Toohuman.
Perhaps the courier wasn’t gone, but then, what was he doing in the carport? It sounded like whoever was out there had hit Cedric’s car with histhigh.
“Rabbit?” Cedric asked. “Go into your room. I need to go take care ofbusiness.”
There was a response, but Cedric only heard the tone—his focus was on whatever was happening beyond the side door. There was no reason to believe that there was any kind of threat out there. He’d lived in this rental for the last three years, and he’d never had an issue with theft or vandalism. But as he approached, he couldn’t help but feel like there was something out there that was wrong. Creeping instinct caused the hairs on Cedric’s nape to stand on end, and a shiver swept down his spine. He kept an aluminum baseball bat by the door, just in case, but this was the first time he’d ever thought he’d need to use it. Cedric’s hand curled around the handle, and he lifted it from where it had been leaning to keep by his side as he openedthedoor.
A man stood at the bottom of thedriveway.
Cedric’s hand tightened around the handle of the bat. He stepped down to stand in the carport, his eyes on the man in the distance. Technically, he was doing nothing wrong—he stood on the sidewalk, hands shoved into the pockets of his billowing black sweater, the hood drawn over his head. From where he stood, Cedric could only make out certaindetails.
A bulbous nose. A square chin. Broad shoulders… and hisscent.
Wood, leather, andalpha.
Cedric knew thatsmell.
He set the end of the bat on the asphalt, the hollowclunkreverberating through the carport. Why was that smell familiar to him, and why did it put him on high alert? Cedric couldn’t pin where he knew it from, but he knew that it wasn’t the first time he’d come across it. There’d been a time when that scent had made enough of an impact on him that his body remembered it, so why couldn’t he figureitout?
For a prolonged moment, they faced each other. The man stood where he was, posture wide and relaxed, while Cedric guarded the carport and prayed to god that he’d locked the front door after bringing in the collar. It wasn’t that he thought he couldn’t take care of the stranger, but with Gabriel in the house, he wasnervous.
If anything were to happentohim…
Cedric couldn’t risk it. He took a step forward, and as soon as he did, the man turned on his heel and continued on his way. Cedric walked as far as the front of the carport to keep an eye on him, but it didn’t look like the man was interested in coming back. He crossed the street and continued on his way, leaving Cedric to question what the hell had just happened. Sometimes, in the fall, pedestrians stopped to watch the trees, but the forest was on the other side of the street. That man had been watching thehouse.
Had he been in thecarport?
It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that hewasgone.
A light breeze stirred, disturbing Cedric’s hair. He shook his head, pushed his fear aside, and returned to the house. He locked the door behind him, then checked the front door to verify it was secure. In all likelihood, he was overreacting. Strange things happened every day—there was nothing particularly wrong about a man standing on public property, looking wherever hepleased.
But thatscent…
Cedric shook his head. He could spend the rest of his life trying to place where he’d smelled it, but it would do him no good. Right now, he needed to get back to the task at hand. There was an omega waiting for him in his bedroom who needed training, and no one else was going to step in for Cedric to getitdone.
24
Gabriel
The bathroom mirror was pristine—Gabrielknew because he’d cleaned it himself not even a day ago. Sir leaned against the meticulously scrubbed counter, his ass perched on the ledge while his hands were planted on either side of his thighs. Gabriel stood before him, his eyes never parting from his reflection. Sir was watching, and he refused to disappoint him, no matter how uncomfortable looking athimselfwas.
“What do you see?” Sir asked. The question was simple, but Gabriel didn’t want to reply. What he had to say wouldn’t be to Sir’sliking.
So he was vague instead. “Myself.”
“That’s right, Rabbit. It’s a good start, but it’s not what I’m looking for. When you look at yourself, what doyousee?”
The posture collar prevented Gabriel from looking down. Every time he tried to lower his head, the leather stopped him. It wouldnotfold.
Gabriel looked himself over in the mirror and tried to find nice things to say. The posture collar was less than a week old now, and he’d never wanted it gone more than he did now. Talking to Sir while meeting his gaze wasn’t half as terrifying as Gabriel thought it would be—but facing himself? Staring down his reflection while Sir demanded hereportback?
It made Gabriel want to tear at his eyes until he couldn’t see anymore. Why did he have to invent something nice to say? Sir already knew that there was nothing nice at allabouthim.
“I see a young man,” Gabrielmurmured.
“Expandonthat.”
It took all of Gabriel’s will not to close his eyes. The longer he looked, the more intolerable his reflection became. “A young…omega.”
