Vivian chuckles as I lift her into her seat. Waiting patiently for me to buckle her in, she grins. "How about Pop-Tarts?"
"Vivian," I snarl quietly. She snickers and settles back in her seat in the back. I boop her nose and close her in.
I'm a good ass baker. I shouldn't feel offended, and I don't, not really. Actually I'm fucking thrilled about the lightheartedness of the past ten minutes. Now I just need to figure out how Silas made it happen.
"You're telling me that all she needed was a good ass fucking?"
Silas punches my bicep and glares at me before quickly turning his attention back to Vivian in front of us. "No, you fucking dick. Christ, your knot really is louder than your damn brain sometimes, isn't it?"
Frowning at him and rubbing my arm I think about what he said. "You said you fucked her ass and she's been floating ever since."
"That doesn't mean that wasall she needed," he snarls, surprising me a bit. "She needed me to take some control. So yeah, I topped her, pinned her to the bed and had my way with her tight hole. But that was just a release for her. Something else is going on. For now, just be happy she's smiling."
Studying Vivie's side profile as she all but skips into the grocery store alleviates some of my worries. Sheissmiling and I am damn grateful. Wrapping an arm around Silas' hip, I tug him into my side and kiss his temple. "Thank you for giving her some of what she needed."
He hums but doesn't pull away. I admit I was a bit distracted by how happy our omega was when I asked him what they did upstairs. Of course sex isn't the answer to working through whatever is going on with her. I lose sight of her around a corner and panic just a bit, but the bond stays calm and buzzy. Very buzzy actually.Excitement?
"Vivie!" I holler finding her in the chocolate aisle. She jumps just a bit but gives me a little smile once she realizes it's just me. "Remember the rules?"
Sighing, my sassy woman seems to force her eyes not to roll. She bites her lips, fidgets, and glances around before she simply nods.
I pick up on her discomfort and list them for her, mainly just to make myself feel better. "We stick together or tell each other what aisle we're going to. If you're alone, you keep your phone in your hand, not your pocket. Text, call, or yank on the bonds as hard as you can if something's wrong. Same goes for us. We're a pack. We keep each other safe."
A younger alpha who overheard me looks at me with a mixture of shock and disgust. Sure, it might seem like overkillto an unbonded alpha, but once that gentleman finds his pack, there isn't anything he wouldn't do to protect them. Even if it sounds controlling and ridiculous to an outsider.
There are corrupt corners of the world, and sometimes you don't know if those corners have bled into your little slice of paradise until it's too late.
"Yes, Alpha," Vivie agrees easily.
She knows these things and is aware I'm always on edge when we're in town. Maybe if we went out more I would be used to my omega and beta being stared at and around other people. Silas can take care of himself, but Vivie? She's five foot four, lives inside her head half the time, and her wavy auburn hair swings down to her ass like a beacon for all to find.
"Let’s go before he changes his mind and whisks us back to the car," Silas teases and grabs Vivie's hand. "Get the cart, Alpha!"
I grumble and grind my molars, but I do in fact, get the cart that's about to be weighed down by absolutely nothing healthy.
I do it all with a smile on my face.
Fifteen
Vivian
I've mastered the art of enjoying myself out in public when I'm in the right mindset.
There's a perfect sweet spot between existing in my subconscious to lean on my bonds for support and interacting with the outside world enough to enjoy the time out. I might feel less inclined to hide away in my mind if I didn't have anxiety—social anxiety specifically. Honestly, I just don't understand the point of small talk or trying to make people feel better about themselves.
Of course I still have manners, but no, I'm not going to tell you how fucking long it took to grow my hair to my ass. Also, me being selectively mute is not up for discussion.
I truly cannot stand when strangers make it all about themselves. They fall all over themselves to apologize after they assume I'll respond like a normal person. When I don't, they automatically pity me and turn it into an awkward encounter where they wait for me to make them feel more comfortable around me.
Normally I just walk away when their eyes widen in realization. Sometimes, frequently actually, people getmad. I'vebeen called many names when I can't force any words out.Stuck up bitchis the big one.
That one I don't understand. Normally I'm in a simple pair of jeans and one of my alpha's sweatshirts. I never wear makeup or act spoiled. Just my silence is enough to really twist people up or fall all over themselves with guilt.
Ugh.
Silas and Kade make it bearable though. Fun even. Silas talks enough for the both of us as we browse all the food options. He makes me snort a few times when he bothers Kade, and it's a nice reprieve from the lingering looks of other alphas.
One thing we were taught in grade school and at the designation university we went to is that no matter if you're a packed up or a solo omega, you'll always draw attention. It's normal biology and society’s way of revolving around the more vulnerable designation. The system is designed for safety, except the world isn't a safe place and there are too many people who prey on the vulnerable.
