“Uh, I have a name, remember?” I interrupted.
Xander ignored me. “I’m assuming he was trespassing on your territory.”
“In a sense,” Remington said. “I don’t live here anymore, but this manor belongs to my family. The Augustin family. I sometimes return to retrieve things, which is why Sage and I were here tonight.”
“Oh, right!” I blurted out as if a lightbulb went off over my head. “Your last name is Augustin, isn’t it, Remmy?”
This time they both ignored me.
“I’m not surprised humans think they can break in,” Remington muttered. “It’s not like anyone’s here to defend the manor most of the time. But more importantly, you saved Sage. Thank you.”
Xander grunted. Now he seemed to avoid looking at me, but I didn’t know why. He made eye contact with Remington just fine. That filled me with a stupid scrap of jealousy, which was dumb. They literally just met.
But Remington’s an omega, and Xander’s an alpha. They could… y’know, get together.
Damnit, why was I jealous over something like that?
I shoved my dumbass thoughts into a thought-closet and returned to reality, where Remington and Xander were both having a serious conversation.
“Is it true, Sage?” Remington asked.
“Wha?”
“That you’re having your first heat?”
“Oh. I guess so? That’s what Xander said.” I fidgeted, feeling shy. “I mean, I don’t have any experiences to compare it to, but I do feel super weird. Like I have a fever, almost.”
Remington’s gaze turned sympathetic. “We should get you back to the grove. Me, Len and Morgan can help you.”
“Len and Morgan?” Xander asked. For some reason, I detected a hint of envy in his voice. His pupils had narrowed into thin slits.
“They’re omegas who live in our pack,” Remington said.
At his explanation, Xander relaxed. “Are there alphas in this pack of yours?”
“Yes,” Remington replied cautiously. “But they’re all mated. Why do you ask?”
“No reason.”
“Oh, what about Red?” I blurted out. “He’s an alpha, right? But he doesn’t have a mate.”
Red was the fox shifter who joined our pack recently. He had an alpha-ish scent, but he’d never proudly boasted about being an alpha the way the others did.
I noticed that upon saying that, the little dark hairs on the tip of Xander’s tail puffed out. I didn’t know why he was acting strangely, but I chalked it up to the fact that I didn’t know him very well yet.
“I don’t think Red will be a problem,” Remington said. He mumbled his next words, like he was embarrassed. “But Sage, if you need…toolsto get through your heat, I might still have some here in the manor.”
“What kinda tools? Like a hammer?”
He groaned. “You know what? Nevermind. Let’s go.”
“What about Xander?” I asked.
“I’m leaving,” Xander growled. He then made no effort to move, and his claws were still stabbed into the floor. His eyes were focused back on me. His gaze was strangely intense, like I might fall into a pit or something if he looked away.
Remington glanced to Xander, then to me, as if thinking deeply.
“If you don’t mind, Xander,” Remington began, “I’d appreciate your escort out of town. Since Sage is in heat, I don’t think I can protect him on my own if we were to be attacked.”
