She’s just so damned sweet and…perfect.
Yeah, and you’ve been bringing your car into the shop for how many years now?
Kelly never noticed you once.
She's not interested man, just let it go.
Fuck! She didn’t even notice earlier when she busted your nose.
To be fair, her knees were bleeding.
I straighten up, pushing off the wall and heading towards Joseph and Brice. He, at least, should know why Teddy’s so upset. They’ve moved on from Gabe and Brice looks like he’s trying to figure out how to give Candice a hug without upsetting anyone. I smile, knowing Brice is super touchy feely, even for an omega, and Candice is, well…not. From what Xan says she was really touch starved when they first met, but even now only likes to be touched by her pack.
Can’t say I blame her much for that. Then again, I’m not an omega, and it’s not unusual for an alpha to be standoffish. I’m not standoffish, I just don’t know where I fit in. When I was little, I always assumed I’d be in Joseph’s pack. But as I got older it became obvious that wasn’t going to work, and I guess it just fell by the wayside for me. I realized later that I was just following him and his friends around, never bothering to make any of my own, and now I don’t know how.
Fuck me, but most of the alphas my age are already packed up. This isn’t a huge town to start with, but when you grow up in an area and know everybody…Well you learn pretty damned quick if you can stand someone for more than five minutes, let alone live together. Maybe I’m too picky. Maybe I’m just not supposed to be with anyone.
I look over at Brice again and let out a loud bark of laughter. Candice has backed away, trying to avoid the awkward hug, and Jacks is puffed up like a fuckin’ rooster with that damned hair of his strutting and circling his little hen, keeping all outsiders away. All eyes swing my way and I blush at the look of annoyance on Joseph’s face. He’s a good alpha and brother. But he worriesa lot about being embarrassed, and I think having a loner alpha brother is an automatic embarrassment sometimes. At least it distracts Brice enough for Candice to escape though, so I’ll count it as a win.
Giving up on being any help that way, I decide to meander over to Kelly and Teddy. I guess I’ll see if I can help without Brice. Sitting down on Kelly’s other side, opposite the big omega, I stretch my arm behind her, lightly touching his shoulder. Their combined cookies and lilac scent invades my head and I bite back a groan.
He looks up at me but doesn’t growl like he did at Brice and Joseph earlier, so he must really be feeling bad. That or he just doesn’t see me as any sort of threat considering I’m olderandpack-less.
“You ok, man? You’re lookin kinda down there. I just wanted to check on you.”
Kelly leans into me whispering conspiratorially, “You didn’t tell me that he knew Candice when he was little, I felt like a dork when I introduced ’em. But yeah, I’m not sure, something about a pack he was supposed to be a part of…But they wanted a female omega…I’m not sure exactly. Maybe he doesn’t like girls.” Her voice is quiet, but notthatquiet and it’s enough to finally bring a smile to Teddy’s face.
He strokes his hand down her hair. “I like girls well enough, Little Pixie, but omegas aren’t known to share, and I couldn’t sit around waiting to get kicked to the curb when they found one they wanted.” Kelly’s gaze swings back and forth between us, her brows scrunched together. “Are you sure? Candice doesn’t have a problem with Jacks and Xan being together even without her.”
Teddy snorts. “Yeah, but Xan and Jacks are both alphas.”
Kelly’s eyebrows scrunch even lower, and her eyes turn from me to Teddy and back. She leans in, ready to whisper something else and I see her eyes widen as realization hits. She leansin closer, taking a deep breath against my chest. “Ok…wait a second...Sam, you smell kind of like cedar trees and sawdust. But…But Teddy smells like my favorite cookies. Alphas don’t generally smell like desserts, do they?”
Her face drops into her hands, and her voice is muffled. “Oh my gosh, Teddy, I’msosorry. I feel so clueless here. But…” Her head pops up, looking accusingly at him. “But you don’t look like an omega. I mean...Brice…and…and you….” Teddy’s smile gets bigger the more flustered she gets, and I want to take them both home. They are so fucking cute together.
Finally taking pity on her, Teddy leans over. “No, Little Pixie, I don’t smell like an alpha because I’m not one. I’m just kind of a freak.” He smiles, but it’s not ahappysmile. “I was supposed to be an alpha, I had a pack lined up, I waswithone of them, but they wanted a family. It was kind of a non-negotiable point they had…We had. Then, surprise, not an alpha.” He points to his own chest, and Kelly leans against him, wrapping her arms around one of his.
“I just mean…you’re so big…” She looks him up and down. “And heavy metal. I love your hair by the way. You gotta tell me what kind of conditioner you use, ’cause I can never get mine to smooth down like that.”
Teddy wraps the arm she isn’t hugging around her. Pulling her against his chest in a tight hug, his hand spans the width of her entire back. “Thanks Kelly, and I use Mane and Tail, it’s technically horse shampoo, but it works wonders.” She smiles up at him, and he pulls her tighter against his chest, curling his whole body around hers.
Starting to feel like a third wheel here, I stand up to leave and her tiny hand snaps out and grabs my sleeve. Her voice still muffled against Teddy’s chest. “Nope, you need a hug too, you look sad. Stay here for a minute.” Teddy chuckles into her hair,then stands up himself, unwrapping his arm from around her, he pulls me into a hug, with Kelly sandwiched between us.
Ok, this is nice, I could get used to this.
Her lilac scent is subtle, and only adds to his spiced vanilla, wrapping me a warm blanket of comfort.
I could get used to this so fucking easily.
Apparently, I’m not the only one, since when I try to pull back Teddy hangs on tight. I feel wiggling against my chest and Kelly’s head pops out under my arm. “Sorry…Couldn’t breathe in there.” She smiles up at me and cuddles in harder. “Sorry, I know this is super forward, you two just feel so good…I didn’t know I needed a hug this much. But it’s so darned relaxing…On second thought, if you don’t want me to fall asleep right now, you might wanna let me out.”
Her eyes are heavy-lidded when she looks up at me, and I try again to let Teddy go. That look on her face—those soft bedroom eyes—doesn’t just look sleepy, and soon she is gonna be able to feel what she does to me, what they both do to me, if I don’t step away.
I pull back, breaking Teddy’s hold on my shirt, and he looks hurt, his big body curling protectively back around Kelly, his sad eyes staring into mine. I want to explain, I need him to know that I pulled away because I don’t want to make them uncomfortable.
As his eyes lower, he stops, and they flip back up to mine. Suddenly he’s grinning and I don’t try to hold back my apologetic smile in return. At least she didn’t figure out what happened, and judging by where he has her pressed off-center to his torso, he understands completely, and he doesn’t hold it against me.
Maybe later?
