thought.
Anyway, I’m too curious about what he has to say for himself.
Munro nods, clenching his teeth a couple of times, his sharp jaw flexing a couple of times before he finally says, “Thank you, princess. I’ll see you at home.”
And with that little mind fuck, he disappears after Juno quickly, almost like he’s afraid I’ll change my mind if he lingers longer than necessary. I’m forced to spend the remainder of my classes in a state of dread and curiosity, barely focusing in class and hitting the wrong note on the piano more times than I care to acknowledge, all the while conjuring possible scenarios for the conversation I’m bracing for with a beta who hates me.
Why the hell do I get myself into these situations?
***
I’m chewing on my thumbnail, staring at my computer screen that has long since faded to black after falling asleep from disuse.
Sitting in my chair with my foot pressed into the seat and my leg tucked against my desk, the opposite leg bouncing rapidly with a weird and uncomfortable buzz of nerves I can’t seem to shake, I glance at the neon-pink clock hanging on the wall of my studio for the billionth time.
Nothing has been able to shake me of the strange anxiety that has plagued me since agreeing to a chat with Munro motherfuckin Villin. Not an after-school quickie with Aero that started with his tongue devouring places no man has ever eaten before and ending with both of us covered in sweat and cum and gasping for air. Not eating a quiet dinner with Pace, the twins, and Aero, where they all held mindless conversation while I zoned out, not even feeling Pace’s intense gaze on me like I usually do. Not a brief girly phone call with Juniper that ended in her cussing Evron out for eating the last of her cake pops. And not the long shower I took before locking myself away in my studio to await my death sentence. Dramatic? Maybe. But I’ll be shot with a stun gun and pissed on if I don’t feel like I’m walking death row by agreeing to talk to Munro.
I’m so lost in thought that I don’t notice there’s a body loitering in the doorway for a long moment, my teeth chewing down my nails until they look haggard and gross, promising a trip to a nail salon is absolutely on the cards for my future. It’s the clearing of a throat that breaks me free of my internal panic, and I startle with a minor yelp that I trap with my hand over my mouth.
“Sorry. I did knock,” Munro rushes, cringing when I slap a hand over my chest and drop my head back with a deep sigh as I try to control the rapid pounding of my heart. Not that it’ll work, because there mere sight of the tatted adonis has it skipping several beats and doing somersaults beneath my rib cage.
Clearing my throat and scrubbing my hands over my face, I mutter, “Room is soundproof. Aero and the twins have resorted to texting or calling when they’re trying to get my attention.”
Munro winces and looks away. “I don’t have your number.”
Heaving a hefty sigh, I contemplate my next action for a brief moment before deciding it’s a good idea if for nothing but becoming an emergency contact for the others if he needs it. “Give me your phone.”
Scowling at me, though with less sass than usual, Munro retrieves his cell from his back pocket and hands it over, considerate of keeping his fingers from brushing mine. I’m dutifully ignoring the pang of disappointment that comes with the near touch, because I don’t need to be disappointed by it. I’m pissed at the guy, for fuck’s sake!
Typing my number into his phone and saving it under ‘Princess’ with an accompanying tiara, I hand his cell back over and gesture for him to head over to the cushioned couch tucked away in the corner of the studio.
Accepting his cell, he peers down at his screen and snorts. “ Princess . Nice.”
“Seemed right,” I volley, following after him as he walks toward the couch and claims a seat on the end, closest to the door as though he’s bracing for a possible getaway should he need one. That’s promising.
Deciding to get this shit-show over with sooner than later and before I ruin my nails entirely, I blurt, “Alright. You wanted to talk, so talk. I’m all ears.”
As soon as the words have slipped free, I brace myself for the worst, building walls around my heart and defenses around my body like a shield of armor that will hopefully repel any assholish things he wants to launch at me.
Here goes nothing.