“Killian does like to give orders,” I say with a little laugh. And flashes of last night leap into the front of my mind—Killian’s commanding tone. The way he told me to spread my legs. The way he touched me. Kissed me. Ate me out. Fucked me.
As much as I refuse to admit out loud how nice it was, I can see why Tristan would like that.
“My beta father is older than both my alpha fathers,” I say, forcing myself to think about something else, “but not by much. He just turned fifty-five, and Burke is fifty-two.”
“Really?” Jeremy’s tone lifts, and now he’s the one that’s surprised. “I thought betas were always younger than their alphas.” His gaze drifts over my face, and I feel a question brewing in his mind. “I’m twenty-six,” he finally says. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-five,” I say, eyeing the platter of cookies on the coffee table. I’ve probably eaten a dozen so far, but they’re too good. Sweet and buttery, with thick pieces of sugar on top. My mother would never make something like this. She tends to hoard the sugar. It’s too difficult to find someone willing to trade for it.
“Twenty-five and never mated?” Jeremy asks and I nod. There’s no judgment in his tone. Just genuine curiosity. It makes me wonder if my fathers were lying when they said I was too old to be unmated.
Or maybe Jeremy is too polite to say it out loud.
He does seem very proper as he takes another sip of his tea. It reminds me of my own drink.
Leaning forward, I pick up my cup then I bring it to my lips, mimicking the way Jeremy is holding his little cup. It’s incredibly fancy. Fragile, tiny, and covered in little blue flowers. I hum when the dark liquid covers my tongue, loving the sweet floral taste. “This is really good.” I carefully set my cup on the coffee table, then reach for another cookie. A few pieces of sugar fall off, and I pick them off my lap, popping them into my mouth.
“Can I ask you a question?” Jeremy smiles but it’s almost pained. Whatever he wants to ask it must be deeply personal, or offensive. Either way, I’m dying to know.
“Sure.”
“You seem really articulate.” His tone is overly sweet, clearly not wanting to insult me. “The boys said you were a bit…wild.” He grimaces. “I thought you’d be more….” He trails off, not finishing his sentence, but I understand what he’s trying to say. The people at the Morder made it very clear what kind of opinions people have about Northern omegas.
“My mother was always determined that her kids would be able to read and write,” I say, thinking about a few of the wild packs that would come and visit with Burke. My parents would trade with them—collecting supplies in exchange for cheese or bread. They were bizarre people. Dirty. Scary.
“My beta dad, Scott, goes into town every few months,” I continue. “He always brings back books from the library.” Jeremy leans in as if I’m the most interesting person he’s ever met. “While there are a ton of things I don't know, I did read about a lot of stuff, so I know some things. Like about electricity and the fridge.” I glance back at the kitchen. “I had just never seen them in person before.”
“Did you live in a house?” Jeremy asks, and I laugh.
“I come from a normal family,” I assure the beta, and he covers his mouth with his hands.
“I’m sorry.” He hunches his shoulders up as if trying to hide. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No need to apologize.” I wave my hand at him, making light of it. “I get why you’d ask.” My gaze drifts out the massive window, taking in the stunning view, then the colorful leaves on the oak tree. “My parents' home isn’t nearly as fancy as this one.” I look up at the tall ceiling and the little lights nestled around the beams. “They don’t have electricity, but I did grow up with running water.” I take a big bite of my cookie, humming as I chew.“A few of the houses down the gorge didn’t even have that.” I lean into the plush couch, getting comfy. “Those packs areverywild.”
Jeremy drops his hands, placing them both on my knee. “I'm still sorry.” He looks so sincere. “The boys made it sound like you were feral.” He rolls his eyes. “I was scared you wouldn’t know how to use a fork.”
“I mean, I did try to stab Killian with a fork,” I remind the beta, and to my surprise, he laughs.
“He would have lived.” Jeremy’s easy tone makes me wonder if Killian really was mad at me for lashing out at him. Or maybe he’s scared I’ll lash out at Jeremy.
“Is Killian like Tristan?” I ask. “Tristan seemed to like it when I stabbed him.” I pull a face, still not understanding the damn alpha.
“No one is like Tristan.” Jeremy laughs and it’s a wonderful sound, from deep within his belly. “He’s a little rougher than most alphas.” His nose scrunches up, his blue eyes sparkling. “He comes home with cuts and bruises on his knuckles all the time.” He rolls his eyes like it’s silly. “I’m convinced the brute goes out looking for trouble to pass the time, but I don’t know who he’d fight out here. All we have are tiny critters and the occasional deer.” He drops his voice as if sharing a secret. “He’s either punching the trees or starting shit with the squirrels,” hiseyes narrow, “and my money is on those squirrels. Those little guys are vicious when they need to be.” He giggles again, and I can’t help but do the same.
The thought of Tristan with his big muscles and hard glare, wandering the woods, looking to fight wild rodents is too funny.
A loud bell rips through the house. I practically jump out of my skin, almost dropping my cookie. “What was that?” I ask, darting my eyes all around the room.
“The doorbell.” Jeremy squeezes my knee gently, before patting it. “There’s someone at the door. It’s okay,” he picks up a cookie, “one of the guys will get it.”
Fear slams into me like a punch to the face. I push forward and spin, staring at the hallway toward the front door. I know it’s stupid, but all I can think is that Burke is here. While I was eager to hurt this pack yesterday, Jeremy doesn’t deserve the kind of pain my father would inflict.
It’s one of the many reasons I need to leave soon. I really don’t want him to show up, looking for me, and for someone else to get hurt.I hate how impulsive I am sometimes.
The bell rings again and I slap my hands over my ears. It’s so loud.
“Hey.” Jeremy reaches for my wrists, trying to pry my hands away. “It’s okay, omega.” His head snaps toward the door, then he looks up at the ceiling. “I’ll be right back.” The beta looks deep into my eyes, almost as if making a promise. “Don’t go anywhere.” He scoots to the edge of the couch. “It’s okay.” He pats my knee again, then stands.
