27. Benjamin

I'm pacing my bedroom, my hands running through my hair, tugging in frustration. Zara's confession has me wound up tight, but not because I fear for my daughter's safety or Zara's, for that matter. It's because of my slip-up.

Fuck.

Fuck. What a fucking idiot thing to say.

I can still smell Zara's mild fear over telling me about her ex calling mingled with her natural scent, even after she left. It is confusing me in ways that I don't want to be confused.

I'm about to start another lap of my room when there's a firm knock at the door. "Come in," I grunt, trying not to sound as aggressive as I feel. It's not Zara, her knock is softer than that.

The door cracks open, and Liam pokes his head through, looking like he might be walking into a lion's den—which isn't far from the truth at the moment.

"Everything alright?" He steps into the room but keeps a safe distance.

I stop pacing and stare at him with a deep sigh. "Zara just told me about that fucking ex of hers who rang yesterday."

Liam's face hardens. "Yeah, he sounds like a real asshole."

"Exactly," I say flatly.

"Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because she didn't tell you?"

"Why would she have had to tell me? Her past is none of my business unless it becomes part of her present. It did, and she told me. Nothing else to be said."

Liam gives me an impressed nod. "Okay, you're taking it better than I thought you would."

"Look, after the morning I've had already, this was nothing."

"Yeah, about that… you okay?"

My shoulders slump, and I sit heavily on the bed. "Without her scent here, the mating is rapidly unravelling. It's getting worse. The pain, the longing, the need."

"Yeah, I figured it would get worse before it got better, but it will get better."

"I know, but when?" I flop back to the bed, hands over my face.

"Can't answer that, I'm afraid."

Liam crosses the room and sits at the edge of the bed. "You've got to stay strong, mate. For Mia."

"Yeah, I know. It's just a fucking mess in my head right now."

He chuckles. "We're all a mess sometimes. But you're one of the strongest alphas I know. You and Henry. You're both solid."

I sit up, resting my elbows on my knees. "Being strong doesn't mean shit if you can't protect the ones you love."

"And you will. You are," he insists.

There's a pause, and then Liam's expression shifts to something more hesitant, almost sheepish. "Mind if I ask you something personal?"

A laugh bursts out of me despite myself. "Would it stop you if I said yes?"

He snorts. "Nope. Do you have feelings for Zara?"

Sitting up, I glare at him. "What? No, of course not."

"You growled at her after she purred at you."

"So what? It was a fraught day. Emotions were high."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes," I growl. "Where are you going with this?"

He shrugs. "I like her."

He blinks.

I blink back.

"As in romantically?" I croak, not enjoying the feeling one bit that he has the hots for my nanny.

"Yeah. She's gorgeous, sweet, kind, funny, so freakin' cute, and she is so good with Mia and you."

"Wow, okay," I murmur, trying to process that. I find myself shifting on the bed, discomfort spreading through my chest. Why do I feel like I'm being sucker punched? It's not like I have a claim on Zara. She's free to date whoever she wants, including Liam.

But fuck. The thought of her with someone pisses me off more than I want to admit.

"You're not gonna go all alpha on me and forbid it, are you?" Liam asks, watching me closely.

"No," I say quickly, almost too quickly. "No, of course not. You're both adults."

"Good," he nods, relief evident in his eyes. "Because I asked her out."

My gut twists unpleasantly. "And?"

"She said yes."

I force a smile because that's what you do for your mates, right? You smile and nod and give them a pat on the back, even if inside, you're clawing at walls and snarling like a bloody idiot.

"Great," I manage to say. "That's... great. But don't fuck it up, please, Liam. She is so good with Mia; I can't lose her." My desperation seeps out, and he frowns.

"You sure it's just Mia you want her for?"

"Don't," I grunt, standing up and pointing at him. "Don't."

He holds his hands up. "Look, all I'm saying is if you figure out that growl meant more than you're letting on, I'm not stepping back. There's room for more than one alpha, if Zara wants that, of course."

"Are you fucking joking right now?"

He looks at me seriously, shaking his head. "No joke. You know, as well as I do, that sometimes things get complicated."

I let out a frustrated huff, pacing back and forth again. "Yeah, but this is Zara we're talking about. My nanny."

"So you're worried about it being a cliché?"

"What? Fuck off, will you?"

"Your words say one thing, but your face is giving off a whole other vibe, mate," he prods.

"No! I mean—fuck." I stop pacing and face him, realising that he's seen right through me. "She purred at me first. It was a shocked reaction. Nothing more."

"But now you're jealous," Liam says.

I want to hurl him out of the window like I did that tube of hand cream yesterday. What is he doing to me?

But deep down, lurking where it doesn't have a right to be, there's no point denying it; the tightness in my chest confirms it.

Liam stands up, laying a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Look, you don't need to do or say anything else. Your actions speak louder right now. She is under our skin and we both know it. Are you ready for it? No, probably not. Is that going to stop you? Yeah, probably. You're Ben Scott, brooder of the century. Will I still date her? Fuck, yeah. Will I be open to you also dating her if you decide that's in your best interest? More than open. Just let that simmer for a while. No one is going anywhere, yeah?"

"I don't want it to be weird," I reply.

"Why would it be weird?"

I shrug half-heartedly.

"Thinking, not acting right now."

"I'm sick of thinking," I admit with a grimace.

"So, you want to act?"

"Fuck off and let me have a shower. I already owe Alan for bolting out yesterday. I can't be late today."

"Good point. Shower and move your ass."

My mind races as Liam leaves the room. The possibility of Zara being with someone else, with Liam, has lit a fire under me—a fire I didn't even know was there until now. It's not just jealousy; it's a realisation that maybe there's something more I feel for her than just her being the nanny.

Maybe.