44. Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Three

Shadow

F ifteen minutes spent sitting on the filing cabinet in Lana’s office is enough to drive me slowly mad. She’s right next to me, and she looks so good. She makes sexy little sounds when she breathes in my perfume and reacts to it.

I don’t even think she realizes she’s doing anything, but I feel every little spike of lust that rises inside her with each inhale.

It’s probably a good thing I’m not the type to make the first move.

Otherwise, I might be tempted to lean in and find out if she would kiss me back.

I have a feeling she would, but thankfully that’s not enough to give me the guts to do it.

The timing is off, despite how we’re both feeling, and she’s trying very hard to focus on her work.

So, I try to think about something else.

Unfortunately, her office is the least stimulating environment I’ve ever been in.

I’m all caught up with my podcasts, and I watched so many videos on my phone last night that I have zero desire to scroll around looking for more to hold my attention.

I feel the need to do something, but there’s nothing to do.

Pete is in professional mode, so he’s unlikely to respond well if I try to start an idle conversation.

I can feel his gaze on me, almost like he’s willing me to behave.

It’s not like I’m going to walk over there and try to get him off in front of Lana.

It might be fun, but I know it wouldn’t be appropriate.

At least not yet, and not while Lana’s distracted with serious stuff.

I can’t wait for Owen to get back. Whatever mood he’s in, I can handle.

As soon as we’re alone, he’ll give me what I’m craving.

It’s been so damn long since I had regular intimate attention from my Alphas, and now that we’re all in the same place again, it feels like I’m getting close to a heat, which is kind of weird considering that’s literally never happened to me before.

I waited for it for years, ever since I met Ezra and Owen.

Considering it never happened once we became mates, I assumed it wasn’t on the cards for me. But maybe the circumstances were just never right. We’re only fully together as a pack part of the time, and finding out we have another true mate means we were never complete.

It’s entirely possible that she’s the missing piece of my heat puzzle.

Of course, we’re going to remain an incomplete pack until my Alphas get around to telling Lana she’s meant for us, and I doubt that’s going to be something that happens soon.

This whole thing is going to drive me insane.

And I know I’m not the only one.

Pete has no patience, either and Lana’s definitely having feelings for us.

I don’t think making her wait too long is the smart move.

She might think we’re not interested in the meantime.

I wish Ezra wasn’t so damn careful about everything he does, and I wish Owen wasn’t so stubborn once he makes his mind up about something.

They’re supposed to be in charge, and all they’re doing is making everyone wait.

I get the feeling we’re all going to be in a little pain by the time the wait is over.

I start swinging my feet, careful not to let them hit the cabinet.

My brain feels like it’s about to start melting out of boredom.

“Owen’s here,” Pete announces, a second before the office door opens.

I jump down from the filing cabinet. “Finally!”

Oh, wait, that sounded kind of rude.

Lana looks amused, thankfully, but Pete’s shaking his head at me.

“Uh, I’m not really good at sitting around being quiet or whatever,” I admit.

“Seriously, you can all leave,” Lana suggests. “I have a lot of work to do and honestly, it’s a distraction having you guys in here. No offence.”

“Pete’s staying,” Owen tells her, in that arrogant almost-a-command Alpha tone of his.

Oh, she doesn’t like that tone. I can see it on her face.

She sighs. “I don’t need …”

“Let us worry about what you need,” Owen interrupts. “Do you have a spare skeleton key?”

“Uh … no. I only have mine.”

“Can I have it?” Owen asks.

Hah. He thinks he can walk in here and tell her what to do and she’ll give him whatever he needs. It’s not going to be that easy. She’s not a walkover.

She frowns at him. “What for?”

“I need to check out the building, do a risk assessment.”

“There are places you should avoid,” she starts, sighing softly. “Alphas aren’t supposed to be here unless it’s necessary. There are too many Omegas in the building. This is why we only hire Beta security.”

“I know,” Owen holds out his hand. “You have my word that I’ll be careful. I only intend to walk around the outside of the building, and the common areas. I know the levels with the inhabited rooms are off limits.”

She still doesn’t seem certain, and I can feel her annoyance that he’s being bossy about it.

“I’ll do the assessment, if it’s important that it’s not done by an Alpha,” Pete offers, making Owen glower at him.

It’s not something Pete’s been tasked with while Owen’s around, but when he’s busy it’s the kind of thing that still needs to be done. He’s not completely new at it.

“No,” Owen says, before Lana has a chance to say a word. “It needs to be me.”

“You guys are going to drive me insane,” Lana mutters.

She gets to her feet and takes her keys out of her pocket.

“Erika on reception can give you a map of the building. They’re in her desk drawer. If I hear anything back about you setting foot on the first floor …”

“You won’t,” Owen assures her. “I only need the key so I can open any doors that might be locked on the ground floor areas while I’m walking around. Classrooms, and whatever else. I need to see what this place looks like to know how to protect the people who live here.”

Lana takes a strange looking key off her chain, and hands it over to my Alpha.

“Don’t even think about trying to make a copy of that. I want it back before the end of the day, too, otherwise I’ll be cancelling the contract I signed for your company to be here, and I’ll have my existing guards’ body-search all of you before they walk you out of the academy grounds and you’ll be banned from ever coming back.”

She’s being completely serious.

Protecting the Omegas here means everything to her.

Owen straightens up as he takes the key out of her grasp. “You have my word.”

She doesn’t look impressed. “Don’t make me regret this.”

He nods. “I won’t.”

She moves back to her desk as Owen turns to leave.

It takes me a second to remember I’m going with him.

Pete walks me to the door. “Call me if you get bored.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be otherwise occupied,” I murmur back.

He smiles, knowing exactly what I intend to get up to with Owen. “Have fun.”

I’m sure I will, and that’s enough to put a smile on my face. “You too.”