“Yes, and no. When you set the system as you leave, they’ll turn on automatically. The cameras for the windows, doors, and the garage are permanently on, as well as cameras outside the house.”
“Really? There’s ones for the windows as well?”
I pause. I haven’t had to explain the security system for years, and I don’t want to draw out why almost every inch of my property has cameras pointed at it.
“Well… there was an incident…” I trail off, hoping that would be enough. It wasn’t public knowledge, so there was only one way he could find out.
He keeps blinking at me before he grins. “Come on, you can’t say ‘an incident’ and not expect me to be nosy.”
I clench my jaw. “An omega broke in through a window at the back of my old house. It was a room I never used, so it took me weeks to realize she was returning every night to take pictures of me.”
My nose wrinkles like it was just a disturbance instead of something that had me on edge for years because I never knew if she was going to come after me again.
Luke’s mouth drops open, and silence swells. We stand there awkwardly as shame floods me. I should have discovered that omega sooner, but I was living in a giant house my ex-wife bought, five years after our divorce. I only used three rooms in the whole place because I couldn’t stand to be there, but I wasn’t strong enough to leave.
The omega used one of the basement windows and moved around the house at night, taking advantage of the fact I sleepwalk.
A guest discovered she was in my room one night, and I moved out of the house instantly and bought this place.
Luke hums as if he’s thinking about it. It’s not that his voice is high for a beta, but there’s definitely something melodic about it. I noticed it when he first entered Marilyn’s office and stared at me like he couldn’t believe he met me.
I wanted to show him the security system first because I hoped the cameras would make him think twice about staying with me, but nope. He just nods and folds his arms, probably waiting to see where I take him next.
“You also need to lock your bedroom door every night.”
“Why? Is the big, bad alpha going to come find me to fulfill his manly urges?” He laughs, winking at me, but his smile drops the second I growl.
“I sleepwalk. That’s another reason for the cameras. So it’s up to you, move to another room, or lock your door. Because who knows what I’ll do when I’m asleep.”
Before Kane broke my nose, I could never sleep because of my coffee scent. My body wouldn’t switch off, and I did everything I could to sleep for more than two hours a night.
Finally, after fourteen years of restless nights since I presented as an alpha, Kane smashed up my nose, and I began to sleep so heavily that it took me hours to wake up, especially in the mornings. It was like I was catching up on the years of sleep I’d missed. The downside was that I would wake up in random rooms of the house. It’s why all the stairs are padded, and there are no sharp corners on the surfaces. Though in the past year, I’ve only been waking up in the shower.
My heart drops at the shift in tension as I suddenly become even more aware of him. It was meant to be a threat, but the way he bites his lip ring nearly has me growling again.
I wish I’d thought of that excuse before I showed him his bedroom, but he shakes his head.
“No, I’ll stay,” he says as his gaze swings around the room, maybe looking for the cameras.
“Even if I didn’t agree to this, I still want you to make yourself comfortable,” I say gruffly. “Just don’t expect anything from me, and we’ll be fine.”
“You’re the boss.” He shrugs. “Can I see your kitchen now?” he asks, and I realize I’ve been staring again.
I try not to scowl and blush at the same time, and I fail spectacularly. But, then again, I didn’t think I’d have to unpack my trauma hours after he arrived.
Timber
I’m a simple person; I don’t ask for much. All I want to do is work out and go to bed, and my personal space is one thing I always want to maintain.
But there’s something about the spark in Luke’s hazel eyes that makes me think his idea of personal space is a lot different than mine.
I really like the way he stands. Even though he’s at least a foot shorter than me, his shoulders stay back, and he meets me head-on with a bold look that says he’s not intimidated, like a lot of omegas are.
I’m pretty sure I haven’t met a beta like him before. Though professional sports does attract a certain kind of person, he’s not like them.
I signal for Luke to follow me through the large living room. The stairs to our bedrooms are on our right, and I lead him through a door into the open-plan kitchen and dining room.
“You know, for a nutritionist, you’re pretty skinny. Do you not like your food?” I ask.
