Track 6 Can I Be Him?

I have to admit Liam and Rafe were right. Sorrel Forbes is really fucking pretty. Even with tears streaming from her aqua eyes and bruises forming on her neck, she's stunning. But I can hardly register that because she has fucking bruises forming on her tan skin, and she's clutching her hand to her chest like it's a delicate baby bird a second away from shattering. She's obviously hurt, but she scrambles to her feet, awkwardly bringing the first aid kit with her.

"I'm fine." She forces a laugh, flicking her gaze over to the alpha standing next to her, bristling like an overprotective asshole. Not that I'm much better. I'm feeling pretty damn overprotective, and I don't even know the girl.

He inches closer to her and I don't miss how she moves away, her shoulders curling in like she's trying to make herself small, escape his notice.

I look at her neck again and I know he put those bruises on her and she didn't want him to.

It takes everything in me to stay where I am on this side of the counter, to not leap over the beat up wood slab and pound my fist into this asshole's fucking face, to leave him with more bruises than he's left her with. It's an overreaction for someone I don't know. I walked in here blind and I need to suss out the situation before doing anything.

Doesn't mean I'm going to let him hurt her again, though.

"Who the hell are you?" The guy asks in a snotty voice that I know means he's the big man in this tiny little lakeside town.

Sorrel looks at him with wide eyes, like she thinks he's crazy for not recognizing me. "This is Grayson Cordova ," she says, flinging the hand that she had been cradling against her chest in my direction. I catch it before she can pull it back, using it to tug her closer and ignoring the warning growl from the alpha standing next to her.

"Of the Cordova pack," I say smoothly, uncurling her hand gently and examining the bright red flesh on the pads of her fingers.

"Should I know who that is?" douchebag asks, reaching to yank her away from me, but it only takes one low warning grumble and a shitton of my pheromones in the air to stop him in his tracks. Yeah, asshole, you might be an alpha, but I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you. Back the fuck up.

Almost like he could hear my thoughts, he stumbles back a step. Sorrel is watching all of this with those wide aqua eyes, before she gently tries to remove her hand from my grip and explains, "Liam Cordova's pack leader."

"That pretty boy omega actor?"

Okay, yeah, I'm definitely going to kick this guy's ass before I leave here, but for now I carefully uncap the burn cream and dab it on the tips of Sorrel's fingers. She stops trying to pull away from me and glares at the guy whose name I haven't gotten. Not that I care. "Jesus, Stephen, could you be more of an asshole?"

I chuckle at his scowl grows. "Careful, Sorrel. You know I own you."

I glance up in time to see her gaze drop, her shoulders slumping again. My alpha really doesn't like that. At all. I lift her hand toward my face and bend just slightly to blow over her fingers, helping the gel to dry, before I look at Stephen. "What's your name?"

He straightens, puffs out his chest like he thinks his pack name will impress me. It really, really will not be. Even if I have heard of his pack—which I highly doubt—everything about him tells me he's from a crappy pack.

"Stephen Stillwell." I arch a brow and search my brain for any information about them. It's vaguely familiar but I can't place it. That's enough to tell me he's insignificant, and there will be no repercussions if I beat this asshole down.

I flash him a wolfish smile, still holding the pretty beta's hand. "Well, Stephen Stillwell, I think it's time for you to go. Whatever business you have with Sorrel is over. If you ever set foot in this establishment again, I will tear your entire fucking world apart. Do I make myself clear?"

Silence for one blissful moment, and I think maybe he got the message, but then he lunges forward. Fingers gripping the front of my shirt. Sorrel lets out a gasp and stumbles away, further down the counter. I lose my grip on her, which I find I really hate. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Stephen shouts in my face, shaking me like that will hurt me. "You can't just come in here-"

He cuts off when Sorrel barrels into him, shoving him with all her might. He wasn't expecting it, and neither was I, so he actually moves, releasing his hold and falling into the griddle. There's a sizzle when his hand touches the hot metal and he hisses in pain. Good. Fucker deserves it.

"Shut up, Stephen!" She shouts, hands fisted at her sides, trembling from head to toe, but still standing her ground. "You can't come into my restaurant and threaten my customers! Get the hell out of here!"

