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“Oh, so we’re doing this already?” I asked, my tone full of venom. “You see me once and know my whole fucking life story?!”
“No, we fucking aren’t,” Ellis growled. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Get out until you learn some fucking respect.” Ellis’ voice held every bit of alpha command he possessed, so much so that I started to move as well. Before I could get anywhere, his hand locked onto my wrist to keep me in place. “Not you.”
Tallon let out a low growl as he stalked toward the elevator, and the doors closed behind him with a loud thud that made me jump.
In the silence that followed, I closed my eyes, the shame and humiliation I felt after the assault flooding back into me. I could scent it in the air, and from the low rumble coming from Ellis, he could too.
“What the hell just happened?” Beckham asked as he came rushing into the room. I couldn’t open my eyes or speak yet, so Ellis answered for me.
“Tallon told her she wouldn’t be here if she’d kept her legs closed,” he summarized, and I respected his choice not to sugarcoat the situation or lie even though it hurt to hear the words repeated again. Beckham’s answering gasp finally had me opening my eyes, startling backward when I found his face right in front of mine. Sandalwood surrounded me as he invaded my personal space, but the ferocity on his face didn’t scare me. I was taken aback that the omega who’d been so sweet last night had that spirit just waiting to come out, but it was also flattering. He felt that way on my behalf, and he didn’t even know me.
“Do not listen to that. I don’t know the circumstances of what happened, but I do know you owe no one an explanation,” he said fiercely before taking my hand. “Now, come on. If anyone needs us, we’ll be in my room for movie day. If Tallon comes back, punch him in the dick for me.” He pulled me up and grabbed the remains of my breakfast before leading me down the hall.
Beckham’s room smelled like pure heaven. The sweet underlying omega scent, one that always reminded me of maple, mixed with sandalwood surrounded me as he dragged me to his small couch, sitting me down then throwing a fuzzy blanket and pillows my way.
This was the first time I’d been in another omega’s space like this. My parents had kept us fairly busy, so it wasn't like I’d spent time among friends growing up, and adult omegas were different. It was huge that he was letting me in here. There were signs of his nesting, from the extra blankets curled up on the window seat to the random clothes piled together, and I envied that he had the space and comfort to have a nest.
One day.
I watched him work at arranging everything just right for me. His muscles shifted as he shoved the coffee table out of the way, and I found myself almost drooling. He wasn’t as built as Wells, but he was strong and lean. I’d never given much thought to what my ‘usual’ type was, but I mainly found myself drawn to bigger packs like this. Something about the mix of muscled alphas, lean betas, and sweet omegas called to me. I wanted a big family.
They’re not yours, Briar.
But now that I was faced with Beckham by himself, I couldn’t help but watch as he moved around. Between the view of his ass as he bent over to the look of adorable concentration on his face, I knew it would be harder to keep my distance than I thought.
Stop. He’s just being nice. No thirsting over your new roommates, Briar!
Needing a distraction, I glanced around his room. It was clean to a fault, with barely any signs of someone living here, yet it was oddly homey. The walls were a soft blue and his furniture varying shades of black and gray. There were art pieces scattered around, little touches that all seemed to coordinate or somehow work together, and I wondered if the proper omega was a secret artist.
“What’s your style?” he asked as he settled in next to me, setting my food down and snatching up the remote. His TV was huge, mounted to the wall over a TV stand that held a mix of gaming systems. I hadn’t pegged Beckham as a gamer, but I loved it. This omega was full of surprises, and I was already completely comfortable around him. He was a breath of fresh air.
“I’m good with anything,” I tried, but he leveled me with a stern look until I answered more honestly. “Okay, I’m a fan of crime shows or ghost shows. Anything supernatural or horror is right up my alley.”
“Oh! Have you seen the new show that just came out?” he asked excitedly, pulling it up to show me. The overview wasn’t familiar, but when I read the synopsis, I was instantly hooked.
“I haven’t. Life’s been a bit crazy lately,” I admitted. “But it sounds amazing.”
“You know it’s going to be creepy when it’s urban legends and folklore,” he said excitedly.
“You don’t have to change today’s plans for me,” I said as he hit play. The idea of him shirking his responsibilities or clearing his schedule made me feel guilty.
“Briar,” he said softly, “you can exist here. None of us would do anything we don’t want to, so don’t worry about my plans or comfort.”
“Okay, okay,” I finally agreed. They were making that aspect very clear today, that I was allowed to exist here, that I wasn’t a problem… all except Tallon. But my worry about how to deal with the moody beta seemed far away as we hid away in this little nest of comfort.
* * *
