Riot hasn't run off, but he doesn't seem to want to be here either. I was thinking he would stay locked in the basement for a lot longer, but here he is, leaning against the kitchen island and staring at a bowl of apples.
He's tense, but at least he's out and about, even if it's seven in the morning. I feel like he should be sleeping in. It's his first day here, and after all the shit he's endured this past week and who knows what else before he was taken with Vivian, he should be sleeping.
He shouldn't be my concern, but I've been watching him for a little too long to be casual. I'm worried that he hasn't noticed. An alpha in a new place should be more aware of his surroundings. Maybe his lack of ability to be vigilant is what got him captured in the first place.
I don't like it. I may not know anything about fighting or being a fucking spy, but I can teach him to listen to the shit around him if I need to.
"How long are you going to fucking stand there?"
Oh, so he does know I'm here.Uncrossing my arms, I descend the last few steps and keep my facial expressionimpassive as I round the other side of the island as him and take a seat on a stool.
"What are you doing?" I ask, nonchalant.
His black eyebrows drop even lower, and the predatory cock of his head makes his messy hair flop over his forehead. "What areyoudoing? You're the one stalking me."
"You're in my house. Of course I'm going to watch your every move." If he had a stranger in his home where his omega lived, he too would be on edge.
Riot's frown smooths out just a bit. "Fair enough. See anything interesting?"
I want to laugh, but his lack of anything interesting worries me. He's just been standing here for the past twenty minutes staring out at the sunrise over our property.
I've done the same thing many times, but that's usually when I'm deep in thought about Vivian. Is he thinking about her too? Wondering if she got any sleep last night after I brought her back upstairs?
"I haven't seen you eat since we got home yesterday afternoon," I report instead. He doesn't need to know I'm thinking all that shit. As far as I'm concerned, he needs to know I'm pack alpha and I'm in charge of this home.
"Silas pointed out the kitchen in the basement. The assortment of granola bars and water bottles was enough to get me through the night." He crosses his arms and leans his ass against the other counter by the sink.
"That's not enough. I can make you an omelet," I rumble, annoyed that his isolation kept him from eating something substantial.
Riot chuckles, but it's humorless. "You're going from stalking me, probably thinking I'm going to steal your shit and run off to wanting to make me an omelet?"
"I didn't think you'd run off."He's quite prickly, isn't he? Is he just on edge because our alphas are circling each other and testing the dominance in the room?
He's silent for a moment, just watching me. "What makes you believe that? You don't know me and I bet your assumptions are right."
Interesting. Riot's anger and attitude are hiding some self-consciousness. "Because I've seen the way you look at Vivian. Are you so fucking dense that you'll deny your feelings and make shit harder on yourself?"
"The fuck are you talking about?" he snaps, standing to his full height. "You're the dumbass. Who lets an alpha with blood on his hands stay in the same home as his mate?!"
"Whose blood?" I jump in, not wanting to listen to him rant this early in the morning.
"What?"
I lean my elbows on the counter, trying to play it off like I'm not tense as hell. "Whose blood is on your hands, Riot?"
"Kidnappers, killers, rapists, traffickers, a few abusers. You fucking name it and I've either sliced their throats, thrown them off a bridge, or shot them through the fucking skull."
Fucking hell.
"First of all, keep your voice down. Vivie's finally sleeping. And second of all, that's admirable. I couldn't do the shit you do. Good for you. How many people have you saved?"
His mouth opens and closes before he throws his hands in the air. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I tell you I've killed too many people to count and you're not worried about Vivian."
It's always the same argument with him. "I'm worried about plenty of things, but I know for a fact you would never hurt an innocent. Mainly because she told me and by what you just said, you're like a morally gray superhero with an anger problem."
"This is ridiculous. Vivian should be your priority, Kade. Why aren't you thinking about her?"
"I'malwaysthinking about her," I growl. "I may be okay with a lot of shit to ensure my omega's happiness and wellbeing, but disrespect on subjects you know nothing about isn't going to fly."
