Chapter 15 #2
Ignoring her, I stride across the lawn and up Silva’s porch stairs.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she warns.
Knocking loudly on her door, I wonder if her security unit is on. Who would answer if it was triggered? How safe is she really?
Forcing the racing questions to quiet, I attempt to ignore everything around me as I knock again.
“Stop knocking like she stole something, asshole,” Lexi says. “Syrus has a key, which means she might answer the door with a bat. Duck.”
She retreats back into the warmth of her house as the door opens and I reflexively step back and duck as something wooshes through the air.
“What do you want?” Silva asks. Her hair is down her back and messy, and she’s wearing a long sleep shirt and nothing else. It makes my mouth water despite every argument I’ve had with myself about women.
In her hands is a wooden bat, and I take the time to admire her stance. Damn, that would have hurt if she’d hit me with it.
Breathing deeply, I can smell bitter almonds in the air. My brain feels as if it’s rewiring as my nostrils flare, and I would swear I’ve been hit with a Mack truck. It takes everything inside of me not to throw myself at her.
It may have worked with Isidro, but he’s not scared of alphas. Silva is.
“Do you say good morning like this to everyone?” I rasp, straightening up. “Or am I special?”
“You’re something,” she mutters. “What do you want?”
“Coffee, if you’re offering,” I say with a smirk. “I’d also like a chat if you’re— Oof.”
Silva shoves the tip of the bat into my gut, nodding as she gets the reaction she wants. Fuck, I might puke up all this water I just drank. Gasping and coughing, I do my best to keep it down.
“You’re fucking feral,” I rasp.
“Nice of you to notice,” Silva mutters, turning to walk back inside.
Swallowing hard as I straighten, I stare at her, noticing as she glances over her shoulder, her bat dangling at her side.
“Have I scared you off yet?”
Hmm.
“Do I look easy to you?” I ask, stepping into the house after her.
I shouldn’t eat anything while I’m here, just in case she decides to poison me, right?
Silva
All I can smell is rum and vanilla, scents that I’m very well used to since I work in a bar. They’re also scents I’ve always loved. I may need to rethink that, now that I know they also belong to my scent match.
He smirks as he prowls into my home, and I’m instantly annoyed that I’m going to need to air everything out once he leaves. Holding back a whine, I toss the bat so I can catch it with a thud.
Ignore how sexy he looks, Silva. His red hair is drenched in sweat, and his sage green eyes gleam with curiosity and arousal. Everything about him screams danger, a very different vibe from the boy next door persona he typically has.
“If you purposely took a route to my house for your run, then I’ll have to say that you do look that easy,” I grumble, leaving him behind to close my door while I go in search of coffee.
Hmmm, the kitchen has coffee. I may have snark in spades, but the weight of exhaustion I’m carrying is crushing. I woke up screaming several times last night, and finally gave up the ghost just before a certain alpha-hole began banging on my door.
I don’t trust that I’ll be able to find a nap without the ghosts of my past locating me.
“Touché,” he grunts, following me.
Once in my kitchen, he watches me as I bang around and set up my single serve coffee.
“Why were you screaming?” he asks once I turn around.
Dammit. I didn’t think you could hear that outside of my house. Fuck me.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I reply, lying through my teeth.
The coffee maker spits and sputters as it drips my bean juice, and Kyren glares at me.
“I’m not deaf. I heard you, Silva. Why are you shouting down the house?”
“Nightmares,” I mutter. “They come and go. I can’t do anything about them.”
“I noticed Syrus isn’t here. Why is that?” he asks.
“Syrus has a house in town,” I say, looking at him like he’s insane. “His own house. We aren’t having sleepovers yet. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Princess, I would be in your bed every fucking night if I were him,” he says. “However, you’re not my type, so…”
“Cute,” I reply, willing my coffee to drip faster. “Since I’m not your ‘type’, I’m assuming you’re here to terminate whatever the fuck this is between us? Go ahead. Then you can leave.”
“No, I don’t think I will,” he says, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m too intrigued.”
My eyes glance at his sweatpants, which have Liar across them since his dick is hard and thick underneath them.
“Maybe you should discuss the fact that blondes aren’t your type with your cock,” I say, pulling my eyes from the monstrosity in his pants.
The coffee maker makes a cute tinkling sound to tell me it’s ready, and I pull my mug away to doctor my morning brew the way I like it.
“You’re checking out my cock?” he chuckles.
“It’s definitely the elephant in the room,” I snort.
“Okay, so whatever hormonal factors are happening here are making me want to fuck you,” he admits.
