Page 44 of Omega's Heart

“It’s being handled,” I told him.

“I’d like to speak to him,” Holland said firmly.

Instinct told me to give way to my Alpha’s Mate, but even as I opened my mouth to invite him in, a wave of pure protectiveness filled me up and instead of the invitation and caution to be careful I’d intended, what came out of my mouth was, “Tomorrow. He’s resting today.”

Holland’s eyes widened in surprise and he looked lost for words. I grabbed my advantage where I could and said in a firm but gentle tone, “Go away, Holland.” Then I closed the door in his face and, for good measure, locked it.

I looked up to see Kaden standing in the bedroom doorway with his crutch under his arm, grinning at me with an incredulous expression. I held one finger up to my lips so he’d be quiet, then crept nervously away from the door, already anticipating the heavy knock when either Holland would demand entrance, or he’d send his mate to force it.

Kaden pulled me into the bedroom, casting one last slightly horrified glance at the front door of the apartment before he closed his bedroom door behind us.

I was so giddy with relief and shocked at what I’d done that I just sank to the floor and leaned against the wall with my head in my hands, laughing. A slight brush of cloth against the wall and Kaden’s hand on my shoulder made me look up, but it was only him trying to lower himself to the floor beside me.

“Here, let me help you,” I rushed to say, but he just laughed and thumped down onto the fake wood beneath us.

“I’m fine. Did you just tell your Alpha’s Mate to go away?”

“I did.” I felt the heat rush into my cheeks. “He’s going to be so mad. Maybe. I don’t always know for sure with him.” Then I let my head lean back against the wall and laughed some more. “I wish you could have seen the look on his face.”

“I bet it was beautiful,” Kaden told me.

“It was something,” I agreed.

Our laughter slowly petered out until the room was silent, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Quite the opposite, actually. I felt like I was finally starting to break through that veneer of good humor and sarcasm that he wore like so much armor.

He sighed, sounding tired to the bone.

“I told Holland you were resting.” I tried to keep my tone light, casual, because when he was worked up, he seemed to react better to it. After this, I didn’t figure a nap would hurt him, even if it wasn’t even noon yet.

“Don’t think I could sleep,” he admitted gruffly. “But thank you.”

“Even soldiers sometimes need someone to look after them. And alphas too,” I added judiciously.

“Yeah.” He stared at the wall across from us. “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly. “I shouldn’t have dumped all that on you out there.”

“Nothing I haven’t felt myself before. You get past it, learn to adapt. Change your goals.” I didn’t see why he should have to change his. He was an alpha, and I didn’t find that the scars made him any less handsome than his brothers. If anything, they gave him a weight of character and experience that the other three couldn’t come near.

The room grew quiet again, but I could feel the questions bubbling up inside him, begging to be asked. And he was too much the gentleman and the alpha to let them out.

“You can ask me if you want. It’s not a secret.”

“I don’t believe in poking at sore spots. On anyone. Everyone’s entitled to their tender parts and to have them left alone until they’ve scabbed over.”

I shrugged. “I’m twenty-eight. I think I’ve scabbed.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his mouth twitch.

“You don’t look scabby to me,” he said. “Or twenty-eight.”

“I look older? Thanks,” I replied dryly, ignoring the pinch of hurt. Not that I supposed it mattered —looking young was only for those hoping to be mated.

“Not older. You just don’t look twenty-eight.” He turned a little, resting his shoulder against the wall so he could look me up and down, critically, like he was choosing a… I don’t know. In a book, I could have predicted the next words. But this was me. And him. I had no idea what he was seeing.

He bent his full leg and rested an arm on it, casual and strong and handsome in his very own way. “I think you look like you should look. You look strong and capable and like you were made to be this way. I don’t think a smaller body would suit you as well as this one.”

That was the weirdest thing anyone had ever said to me. Even worse, I didn’t know what to think of it.

Then he added, “Your pack are all fools. I’m sorry, Felix, I know it’s rude, but they’re idiots.”

I burst out laughing. “Why? Because no one wanted to mate me? Think of how expensive I’d be just to feed. They were simply being economical.” It was like I’d regressed back to my late teens and early twenties. The jokes. All the jokes, and all at my expense.