Chapter 31
Sebastian
Idrop my keys into the bowl at the door, feeling the weight of the box in my pocket as I walk. I hope Ariana will like it.
The speech I had prepared about how happy I am to have her here with us doesn’t make it out of my mouth. Instead, spotting the omega on the couch reading a book, I hold the present out to her unceremoniously and speak just as ungraciously.
“For you. No attempts at gift wrapping this time, fortunately.” Internally, I wince. She looked up at me with those big brown eyes and I forgot all my lines.
“Wow, thank you Sebastian Claus. Merry Christmas, Ariana.” Evan grins at me knowingly, looking between the omega and my outstretched arm.
She meets his eyes, smiling softly. I get the feeling some mutual understanding has passed between the two. I can only hope it didn’t involve arson. And fight down the part of me that feels a bit jealous.
“Ho ho ho.” Ariana’s joke comes unexpectedly. I recall the ball vividly, but she was intoxicated. I assumed she would have forgotten the night she spent with us.
Her amusement fades away looking down at the package I’ve given her. “A phone? I can’t accept this.”
“It already has all our numbers put into it,” I continue, acting like I didn’t hear her protest. “You can text or call us whenever.”
Evan leans over her shoulder. “Nice. I’ll add you to our group chat.”
He looks up from the box she’s holding as I wave a hand next to my throat, signaling him to cut it out. We talked about her in that group chat. And the moves we’ve been making against her pack are there. Some of the information we’ve dug on them might hurt her.
“Oh, actually, I think I have to make a new one.” He amends his statement. “These iOS updates get confusing, man.”
I nod and give him a thumbs up, quickly turning it into a cough into my elbow when Ariana looks up, frowning.
“I have to admit,” she stops, her shoulders slumping. “I never opened your gift. It feels wrong to accept another one when I couldn’t take care of the first. And this is a brand new model, isn’t it? It’s so expensive. I can’t pay you back for this.”
“It’s a gift, Ariana. You don’t have to pay me back. Consider this your birthday present instead, then.”
Her fingers tighten around the box. “I can’t. I haven’t done anything to deserve this. I don’t contribute anything to your pack.”
“You don’t have to contribute anything. I bought it for you because I wanted to. That’s all.”
The small woman’s face turns confused like that’s a foreign concept. This is going to take a great deal of patience. Just what did her pack teach her?
“Why?” She asks finally.
“Because you’re on the nice list. Evan’s on the naughty list, so he’s only going to get coal.”
“You should accept it before he has to go back to the North Pole,” Evan suggests. “Where are the two elves?” He asks like he’s just realized they’re missing.
“Still working.” I came back early to ensure Ariana wouldn’t be home alone. We’re taking shifts. “They’ll be back in time for dinner. I wanted to drop this off.” I raise my chin towards the gift.
She’s still holding the box uncertainly. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. You have class today, right?” I direct the question towards Evan, who nods. “Alright. We’re heading out anyway. We can drop you off, since we’re going in the same direction.”
“We?” The blond man asks.
“Good things come in threes. You, me, Ariana. If you’re feeling up to it, of course.” I say to the omega, pleased to see her swiping through the phone. “We can get you a case too. I wasn’t sure what you would like.”
“I’m thankful just for the phone. You don’t have to get me a case as well.”
I fight the urge to sigh. Not at her, but at the fact she’s been taught not to ask for things. “But do you feel well enough to head out?”
“I do. I feel better than I have in a long time.” She strokes her fingers against her braid as she says it. It’s the first time I’ve seen her style her hair this way. It’s pretty.
Her words make my chest swell with a mix of pride and concern. Better is a good start, but she still doesn’t look like she’s feeling her best.
“Put on your shoes then.” I hold a hand out, helping her up. Evan trails behind us as I return the way I came. I kneel before Ariana can bend down to tie her laces.
“Oh,” she says softly, both hands landing on my upper back as I bend. “You don’t have to do that. You’ll crease your suit.”
“They’re just clothes. I’ll get them dry cleaned.” Rising again, I frown. “Ariana, you never asked where we were going. You just agreed to come.”
She looks as confused as I feel. “Would it have made a difference? You asked me to come.”
“Of course it does. What if you didn’t like our destination?”
“I don’t know?” She frowns as if this is taking a great deal of difficulty to wrap her mind around. “I just went where I was told to before. I wasn’t really asked.”
Behind me, Evan’s scent gains an edge of indignation at her answer, interrupting its usual smoothness. I fix him with a look, then turn back to Ariana.
