Hell, it would kill all of us.
Snorting lightly, I shook my head. “Dude, we’veseenthe way she looks at you. You’re clearly her favorite.”
Bear did his best to keep his expression blank, but the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. Sharing a glance with Spencer, I was pleased to find the barest hint of a smile lifting his cheek.
Alphas were usually possessive and a little competitive. We would undoubtedly be the same when it came to Flora, but forthe moment, we were relieved she’d gravitated toward Bear first, and that was saying something.
When it came to combat and tactical thinking, Bear was a seasoned pro—handling his work with a professional ease I had found myself slightly jealous of once or twice. When it came to women, though, he had been treated… differently, ever since his accident.
Personally, the thought that Flora picked him first and liked him the best? Well, I fucking loved that. She was an omega who cared deeply, and that was exactly what Bear needed.
Fuck, it was what weallneeded.
“Ugh, I need to reset. I’m going to mess around with that laptop in my room. Shout if you need me.”
I spun on my heel, heading straight to my room because my brain was just too busy. I needed to silence it with some inane computer remodeling. When I got inside, I flicked on the light, wasting no time sitting at my desk and going through the checklist of what still needed to be done on the laptop.
It was near completion, and I didn’t know what to do with it. Bear and Spencer each had one I’d refurbished, and I had two already, not counting the tower PC.
Flora needs a computer.
If it would help her study, then I wanted to do it. Sure, the laptop I had been working on was top-of-the-line and probably a bit fancier than a student needed… but Flora deserved the best.
Knowing I was working on this for her made my fingers work quicker, and my mind fully settled. I liked the idea of giving her something, of doing this one thing that only I could do. It was my thing, and including Flora in some way felt… really damn nice.
Chapter 25
Bear
She was in my home.
Well, mytemporaryhome. We had been in the apartment below the Garnetts for almost a year now, but it wasn’t ourtruehome.
That was about two hours out of the city. A large country house on a few acres of land that felt wonderfully isolated and peaceful. After purchasing it for a steal, we’d planned to settle down there, but work had kept us moving around the country, and there had never been a good time to move in fully and lead the life we dreamed of.
And now there was Flora.
Knowing she was near made my body hum with excitement and anticipation. Her proximity made everything seem better—though I despised that there were doors between us. Flora had locked the guest room door, and who could blame her, given everything she had been through?
That didn’t change the fact that Idesperatelywanted to be near her. Just being in the same room as her soothed the beast inside me in a way that was utterly foreign to me.
Lying in my bed, I stared at the ceiling for a good while. My body didn’t want to rest; it wanted to go to the omega. To ensure she was safe and happy. Spencer and Chase had sulked off to their rooms. Chase was probably taking apart the laptop he had been working on; computer stuff baffled me. Spencer… well, he was probably brooding or plotting, knowing him. That man lived for his family, and as a pack, we were his family. So, when we were in trouble, he couldn’t rest.
And me? I was bored, cooped up, and itching to get out of this damn room and check on Flora.
Knifepoint. She’d been held at knifepoint, and I needed to make sure she was actually okay.
Still, if space was what she wanted, I was going to give it to her, no matter how much it made my skin crawl, which it really shouldn’t have. We’d just met, and hardly at that. Yes, we’d been keeping an eye on her, but it was all one-sided. But the need wasn’t ebbing, no matter how much I told myself to knock it off.
My obsession should have been concerning, but I couldn’t help myself. Ever since she had grabbed my hand and called me “babe,” I was hers.
Sleep was finally pulling me under, promising me dreams of a sweet, floral-scented omega, when the door to my room creaked open. I kept my eyes closed, my body stiffening in preparation as my ears strained to listen.
Our home was secure. There were only three options for who could enter my room. Usually, Chase and Spencer didn’t bother to tiptoe around. Chase, in particular, barreled in like an excited puppy whenever he had a breakthrough. I didn’t mind—most of the time I was reading or working, so I often welcomed the interruptions. You know, unless I was taking careofpersonalbusiness. Spencer had a habit of declaring himself, and his footsteps were much heavier.
The third option was likely to be more careful and evenmorewelcome.
Flora had gone to bed an hour earlier, but we could all hear her tossing and turning from the living room. A severe lack of sleep was to be expected with all the stress she had been under. It probably didn’t help that she didn’t have her own nest and was making do with a random assortment of items that Mable didn’t want. I wasn’t an omega, but that sounded crappy to even me.
