Page 52

Violet

I sprawled across Graham’s lap in his Beaumont Whisky warehouse office while he made a call to someone about shipping suppressants to us. Turned out, there were multiple Omegas popping up everywhere, and one of them had created a suppressant mixture. As soon as my mates heard about it, they were all over trying to get it. It would be great not to be sniffed whenever I was in public. The culprits weren’t usually part of our pack, but that had more to do with everyone knowing Simon and Graham’s tempers. Just last week I had to stop them from beating a guy bloody for telling me I smelled good.

“Let me speak to your Alpha,” he growled.

“ He’s, uh, indisposed .” The male on the other end cleared their throat. “ And he doesn’t deal with these issues. ”

The bandage wrapped around my forearm peeked through the shirt. I quickly yanked the sleeve down and nestled against him.

“Do they have just one Omega? Is she mated to their Alpha?” I whispered.

“I would assume so, Sweetheart,” Graham murmured against my ear.

I danced my fingers down his sternum and swirled my finger against his abs. He raised his eyebrows. Then he noticed the bandage once again peeking out from under my sleeve. He plucked the sleeve up between the pads of his finger. My arm dangled from the sleeve and I tugged to get free without success.

“What’s this?” He narrowed his eyes on me.

“ I’m sorry ?” The male voice blustered. “ Sir, hello ?” Graham hung up and tossed the phone.

He yanked the sleeve down, exposing the bandage wrapped around my forearm just as Simon walked into the office.

He stopped in his tracks and scowled. “What’s on your arm?”

Oh great . I slumped against Graham.

“Who the fuck touched my mate?” Simon rumbled and thumped the coffee holder on the table, making some droplets spill out of the mouth bit.

“This was why I didn’t tell you. You guys overreact.”

Simon rounded the desk and leaned against the edge of the furniture.

“Spit it out. Who did it?”

“Myself.” They were being utterly ridiculous. “It was literally my fault.”

Graham moved my arm side to side, like he would be able to see answers in my skin.

“It was an accident,” I repeated, disgruntled. “I bumped into a bread tray being taken out of the oven. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but mine.”

Graham grabbed his phone.

“Graham, stop being dramatic and put your phone away.”

“If you refuse to give us answers?—”

“I’m telling the truth,” I grumbled.

Simon gripped my wrist and, in extending it, a pinch spiked to my elbow. I couldn’t hide the hitch in my breath. He growled.

“We need to buy safety padding.”

“I’ll have Maggie look into it.” Graham was back on his phone, navigating to the text messages. I lunged for the device, but he pulled it back. I threw my hands up.

“I’m not wearing any pads other than on my period, so cut it out.” Graham’s arm around my waist kept me in place. “Let me go, Simon’s here to pick me up.” And I’d almost gone the entire time with Graham without him seeing the damn bandage.

He stood with me in his arms.

“Put me down,” I gasped exasperated.

“I’ll carry you out.”

I groaned.

“I’ll take her.” Simon reached for me, but Graham walked past him.

They were always like this. Simon kept up with Graham’s ground-eating pace with a disgruntled look on his face. I thought their overprotectiveness would have tapered off months into being with them, but it seemed to only be getting worse.

“Did you look into what I asked you to?” Graham said to Simon. They settled into conversation about the pack and how they were changing up enforcer rotations.

The corners of my mouth tipped up. My heart fluttered in my chest as I watched my Alphas. Who was I kidding? I loved how fussy they were over me.

* * *

Thank you for reading Brutal Mates !