16. Shane

Chapter sixteen

Shane

I feel high on their scents, pulled in a million directions, but when Bray slips outside, I follow purely out of habit. My head is full of explicit images, and my body and mind’s demands that I pull Locke to the ground and make him come until he screams my name, or bite him, are getting hard to control.

Bray is a question mark in my life. A very attractive, addictive question mark, but fighting with him is familiar and safe.

The fresh air only dulls the desires a little, but as soon as I catch that minty scent, I’m following it unerringly. Where is he going? Why? How dare he leave?

I catch sight of him leaning against a tree. I don’t make a sound, I just stand and watch him from the shadows. There is something heartbreaking about Brayson. He’s always smiling, always charming until he’s alone in the dark, and his mask slips. Until you see the lonely alpha. He wears his leather jacket like a shield. His carefree arrogance is a sword. But here, when he’s raw, his hands in his pockets, his hair a mess, this is when he’s the most deadly. This is where he can hurt me.

“What do you want, Shane?”

I don’t know how he knows that I’m here. It doesn’t really matter. It’s just another reminder that he sees me when no one else does. I want to ask him a million things, but talking always ruins things between us, so I stay silent.

Bray whips around and stalks towards me. “What is this? This thing between us, what is it? What was today?”

It’s a good question. One I don’t really have an answer to. I don’t know how I ended up there; I don’t know what possessed me.

“It’s one night, over several nights. An illusion. A reprieve before we go back to what we had before.” The words slip out of me, hungry and deep, an offer I didn’t even know I was going to make.

His face spasms before going into the same familiar mask that I used to know. He’s not happy.

“Sure, Shane. We’ll go back to the way it was before.”

My mouth waters as I stare at him. The words he says barely register. I can’t stop looking at him. I don’t allow myself to stare at him like this. Oh. He’s angry with me, he’s always mad at me, though, and I low-key love it. The way his words get snappy, his expression turns into this mask that I want to fuck off his face. His hands clench and muscles tense.

“You’re not going to fight, are you, because that omega needs us?” Finn snarls as he steps into my view, glaring from one of us to the other.

“We’re not fighting,” I point out absently, too busy dragging my eyes over him to really think about what I’m saying.

But thoughts of Locke have my whole body reacting. Those thoughts lead to the immaculately oblivious beta, and then to Erin, the edge of violent sexual need retreats, leaving me able to breathe.

Bray doesn’t answer Finn, but he’s always had a lot more tolerance towards Finn’s nagging than I have. Or is it? I’ve often wondered if perhaps Finn’s words hit Bray deeper and that’s why he appears so immune.

“Bray, you need to behave-”

“Don’t you dare tell me to behave, Finn. In case you missed it, I’m an actual adult alpha, all grown up and everything,” Brayson spits the words with more venom than he usually would. Am I having an effect on him?

Finn scowls. “I just don’t want you two fighting around-”

Bray shoulder-checks Finn. “You know what you should do, Finn? Climb down from that throne of morality and perfect behaviour once in a while. Stop trying to live up to the reputations of your family and, oh, I don’t know, stay the fuck out of my life.”

“My family's reputations are everything,” Finn says coldly. “This town doesn’t deserve-”

“This town is as corrupt and bitchy as everywhere else. These people you think are saintly are just people. Stop trying to impress them.”

Finn shakes his head. “I pity you.”

“Yeah, you keep wasting your time doing that. But the truth is, Finn, you’re the one living someone else’s life and dictating like you’re the only person who can lead us to our best lives. New flash: your life is as fucked up as mine. You’re a puppet, and I’m alone. We’re the same.”

“Bray-” I cut in, but his eyes snap to me and burn there.

“It’s a few days, right? We can stomach being around each other for just a few days. For the omega. Then we go right back to being what we are, acquaintances who simply inhabit the same town. Hell, I’ll do you one better, the day that omega leaves, I’ll get on my bike and fuck off, too. How’s that? That will make you happy, right?”

I hesitate. While his proposal is everything I should want, it leaves a nasty taste on my tongue. I don’t want him to leave.

“Deal,” Finn says crisply. He turns on his heel and leaves us there.

Bray waits for me. There’s something in his face, something I almost understand. If my head was clearer, I’m sure I’d recognise the emotion.

“Deal,” I say slowly.

The something disappears, and as soon as it’s gone, I want it back, but it’s too late, and I don’t know how to recall it.

