“Your boyfriend,” Nick says as he drops his hands before pushing them into the front pockets of his jeans.
“I’m so sorry, I don’t expect—” My words are cut off when someone jiggles the doorknob.
Fucking shit!
“It’s me. Let me in,” Benson calls through the door, knocking his fist against the wood again.
Nick spins on his heels, yanks the door open, and then drags his brother into the room with a fistful of the other alpha’s shirt.
“Kai left,” Benson says to me, brushing off the aggressive hold like it’s nothing. Like he knows his older brother would never hurt him and is just letting out a little frustration.
“Fucking. Explain,” Nick growls, long and low, setting me on edge. Being trapped in a storage room with an angry alpha between me and the exit is not an ideal situation for my instincts, even though I know he would never hurt me.
He looks mean, but the man is a big softy. Usually.
“How much did you tell him?” Benson asks, glancing at me for approval.
“Everything.”
“Right. Well, it sounds like you’re all filled in then.” Benson pats the older alpha’s chest, then shrugs.
“Our. Omega?” Nick growls through gritted teeth, and this time Benson fidgets, shifting from foot to foot. Doesn’t seem like he likes his older brother’s agitation either.
“I panicked, okay!” Benson whisper-shouts defensively. “When I saw you all over her, I had to think fast. I ran into Kai on his way to the bathroom, where I’d just watched you follow Plum to, by the way.” He points at his brother, eyes narrowing on the older alpha accusingly.
“Don’t fight,” I whisper, hating that this is causing tension between them. I can’t help but ruin everything, can I? But neither alpha hears me as Benson continues.
“I was telling him to give Plum some space, hoping to stall him. I wasn’t sure if he’d seen Plum heading that way, or if he just happened to also be at the freaking bar tonight too. When I realized he wasn’t about to simply leave, I followed him. As soon as we turned the corner, there you two were. He looked over atme with a fucking grin! What the hell else was I supposed to say?” he demands, gesturing to Nick. “You were the one all over her in the damn public hallway!”
There’s a long stretch of silence as we all take in Benson’s words, and I nibble my lip.
“Because you didn’t want Kai to think I was cheating on you, right?” I ask the question that's been burning in my mind since I walked away from him. Benson frowns, glancing away from Nick and over at me.
“Cheating on me—what?No. You did nothing wrong, Plum.” Benson shakes his head, stepping up to me before pulling me into his arms. I hug him back, shoulders slumping with relief.
“He didn’t want Kai to think his big brother was a piece of shit trying to steal his girl,” Nick supplies with a grunt.
I don’t miss the way Benson flinches in my arms, and I glance between the two of them. Benson doesn’t like it when Nick puts himself down. No one likes it when someone they care about says mean things about themselves, but the way his scent fills with sadness and anxiety tells me this is more than just caring for his brother.
“First of all, you’re not a piece of shit, so don’t fucking say that. Ever.” Benson points at his brother, keeping me tucked into his body as he steps closer to Nick. “You clearly weren’t trying to steal her from me, considering no one knows about the arrangement yet.”
“Kai knew,” Nick says, but Benson just narrows his eyes, powering on.
“Secondly, what I was actually thinking was that I didn’t want Kai to think that Plum is open to more suitors. Or that she’s in an open arrangement or some shit. The only way to do that was to tell him that you and her are also already an exclusive thing. Something the whole town will have no problem believing, given the way Plum has pursued you for years.”
“Oh,” I mumble. “That’s actually really smart.”
“I know.” Benson nods, looking down at me before glancing back to his brother. “I never thought either of you was doing something wrong, just to be clear. I just didn’t want Kai to take it as an invitation to go after Plum even harder, because her alpha isn’t possessive of her." He frowns, squinting a bit. “And why did youbothjump to the worst conclusions? Jeez. Have a little more faith in me.”
“Sorry,” I apologize, hugging him a little tighter. I silently decide not to inform him I was thinking the worst about myself, not him.
“I can’t deal with this,” Nick grumbles, pressing a hand to his head, turning toward the door. “Just—I’ll see you both later,” he adds as he escapes out the door and into the hallway.
“Is he going to drive home like that?” I ask quietly.
Benson shakes his head. “No, he’ll get a ride, then ask me to bring him to come pick up his truck in the morning.” He stares at the door for a second before looking down at me. “I’ll talk to him in the morning. He’s a bit drunk right now, but he’ll be more clear-headed and understanding tomorrow,” he says, leading me out of the supply closet with his arm still wrapped around me, his brother’s shirt tucked tightly under my chin.
I hope he’s right.
