“Give me a few hours, and I'll have her apartment spotless.Shall I also put in her notice for her?” he asked, smiling knowingly.
“Yes, and make sure she gets her security deposit back.”
“If the idiot who runs that building tries to withhold it, I will swiftly set him straight.” A deadly smile spread over Chase’s face, and I had no doubt he would do whatever it took to get that deposit back for Flora.
I swallowed, putting down my phone. “Do you want to take her shopping?” I asked through gritted teeth.
His eyebrows rose so high they almost vanished into his hairline. “Are you okay?” He placed one hand on my forehead, mock concern written all over his face. “Do you have the plague, after all? Are you dying?”
Truthfully, I wasn't the kind to relinquish any kind of control. Maybe I was a control freak, but that was useful in our line of work and in my role as leader of our pack.
“As much as I hate to admit it, she does prefer you to me.”
“Of course. Everyone likes me better,” Chase said nonchalantly, but he was unable to keep that smug grin off his face.
I wanted to hit him. Instead, I made do with leaning against the kitchen counter and giving him a stern look.
“I'm trying here,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Maybe going shopping together will help you both?” he suggested. “She's more likely to spend your money. With me and Bear, she'll feel like she owes us. With you, she'll be getting revenge.”
I cocked my head to the side. He had a good point. If going with me meant she would buy more nesting supplies, I would do it in a heartbeat.
“It’s lunchtime. Why don’t you feed her first? Food makes everyone happier. It sure as fuck puts me in a better mood.”
Food was a good idea.
I nodded.
“Just please, for the love of God, don’t feed her a protein shake. She may go crazy and slice you into bits, and I wouldn’t blame her in the slightest.” Chase threw me a pointed look, unable to keep a straight face.
Glowering at my pack mate, I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter and left without another word. I was halfway out the door when Chase spoke again.
“Don’t mess this up for Bear,” he muttered in a hushed tone that stopped me in my tracks.
“I won’t,” I said, turning my head back to him.
“I know she won't admit it, but she spent the night in his room. Those two are connected, and this is a real opportunity for Bear. He’s got the chance to be happy. Hell, we all have the chance to be happy here.”
“I’ll do my best not to ruin it,” I sighed before going to find Flora.
I've been so caught up in my own emotions regarding the small omega that I hadn't thought about what this signified for Bear. Sure, I was happy that someone was interested in him, but this was more than a passing attraction. He was clearly smitten. And if Flora was seeking him out for comfort in the night, she was, too.
Part of being in a pack was a case of balancing multiple personalities. Mine was a bit more possessive and controlling than the others. The last thing I wanted was to damage Bear’s chances.
Flora liked him. She likedallof us. Only, I refused to let my mind fully go there. If Flora was the omega for us, that was something to consider once she was safe.
It was already past midday, so it was the perfect time to get lunch and go to the supply store before the traffic got bad.
Theentire apartment smelled like honey and rose. Even though she had only been here for less than a day, I was struggling to remember what it had been like before her.
The door was open, and she was sitting on the bed, textbook open in one hand, a notepad in the other. Bear had subtly replaced several of her destroyed notebooks and she was making quick work of filling them with notes and little doodles. She was wearing a hoodie that swamped her. I immediately recognized it as Bear’s.
“We’re going for lunch and to get nesting things,” I said.
Flora looked up from the textbook in surprise, narrowing her eyes at me. “I said the stuff from Mable was plenty.”
“You barely chose three items. You need more. We’re going to provide more.” I kept my tone simple, leaving no room for disagreement.