I stand outside in the dark alone for a long time before the word comes to me.

It’s hope.

Nothing happens that night. I wonder if it’s because of the undercurrents of the argument we had, but Locke and Erin seem to instinctively sense the tension and separate us. I end up with Erin and Finn while Brayson and Locke disappear outside, leaving us alone in the cabin.

They talk about everything. I sit quietly and watch them. Normally, I feel like a voyeur looking in on these situations, but this time, it’s more like I’m sitting with them, like I’m part of this conversation. It’s strange.

After an hour, Bray and Locke return, and my gaze keeps drifting towards them. Even Erin’s sexy teasing can’t keep my attention for long. I need to understand what I’ve done wrong. Why has Bray turned cold?

But then I find my gaze drawn back to Finn and Erin. Finn is the odd man out in this relationship, and I can’t understand why. I feel attracted to him, but there’s a hesitance, a caution that stops me from acting on it.

Finn is the golden line of this town. Oh, I’ve wanted him in the past. I want him now. Why did I always hold back?

He’s everyone’s perfect son, and I’m not part of this town. Finn is…well, he’s untouchable.

I want to break him. All the dirty things I want to do to this beta terrify me some days. He would never, ever allow it.

Now, that’s an interesting thought. I settle back in the chairs that have since been delivered and consider the implications of that. Finn on his knees begging, unhinged, messy, full of all the emotion he bottles up so well.

Bray fucking him hard while Erin holds his face to her cunt and commands him to eat her. I shift, trying to cut these thoughts off, but they play until I can almost taste them.

I look at Finn with his perfect hair and his stunning smile. He always knows the right things to say, always knows how to act in every situation. The only time I ever see him ruffled is when he has to deal with Bray.

Which has me glancing towards Bray and remembering what happened outside. We, Finn and I, upset Bray, and I’m not sure what we did. He’s not even looking at me.

I let out a low growl.

Erin laughs at me and sits down on my lap. “I’m guessing romancing the alpha isn’t coming along so well?”

“I don’t understand what I did to upset him,” I finally admit.

“So, tell me, I’ll translate.”

I walk her through everything that happened outside. She gets quiet, and I tighten the arm I have around her waist.

“Is that what’s going to happen? We’ll leave you three here, and you’ll just go back to pretending you all don’t exist?” Erin sounds so sad.

Hell, I’m sad just thinking about it.

“Yes. It’s the only logical course of action,” I say, and there is more than a twinge of regret.

“Okay.”

I wait, but she doesn’t say anything. At all. I stare at her carefully blank expression, the way those brown eyes seem to hold all the answers I need in my life, and it bubbles up and out of me before I can stop it.

“What does that mean?” I snap at last.

“If I lived here in this town with you and Bray and Finn. And we had one week of sex, amazing, glorious sex, and then it all just ended. I think I might be a bit sad.”

“Sad?”

“Well, hurt, devastated. I’d be pissed, to be frank. Hell, I wouldn’t want to be a booty call with you three. I’d want more.” Erin glances at me with a lazy, confident grin. Her eyes twinkle, streaks of honey in the chocolate. How is she this beautiful?

My gaze drifts to Bray. He’s thrown his head back and is laughing at something Locke is saying. They look so incredible together. Locke with his golden colouring and smaller body leaning into Bray. I don’t see that carefree expression on Bray’s face. Ever.

More? Is it possible? No, she’s got to be wrong. I glance over at Bray, and the way he pulls Locke between his legs, one hand placed possessively on Locke’s hip. I imagine our lives, Locke between us. Would he look at me that way, too? Would Locke be able to make me smile like that? Could we be happy forever?

Have I been wrong all this time?

That thought weighs on me like a mountain on my shoulders.

But this thing between us isn’t…it wouldn’t work without Erin, Locke, and Finn. We’re a jigsaw that doesn’t fit.

It worked today.

I can suddenly feel him in my mouth, deep in my throat. What if Erin is right? What if he doesn’t want things to end? Do I? I hadn’t even thought about it. I just assumed that it would end.

Have I been wrong? The question is louder now.

Erin wriggles in my lap, drawing my attention back to her. She tilts her head back on my shoulder, giving me a view of her cleavage that has that heat rising inside me again.

“Erin,” I growl.

“Mmm?”

“Tell me what happens during a heat.”

