Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Kyren
Deciding to give up on sleeping, I pull myself out of bed at around five forty-five in the morning. Isidro burrows deeper into the blankets, and Harlan grunts as he drags our omega across the bed to snuggle with.
We’ve all been upset about how our conversation went down last night, and Isidro is insistent that we court Silva. I thought he might be upset that we have another scent matched omega, but he’s not. I think he wants her too.
As for me? I’m struggling. She’s always been a random girl Harlan has been looking for, for years. I figured he’d find her, get her out of his system, and move on. That’s obviously not going to happen now.
Isidro says Silva told him that she’s my scent match too, but I’m not sure what this pull is about. Women aren’t really my thing, as they’re too emotional. Isidro isn’t like that. He’s pretty level headed and knows what’s important to get a job done.
I hate that he has to ignore so many of his omega instincts, and he’s due to go off his medication soon. He told me it would need to be done after this mission. He’s beginning to get the feeling that his skin is stretched too tightly and everything feels too loud.
It’s important to listen when he has those feelings because otherwise, it affects his mood as well. It’s how we figured out that he needs to go off them due to how badly his mental health unravels.
When we’re done with Widows Peak, my plan was to take some time off to take care of Isidro during his heat. Now, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to put this town in our rearview window and forget about it.
Huffing out a sound of frustration, I pull on a pair of black joggers, a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and my socks and sneakers. It’s not snowing yet, which means I’ll be fine with just this.
I make sure to carry a bottle of water, my phone, and ear buds, then get ready to leave. My pack mates are still dead to the world, making me smile.
“See you later,” I murmur, not wanting to wake them up.
Sneaking out the door, I lock it again and glare at the video camera.
I can’t be fucked to break into her security and hide my movements. I’m not doing anything wrong. I am, however, annoyed that the proprietor of this establishment is going to such lengths to spy on her guests.
So far, I haven’t run into anyone who is staying here. I’ve heard floors creak as people walk, but they haven’t been out while my pack and I are. Sloane mentioned he may need my hacking skills soon for a night trip he doesn’t want recorded, and I told him I was down to help.
Ignoring the itching between my shoulder blades as I give my back to the camera, I walk with light feet down the hall and descend the stairs. I need to move, and if I find myself at Silva’s house, I’ll call it a happy accident.
Isidro mentioned that he wanted to do some upkeep work for her on her house. I want to see the state of it before I offer to help him. His love language is acts of service, and I know that he wants her to see that he’s serious about getting to know her.
Silva is playing hard to get, and has no idea how Isidro is when he’s presented with something he can’t have. He lives day to day hiding most of his instincts, Silva is someone he doesn’t have to hide from.
I know she doesn’t know him, but she’s about to understand how fierce the three of us are.
Unlocking the back door, I walk outside quietly, making sure to lock back up.
Once in the backyard, I begin to warm up my muscles before my run. I’d usually do this in the front lawn, but people are probably beginning to get up for the day. In a town like this, they like to chat, and I’m not awake enough to play the jovial alpha I’m used to projecting.
Masking is part of this job. It’s like playing a part, and every person on my team is used to it. I need to strip it all down for Silva, even if she doesn’t like what she sees. I have a feeling she’ll see right through it anyway.
Once I’m sure my muscles won’t cramp, I exit the back yard and walk to the sidewalk before popping in my earbuds and finding one of my running workout playlists. I need heavy drums, a guitar solo that makes my heart pound, and poignant lyrics.
Otherwise, I don’t fucking want it.
My feet pick up speed once my phone is tucked into one of the many pockets in my hoodie, and I pretend I’m letting them lead the way. The truth is that I already memorized the path to Silva’s house, and it’s a forty minute run using a very indirect route.
I use this time to get to know the streets, businesses, and people who live here as I run. There’s a woman who is gardening in her front yard, and I wonder if she’s winterizing her garden. She doesn’t look up as I run past, busy with her mulch and flowers.
It says something about this town that she doesn’t notice me, as people would be more on guard in a larger city. It’s an interesting dynamic, and I can see why it’s something Silva wants to protect.
I’m breathing hard as I slow down to a walk on Silva’s street, glad my sweatshirt pockets are as deep as they are as I pull out my water bottle. A part of me is punishing myself with this run because I feel badly that I tried to make her doubt Syrus’ devotion to her.
