“Yeah,” Arbor replies as he pours himself a small glass of wine, and then River chuckles, takes the bottle from him, and fills it to the brim.
“No need to be shy, dude. It’s cool. I wish I had something interesting like that about me. But I don’t. Sadly.”
Arbor glances at River. “You don’t need it, though. You’re very handsome.”
River perks up at that, and I growl slightly at his comment. I don’t need Arbor thinking my brothers are handsome.
I just want him to think I am.
“You think so? I mean, hypothetically speaking, as an omega, would you want a guy without a knot?”
Arbor chokes slightly and then clears his throat. “I’ve never heard of that. Is that a thing?”
River blushes. “Dunno. Just something I heard once and was curious what an omega thought.”
“Well,”—Arbor’s eyes flash to mine before moving back to River—“I mean, I think if you loved someone, and they loved you, it wouldn’t matter.”
River nods his head and then laughs, a strained, awkward sound. “Well, guess that makes sense. I’m gonna have another beer.”
“You have wine,” I say, but River just rolls his eyes.
“It’s called double fisting, dude.” He cracks open a can and takes a long sip of the beer, and then glugs down the wine. “And I really need it.” He burps. “Been a hellish week at work.”
“Where do you work?” Arbor asks, genuinely curious.
“A start-up IT company. Kinda boring, but it pays the bills. Pays pretty well, actually.”
“Interesting.”
“Kind of, but tell me about your eyes. How did that happen?”
“Leave him alone,” I grunt, trying to get River away from Arbor, but Arbor doesn’t seem bothered by my brother’s questions. Thankfully, it’s just River. Forest is content to just watch it all play out.
“I’m part fae.”
River gasps, and Forest leans toward Arbor and raises an eyebrow. “That so? Thought they were too potent for wolves.”
“Not all, just some. And a lot of that is a rumor, started by our elders. The fae don’t like wolves much.”
“And yet, here you are.”
“You’re not wolves. Not anymore, at least.”
“Still have the best parts,” Forest says, and Arbor blushes.
“Leave him alone. For real this time. Let him drink in peace.”
Arbor shoots me a look as the door opens, and Vick peeks his head in.
“Yo, the food ready?”
“It’s coming,” I grumble, and Arbor rolls his lips between his teeth.
“Should I offer them some wine?”
“Fuck no. They ate some of the cheese and the jam you sent me. They can have water.”
“It was good fucking cheese. We’re gonna head over to Blessed Butter one day and have a look around,” Vick chimes in.
