Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hayden
“Alright, we’ll rest here. You’ve got twenty minutes and then we’ll loop back around,” the guide calls out, gesturing to a gap in the trees ahead.
The other couples take a seat on some logs that are scattered around the meadow, but Siobhan is still in the zone.
She has her head down, eyes trained on the ground and trees around us.
Her hair is pulled back into a relaxed French braid with tendrils already falling loose around her face and shoulders.
It glows in the evening light, casting a halo around her upper body and reflecting off the many piercings lining her dainty ears.
“Oooh, look!” She waves Jayce and I over to where she’s collecting a handful of acorns. Of course, we weren’t more than a couple steps away to begin with. “I think it’s a yarrow plant?”
The guide meanders over, hands in their pockets and elbows sticking out, then tips their upper body to see what she’s pointing to. “Yep, good eye there little lady. That’s a native yarrow, good for healing. Leaves are edible, and the flowers can be used in tea.”
Siobhan grins up at all three of us, and I want to growl at the beta guide to back away from our omega.
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, they hum under their breath as they turn and wander along the tree line.
I look back down to see Siobhan has pulled out the clippers we sent with the foraging belt, and she’s carefully snipping off a couple leaves and then one set of flowers, which she tucks into a pocket.
Her warm clove scent drifts around us, perfectly complimenting the scents of the forest.
“So,” she says, rising and then turning to face us. “I have something I wanted to talk to you both about.”
Her scent turns the slightest bit stale, and I straighten, ensuring she knows she has my full attention. “You can talk to us about anything, little witch.”
She grins at the nickname, and my heart skips a beat. Jayce shifts on his feet next to me, and I can feel his nerves even without a formal bond between us.
“Okay, well,” she says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Is she nervous? She glances up at me, then Jayce, then away, letting her eyes drift across the trees around us.
“Let’s sit down,” I say, snagging her hand and tucking it into mine. I lead the three of us to another set of fallen logs that are separated from the others. “Alright, what’s on your mind?”
She takes a deep breath, then the words pour out of her. “The beta you met, Aury. I like him, and he likes me, and we’re kindoftogether. I just thoughtyoushouldknow.” She tucks her lips between her teeth and peers up at us through long, dark lashes.
I blink at her, needing a second to sort through the jumble of words.
“You’re with the beta?” Jayce says, his voice gruff.
“He’s not just some beta,” she replies, spine snapping straight as her eyes blaze a threatening blue.
“Whoa, whoa.” I hold my hands up. “He didn’t say he was. Let me rephrase. You’re with Aury?”
She twists her lips to the side, but her posture softens.
She throws one last glare at Jayce, then sighs.
“Yeah, we’re together. I wanted you to know before we took things any further.
I don’t know how you feel about betas or what you want a pack to look like, but it felt like something you deserve to know.
I don’t want to lead you on or anything. ”
“I don’t have any particular expectations of what a pack should look like. Jayce? What about you?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t have any expectations. I mean, I hoped for an omega, but otherwise no. I don’t have anything against betas. And if you like him, I can only assume he’s a good guy.”
She offers us half a smile at that, and I take it as encouragement.
“I don’t remember much from the accident,” I say.
“But what I do remember is that he seemed competent in a crisis, which says a lot about a person.” I pause to run my hand down her arm, needing to touch her, and she lets me snag her hand and trace my fingers around hers.
I wish she didn’t have the glove on so I could touch her soft skin.
“And when I dropped by your place, he was polite and respectful, but ultimately stood up for you—to an alpha. That’s a beta I can respect.
He seems to really care for you, amorcito, and if he’s important to you, we’d love to include him as we all get to know each other. If that’s what you both want?”
She looks between us, and Jayce nods in agreement. Finally, she smiles, relief loosening her body further, and she sags onto the log. “I’d like that. He means a lot to me, and things are pretty new between me and him, too. So… It’s a lot to navigate.”
“We’ll take it at whatever pace you want, little witch.” I squeeze her hand in mine, and then the guide calls for us to gather for the second half of the loop.
“Let’s go, pretty omega,” Jayce says, standing and holding his hand out, stealing her from me.
I let them have a moment while I mull over what she shared with us, considering the idea of adding a beta to our pack as well.
I wasn’t lying earlier; I was impressed with him, even if I didn’t realize it in the moment.
I lick my lips and stand, following a few feet behind my future pack mates, imagining Aury ambling along next to me. My heart jumps and my skin heats at the image, and I decide right then to use that number he gave me. As soon as we’re done with this date, the beta will be hearing from me.
We’re at the back of the group, rounding a bend when the guide mentions that blueberries can be found along this part of the trail in the summer.
We’ve missed them now, but I follow their pointing finger to the clumps of green bushes, leaves just starting to turn dark red, and try to remember the location for next summer.
Siobhan spins around, her hand slipping from Jayce’s, and he momentarily looks distraught until she tucks her other hand into his and walks backwards next to him.
I laugh when he glares down at the little witch.
He’s worried about her falling and injuring herself again.
I know because I’m reining in the same protective instinct.
“We have to remember this for next year,” Siobhan says, mirroring my thoughts. “That would be so fun to come pick wild blueberries.”
Jayce grunts and attempts to grab her other hand back, but right as she starts to turn, my entire foot sinks into the ground.
“Agh!” I lurch to a stop. And then the water seeps in. “Ay dios.”
“Ope.” Our guide ambles their way back to us, eyeing me up and down. “Yeh found one of the bog holes, told you to watch out for ‘em!” Then they cheerfully turn and head back to the front while I glare at their retreating back.
“Helpful,” I grumble, glaring back at my own foot. I attempt to pull it out, but I can feel my sock slipping from my shoe under the silty water. “Ah, mierda,” I say, and then a muffled giggle makes me freeze.
I slowly look up, and my eyes meet Siobhan’s bright blue ones. Her hands are covering her mouth, but I can tell from the sparkle in her eyes that she’s laughing on the inside. And then her shoulders shake, and my lips twitch in response. She sees it, and that’s that.
She drops her hands and laughs, the sound bouncing through the trees around us. Jayce looks down at her in surprise, and then his low, amused chuckle underscores her exuberant laughter.
“Do you need help?” she says, taking a step forward and holding her free hand out.
Jayce reacts at the same time I do. I shoot out my hand to stop her while he tugs her backwards, away from the treacherous, invisible bog holes. The last thing we need is for her to sprain an ankle when she’s barely got the splint off her wrist.
“They’re fine, pretty omega,” Jayce answers for me, taking the opportunity to tuck her securely under his arm. I glare at him, and he grins back, the smug bastard.
I sigh, resigned to my fate. And then I stick my hand into the cold water, grab the loop on the back of my shoe, and tug my foot and shoe out together. It releases with a squelch, and I grimace when I step away. My foot is soaked, and each step squishes, my wet foot sliding around inside the shoe.
“At least we’re almost back,” I say, and Siobhan pinches her lips together, apparently still trying not to laugh. “Let’s go.”
I take one step, and the squishing squelch has Siobhan cackling all over again.
At that point, I can’t help it, and huff, then laugh along with her.
It’s ridiculous how cartoonish every step sounds, but it’s made for a memorable second date.
I’m just glad it was me, and not her, who stepped in that filthy bog water.