9. Erin

Chapter nine

Erin

The words echo in my mind and slam into place with the finality of a jigsaw piece that suddenly makes an image crystal clear. I stare at him, taking him in with a whole new appreciation.

Male omega.

What are the chances? Seriously, what are the freaking chances? I’ve only heard of a handful of them, but I’ve never seen one before.

Have I dreamed about fucking one? Yes! I’ve also fantasised about bonding one and making him mine. Doesn’t mean I thought it was ever going to happen.

“You’re an omega?” I ask in a stunned voice.

Locke casts another furious glance at Shane, who looks like he wants to eat his left foot.

“Yes!” Locke growls out, “but it’s not common knowledge, and I’d appreciate you keeping it to yourselves.”

“Who would we tell?” Finn asks, confused. He studies Locke with interest and then trots over to Shane.

“You all right?”

“Is he all right?” Locke spits and lets out the cutest little omega growl.

“Aww!”

“Don’t you dare!” Locke snarls and stabs his finger in my chest. “I’m badass.”

“Uh-huh. And so damn cute.”

Locke groans. “Erin, come on, be cool.”

I snicker and fold my arms under my breasts, amused that, despite everything, he still checks.

I smirk at him and look him up and down slowly, taking my time to appreciate the uniqueness of him. I can see it now, like the blinders have been taken off.

Locke bares his teeth at me. “Stop looking at me like that!”

“Like what?”

“Like I'm a piece of meat!”

I snort a laugh. “I thought you wanted me to look at you like that?”

Locke grumbles and folds his arms over his chest, imitating my stance. “I feel objectified. I’m making an official protest.”

“Noted,” Finn says without looking away from Shane.

Bray shakes his head and saunters towards us. Locke looks at him warily and shoots me a glance that almost appears to be pleading.

“Omega, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Bray steps close, putting his arms around Locke and lacing his fingers together.

“I don’t care,” Bray whispers. “I still want to fuck you.”

Locke’s eyes dilate, and he sways slightly, leaning his weight into Bray.

“Bray!” Finn snaps.

“Yes, Dad?”

“Let go of him and take Shane home.”

Bray smiles, it’s slow and wicked and full of promise. “Come on, Erin. Let’s take Shane home, have words, and see who gets to go first.”

Locke swallows hard, but Finn is there, breaking them up and pulling Locke away.

“Bye, baby!” Bray purrs and wiggles his fingers, while Finn drags the omega away.

I kinda thought my instincts might protest, but I seem to be completely fine with Finn taking the omega, and Locke looks relieved to go.

I turn towards the alphas and grin. “Well, if it isn’t my favourite alphas.”

Shane glares at me, but Bray smirks.

“Heads or tails?” Bray purrs.

“Not gonna happen,” I snap back but soften it with a smirk.

“Best of three?”

I elbow Brayson as I laugh. “Come on, Shane. Show me this secret cabin of yours.”

Shane sets off without making a single sound.

“Tic-tac-toe? Marbles? Rock Paper Scissors?”

I grip his hand and draw him to a stop. “Bray, you need to understand something about me.”

“What’s that?” Bray whispers, leaning in closer. I forget about everything else in the world. “I’d love to know all your secrets.”

I stare at his lips for three heartbeats, and then flick my gaze up to meet his. “If I want something, I’m just going to take it!” I whisper.

Bray reels back, laughing. “Fuck, that makes me hot. Damn, Erin, maybe we can do him together.”

Shane is suddenly between us, shoving us apart. Bray’s face flashes with hurt that is hidden quickly by frustration.

“People fuck, Shane, get over it.”

Shane whirls on him, and I don’t know what happens, but Bray gets really serious.

He stands up and shoves Shane away from him. “You can get fucked. Oh, wait, you don’t do that. That would involve being a person and talking to someone!”

Shane snarls as he shoves Bray back.

I wrap an arm around my stomach and watch the two of them for a long minute. The shoving goes backwards and forwards the whole time, getting progressively worse.

I mean, this is obvious.

I wonder how long they’ve both felt this way about each other.

“Stay away from Locke!” Shane suddenly growls.

I stiffen, letting my arms drop to my sides.

“Why the fuck should I?” Bray asks, but his voice sounds brittle.

“He’s my scent match!” Shane shouts like he can’t keep it in anymore.

I think my feelings are exactly the same as Brays. His face falls, and for a moment, there is just abject devastation, but he covers it with a familiar mask.

“Yeah, okay. Fine.” Bray glances at me and hesitates. “I gotta get home.”

“Bray-”

He shakes his head. “Later, Erin. Nice seeing you.”

I grind my teeth as he jogs off down the trail and disappears.

Shane stays with his back to me, but his shoulders slump, and he’s breathing hard. When he does turn, there is no hint of any emotion on him anywhere.

He starts up the trail, and I have to jog to keep up.

“So, you really love-hate Bray, huh?”

Shane sighs and glances back at me. “Locke really is my scent match. But you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to pursue him.”

With that, he stalks off, and though I follow, I can’t catch him before he enters a dark cabin and slams the door, leaving me alone outside, wondering what the hell is in the water up here.

I end up back at the main house and sneak inside. Locke is sitting at a table with two women, while Finn supervises from the bar. The women look like they could be old enough to his grandparents.

I stay by the back, watching. Finn chats to everyone, seeming to be everywhere. A woman with gnarly fingernails grips his jaw and kisses his cheek. A huge barrel-chested man slaps his shoulder. People laugh and chat to him, and he glows under their attention.

This is his courtroom, I realise.

No, this is how I used to feel. I haven’t felt like this for a long time.

