“When should I have dinner ready?”
“Nah, we’ll be home late. You can have whatever leftovers are in the fridge,” Josh replies, leaning forward to start eating.
He knows perfectly well there are no leftovers in the fridge. That’s the only downside to them being gone. If they’re not here to eat, it often means I don’t get anything unless I can manage to sneak it without them noticing.
I pinch my lips shut and wait for them to give me permission to eat breakfast, either with them or alone.
“Sit,” Steve says, glancing at me. He passes me an apple from the bowl, then jerks his chin at the platter I was serving from. “Have some eggs too, good for you.”
So I guess that’s my meal for today. Apple and eggs.
Maybe whatever Brooks has planned will involve food.
They are getting ready to leave
I’m around the corner, just tell me when
I chew on my lip as I wait. They’re currently “pre-gaming” whatever that means. It seems to involve yelling, laughing, and drinking. I’m pretending to dust in the living area when they finally stomp toward the door to the garage.
“Be good, omega,” Josh yells, not knowing or caring where I am in the house.
I step out from the living area, holding the dust rag in one hand and my eyes fixed to the floor.
“Yes, alpha.”
He eyes me up and down, and I can practically feel thesneer he’s aiming my direction. I don’t understand why they keep me if they both hate me so much. They stomp through the door into the garage without further comment, Steve’s obnoxious truck roaring as he peels out of the driveway.
They are gone
I just pulled up. I’m in the white work truck.
I slip on my shoes, my heart in my throat as my eyes dart around. Half of me is sure Josh and Steve somehow found out about my plan, and they’ll jump out at any moment to lock me in the nest again. I force myself to open the door, then realize I don’t have a key. I look around, unsure what to do, but ultimately decide that I don’t care if someone breaks in.
So I leave the door unlocked, hug my arms around my middle, and hurry out to Brooks’ truck.
He opens the passenger door for me, then strides around to his side and hops in. Before I know it, we’re driving out of the neighborhood. I can’t remember the last time I was this far from the house. It’s strange—surreal—to be in a truck with this alpha I barely know, heading to an unknown location, and yet my muscles are relaxing.
Brooks pulls over into a parking lot a few minutes later, and I look around, confused. Is this where our date is? A strip mall on the side of the highway?
“Sage,” he says.
I turn to face him, noticing he’s shifted in his seat so he’s angled toward me. He fills the space, broad shoulders and bulging muscles barely contained in a faded green t-shirt.
“Yes, alpha?”
“I wanted to greet you properly, but I figured we shouldn’t linger. Who knows if the neighbors will talk or if someone might see.”
I nod, trying to push aside my omega instincts. Her current vibe would be the equivalent of rolling over and asking for belly rubs.
“Can I greet you properly now?”
“Oh,” I say, bouncing my eyes up to meet his. They’re a comforting hazel, warm and soft. Easy to sink into. “Sure.”
He opens his door and steps around to mine, opening it as well and offering me a hand out. I stand before him, confused, and he looks down at me with a gentle smile on his face.
“Hello, Sage,” he says.
My lips twitch up into a small smile, and I bite my lip to conceal it. “Hi, alpha.”
