It was hard to explain why, but itreallypissed me off.
Marcus wasn't exactly the type of man to brood in plain sight—or, maybe he was, since most of what he got up to during a day would likely count. But I backed out of his room with a slam of the door anyway, taking the stairs two at a time to the main floor. It was late enough in the day that maybe he'd gotten sick of his room, I was easily more successful than the alpha in the art of moping, and idle hands really were the Devil's instruments in this house.
Thinking I'd find him in the kitchen, I half-skidded in my sock feet over the vintage hardwood and over the transition strip onto the tile, opening my mouth to tell Marcus the hell off when—nothing.
No one.
Just me and my way too heavy for only running down one flight of stairs, breathing in a spotless kitchen. No giant, freshly accidentally mated alpha to be seen.
Frustration gnawed at me, my emotions feeling a bit more my own now that I was able to assess what was mine and what belonged to him.
There was a stack of muffins in the middle of the breakfast nook that warned he'd been there, golden brown and tempting. But I was on a mission, and breakfast could wait until after my alpha explained what the hell was wrong with him to me.
With one floor remaining, I eased open the basement door, the sound of gunshots filtering up the carpeted steps.
Gotcha, I thought victoriously, taking more care as I made my way into the movie room. Partly so I didn't slip in my socked feet to fall to my death, and partly because I didn't want to seem overly eager when I saw him for the first time again.
Hewas my alpha.Iwas his omega. And whether or not he was happy about that wasn't my business. He just needed to boss up and fucking deal with it.
But when I reached the bottom of the steps, it wasn't Marcus tucked into the sectional's plush cushions, illuminated only by the light of the TV. It was Indi. And, for the very first time, I was disappointed to see them.
I glanced at the screen, a horror show of blood, brain matter, and gunfire, making me blink in the low light.
Was that… classic zombies?
"It is," they responded with a grin. "Wanna join me, butterfly?"
Whoops, I said that out loud.
"Pretty tempting," I said, trying to seem at least partially nonchalant. Hard to do with the light sheen of sweat over my skin from all my racing around, but Indi was so distracted with the undead horde that they didn't seem to notice.
Or were polite enough not to mention it.
"What if I offer a cuddle, too?" they asked, cursing as they took heavy damage.
"Well," I said, new guilt taking root as I crossed the room to join my boyfriend on the couch. "How am I supposed to say no to that?"
Oh, I don’t know Joon. Maybe pretty easily since you’ve been holding off bonding them because of your fucking issues, only to do it on a whim with their fucking packmate behind their back.
It didn’t matter that it was an accident. It wouldn’t matter to me at least.
And what was worse, I'd been so focused on Marcus' feelings that until I was pressed into Indigo's side, I hadn't even considered theirs. I cuddled into the alpha on the sofa, letting out a sigh.
Major boyfriend fail.
"Hey, um…" I started, nearly losing my nerve as I watched the alpha's nose twitch. "Do you know where Marcus is?"
"No," they said, arms closing around my waist as they leaned forward a little, as though proximity to the screen would help them evade the zombie's determined teeth. "It's Sunday, so he probably went in early for brunch."
Right,Sunday.
I'd completely spaced what day it was.
"Oh,duh," I said, trying to keep my voice even. Light was unlikely with the way that my stomach sank to my toes.
The undead horde pounded at the flimsy door Indi hid behind, and the irony of their game choice wasn't lost on me, a mindless bite the source of our problems at home, too.
Zombies managed to breach the safehouse, and it wasn't long before Indi was overrun, cursing as they delayed their inevitable bloody death.
