Silently panicking, I search for an excuse or rebuttal, but while Nick and Benson are brothers, they don’t look enough alike for anyone to confuse them. Least of all Kai, who is just looking for a way back into my life, like exposing my relationship as fake or in some way broken.
Noticing the figure at his side, I realize it wouldn’t even matter if they were twins, as Benson is standing next to him, lips parted in surprise.
Everything moves in slow motion as Benson steps forward, blocking Kai’s view of his brother and me. Nick takes the moment to pull back, putting some space between our bodies.
“Nick, you should take our omega to the bathroom so she can compose herself,” Benson suggests as he looks back at us, my eyes going wide at his words.Our omega!? What the fuck?He clearly doesn’t sense my internal meltdown as he calmly continues, “I’ll talk to Kai. Explain our situation.”
Benson grips his brother’s bicep, pulling him away from me, and nods in the direction of the bathrooms. His eyes lock on mine as he mouths the words ‘tell him’ silently. When my eyes bug out of my head, he just grins, patting his brother's back.
“Go on, I’ll wait for you both out there, babe. Want another drink?” Benson asks as he ushers us along.
I glance back over my shoulder to nod, panic setting in as I catch a glimpse of Kai. He’s grinning. No, that's not right. The beta is practically fucking glowing as his smile turns megawatt.What the shit? Oh god, does he think I’m a cheater or something?Fuck, am I technically a cheater, even though this relationship is fake? Hell, we haven’t even talked about rules or boundaries like we were supposed to, and now he’s caught me with his older brother, of all fucking alphas.
Benson says something too low for me to catch, then he and Kai head back into the bar area. We’re halfway to the bathrooms when Nick tries to jerk me to a stop.
“Plum, what the fuck?—”
“Shut up and keep walking,” I hiss, grabbing his forearm and dragging him with me. Instead of the bathrooms, I hook a left and push into an unlocked door further down the hall. I already know they keep it unlocked most of the time for easy access, and that we should be alone long enough to have this conversation.
“Plum,” he grunts when I shut the door behind him, locking it, and then turning the light on.
“Nick,” I say right back, facing him once again, and finding his entire demeanor has shifted.
His brother catching him pressed against me must have sobered him up or at least knocked him back to reality. He didn’t seem drunk, but I could smell whiskey on his lips, so he’s had something at least.
He’s staring at me like I’ve grown a second head, and I wince. Right, this isn’t great, is it? I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself as a chill sets in. Nick grunts and starts unbuttoning his shirt. He’s wearing a black tank top under it, and my eyes narrow as he drapes his massive shirt over my shoulders.
This isn’t going to help anyone’s instincts. Least of all, mine.
Although, maybe his are feeling the hit just as much, as Nick takes a step back. He takes in the sight of me in his shirt, hisslightly grumpy frown turning more into a look of desire, but he shakes it off quickly.
“Our omega? What the fuck?” he asks, gesturing to me with those big, muscular arms all on display…Damn.
He’s tilting his head in a way that makes me think maybe he’s not completely sober after all. Maybe that will work in my favor for this conversation. Fuck, it’s not like I can lie now anyway. Not with Benson tossing Nick into this head-fucking-first.
I wince, but he keeps his eyes locked on me. He’s not going to accept silence. With a deep breath, I nod once and rip the bandage off.
“What I’m about to tell you can’t be repeated to anyone, Nick. Except Benson. But no one else, okay?” I ask, tone serious, and he frowns again, looking slightly worried now. He nods, but it’s not enough. “No, I want your word, Nick. Promise me you won’t tell anyone. On your honor as an alpha.”
“Okay—shit, I swear. What’s wrong? Tell me what's wrong,” he demands, stepping toward me with his hands raised, but I need a clear mind for this, so I back away from his attempt to comfort me. “Tell me, Plum.” There's a touch of panic in his tone now, and my instincts jump into action, my scent changing to soothe him.
“I’m okay, it’s just…” My eyes fall shut as I gather my bearings.
I’ll never work up the courage to say anything while he’s looking at me that way. Like I need to be protected from whatever I’m about to say, and he’s the alpha that’s going to take on my demons.
“Kai showed up to the Halloween party here at the bar on Friday night. He caught me off guard, and I panicked. In a desperate moment, I told him Benson was my boyfriend, and Benson played along to help me,” I admit, peeking one eye open at him. He’s still here; I guess that’s something, right?"Anyway, then Kai moved in across the hall and made it clear he’s still interested in me—that he’s not going anywhere and isn’t deterred by my claim that I’m taken and unavailable.” I open my eyes fully now, wincing as I risk a glance at the alpha, who frowns at me. “I couldn’t stand the thought of telling Kai that I either broke up with Benson or was faking it, so yesterday I begged your brother to pretend to be mine for a little bit longer.”
Nick stares at me silently. I’m trying to give him time to process what I’ve just said, but the longer he stands there watching me, the worse I feel.
“We came to the bar to see if we have enough chemistry to make it believable and test our connection. We haven’t even talked about rules,” I explain, about to start full-on word vomiting at the man, but he finally freaking speaks.
“He—” Nick cuts off, pinching the bridge of his nose for a second before rubbing his face with both hands. “That doesn’t explain why he said 'our omega,'” he points out, but as he says the words 'our omega' again, his eyes go wide with a horrified sort of understanding.“Plum,”he says slowly, stepping toward me.
I take a step back, swallowing hard and clutching his shirt tighter around myself.
“Please tell me he wasn’t implying what I think he was?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that. If I had to guess, he’s telling Kai that you’re also my boyfriend,” I say honestly. “Probably trying to avoid making me look like a dirty cheater,” I mumble as an afterthought.