I'm impressed honestly at how determined she sounds, how fierce. When I'd walked in, she'd been a frightened little rabbit, but now she's gone all mama bear on him. Apparently, she can be strong to protect other people, just not herself.

I'm oddly flattered that she would do this for me. Not that I need her protection. If she hadn't intervened, I would have dragged that asshole over her counter and outside to really make sure my warning stuck.

But as it is, Stephen stares at her, his mouth hanging open. His alpharomones drown out the smell of hot oil and burgers, stinging my nose with burned tea tree oil. My eyes water, and I blink to remove the moisture. In the time it takes for that to happen, Stephen lunges toward her, a snarl on his lips. "You fucking-"

The sound of a gun cocking brings him up short, skidding to a stop just inches from Sorrel. Cool winter pine floods the space. I immediately relax. Knowing Stephen isn't going anywhere, not while Rafe has a gun trained on him, I turn my attention to the terrified beta. "Sweet thing, come here."

Sorrel twists her head to look at me but stalls out on the gun just inches from Stephen's face. Her pretty aqua eyes widen and a whine pulls from her. It's almost omega in sound and it has my alpha instincts revving up into overdrive. I need her on this side of the counter with me, where I can make sure she's okay.

"Sorrel, sweet thing, look at me." Her eyes flick to me, to the gun, up to Rafe and then back to the gun. "Don't worry about Rafe. You know he won't hurt you, right?" She gives a jerky nod. "Good. He's just going to keep Stephen from doing anything stupid while you come over here to me."

Still she hesitates, but this time her gaze goes to the food on the counter, growing cold. "I have to keep working," she mutters. "They're waiting for their food."

"And they can keep waiting. I'll pay for their meal for the inconvenience. Please," I hold out my hand to her. "Come here."

She glances at Stephen, then the food, then Rafe and finally back at me, before she rounds the counter and slips her hand in mine, letting me pull her closer. "Good girl," I murmur, sliding my hand onto her lower back. She flinches in pain. My hand drops immediately, but I don't let her go anywhere, hooking a finger in the belt loop of her shorts. "Show me," I demand.

She shakes her head, sending a waft of lavender and clean laundry into the air. "No, it's fine. I'm fine."

Rafe narrows his gaze on her face. "Show us, Sorrel. Now ."

She shivers as the alpha command slips over her and she turns to present us with her back, tugging her white Snack Shack t-shirt out of the waistband of her cutoff jean shorts. "It's really not that bad."

Only it is that bad. Worse than her fingers, an angry red burn, already blistering across the span of her lower back. I reach for the burn cream at the same time Rafe snarls. His fist snaps out, colliding with the asshole's nose. Blood spurts from it and Sorrel shrieks in horror, lunging toward the two of them.

"Outside!" she shouts. "Get him outside before he gets blood everywhere!"

Rafe obeys her command, hauling the other alpha through the swinging door as easily as if he were a child and not a grown man. Sorrel grabs a wad of napkins and follows them, and I follow her, the burn cream still in my hand.

When I push through the door, I see countless curious eyes on the scene. Sorrel's customers watching with raised eyebrows as Rafe hauls the other alpha across the wood deck and up to the parking lot. A teenage girl wearing a shirt that matches Sorrel's and carrying a gray plastic tub catches my eye, though she's staring after my beta and pack member.

I wave my hand to get her attention and she snaps to me, her cheeks going bright pink and her back straightens. She knows who I am. I can tell just by the way she's looking at me, which means pretty soon, everyone will know that the Cordova pack is in Lake Kilrose.

We need to get this wrapped up as soon as we can. The last thing we need is a video of Rafe beating the shit out of some random alpha posted on the internet. It won't be impossible to talk our way out of, but I'd rather not have the hassle.

I curl a finger at the teenager and she hurries over to me, before drawing up short and bobbing her head in a half bow, like I'm royalty.

"You work here?"

"Y-Yeah. Yes. I work here," she mumbles, keeping her eyes off my face.

I smile to put her at ease, but I don't think it works. She continues to stare at my shoes as I say, briskly, "Great. Sorrel's going to take a break really quick. Can you finish the order she was working on and man the cash register?"

