“Kai,” Plum murmurs, and the sound of her sweet, soft, wonderful voice whispering my name makes it hard to fucking breathe. “What did you two do to him?” she demands, and through the tears, I snort, nearly choking on my snot.Ugh.That’s fucking nasty.
“We were honest,” Nick says as I sit up, dropping my hands so she can see my face.
“He was still trying to hide,” Benson adds, and I meet his eyes. I don’t care that the only reason he’s trying to help me is for Plum. As long as he’s making sure she’s okay, that's what I care about. I nod to the alpha, and to my surprise, he nods back.
“Oh. Well, cocoa is ready,” Plum murmurs, and I sniff, smiling up at her.
“Should I crawl for it?” I offer teasingly, wiggling my brows at her, trying to break some of the tension that's making her frown. She giggles, shaking her head at me with disapproval.
“Let’s just watch Elf?” she asks, and while the alphas groan in protest, I nod.
“They’re just haters. It’s a good movie.” I reassure her as she sets the tray of mugs down and grabs the elf head for herself. I grab the snowman, eyes glued to her as she hands the other two their drinks.
“It’s the best movie,” Plum declares.
And later, when she makes out with Nick halfway into the movie, I let her see what it does to me.
I let her see the desperate part of me that remembers what she tastes like and wishes he was the one buried between those fucking perfect thighs again. My chest heaves with every breath, the envy pumping through my veins making my heart race. She watches me bite my fist as the alpha kisses and sucks the sensitive skin of her neck, letting the scent of peppermint wash over me. She sees the way my jaw clenches with each of her breathy little moans.
I show her every emotion, every desire.Every. Fucking. Thing.
And when she gets into bed with the alphas, as I take my place on the couch, I catch her watching me again. I freeze, unable to look away.
Something new shines in her eyes. Something unexpected, and I cling to it.
She’s curious.
About who I am now? Maybe she’s wondering if watching her scream another man's name is going to push me away? Or is it something else entirely? Is she… Is she curious if I still kiss the same—if I make love the same?
Curious is good. Curious is so much better than angry and hurting.
Curiosity is an open door with a light on the other side.
NICK
“I miss her. We should build her a workshop on the farm so she never has to leave,” Benson grumbles.
“Shhh,” I hiss, and my head snaps to the side, checking to see if Kai heard him. “Don’t give him any more ideas. Just in case.”
Ever since our talk four days ago while decorating, he’s been different. He hasn’t given Plum any extravagant or over-the-top gifts again, but I seriously don’t need him to get new ideas on how to help us, either.
He listens to every word the omega says and doesn’t try to hide his emotions from her anymore. Honestly? He’s not so bad. I guess. However, the crazy fucker has been trying to do…well, fucking everything. He appears to have an unending amount of energy and a desperate need to please. Everyone. Stupidly, I assumed he would be focused on Plum, and Plum alone.
Nope.
Not even close.
‘This is the person I’ve always known,’ Val said yesterday after dinner. They’re back to staying in the guest room, since Kai wanted his apartment back when he figured out Plum wasn’t coming back to the farm for the week.
Not only do I wake up to him in my kitchen every morning, but he’s been helping with chores around the farm, as well as helping us get ready for the village this weekend, since we’re going to be leaving Tony in charge.
The guy we originally hired picked a fight with the fuck-ass roosters, ran into the goat pen to escape all two pounds of poultry, and upon discovering that chickens can fucking fly, he attempted to leap over the fence. He broke his ankle. How the fuck he was the most qualified candidate but panicked inthe face of a feathered beast with a pea brain, I will never understand.
Plum had a good giggle when I told her the story Monday evening on our three-way call before recommending Tony for the job.
‘My dad will be fine with it, but you better pay him well to make up for the days he's off at the tree farm, or else.’Either through Stella or possibly my meddlesome brother Rhian, the equally meddlesome beta caught wind of Plum’s vague threat. They conspired to pay the man a hefty salary. Something I found to be offensive when they first suggested it. I can pay the man just as well, damn it. I’m still offended, honestly, but Stella blinked her big eyes at me, and I folded.
‘Val just wants to help,’she’d told me with a pouty face. I caved and reminded her what a pain in my ass she is when she pouts to get her way. We’ve got enough people working that Tony’s position is mostly as a supervisor and director. He’s also the point of contact if shit goes south and I'm needed.