There’s nothing really petty or shallow in Silva that I can see. Sure, she put Harlan on his ass, but that was driven by an instinct to protect herself. Harlan was being creepy, and that wasn’t the best way to open a conversation.
Was it funny for me to watch Silva zap Harlan, oh for sure. It just wasn’t conducive to connecting with her.
Breathing heavy as my pace inches to a crawl, I suck down water before looking around at the neighborhood.
The houses vary in style, and some have wrap-around porches, which others don’t.
Silva’s house has a porch in the front, and it appears that there’s a raised porch in back before it opens into a backyard that’s completely open.
I’m not sure why she doesn’t have a fence, but that annoys me. How does she get any privacy?
The world feels very quiet as I turn off my ear buds, and I focus on getting my breathing under control. My eyes also immediately land on the different cameras at the front of the property, something I am happy about. A very large part of me is now concerned with her safety.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
See? This is messy. I don’t want to worry about her. I haven’t even spent much time around Silva, and I’m wondering if she locked her door last night.
“Getting your stalking in early?” a female’s voice calls out to me.
Blinking, I glance at the porch next to Silva’s where her twin is sipping something. She looks a lot like her sister, but I can tell from here that they aren’t identical.
“Maybe,” I drawl.
At second glance, I can see there’s video surveillance on her property as well. Turning in a slow circle, I see that’s true of a few of the other houses. Huh. Interesting.
I guess if I have to take a piss from all this water I’m drinking, I won’t be doing it near any of these properties.
“Why are you bothering Silva?” Lexi asks. “I’m surprised she hasn’t rejected your ass.”
“Why are you being mean to my ass?” I pout, rubbing it before sobering once I see she isn’t the slightest bit amused. Damn, tough crowd. “It’s a small town, I’m just getting in my run. Maybe it has nothing to do with her.”
Something bangs in Silva’s house and my eyes shoot up to the rooms on the second floor. Lexi doesn’t look, but her eyes do cloud over slightly.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask.
“Nothing,” she murmured, sipping from her mug.
A strangled cry also pierces the air, and I tense. “You’re lying,” I snarl.
“It’s none of your business,” Lexi breathes. “She’ll be fine. It’s always worse when she’s stressed out. I wonder what could possibly be fucking with her head, huh?”
“You could do something about this,” I say, my hand rising and falling in Silva’s direction.
I suppose she must have spoken to Silva about yesterday if she’s this disappointed in someone she’s never met before.
“What do you suggest I do?” Lexi asks.
“I mean, don’t you ever feel guilty for sitting perfectly safe in your town while others are suffering?” I hiss, moving closer to her.
“I’m completely cold hearted, so no,” she lies. “Silva and I have discussed it. If there’s a way to do it without affecting the town, we’re open to it.”
Another scream rings out before cutting off and Lexi visibly flinches.
“I think she’s awake now,” she breathes.
“Fuck me,” I whisper, my chest cramping so hard I have to rub it. “Does she have nightmares?”
“You could say that,” she says cryptically. “She’s really grumpy when she doesn’t sleep well. You know, in case you value your knot. I don’t. I think you need to be humbled.”
“Shouldn’t you be telling her scent match how awesome your sister is?” I ask. “That’s what a normal sister would do, right?”
“We aren’t normal, and Silva has Syrus. He’s what she needs. You’re just an alpha with too much testosterone and an attitude problem,” she says, shrugging. “Why are you here?”
“I’m curious about her,” I confess. “Isidro mentioned that she said that she needed work done on her house, but now I’m assessing how safe it is for her to live here.”
“Oh my god,” she scoffs. “The houses aren’t an issue, and we have security. Lark is probably watching you on the cameras already, and judging how tiny your dick is. You feel guilty.”
“Maybe,” I admit. “We all fucked up yesterday. We didn’t understand the situation, and pushed too hard. I didn’t think she’d run.”
“Silva wouldn’t leave without me,” she says confidently.
“I wouldn’t let that happen. The problem is that she’s the first to sacrifice herself.
No matter what you think you can say to hurt her, she’s already said worse shit to herself.
So get over your bullshit and act like an alpha worthy of her time, or get the fuck out.
She doesn’t need a savior, she saves herself by doing things no one else would do. I don’t think you can handle her.”