Mason glances at Jess, an off-handed glimpse, and in the process he gives off the impression he really doesn’t give a crap about anything she has going on. Typical Mason behavior. If you aren’t used to him, he definitely comes off rude.
Jess doesn’t say a word more. She spins on her heels and marches away.
I look at my brother. “Couldn’t you have at least said hello? Come on, man. Don’t be a dick to her.” I don’t stay to listen to his reply; instead, I go after her and catch up to her in the hallway upstairs, just outside the heat room.
She slips inside the room and starts to pace the length of it, and I watch her for a few seconds, feeling some type of way. Knowing she’s so distraught over my brother’s presence makes me feel… odd.
Protective, maybe. Like I want to fix it, only I don’t know that I can. My instinct is to go to her and stop her from pacing by pulling her into me and holding her. Like, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s my omega.
Which is just crazy, right?
Chapter Six – Jess
I knew Asher had a brother, I just didn’t think he’d be here. I mean, what are the odds that Asher didn’t know his brother would be here?
What if hedidknow and he didn’t tell me? What if this is some ploy to get me alone with them, so they can—
No. I stop that thought right then and there. Asher might’ve been a jerk to me when we were kids, but he’s not that kind of alpha. I don’t think. His brother, Mason, I’m not too sure about. First impression was not very good, I’ll tell you that.
Asher followed me to the room that will be mine the next few weeks, and as I silently freak out, he only watches me. It takes him a while to say, “I swear I didn’t know he’d be here. If you don’t feel comfortable, if you want to call this whole thing off—”
Call it off?I want to snap at him, but I refrain. What good would calling it off do? I’ll be right back where I started, with an aunt who’s beyond desperate to see me matched off. The clock is literally ticking. It was all fun and games before, but the countdown has officially begun. My aunt will be pulling out all of the stops from here on out, including the police and probably some private investigators.
Ugh, shit. Am I really prepared for all of this? Did we leave a trace on our way up here? It’s pointless to worry about any of that now.
I stop pacing and turn to look at Asher, who stands motionless in the doorway. “No,” I finally tell him. “I don’t want to call it off.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. You’re the only help I have, even with your brother here.” I hate to admit that, I really do, but Asher already knows he was my last and only resort, so I might as well be truthful. “Doyou think he’ll be able to keep to himself? You know him way better than I do. He seems kinda… mean.”
AKA typical über alpha shit.
“You don’t have to worry about him. The house is big enough he can steer clear of us. Besides, I bet he came up here to be alone, so we’re probably cramping his style more than he is ours.”
I actually giggle at that. It’s a sound that’s not familiar to me, and yet it bubbles out of me easily, like I do it all the time.
I mean, who says that?Cramping his style.It’s something lame my parents would say if they were around.
The thought of them jolts me back to reality. My parents not being here is why I’m here to begin with. I can’t forget that.
“You said you were hungry,” Asher says. “What do you want? I can make you a little something.”
He’s nice to offer, but I should get used to the fact his brother’s in the house with us, so I should gather up my courage and go downstairs with him.
“No, I can make it. I’ll come down,” I say.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Believe it or not, I’m not helpless.”
My tone must come off too snippy, because Asher quietly says, “I never said you were.”
The only thing I can do is sigh. This is going to be a long couple of weeks.
Soon enough, Asher and I venture back downstairs to the kitchen. Mason is already gone. I have no idea where he is in the house, which room he’s using—the place has probably a dozen or so rooms that serve as bedrooms. If this is how he’s going to be while we’re here, I’m fine with it. I don’t need him constantly in my business.
Although, I do wish I could smell him, so then I’d at least know where the hell he is around here. Being an omega withno sense of smell in a house with two unmatched alphas is like dangling a steak in front of two starving dogs. I hope things will stay calm between us. I hear hormones near an omega’s heat can make you do and say certain things you otherwise wouldn’t.
