Chapter 17 #2
Didn’t Joker say that he would only tell me one secret a day?
“Hey,” Bird calls over from the stove, “clear the table, dinner is ready. No murder shit where we’re eating.”
“Spoilsport,” I mutter.
Joker holds his hands over a grenade. “Don’t listen to the cruel Omega, baby. He doesn’t mean it.”
“He does,” Bird corrects. “Unless you want the chefs to eat all this yummy pasta ourselves…”
Joker and I exchange a panicked glance, before we hurriedly begin to drop the weapons into a faded, green bag by the side of the table.
“Aren’t you going to kiss them goodnight?” I tease.
Joker twirls to me, capturing my lips instead. “Gun play is kinky. Are you into that?”
My heart speeds up.
“Hmm, ideas for later.” I grab Joker by the neck and shove him down onto the wooden bench next to me.
Phantom drops cutlery with a clatter onto the table. Then Bird, more gently, slides steaming bowls of garlic and tomato pasta in front of us.
“Ta da!” Bird smiles, rocking on his heels. “I added olives, as well as some random herbs. This kitchen is not well stocked, but we did our best. Enjoy, yeah?”
“It looks amazing.” I’m not lying; it does.
Joker eagerly dives into his portion, moaning on the first mouthful in a way that should be illegal outside porn.
“This is better than how we have been living. I’m impressed that you could create something like this.
My skipper will tell you that I burn toast, fuck it, I burn water when I make tea. ”
Phantom grunts his agreement as he sits on the opposite side of the table, pulling Bird to sit on his knee.
Bird is careful not to jostle Phantom’s injured shoulder.
I had thought that I may be jealous of seeing Bird with another Alpha.
I am possessive.
Yet watching Phantom spear a strand of pasta and handfeed it to Bird, as my pretty Omega curls on his knee, only fills me with a sense of safety that I have never known before in my life.
Phantom is my Chief Alpha now, but he isn’t one like Fiorella, who expected me to fear her.
Phantom hasn’t issued a single Alpha Command.
He hasn’t hit Joker once or beaten any of us for backtalk.
It is hard to adjust after what I have been used to, growing up in the Adonis pack.
Phantom has spent the day watching over us with a silent care for our needs, whether it is to make sure that we have warm clothes, drink, food, or a nest.
He is uber dominant like I am.
But he hasn’t needed to dominate his pack through brutality or by imposing a strict hierarchy.
Is that what it’s like in liberal packs?
Warily, I watch Phantom. I’m not prepared to fully allow my guard down yet. I have too many questions.
When Phantom leans to reach for something that is tucked into his belt, I stiffen.
I knew that I shouldn’t have relaxed too early.
My mistake.
I glance at the bag of weapons that is tucked beside the table.
Can I reach it in time?
Phantom tosses two beautiful silver daggers with curved wolf hilts onto the table. I startle at the clank.
“I thought that I said no murder weapons at the table.” Bird sighs.
With a snarl, I leap to my feet.
Surprised, Phantom raises his beautiful green eyes to meet mine in question.
“Courting gifts.” Joker gestures at the daggers.
Phantom nods, encouragingly.
Joker points his fork at the daggers. “They mean that you’re pack.”
My expression softens. I study Phantom’s face. He is looking at me, hopefully.
Bird’s brow furrows in confusion. “Are daggers normal courting gifts?”
“They’re the best.” I snatch one of the knives, testing its weight in my hand. “Perfect.”
Phantom puffs out his chest with pride.
“I’ll train you in how to use it, Cookie. You’ll be a true Hunter in no time.” Joker leans across the table closer to Bird. “Although, maybe Phantom should train you instead. He’s better than me at hand-to-hand fighting with these things.”
Phantom nods.
When I sit back down, I’m smiling. “A meal cooked for me and a dagger. This is the type of love I understand.”
“I knew that you loved me.” Joker flutters his eyelashes.
“Don’t push it.” I flick his forehead.
“You saw that, right? Protect the Beta.”
Phantom’s lips only quirk, as he signs something that can’t be polite because Joker dramatically acts out his heart breaking.
“Where did all the heroes go?” Joker laments.
“Sorry, only villains here.” I take another bite of my pasta.
“This is fucking good pasta. But I wouldn’t care if it wasn’t.
Eating with you like this feels great. Well, better than I expected it would.
When I was young, as a Rogue, I was kept in a basement most of the time.
I wasn’t allowed to eat with the rest of the family because they pretended that I wasn’t biologically theirs.
They thought that it was too shameful. I always wondered what it would feel like to sit around with a pack and eat a real meal. I like it.”
Why are they all looking at me?
Phantom surprises me by reaching across the table and grabbing my hand.
My stomach flutters, when he turns my hand over and kisses the back of it.
Warmth spreads through my chest.
“I have my own dagger now and I’m going to learn how to use it,” Bird says, with an edge of steel. “I will be joining you in taking revenge on your family.”
“I’m sure that there will be enough revenge to go around.” Joker’s voice is dark. “Because we’ll all want in on that.”
The warmth spreads.
Apart from my brother, I have been alone for my entire life.
Suddenly, I don’t feel alone anymore.
I glance at Phantom, who is watching me with a piercing gaze. “But why are we hiding out here? You told me that you have a mission.”
The silence draws out a moment too long, as Phantom and Joker exchange a glance.
Finally, Phantom gives a short nod.
There is no doubt that liberal as he is, Phantom is still the Chief Alpha.
“We’re not hiding,” Joker at last admits. “We’re hunting other bounty hunters who are coming for you. And they are coming.”