Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Jayce
I can’t take my eyes off her. My gorgeous omega, so resilient and strong.
Her blonde hair is pulled up into a messy bun that somehow looks intentional, and her face is bare of makeup, although she’s still decked out in all her silver jewelry.
She slipped into an oversized sweater after our shower and it’s hanging off one shoulder.
The delicate curve of her neck and her soft, pale skin is tantalizing.
She’s been furiously typing away on her tablet, which she switched to from her phone, as she catches up on work that she missed the last few days.
Aury and Hayden have been in and out over the last couple of hours, though I’ve barely paid them any attention.
I think Hayden went out for groceries and Aury has been cleaning around the house, if the smell on the air is anything to go by.
My inner alpha rumbles in displeasure, but he won’t touch the nest without Siobhan’s permission, so I don’t say anything.
I think he’s mostly cleaning up after his cat.
Siobhan scowls at her phone, a beat of displeasure striking my chest from her side of the bond.
“What?” I immediately cringe at how gruff that sounded. “What’s wrong?” I amend.
“Nothing,” she says. Her slender fingers tap across her keys, but the displeasure turns to stress, making the muscles in my neck bunch up.
I lean forward in the green velvet armchair and rest my elbows on my knees, and she glances up at me briefly, then does a double take.
“What?” she says, fingers pausing.
“I can tell something is bothering you.”
“I can handle it,” she says, rolling her eyes.
Frustration sears through me and I clench my jaw.
I wish I was better at this. Hayden would know what to say, the right thing to do.
I consider that for a moment. What would Hayden do?
I slip off the chair to my knees and land on the colorful rug next to her.
I highly doubt this would be their move, but maybe it’s mine.
Siobhan blinks at me in surprise and her fingers pause their frantic typing.
“Please.” I tentatively reach out, then place one hand on her thigh when she doesn’t pull away. “I know you don’t need me for this, but I’d like to help. Even if that’s just listening.”
Siobhan’s eyes flick between mine, back and forth, and I sink into their clear crystal blue. Her brows pinch for a moment, but she’s dampened her side of the bond. I hate it, but I understand her desire for privacy.
“What’s going on?” Aury says, pausing in the doorway opposite me. I glance up at him with a silent sigh of disappointment. I thought I was about to get somewhere.
His fluffy cat wanders in as well, jumping lightly onto the couch and nudging her way into Siobhan’s lap.
She huffs a laugh, and a year of tension sloughs off my shoulders at the sound.
Then the cat flops onto its side and knocks her hands from her keyboard.
I grin and silently thank the cute little creature.
“Well,” Siobhan says, fake exasperation lining her tone as she buries her hands into the cat’s long black fur. “I was trying to gather intel on this hearth witch and figure out what to do about her, but I guess now I’m petting Bunny.”
Aury glances at me, and I shrug. How can I explain that I was trying to be more vulnerable, hoping my bonded mate will let me in, and probably failing?
“Ooookay,” Aury drawls, flopping onto the end of the couch near the door. “So what’s up with this witch? You find anything out?”
And just like that, Siobhan spills it all.
In under a minute, Aury got her to open up to him, while I’ve been over here agonizing about it for ten times as long.
Hayden walks in right as she starts up and they lean against the doorframe, crossing their arms as they listen.
I sit back on my heels and refocus on her words as she vents.
“Apparently she’s not fun to work with, and the few people I spoke to all said they got bad vibes from her.
Like nothing big, just the hint of threats that she’d speak out against them if they refused or whatever, smear their names, that kind of thing.
I don’t know,” Siobhan sighs and leans her head back against the cushions, staring up at her ceiling.
My jaw clenches at the word ‘threats’ but I don’t interrupt.
I follow her eye-line and blink in surprise.
The ceiling is wallpapered. A large floral mosaic covers the entire thing.
How did I miss that when I was staring at the chandelier earlier?
“She seems manipulative, but in such a subtle way that it could be innocent if taken out of context or, you know,” she shrugs, “without the bigger picture.”
My alpha instincts rear up, the voice in my head yelling ‘hell no!’ but I hold it in.
I look down at my hands, clenched tight in my lap, and clamp my lips together.
Then irritation trickles down the bond towards me and I glance up to see Siobhan glaring at me.
I wince, realizing I that while I might have kept my mouth closed, my side of the bond was wide open.
I hold my hands up in a sign of surrender. “I didn’t say anything.”
“But you’re feeling it,” she accuses. “I told you, you can’t control me.”
“I’m not trying to,” I say, my brow furrowing as confusion swirls through me. I think it’s from both of us this time.
“But you don’t want me to go.” A statement, not question.
“Of course not,” I say. Her muscles tense and I plow ahead before she can interrupt. “I don’t want you to meet up with someone who might be malicious, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop you.”
She pauses, frozen with her lips parted in surprise. “Wait… you’re not?”
I slump. Is this really what she thinks of me? I know I can be a lot, but I’ve been trying all day to hold back, not to be too much for her. I resist the urge to shake my head, feeling dejected and alone, misunderstood and so fucking tired all of a sudden.
She rubs her chest, and I realize she’s probably feeling my hurt. The disappointment and sadness running through me because I forgot—again—to shut off my side of the bond. I suck in a calming breath, taking her warm scent deep into my lungs, then try to harness my inner Hayden again.
“No, pretty omega.” I sigh. “That’s not what I want. I don’t want to control you. I just want to be with you. Part of your life, in whatever way you’ll have me.”
Her brows pinch, and she swallows hard, staring at me. “Oh.”
I force myself to hold eye contact with her and I leave the bond wide open on purpose this time as she processes, then appears to decide to take me at my word.
Guilt trickles in from her side of the bond.
I can feel Aury’s eyes on us, Hayden’s too, but I don’t relent.
I send affection and comfort back, holding back the stronger emotions I feel for her.
I’m afraid those will send her running as fast as it would if I did have a desire to control her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. She slides to the floor to face me on her knees, and I gather her into my arms. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“Me either.” I tuck my nose into her wild blonde hair and she nuzzles into my neck, then takes a deep breath of my smoky scent.
Calm washes through me and her heart beats a steady rhythm against mine.
I stroke a hand down her spine and she cuddles into my chest, pressing closer until I’m sure there’s not an inch of space between us.
I envelope her in my arms and hold on tight.
“We’ll figure it out together?” she says.
I hate that she phrased it as a question. I’d do anything for this woman. “Together,” I reply.