“In the future, if we’re going somewhere you don’t want to, tell us.
Okay?” I wait until she nods to continue.
“As much as I love seeing you in our clothes, I thought we’d do a bit of shopping.
I know we grabbed the basics already, but it would be better for you to pick some things out. Sound good?”
Prepared for her to protest spending money again, I’m pleasantly surprised when she nods again. Unfortunately, I think it’s partially attributed to the confusion still written across her pretty features. Baby steps, I think to myself as I herd the twosome to the car.
Opening the passenger door, I fasten the seatbelt for Ariana. She flushes as I do so, a sight I enjoy immensely. It takes a couple tries to adjust her seat, since she insists she’s fine with every change.
“Off we go,” I mutter, settling into the driver’s seat.
Evan leans his elbows on our seats from the back. “Not taking the sled today, Sebastian Claus?”
Smacking his arm away, I place a hand on the back of Ariana’s headrest, reversing out of the parking garage. It’s lucky we have the blond with us though, because he fills the car ride with conversation.
Ariana takes time to pull out of her shell, but she always has. Since we first met her. It just makes us more attentive when she does speak, cherishing every word. We drift to a stop in front of campus.
Evan grabs his bag. “Bye, Seb.” His voice grows fonder as he looks at the omega. “Bye, Ariana.”
“Have a nice time at class.” Ariana says kindly.
“Get out of my car.” I say unkindly. With love.
He opens and shuts the door behind him, waving. He sets off towards the collective of buildings, doubling back abruptly. I roll the window down.
“Call me!” He makes the phone gesture next to his face, holding onto his bag. Someone behind me honks. I start rolling forward as Ariana waves back. Blowing a kiss towards the car, Evan walks backwards until he’s out of our sight.
Twisting in the passenger seat, Ariana looks behind us as we peel out of his campus. The sweet chamomile perfume filling the car pulses with longing.
“Miss him?”
She faces the windshield again. “I wanted to go to school there.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I never got a chance to. I was saving up for it.”
Foot on the pedal, I furrow my eyebrows. “Saving up? I gave your pack enough money to pay for tuition multiple times over.”
Slowing to a stop at a red light, I look over at her. She meets my eyes wearing her sad smile again. I think I have a sense of what happened.
“They wouldn’t let you?” My grip tightens around the wheel.
“It might have been for the best. I’m probably not smart enough to have gotten a whole degree.”
“I wish you wouldn’t talk about yourself that way.” I feel her gaze on me, turning to look at her. “You’re plenty smart.” When she doesn’t reply, I tack on a joke. “If Evan’s dumbass can get in for undergrad and a master’s, you could with ease.”
She looks out the window, seemingly deep in thought. Then she turns back to me. “Can he really not spell grotesque?”
Puffing out a breath of amusement from my nose, I lean back to check my blind spot. “You’ll have to ask him.” Mainly because I’m not sure of the answer myself.
Caught in traffic, I turn to her. “Any preference for shopping? Any stores you like?”
She shakes her head.
“None at all?”
“No.”
“Where do you usually buy your clothes from?”
“Nowhere. One of the alphas bought all my clothes for me.”
Fingers drumming against the wheel, I consider the outfits I’ve seen her in.
The dress at the ball, with the neckline she kept pulling up uncomfortably. Skirts with tights, even in the middle of the chilly season. Dresses, sometimes. Sweatpants on the night she came to our home, presumably her pajamas. Coming to a realization, I stare at her.
“They didn’t let you wear pants.” It’s a statement, not a question.
She leans her head against the seat. “That’s unladylike. Ian couldn’t have that. So Liam took over deciding what I wore. I just woke up one day and my old clothes were gone.”
Taking a deep breath, I fight to keep my dominance from flaring out. “Okay. Clothes first, then. Whichever ones you want. From wherever you want. Which is…”
I trail off meaningfully, but she just frowns. “I don’t know.”
Having suspected that would be her answer, I came home from work prepared for this exact situation. I’ve gathered information from a source I know purchases quality but stylish clothing, the woman closest to me. My mom.
Holding the boutique door open for Ariana, assistants materialize as soon as we enter. They recognize me immediately.
“Mr. Coates,” the manager gushes, a middle aged beta woman in an immaculate dress suit. “What a pleasure. And who is this lovely omega?”
“Ariana,” I introduce, electing not to mention her last name. The manager peers at her inquisitively. I’m sure this will be the topic of gossip for quite some time. “She needs a complete wardrobe.”