CHAPTER 7 JARED #3
As he carries me effortlessly through the air, I slip one arm around his neck, determined to savor every second, every tiny excuse to remain wrapped in that comforting warmth. His skin is so hot beneath my fingers, but then…
…a horrifying realization suddenly crashes into my mind.
Fate forgive me, I'm such a slut!
Just a few hours ago I was fucking a green forest fae, letting him kiss my temple with impossible tenderness, starving for his affection… and now I'm already lusting after another alpha, while I'm still in heat recovery.
What the hell is wrong with me?
A wave of embarrassment crashes over me. For the last six years, I hadn't been with anyone except Mark, and now, within the span of just a few days, I'm getting hot for two different guys, one of whom isn't even human.
Damn it. I’m all over the place, and everything around me is spinning like a damn carousel.
The gorgeous alpha carries me into the living room, and huge doesn't even begin to describe it. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a breathtaking garden bursting with greenery. There's a pool, a barbecue pavilion, a massive patio, everything you'd expect outside a luxurious estate.
He sets me down in front of those glass doors, and the second he lets go of me, I feel something akin to panic.
Our close contact is gone, and I can't understand what the hell is happening to me.
Before, I've been practically allergic to alphas, always keeping my distance, and now I’m obsessing over one ridiculously handsome guy a minute after meeting him?
The omega walks over with a glass of mineral water while the beta sits down beside me on the couch.
"Can you tell us your name?"
"Jared Fer… Jared Daniels."
Again, I give them my biological father's last name. There's no way I'm using Mark's surname anymore. I'm cutting myself off from that part of my life as completely as I can.
"So… what happened? It's not exactly an everyday occurrence for someone to disappear in these woods for three days. The trails around here are well marked."
"I…" I hesitate, then suddenly realize I can't lie while looking into this beta's strange eyes, calm and shimmering with the quiet green-brown colors of the forest.
"I went into heat."
A heavy silence settles over the room. The handsome alpha is standing a few feet away, casually leaning against a dresser.
He probably doesn't even realize it, but the way that tank top clings to his flat stomach makes the outline of his abs visible.
He isn't looking at me. His eyes are lowered to the floor, which gives me an excellent view of those incredibly long black eyelashes.
Damn, what an absurd thing to notice right now.
"I had to… for lack of a better way to put it… wait it out in the forest. I was probably hallucinating, seeing things. Forest creatures… like fae, or something," I mutter, my cheeks flushed.
The silence that falls is so deep that I can hear all three of their heartbeats. It's astonishing. The omega and beta have calm, steady pulses, but… the alpha's heartbeat is racing. I can feel some strange excitement coming off him, though I have no idea how that's even possible.
"Fae?" The beta leans forward slightly, asking in the same tone you'd use with a small child who's feverish.
"Yeah, a green one, believe me, I know how silly that sounds."
The omega looks to the side and then up at the alpha. I can see his face. He raises his brows subtly, and the alpha quickly averts his eyes.
I decide to skip this topic.
"So, I couldn't leave the cabin. Being around people could've been dangerous. Unfortunately, my phone is dead," I add quickly to bring the matter back to what's important and loudly clear my throat.
Silence again.
"I just need to call my cousin. I have a small son. He'll turn two in January. Alex has been taking care of him, and they have no idea what happened to me. Please… just let me make one phone call."
"Of course."
But just as the beta starts reaching into his pocket for his phone, another knock echoes through the house.
The omega immediately heads toward the front door.
A brief silence follows, and during it the beta says, "By the way, I'm Renato Santoro. This is my nephew, Mauro, and…" He gestures toward the hallway where the omega disappeared. "That's my brother, Emilio."
Oh… wow.
I suddenly realize these are the people Davos told me about, right before giving me the candy! He just conveniently forgot to mention the existence of the hot nephew, Mauro.
I reach out to Renato, and he shakes my hand.
Then I offer my hand to Mauro. I’m just weirdly tempted to somehow strike up a conversation with him, leave myself an opening, ahem, to…
"Hey, I'm Jared." I flash him a charming smile, and the alpha immediately responds with a smile of his own, but not with words.
Instead, Renato says, "Mauro is mute. He can hear, but he can't speak."
I blink in surprise. Just then, I catch voices coming from the hallway
"Good morning, sir. I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Veyron Nolan, and I'm looking for a missing omega—"