“His legal name is Samuel, but everybody else calls him Sam.” I pull back and loop my arm through hers, turning us to face my guys waiting by the van. “That’s him,” I point to Sam, who tilts his chin with a small smile, “Hayden,” my pyro bounces on the balls of his feet, giving a big wave and a big grin, “Kole,” the Russian giant gives a curt nod, “and West is in the van with—”
“West? The one with the silly tattoo idea?” She chuckles, elbowing me. Mabel had all but shut me down when I relayed to her what West had told me about omegas tattooing over old bond marks.
At that moment, West steps out of the van, closely followed by Aidan.
Mabel stiffens, her eyes locking on the platinum-haired alpha.
Only vaguely aware of the possible connection between Mabel and my brother’s pack, West smiles at me. “Alright, now thatthat’sout of the way—” He cuts off when Aidan, who had been staring at the screen of his laptop balanced on his forearm, bumps into him from behind. “Woah, you good?” West steps to the side after stumbling forward a little.
Blinking, Aidan looks up. Like a damn homing beacon, his eyes find Mabel, and he freezes.
Time stops for a moment.
Nobody moves, except for Hayden, who is giving me awhat the fucklook. I shrug, my eyes darting between the two of them.
Then, like nothing strange happened at all, Aidan shakes his head, falling out of his trance. He closes his laptop and tucks it under his arm before turning his attention to West. “Call me if you need help with anything.” When West nods, his expressionjust as dumbstruck as mine probably is, Aidan tilts his head toward me in acknowledgement. “Jo.”
He turns to leave.
With no acknowledgement towards my sister.
Maybe…was I wrong about the true scent match thing?
But then Mabel finds her voice. “Wait!”
Aidan freezes, then turns slowly, his shoulders visibly tense. He gives her an apprehensive look, and his voice is strained. “Yes?”
“I do apologize if this is rude, but…” she looks down, her cheeks flushing slightly, before she lifts her chin and points to her neck, “did…did that hurt?”
My brother’s packmate’s eyes never leave Mabel as he almost absentmindedly lifts his hand to his own throat, his fingers lightly running over the four-pointed Celtic knot tattooed there. He looks pensive for a moment, like he isn’t quite sure what to make of her. Or like she’s a code he can’t crack. “...Yes.”
Mabel looks mighty embarrassed as she bites her lip. “Sorry for pryin’. I just…I’m thinkin’ about gettin’ some…” She runs her hands down the sleeves of her sweater, where her pieces-of-shit-ex-pack forced their marks onto her. “I’m a little nervous about the idea though, I’ve never had a high tolerance for pain…”
For the first time since stepping out of the van, Aidan’s face flashes with emotion.
Empathy.
“Yes, getting the tattoo hurt.” His voice is still stiff, even if his shoulders have relaxed slightly. “But…not as much as the injury that caused the scars it covers.”
Mabel’s mouth opens slightly in shock. “Would you…” She shakes her head. “Nevermind. Thank you kindly for answerin’ my invasive question, Mr. Aidan.”
He nods once before turning back to the house and walking as quickly as he can, like he might be powerless to stop himself from answering her questions if she decides she has more.
“If I may,Sestryonka?”Kole steps forward, hands raised placatingly. “Would I be able to look at your scars? I am rather handy with a tattoo gun.”
My brows shoot up to my hairline. “Youare?”
Kole smirks at me. “I have done all of my tattoos myself,lyubov' moya.” He tilts his head in thought, then amends, “Well, besides the ones on my back. My brothers helped me with those.”
“Do you really trust him, Jo?” Mabel asks, her voice shaky as she looks between Kole and me.
“With your life,” I answer without hesitation.
“What about yours?”
“Well, duh, Mabel-cakes.”
Kole’s brows furrow. “You do not need to show me if you do not wish to. I merely thought—”