Putting the bat on the counter, I pull out a butcher knife and place it beside it.
“The fact that you aren’t thinking about the fact that you’re the last dick I would want inside of me is arrogant of you,” I say, facing him armed with my mug of coffee.
Taking a sip, my eyelashes flutter happily. I fucking love caffeine so much. Thank you, caffeine for this life giving injection to give a shit.
Okay, that may be too high praise.
Raising my eyes, I see that Kyren is staring at me intensely.
“What?” I ask annoyed, only to ruin it with a jaw cracking yawn. Ugh, I think I may have gotten two good hours of sleep tonight.
“I’m trying to understand why an omega who just had her sister chew me out is having nightmares,” he says.
Lexi did what?
“Honestly, I don’t get it. You have people in this town who would kill and bury my pack and I in the woods and never speak of it again. There’s all of this loyalty and support here, and yet you look as if you have demons snapping at your heels. Why is that?” he asks.
My lips purse because I don’t know him and I don’t owe him any of my truths.
“I know, okay?” Kyren continues. He’s rubbing his chest consistently, and it makes me wonder if I’m going to need to call an ambulance. “Hold on.”
We’re lucky enough to have a hospital and a morgue now, but I still do not want an alpha to drop dead in my kitchen.
“Hmph,” I mutter, drinking my coffee.
“The point is that you should be living your best life here,” he continues, dropping his hands to his sides. “If everything is hearts and flowers, why aren’t you happy?”
“It took a lot to get here,” I explain. “The scars aren’t going anywhere, and my wounds aren’t fully healed.
It doesn’t take much for my mind to dig deep into my memories to prey on that.
Just because Widows Peak is peaceful, doesn’t mean my soul is.
I was perfectly happy to keep my cabinet of sex toys and live a single lifestyle.
I’m happy to be an auntie to other people’s kids, and often do so at the community center. ”
“But what about you?” he asks, bringing tears to my eyes as I blink rapidly to escape the tears making it impossible to see. Why are there two alphas in my kitchen? “Doesn’t your happiness matter?”
“I mean…” I shrug, because there were days in my life where I didn’t know if I’d survive.
Luke and Brad would dump me in my bed bruised and bleeding. It was almost a blessing when I became an omega because I could take more damage.
Sad but true. It simply brought a host of other difficulties since Luke decided to get greedy and go after my sister.
Fucker.
“You don’t think it matters, do you?” Kyren presses, eyes wide as tears slide down my face.
“That’s a bit dramatic,” I deflect, breathing deeply as I hide behind my coffee mug.
“No it’s not. Your screams were traumatizing for me to listen to,” he growls.
“I’m not your problem,” I reply. “I’m not. Let me make this easy for you. I’ll talk to the girls about taking on the mansion and Gideon’s organization.”
Internally, I curse. I’ve been trying so damn hard not to say his name. I can see Kyren filing it away, and I attempt to stay focused.
“We’ll decide if we’re in a position to take him on, and move forward without you. Then, in good conscience, your team can leave Widows Peak.”
“I have a feeling we won’t be leaving,” he drawls.
“Aiden and Sloane have taken an interest in your sister, maybe even scent matches, who knows. We’re pretty co-dependent that way.
You’re stuck with us. This isn’t about Gideon anymore.
It’s about the eyes of a sad girl in a photo Harlan saw that is still sad. ”
“I’m not sad,” I deny, dashing away my tears with the hand not holding my coffee. “Kind of broken, but I’m not sad. Everyone is moving on, and we have good lives. It’s everything we’ve ever wanted.”
Kyren ignores me, pushing up the sleeves of his hoodie. I eye him suspiciously, incredibly distrustful.
“That’s not what I mean. You all live in separate houses, and I assume you’re figuring out what you each want. So what do you want?” he asks. As I stare at him because I never allow myself to self reflect like this, he sighs. “Syrus looks like he makes you happy.”
“He does,” I say, smiling as I think about him.
“Damn,” Kyren says. “You didn’t pause at all. Okay, my new mission in life is to make you smile like that for me.”
“Kyren,” I groan. “I thought we were just establishing that I’m no one to you. Remember? Please keep up.”
“Nah, Princess. I’ve moved on from thinking that. You keep up,” he says, smiling innocently. He’s fucking infuriating. “Now, you’re mine, you just don’t want to accept it. That’s okay. I'll just keep working at it.”
“I belong to myself,” I growl, wondering if a judge would find me guilty if I stabbed him once or twice. “Alphas tend to take, and I don’t want to live like that.”