Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
lyon
“What are you two imbeciles doing?” August mutters from the doorway behind me.
Memphis waves his free hand in the other Alpha’s direction, the other busy holding the blinds apart just enough that we can peer through them. “Shhh. She might hear you.”
“Who might hear me?”
“Shay,” he whispers. “Her and Ridge just finished up the shots for social media, and they’re coming back this way.”
The sweetest sound ever filters in from outside.
“Is she…” The words stall on my tongue as my heart tries to hammer its way out of my chest.
Her head is tossed back, her smile wide as Ridge grins beside her.
She’s so relaxed with him. The distrust that is typically present seems to have melted away under the magnetism that is our best friend, which is not altogether shocking.
Ridge seems to easily forge connections with people that otherwise shy away from others.
“Yup. She’s laughing.” Memphis’ voice is full of awe.
His excitement hits me through the bond like thousands of little bubbles from a fizzy soda.
I get it, dude. I get it.
“Alright, Creeper McCreepersons. You two are starting to worry me.”
Memphis straightens without releasing his hold on the blinds, thank fuck, as he faces off with his cousin.
“Don’t pretend like you haven’t been planting yourself on a barstool just to sit there and ogle her tits.
Old Man Morris told me all about your secret visits and the fact that you tried to bribe him into silence. ”
“At least I’m man enough to face her, rather than hiding in a darkened living room playing peeping Tom out the goddamn blinds. Jesus Christ. You two are pathetic.”
“No. We’ve just got a healthy sense of self-preservation! That woman is gorgeous but terrifying. Did you hear what she did to Billy Bob when he lost his mind and commented on her new tank top?”
Silence stretches out, but I don’t pull my eyes off Shay as she punches Ridge playfully in the arm.
“Well?” Auggie asks impatiently. “What did she do?”
“It’s said he left the saloon with a wet spot running down the front of his jeans.” Memphis exhales harshly. “She made a grown man piss his pants! What does that tell you, Aug?”
“She’s leaving,” I murmur.
Suddenly, two bodies press close, filling the space beside me.
We peer out through the thin slit, watching our packmate and the pretty Omega head for his truck.
Poppy is beside her, happily trotting along…
until something draws her attention to the window.
She releases a pitiful moo and excitedly trots up to the house and onto the porch, perching herself just below the window.
Auggie chuckles. “That cow has a sixth sense where you’re concerned.”
“She’s gonna give away our hiding spot. Shoo, Poppy. Go find Ridge. I’ll feed you as soon as they’re gone.”
“Too late.” Shay’s head swivels around as she searches for the mini Highland snitch, and I panic when her eyes narrow on the window.
Memphis drops his hands, and suddenly we’re all ducking below the sill with our backs to the wall like a bunch of kids trying not to get caught.
Our knees are damn near to our ears, our shoulders hunched as we try to make ourselves as small as possible, which is damned hard when you’re as big as we are.
I’m a Beta, but I would never make the mistake of thinking that I’m safe from Shay’s wrath if she were to catch us spying on her and Ridge. Hell, I’m not even sure I’d know what to do if all of her attention was aimed my way. Guess it makes a little sense why Billy Bob pissed his pants.
“Phew. That was a close one.” He releases a pent-up breath, eyes meeting mine. “Think she saw us?”
I shrug in response. I’m not big on words. In fact, there are few occasions where more than a couple are necessary at any given time. Somehow, that’s never stopped my packmates from understanding me—even before we were bonded. My silence often speaks volumes.
“What the hell am I doing down here with you two idiots?” Auggie grumbles, jumping to his feet. “Y’all pulled me into whatever this shit show is, and now I’m starting to question my decision to join this pack. You're a terrible influence.”
Memphis grins up at him. “Bullshit. You love it here, and you love us. Don’t try to play the tough guy now.”
“You two are the biggest motherfuckers I know, yet here you are, cowering like pre-teens trying to catch sight of their first crush. Grow a pair of balls and speak to the woman.” His head tilts as he looks down at me.
“Or, in your case, do that weird shit you do where you just appear with what she needs when she needs it. Bet that would be effective.”
He storms off, scowl in place, as Memphis and I stare at his retreating back.
“He’s not completely wrong.” The Alpha’s head drops back against the wall, and when his head tilts to look over at me, I see the helplessness he’s incapable of hiding—not from his pack.
He’s always worn his heart on his sleeve ever since we were kids, his eyes giving away damn near every thought he’s having.
“But she means too much to fuck it up, ya know?”
Giving him a slight nod, I grunt in confirmation. I do know. Shay is the kind of woman you latch on to and never let go. She’s not a bed warmer or someone you test the waters with. She deserves a pack who gives themselves over unconditionally.
We could be that for her. We could be the pack that makes sure she’s never alone again. The ones who take care of her and protect her. The fact that she may never let us in enough for any of that to happen? Well, it sucks.
“C’mon. I’ll start dinner.” Memphis stands, holding out his hand, and helps me to my feet.
“At this point, we may need a fuckin’ miracle if we ever hope to tame that Omega.
She’s more skittish than the wild horses that run free out at the river, and we all saw what happened that one time I tried to pet one. Damn near lost a finger.”
I snort, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and twisting the cap.
“I’m telling you, Lyon. My case of blue balls over this woman could probably set world records. I’d be surprised if it hasn’t hampered my baby batter production.”
Choking on the water that just went down the wrong pipe, I cough until my eyes water.
“I wish I was lyin’. It’s been way too long since I dipped my stick in a warm hole, mostly because my damned hindbrain insists the Omega we need is the one that can’t stand the sight of me. That fucks with an Alpha’s ego, man.”
“A Beta’s too,” I say softly.
He and Auggie aren’t the only ones suffering.
We’ve had plenty of conversations over the years about the dark-haired beauty, long before August moved here for a change of pace and ended up becoming pack.
We all want her, and with each passing day, our hopes dwindle just a little bit more.
We caught a moment of sheer luck late one night when Ridge got to play hero, stopping a tourist from getting a little too handsy as she was leaving the bar after closing.
That night, he started to earn her trust, and they struck up a friendship that surprised all of us.
Now we’re sitting back and watching it play out, hoping that our one chance at something more with her won’t go up in flames if it falters.
“I know Ridge won’t push the fragile boundaries they’ve established, but I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t almost hoping he did just a little.
I’m jealous as fuck that he gets to spend time alone with her.
It’s all I’ve wanted since the day she stepped foot in Darling.
Those haunted green eyes hide a million stories, and that frown of hers makes a man want to do stupid things.
” He shakes his head as he pulls out the makings for tacos.
“I’ve been reduced to hiding in my own house like a pervert just to get a glimpse of her. ”
“There are rumors…” I say, turning the water bottle around and around in my hand.
People in Darling tend to forget I exist most of the time, talking around me like I’m not even there. It works out in my favor, keeping me up-to-date on the important goings on in town,
I don’t need to worry about finishing the thought. He picks it up and rolls with it. “People are talking. It wouldn’t be Darling if they didn’t. Doesn’t seem to be scaring her off…yet.”
He’s right. As much as Shay is a closed-off mystery, she’s not a shrinking violet.
Woman’s got a spine of steel, and I can’t help but admire that about her.
But even flowers can be battered by the rain, and I just pray that if there’s ever a time where she needs someone to shelter her from the storm, she’ll turn to us. We’ll be waiting.