I scoff and plop down on the couch, taking all three cushions for myself. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just wanted her stupid scent off me.”
Kip looks up from his magazine. “You always take a shower when you’re pissed.”
“I also take a shower on all the days that end in ‘y.’ What’s your point?”
He flips another page. “You don’t scrub your face raw unless something’s got you upset. What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing.” I cross my arms over my chest and look away. “And my face isn’t raw.”
“Mags, you’re as pink as your hair.”
I stick my tongue out at him and roll over, facing the back of the couch. “I need a nap. I’m exhausted from dealing with that stupid bitch.”
The magazine rustles, then hits the coffee table with a flatsmack.
“Did she say something to you?”
Rather than answering Kip’s question, I pull the woven throw blanket from the back of the couch and cover myself. “Nap. Need.”
More rustling, but this time, it’s fabric. The middle cushion sinks under the weight of Kip’s hip as he perches next to me. “Mags … If she mouthed off, we should tell her parents. They’re the ones footing the bill, and I’m sure they’ll be pissed if she runs off yet another hired pack. We’re the fifth pack she’s been through, you know. I heard some of the housekeepers talking about it. I guess she’s always sweet and light for the alphas, but she butts heads with any betas that are around.” He strokes my wet hair. “Whatever she said, it wasn’t your fault. Talk to me, Mags.”
I toss off the blanket with a groan. “Fine. She’s bitching about the damn nest again. It’s fuckingperfect. Like, flawless. And she still bitches. And she’s got Nik wrapped around her chubby little finger, and Kaden’s got his hands all up in—”
“Whoa!” Kip clamps his hand over my mouth. “Please, no details where my brother is concerned. I don’t need that visual.”
“You thinkIneeded it?”
Kip flashes a lopsided grin. “You’re jealous.”
“I am not.”
“It’s okay to be jealous, Mags.” He goes back to stroking my hair, gently working the tangles out of it. “Threnody’s hogging your friends’ time and attention. It’s perfectly natural to be jealous of something like that.”
“If she had any real friends, I’d fight fire with fire,” I grumble. “Her buddies are all more stuck-up omegas, though. Not a beta or alpha in the lot, or even a male omega. Hey, maybe I should hook up with her nicotine-addicted brother …”
Kip’s hand freezes in my hair. “Dave?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. The other one … Tommy? No, Tim. He’s just a poor, mistreated beta schmuck. I doubt he’d even notice if I was hitting on him.”
“Do you … like Dave?”
I sit up so fast that my forehead collides with Kip’s. “Ow! No! I’m just saying for strategic purposes. Give her a dose of her own medicine.”
There’s a long pause, long enough that I wonder what crawled up Kip’s butt.
“I think I’m due to stand guard for dinner.”
With that, he storms out of the suite, leaving me alone.
Chapter 8
Kaden
Threnody’s got a nice ass, I’ll give her that. I was so caught up massaging it that I didn’t hear Mags leave the nesting room. Then again, the omega is a little loud. When I got close enough to the apex of her thighs, she started moaning as if we were having sex. The moans turned to squeals turned to screams, and before I knew it, she was coming all over me.
Ugh. If this gets back to her parents, our whole grift could collapse.
Luckily, no one witnessed my embarrassment. Threnody shoved a wad of bills in my pocket after she got dressed, and as far as I know, she hasn’t mentioned a word of it to anyone.