Erin stills. “We fuck, copiously.”

“That simple? What if I hurt-”

“You won’t,” she says sharply.

“You won’t, Shane,” Finn says confidently like he knows it. And maybe he does. “We’re friends. If it helps, I’ll keep them safe.”

But will that keep you safe, I wonder. The beta could be overpowered by an ill-timed alpha bark.

Erin twists her head towards me and slaps a kiss to my cheek. “You’re a big, giant stress head. It’s cute.”

I snort, torn between offense and amusement.

Have I been wrong?

We’ve been here for hours now, but Erin pushes to her feet and glances at Locke. They communicate something with their eyes, and she shrugs.

“Not tonight,” Locke says. He grabs Bray and pulls him up. “Time for you all to go home. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?” Bray asks and grips Locke’s hips, dragging him back to him.

“Tomorrow, we’ve got this amazing day planned of town culture. The jams, baked goods, cakes, breads, knitted things, and all that goodness is being assessed and Finnoghal is sitting on the judging table. We have to cheer him on.”

“Please, don’t call me Finnoghal,” Finn groans.

“Sounds boring. How about we just come in late?” Bray purrs. I’m not sure how Locke resists that teasing suggestion. Hell, I’m not sure how I resist it.

Erin laughs. “You two need to leave as well.”

Finn leans down and kisses Erin. She clings to his head, standing up with him, when he steps back.

“I have to go,” Finn whispers.

“Yeah, I know, just one more taste.”

I find Erin’s desire to kiss Finn hot. Really hot. She wiggles against him, getting closer, threading her arms around his neck while I get to my feet.

I stalk towards Locke and Bray. My eyes flickering from one to the other.

“I’m out of here,” I whisper in Locke’s ear and kiss his neck. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Locke moans. He turns to me, and I get a better look at him. His skin is glowing, his scent is so powerful now, the omega designation breaking through so easily, I don’t know how we missed it.

The heat hits me with a punch, but I hold it back as I take his mouth with mine, kissing him, drinking that scent in. He’s so alien from anything I’ve ever seen before, but he’s mine. I feel that on a cellular level.

I lean back, breaking the kiss, drawing in oxygen to clear my head.

“Tomorrow,” I say to Locke.

My eyes flick to Bray, who stands up and looks lost.

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Locke says simply.

I turn on my heel, opting for silence with Bray so I don’t say anything else to fuck it up. I seize Erin and kiss her. The lemon scent of Finn is on her lips, and I lick it off.

Our kiss goes on long enough that when I pull away, I just get a glimpse of Bray vanishing.

Erin slaps my butt. “Go get him, tiger.”

I cast a glare in her direction and then rush outside after Bray. He’s halfway to his car when I catch him.

“Hey,” I say softly.

He glances down at my hand on his arm and turns towards me, spinning me and advancing until I end up pressed against his car.

“You want a one heat fuck?” Bray snarls.

Oh, Erin was right.

I cautiously nod my head. “Isn’t that what you want?”

Bray snarls and shoves me hard in the chest. I gasp in pain when he seizes my beard and pulls my head down to his and smashes our lips together.

The kiss turns soft as soon as we touch, and his hold gentles. It must only be for a few seconds, but it feels like forever.

What if I’ve been wrong all this time? My voice screams when he pulls back. Could he have wanted me all this time?

“Yes, I want that with you,” I say into his mouth.

His breath is my breath, and mine is his. I don’t know anything anymore. These alphas and this omega have turned my entire world upside down and inside out.

They’re leaving, and then it will just be Bray, Finn, and me. I don’t want it to be all.

Bray steps back, his eyes doing that thing where it’s like he mentally steps back, mentally walks away from me. I want to reach out and stop him.

I look up and spot Erin and Locke leaning against each other, watching us. Bray doesn’t realise. He gets in his car and pulls away, leaving me standing there alone.

I heave a frustrated sigh and spot Finn staring at me from the trees. There’s just enough light to show the shocked expression on his face.

There are lots of secrets in this little town, most of them we just keep to ourselves. I turn and walk off into the darkness.

I need to think. I need to sit down and work out what I want and why tonight has my head reeling.

What if I’ve been wrong?

I push it all away until I get home. Once I’m inside, I look at the mess and start pulling the papers off the walls, stacking them up, one by one. Sorting them into piles and slowly, methodically, declutter my house, and perhaps, maybe my mind.