Locke is laughing with the ladies, and someone’s brought out a deck of cards, and the three of them have gained an audience. I linger, unable to tear my eyes from him. He laughs, he’s charm and freedom and something else that I want.

Shane’s words repeat in my head, and I feel ill. I turn away from him.

I look out the window, into the dark night, and wonder about Shane and Bray.

This town isn’t as straightforward as I thought it would be. Small doesn’t mean less complicated.

I walk to the bar and perch on a stool.

Finn catches my eye and grins. His teeth are white and even, but it’s the pure happiness that has me uncharacteristically grinning back.

“How’d it go?”

I shrug.

Finn’s smile drops, and he exhales roughly. “I don’t know why those two hate each other.”

I consider him for a long moment, in shock and a little bit of awe. Is it possible to be so blind? The sexual tension between Bray and Shane is off the charts. Just being in their orbit leaves my panties wet.

“They don’t hate each other,” I mutter, but he’s turned away. He grabs three bottles of beer and puts them on the bar in front of three young men.

“Hey, Benny!”

“Where’s Bray?”

“He took off.” Finn says.

For some reason, this upsets the kid. I lean close to him. “You know Bray well?”

His chest puffs up. “He’s teaching me how to fix cars.”

“Wow!” I say, and it’s not feigned. I really mean it.

“Yeah, he’s a good guy.” He glances around and leans in close. “No one appreciates him-”

“That’s because he’s a no good piece of shit, crook!” A voice barks behind us.

I twist on my seat, taking in the young woman behind us. She sucks on her beer, and then looks me up and down. I have an urge to slap her upside her head.

Her hair is chestnut brown and shiny, and her singlet is a few sizes too small, leaving a lot of flesh up top spilling out. Her jeans are also painted on. I don’t care about any of that. What I do care about is the way she narrows her eyes at me like I’m competition.

I’m not competition. I’m the whole fucking game.

I turn back to the bar and ignore her.

“Seriously, Bray should be run out of town and never be allowed back.” She’s desperately trying to get a rise out of me.

I have to resist rolling my eyes.

“Jess!” Benny hisses. “Don’t talk about him like that. He’s a good guy.”

“He’s a piece of shit.”

I turn, smiling at her widely. “Turned you down, did he? I bet he fucked everyone else in town when he hit adulthood, but he took one look at you and said to himself, ‘I’d rather gnaw off my own cock that stick it in that honey pot.’ I mean, I get it. Rabid bitch isn’t my taste, either.”

Jess’ face turns the colour of puce, and this ugly-looking scowl takes over. She steps closer to me.

“Listen, you bitch, you don’t know who you’re messing with.”

I bark out a laugh. “Ditto, sweetheart, but keep going. This is getting fun. And when I fuck Brayson, and I will, we’ll have a good laugh about this moment and take a photo just for you.”

Her mouth falls open, but Benny explodes with laughter, slapping his thigh.

“Burn!”

Jess spins on her heel and stalks away. “Fuck you all.”

“Pass!” I turn back to the bar and find Finn shaking his head. “What?”

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“I’m confused. Should I not have put her in her place or-”

“Don’t say you’re going to fuck people.”

I blink at him, shocked by the concern on his face. “Aww, sweetheart. I don’t say things I don’t intend to follow through on. This is my holiday. I want to have some fun, and Bray is fun. Anyone can see that. I wasn’t really telling so much as making a verbal contract. I will fuck Bray. Multiple times, probably.”

Finn shakes his head minutely. “And Locke?” he almost whispers. His eyes have darkened, and he licks his bottom lip, leaving it shiny.

I lean over the bar so my lips are close to his. “Is a big boy. He can decide whether or not he wants to fuck me, but I am more than willing, providing he becomes a bit more transparent.”

Finn exhales, his breath tastes like beer, and I realise his scent is of lemons. I kinda love it.

“You’d fuck both of them-”

“Together,” I say in a low voice so no one else can hear, “separately or at the same time.” I sink back onto my seat and wink at him. “Play your cards right, barkeep, and you can join us.”

It takes him a full twenty seconds to take a breath, and when he exhales, he shudders.

“Well!”

I smirk and push up from the bar, aware of his eyes on me as I walk away.

Throughout the night, I stay close to Locke, keeping guard, even though I tell myself that’s not what I’m doing. He has fun with the ladies, ends up dancing with a group of people, and flirts outrageously with a befuddled Finn.

I lean on the wall, taking a long moment to be alone, and watch him. Finn and Locke are extroverts. They thrive in the spotlight of attention that comes their way. Finn likes to make people happy, rescue them, solve their problems, make them happy and comfortable. Whereas Locke entertains them with jokes and stories. He is a natural flirt with a charm that no one can resist. And yet, over and over again, his eyes find mine, seeking, anxious, and relaxing when he finds me. And not just me, Finn, as well.

I frown, considering that for a while. Shane said he was a scent match. Is it possible?

I chew my cheek and stroke my index finger over my lip. I remember a couple of people who came in with their scent-matched omegas over the years. Needing our firm’s help. They were devoted to each other, sickeningly so.

I need to do some research. I don’t know enough about them, but I don’t want to end up tied to an omega I don’t want.

I certainly don’t want to end up stuck here in this weird backwards, festival-loving town.

I also don’t need to be getting involved in the drama between Bray, Shane, and a well-meaning but completely ignorant Finn. The three of them scream drama and mess like nothing else I’ve ever seen. They’d get eaten up in my city.

Locke turns and smiles at me, and I smile back, and even though I think I hear a warning deep inside me, I find myself moving towards him, helpless to withstand his pull.