She flashes her brown eyes up to me with a quick smile. "Yep. I can do that." Then she scurries away from me mumbling, "Grayson flipping Cordova. In Lake Kilrose!"

Yeah, we need to get this wrapped up asap. Hopefully, before Liam sees that his beta has been hurt, because there will be no keeping him from reacting negatively and loudly. And probably publicly.

While I'd support him all the way, I really don't want to deal with the fallout from that kind of scene.

As the screen door on the restaurant swings shut, I take the stairs to the parking lot two at a time and find Stephen Stillwell with a wad of bloody napkins pressed to his face. He's growling at Rafe, Liam and Sorrel, who's tucked behind the two men.

"I don't give a shit who you are!" Stephen growls. "You don't get to come up here and throw your fucking weight around."

Sorrel shakes her head and sighs. "That's not what they're doing, Stephen. You were way out of line today. Don't worry, I'll still… You're still getting what's coming to you."

"What I'm fucking owed , Sorrel," he all but roars at her.

My girl's chin dips down to her chest, looking weary and defeated, all the fight draining out of her. "Right," she concedes. "What you're owed."

He glares at her through the small gap between Liam and Rafe and then growls and stalks away from the group, just as I join them.

We watch as he climbs into a giant pickup and speeds away; the engine roaring his displeasure, but I don't give a fuck. He's never getting within spitting distance of this woman again.

Liam's shoulders slump as he spins toward Sorrel, tugging her into his body as a soft purr pulls from his chest. His chin slides onto the top of her head, then his cheek. It makes the lingering rage in my heart melt enough for me to focus. It seems to have the same effect on Rafe, because he relaxes as well, turning to run a hand down the back of Sorrel's head.

Our girl pulls back enough to smile up at him, shakily, even as she still looks a little pale and drawn. The last few minutes have taken their toll on her.

"Don't crowd the girl," I demand.

Sorrel's nose wrinkles adorably. "What's with the face?" I ask, pointing at said face. Such a pretty one, too.

She shakes her head. "It's nothing. I just never realized how much I would dislike being called ‘the girl' like I'm a penniless commoner in a Jane Austen novel brought before the elderly duchess aunt of the pack that's courting me."

Liam chuckles and leans in to press a kiss to her temple. She lets him. I don't know if it's because she knows him better than me, or if it's his omega magic working on her. Either way, I'm grateful she's allowing one of us to comfort her.

"Do you want to tell us what that was about?" I ask, folding my arms over my chest.

She sighs and shakes her head, not meeting my eyes, and I hate it. I don't know if it's embarrassment or fear that keeps her gaze on the tips of her worn converse, but I don't like either of those emotions coming from a member of my pack. Shit. It's too early to think of her like that, isn't it? It is. Yes. I've exchanged all of three minutes of conversation with her.

"Not really, no," she answers honestly. But then continues like she knows I won't just let it go. "The Stillwell pack is a bunch of bullies. They're the wealthiest and strongest pack in Lake Kilrose, so they're used to getting what they want. And it… shows." She shrugs, looking up at me with a small smile. "But it's not anything for you to worry about." Then she sticks out her hand. "Hi, I'm Sorrel."

Half my mouth ticks up in a smirk and an enfold her hand in mine, noting the callouses on her fingers. This girl works for a living. "Hello, Sorrel. I'm Gray."

Liam nuzzles into her neck, inhaling deeply. "Missed you, lovely."

"I missed you too," she says, eyes drifting closed. "Which is ridiculous ‘cause it's only been a couple of days."

"Not ridiculous, conejita ," Rafe chides, pressing into her side. I feel a jab of jealousy, one that has my best friend's eyes rising to meet mine, a smug fucking smirk on his lips, because I know he feels it through the bond. Holding my gaze, he tilts his head and presses a kiss to the corner of her jaw, sliding up to caress her lips with his. It's not a proper kiss, but it's close enough. And Sorrel seems pretty damn hazy when he pulls away.

Fuck. I want my mouth on her, my tongue tasting her skin, my cum splashed on her pretty high cheekbones and dripping off those thick lashes.

