12. Kellen

Chapter 12

Kellen

S crew that Alastor.

He can eat my shit.

He was smug the whole drive back home and even as we entered the house, I resisted the urge to strangle him.

The Alpha may have won this time, but wait until he sees the nest I am going to build for Ella.

I will make the best goddamn nest any Alpha has ever built.

We just need to find a good spot in the house. In fact, the moment we enter the house, it's the first thing on my mind.

But Brody stops me as I rush up the stairs with bags of blankets.

"Not so fast, Kellen. We can start on Ella's nest tomorrow. There's plenty of time after all."

Alastor watches me with arms crossed as he leans back against the wall, and I meet that green light in his eyes.

I will show him.

"No, Ella will have her nest tonight."

Even if I don't get to be the first alpha to stay inside, I will still ensure that Ella is comfortable and happy in her nest.

I will become the Alpha she deserves. But Brody is adamant. "No, Kellen. Tomorrow. It has been a long day after all. Tonight, we all watch a movie. Ella gets to pick."

She lifts her head. "I do?"

"Of course. It's about you from now on, Ella."

A sweet smile takes over her face, and I make the decision at last to participate in movie night.

Who could resist that face?

We all gather before the TV in the living room, and Brody passes Ella the remote. "Go on, choose…"

She looks a little overwhelmed as she goes through the menu, and there are so many movies, she’s spoiled for choice.

That's when she finds a remake of Cinderella.

She looks at Brody with a knowing smile on her face, and he matches her grin. "Nice pick."

We settle down for the night, letting the opening credits of the movie roll.

I even got the popcorn ready, and I was smug when I placed it in front of Ella.

But then Alastor snatched the bowl from my hand and offered to feed the little Omega instead, and fuck!

Missed my chance.

Now she sits between Alastor and Brody on the couch while I sit alone on the chair.

Theo has gone MIA, and good. Who needs him?

Honestly, Ella looks a little relieved that he’s gone for the night, and I have a feeling Alastor kicked him out.

He’s pack lead now, and I’m not sure who is worse.

The grinning, preening dick, or the dark, brooding asshole with the permanent chip on his shoulder.

Fuck them both.

Unlike Theo, I am determined to be here and spend this time with Ella. But I don't even watch the movie.

My eyes are on her the whole time as Alastor feeds her the popcorn I made, and it hurts. I could feed her popcorn.

Shit. I am losing. I may be ahead of Theo in this race, but Alastor is already ten steps ahead of me.

His gaze catches mine and there's no missing the challenge when he lifts his eyebrow. A low growl rumbles in my chest, and now I drag my nails across the arms of my chair.

"You okay there, Kellen?"

The light of the TV catches Brody's glasses as he peers my way, and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Yes, Omega."

He nods. "That's good to hear. Now quiet. Cinderella is about to enter the ball…”

He’s just as riveted as Ella and Omegas…

They live for these fairy tales.

Brody likes to watch with subtitles since he says it's all a part of the movie experience, even though we watch in English, but the words are beginning to annoy me.

Since I'm dyslexic, I can hardly keep up with the words before they change again anyway, but it's not as if it makes a world of difference.

Ella is far more entertaining than the movie, subtitles or no subtitles.

Still, there must be something I can do. A way I can get in her good books and make up for all the wrong I have caused her.

She liked the comb. Although I could tell she was a little confused, she still understood my gesture.

What's mine is hers now.

My wild hair falls in my face, and I push it behind my ear, getting an idea.

What's mine is hers… And that goes for my hair, too.

I have always been precious about my hair.

These luscious red roots are a show of my Irish parentage. But I am willing to let her touch my fiery locks.

So, I get up off the chair and sit in front of Ella on the floor, crossing my legs.

Brody opens his mouth. "Um… what are you doing?"

I sigh. "I have decided that it is time that someone touched my hair. And… I would love Ella to have the honor…"

Alastor snorts. "What honor? There's no honor in stroking your ginger pubes, Kelly …"

He tosses popcorn at my hair, and I snap my teeth at him.

Just because his hair looks like a rat's nest doesn't mean he has to take it out on me and my luscious locks.

Maybe one day I will let Ella in on my secret and show her my hair care regime.

Brody makes a sound of surprise. "My, Kellen, I’m surprised… Nothing matters to you more than your hair after all…"

I sigh yet again. "I know… but I am prepared to let Ella touch my hair… let her see how soft it is…"

Alastor bursts into a fit of raucous laughter and screw him and his rat's nest.

He's just jealous.

I look at Ella from the corner of my eye. Her fingers spread in and out, kind of like a toddler when she sees something soft and wants to pet it.

She can pet my hair all she likes. What's mine is hers now.

Ella glances at Brody. He smiles, nodding, and she finally reaches toward my head.

I sigh beneath her touch as she runs her fingers through my scalp. She's tentative, but I wouldn't mind if she dug her nails in too.

It would turn me on.

She grabs a fistful of my splendid locks, running them through her fingers, and the movie is all but forgotten now.

Alastor pouts with his bowl of forsaken popcorn, and who's in the lead now?

"So soft…" Ella whispers and a smile curves my lips.

Brody scoops up a handful too. "Damn, Kellen, how do you do it? Most of the Omegas back at the Academy would have killed for hair like this… especially Bridget."

"Yeah, Rapunzel , tell us your secret."

I glare at Alastor. "An Alpha never tells his secrets, but… I will tell my Omegas. And Rapunzel was a blonde, idiot. Ariel, Merida, and Anna are the redheads!"

Alastor raises his palms in defeat, and it seems he knows when he’s beaten.

I beckon Brody and Ella closer, telling them my secret, and Brody nods in approval.

Ella dives back in for another feel.

Alastor looks a little pissed that he never got to be privy to my hair care secrets.

As I said, only my Omegas will get the honor.

"I wish my hair was as soft as this…" Ella sighs, running her fingers through my hair again.

I think back to the day she first arrived. Her hair had been matted and in deep need of nourishment.

She had still been beautiful all the same, matted knots or not, and I hope she understands that she does have beautiful hair.

Every part of her is perfect.

Yet I can't quite find the words to convey all that to her.

So, I continue to let her stroke my hair, and before long, she and Brody start braiding my locks and even adding flowers, and now I really do feel like Rapunzel.

That's a good thing. Alastor really is just jealous.

The movie finally ends, and Brody rises and stretches his limbs. "Well, that was fun, but it's getting late."

It's barely past nine. But I understand especially when he looks at Ella with those suggestive eyes.

They want to be alone.

Biting her lip, she takes Brody's hand and lets him lead her up the stairs, and now Alastor and I have finally been forgotten.

Now we only have each other.

The front door opens next, and Theo steps into the living room, nursing cuts on his knuckles, and it looks like he got into a fistfight with a thorn bush.

His onyx eyes widen when they get their fill of me. "What’s with the braids?"

I puff out my chest. He better eat his heart out. Ella made these braids, and I wear them with honor now as I exit the room and disappear upstairs to my room.

I will never undo these braids again.

Because they were made by Ella's sweet hands.