Damn, I wish.
Brushing his hand down her hair one final time, Teddy stands to his full height. I’ve never seen an omega this big before, andI can understand all the confusion. He would be big for a beta, about average for an alpha. But he’s downright gargantuan for an omega.
Wouldn’t have to worry about him breaking then, would I?
Fuck!
I have got to get my mind out of the gutter. This is neither the time, nor the place, and it’s going to be really fucking awkward if Joseph or Brice come over. Scanning the room, I want to make sure no one’s noticed our impromptu beta sandwich…and no…yeah…here come Joseph and Brice and boy do they look pissed.
Teddy
“What the hell do you think you’re doing to Brice’s cousin!” Joseph whisper shouts at Sam, as Brice tries to pull Kelly and me away. “You cannot fucking take advantage of a vulnerable omega and...a fucking beta...seriously Sam?” His voice is getting louder, losing any attempts at discretion.
I look up from where Brice is practically hanging onto my arm and several people around the room are staring at us. My own low growl rumbles forth at the attention, as well as his overtannouncement of my designation. Kelly clings tighter to my other arm, and I pull away from Brice to hold her. I’m not sure if my anger is more from how Joseph is embarrassing Sam or Kelly at this point but fuck him. And fuck Brice if he supports this shit.
I’m not a fucking child anymore and if he refers to Kelly as a “fucking beta” again, I may be forced to take a chunk out of my cousin’s mate. Brice is fretting beside me, wringing his hands, his gaze swinging between his brother-in-law and me.
Sam is staring at the floor, taking the dressing down that Joseph’s giving him. Just from what I’ve seen since I arrived, he seems to hold his brother in high regard, but I’m about to topple that fucking pedestal. I tilt Kelly’s face up to look at me. “Just a second, Pixie, I need to go deal with some shit.” She lets out a tiny gasp and her eyes go wide as I pull away, and step closer to Joseph, blatantly invading his personal space.
I wasn’t raised to be an omega, and these people need to get their heads wrapped around the fact that I’m not going to fall in line just because some asshole alpha starts barking. Joseph finally realizes I’m standing practically on his heels and steps forward, trying to put space between us, but he’s been in Sam’s face, so he can’t go forward without knocking his brother over.
Reaching around, I pull Sam closer to my side. Not raising my voice, and not rushing through what I’m about to say. I need him—and by extension Brice—to understand that this is important. “Joseph, I understand you may feel some responsibility about me because of Brice, but if you ever yell at Sam again, or refer to Kelly as a ‘fucking beta’, I really will beat the living shit out of you.” I’m sure my voice is flat and emotionless because I am doing my damndest not to scream at this asshole.
I raise my voice to address the people that had to witness this spectacle. “Candice, Rooster guy, and otherintenselooking alphas: Sorry about the interruption. Candice, you’re awesome,and I am super happy you found yourself such an amazing pack. Keep in touch from now on, yeah?”
Candice and the surfer stare at the one I called Rooster and burst into peals of laughter, while he looks back and forth between the two of them, confused at the name. The tallest one is watching, his hand over his mouth, his face red, trying not to join in. Even the grumbly pack leader’s lips twitch a bit, but he still shoots a glare in my direction.
I keep a hold on Sam and walk towards the door. Kelly, unsure of what to do, stands there for a second, looking between us and Candice. Unable to stop the giggles, Candice flaps her hand at Kelly, who quickly follows us, catching up just before we exit the room and start down the hallway. My steps peter out once I push through the door to the outside though. Clearly, I hadn’t thought far ahead, I was just so angry.
“I don’t suppose either of you know of a hotel nearby? I was supposed to be here on a week-long visit for Spring Break, but I really don’t want to deal withthatlevel of awkward for so long.” Releasing my grip on Sam’s hand, I try to run my fingers through my hair. When I get snagged on the elastic, I end up just trying to yank it out and breaking it in the process.
Shit.
Kelly looks thoughtful for a few minutes before Sam speaks up. “Yeah, um…Oak Flats isn’t exactly known for being a bustling metropolis. There’s a hotel out by the interstate, but they’re pretty overpriced for the shit you get. I can’t promise a continental breakfast, but you're welcome to stay in one of my spare rooms.”
My eyebrows must be near my hairline, because he chuckles before he goes on. “Yes, I said rooms. When I was house shopping, my biggest requirement was a good shop building on the property for work. This place was nearly condemned, and I pretty much lived in the shop for the first year while I was doingrenovations. But there are six bedrooms. Two are completely renovated, the rest…need some work. Oh, and sort of man cave…thing…in the basement now that it’s livable again.”
He rubs his hand over his face, looking embarrassed. “I don’t know, I was thinking about selling it at some point. It’s too much space for just me. But it’s home for now, so you’re welcome to come over, for as long as you want or need to. I’m usually working, so I won’t bother you or anything. You can just have some time to hang.” He stares down at the ground, and my mind goes back to what Joseph said inside.
Reaching out, I touch his chin, his beard is short and scratchy on my hand, and I try not to let my mind wander on how it would feel scraping along my neck. “Ok, first off, nobody saysHanganymore.Hang out, yes, but I’m pretty sure that just sayingHangdied before 2010. Secondly, I appreciate it, and I’m sure as hell not opposed to hanging-out.” I make air quotes, which earns me a laugh from Kelly.
I almost forgot my pixie was here.
I haven’t known her long enough to think of her as mine.
“Can I come with you?” She looks up between the two of us hopefully. “It’s just…my parents aren’t expecting me home for at least a few more hours, so if I go home now there are gonna be tons of questions, and Mom’ll be mad at me for leaving Stephanie to do all the cleaning. So, I was thinking I could text her to call me when she’s ready to put everything away, and until then I don’t have anything to do…or anywhere to get out of this dress and into my regular clothes.”
My mind skips like a record when she mentions getting out of her dress, and for the first time in my life I almost let out an omega whine. I don’t miss the flash in Sam’s eyes either, but if she notices where either of our minds went, she doesn’t give any indication.
Thankfully he recovers quickly. “It’s not that far to my place, if you want to you can just follow me, and call me if you get lost. Can I see your phone?”
Kelly hands Sam her cell, and his own back pocket rings shortly afterwards, so he now has her number as well. She looks up at me after he hands her phone back. “So, who do you want to ride with?” Somehow, I feel like that’s a loaded question.
I look from Kelly’s small car to Sam’s truck, and smile at her. “Sorry, Pixie, I’m not actually sure I’ll fit in yours. Meet you there, yeah?” Her laughter rings out, high and clear, and she smiles and nods. “Yeah, that’s a good point, you’d probably bonk your head, or at least make the muffler drag off if we go over any potholes. See you there in a few.” She gets in her car, and I watch her put on her seatbelt and pull out of her spot before we’ve even had a chance to get belted in.
Chapter 5
Once we’re on the road again, Sam starts apologizing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things awkward back there, especially between you and Brice. Honestly, I don’t even know why I did it, you just looked like you could both use a hug, and I…” He tapers off and I’m intensely interested in how this sentence ends. Somehow, it seems important to me.