I blink at the decidedly smutty turn of my thoughts and shift back on my heels to keep from pulling this virtual stranger into my body and devouring her.

None of us know her. We don't know her intentions or her history. We're waiting on a background check, though Rafe only asked for the most basic one. Until we get the results, at least one of us has to keep our heads, stay cautious.

As the prime, it's gonna be me. Liam is already halfway in love with her, and Rafe is ready to give our omega whatever he wants.

Because if I've learned one thing in my life, it's that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Liam and Rafe are the only exceptions to the rule.

It's a harsh but true sentiment when you're one of the most famous packs in the world. People always want something from us. Without fail.

I'm sure Sorrel does too, but whether she wants us for us, or us for our fame and fortune, is yet to be determined.

But we will determine it.

Because I don't think I've ever wanted a woman like I want this one.

Please let her be genuine. Please let her be… good.

She shifts until she can see all three of us and tilts her head, making strands of her wavy dark hair slip over her shoulder, just a few of the tendrils that have fallen out of her bun while she worked, when Stephen fucking Stillwell attacked her.

"What are you doing here?" She asks Rafe and Liam more than me.

But I answer anyway, because I want her attention on me. Greedy alpha that I am. "Liam hasn't stopped talking about you since he came home. I'm a little surprised he didn't answer every interview question with OM with only answers about you."

I watch her closely for signs that she would have liked that. If she wants him to be spreading her name out there. But she just ducks her head and shakes it. "Oh god, please don't. The last thing I want is to have thousands, if not millions, of strangers knowing my name."

It's the exact right answer, but I don't know if it's genuine or not.

"I think you might have to get used to the idea," Liam says cheekily. "It's only a matter of time before it gets out."

Sorrel frowns and tilts her head. "Why's that?"

He grins, that disarming smile that puts everyone at ease and charms them beyond compare. "We plan on spending a lot of time with you, lovely. Eventually, someone is bound to notice."

Our pretty little beta's mouth drops open. She looks like she's doing some kind of complicated math in her head and then shakes it before asking slowly. "But why would you do that?"

Liam laughs, and Rafe lets out a low dirty chuckle. "Have you seen yourself, conejita ?"

The furrow between her brows disappears and her pained expression melts, a flicker of hurt crossing her features before it's gone too, and she gives us a smile. A fake one if I've ever seen it. "So it's a sex thing?"

"Oh, fuck yes. It's a sex thing," Liam says. And I know my omega well enough to know that he wants to say more, that it's not only a sex thing, but Sorrel nods once decisively, that smile still in place on her pink lips.

"Okay, so you want to fuck and get it out of your system. Got it."

"What!" Liam says at the same time as a much lower, much grumblier voice growls the same word from behind me. There's no missing the aggression in the tone, the rage. The tinge in the air, making the wood smoke and vanilla whiskey scent that belongs to the stranger bitter, until it's burning the back of my tongue.

My alpha immediately goes on alert, rearing up to protect my pack, protect what's mine.

But then Sorrel lets out a choked sound, half surprised gasp, half choked cry. Her trembling hand flies up to press against her lips and tears fill her wide eyes as she regards the stranger. I do too, sliding part way in front of her at the same time that Rafe does.

Big. Blond. Buff.

Obviously ex-military. Or current military. Buzzed golden hair, tan skin, a half sleeve of tattoos on his forearm of a lake scene, complete with a little Snack Shack on the water and trees surrounding it. He's clean shaven and looks like he's about ready to kill someone with his bare hands. But his dark blue eyes are focused on Sorrel.

My little beta, Sorrel, who wouldn't stand a chance against someone like him if he were going to attack her, to hurt her.

My alpha lets out a warning growl that he ignores, taking a step forward.

Rafe bristles next to me and I know we're about a wrong breath away from a full on brawl. But then Sorrel moves between the two of us. Her hand drops from her mouth and she places it gently on my back, calming me with that soft touch before she does the same thing to Rafe.

The other alpha tracks the movement, his lip pulling back in a snarl, but it melts as Sorrel's sweet voice cracks over one word. "Gage?"