Page 30 of For What It's Worth
Kinky.
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
“Nothing important.” Aidan broke his silent communication with Enzo, but his denial pissed me off.
I felt the growl more than I consciously used it, but the effect was the same. Aidan’s eyes widened, and I watched him fight his own lips like he didn’t want to show me he was amused.
Before I could get a straight answer out of Aidan, or turn my investigative skills to Enzo, a faint car horn honked twice in quick succession outside.
“Let’s go, Koda bear,” Aidan said. “You can question us in the car.”
“No wait. Where’s Jenson?” I looked around frantically, hoping to find him appearing out of thin air.
“He’s out in the car, Koda bear.” Aidan didn’t sound concerned over his missing pack mate, so I skeptically followed him, ready to turn back around if Jen wasn’t there.
A surprisingly normal car, all black including the darkly tinted windows, was idling only a few feet from the back door. The night air was chilly, even with my alphas close, but I knew Aidan and Enzo were keeping the worst of the chill off. But just to be sure, I took a step back from the car, out of the little cocoon my alphas created. The cold breeze hit me, twisting my skirt and playing with my hair. The wind ran its cold fingers along my cheeks and nose, painting my skin a light red. Yep, their body heat had definitely been keeping me warm.
“Get in the car, little bear,” Jenson demanded. He rolled down the back passenger window to watch me, and I smiled wide at him.
Rushing into the car, I leaned over the center console and planted a small kiss on his cheek. “I missed you, Jen.”
The spot I kissed immediately turned red, and it took me a moment to realize it wasn’t the wind, he was blushing. I liked that a lot, though I couldn’t tell if it was from the kiss or my comment.
Aidan sat in the passenger seat and Enzo joined me in the back. Enzo pushed me into the seat behind Jen and even buckled my seat belt which I would’ve totally done if I hadn’t forgotten.
I started to tell him this, but he cut me off, asking, “You want tacos, or no?”
“Tacos?” Jen asked.
“I know a place that will be open this late,” Aidan said.
For the first time in a week—no longer than that—since I first moved to this campus and met Jen and his pack, I felt happy. I didn’t have to worry about keeping my secret because they already knew. Already promised to keep it. Now I just got to have fun.
A purr erupted from my chest, and I let the sound settle over the quiet in the car.
Chapter Seventeen
Aidan gave directions to a little taco truck that already had a line formed. I guessed the dark sky didn’t necessarily mean it was late. The space was barely illuminated by the nearby streetlights, and the truck was set up in the middle of a parking lot for a grocery store already closed for the night.
I unbuckled my seatbelt—earning me a look from Enzo—and then a hand on my knee had me stopping from reaching for the door.
“You can’t go out there, Koda bear,” Aidan said, squeezing my knee in a comforting gesture. “You’re perfuming, remember?”
I looked longingly at the taco truck and felt heat building behind my eyes again. That time, however, I tried holding back my tears. I really wanted the tacos, and being this close to them, while being denied, was the worst kind of heartbreak I could’ve imagined.
“Orsetta? Why are you crying?” Not even Enzo’s nickname for me brightened my mood.
I snorted up my dripping nose, leaning my forehead against the window and letting the tears stain my cheeks as they slowly crawled their way down. “I want tacos.”
A growl filled up the car and I knew instinctively it belonged to Enzo. I was surprised the sound was so aggressive, but my sadness over the tacos wasn’t swayed by the momentary distraction.
“Koda, look at me.” The firm voice belonged to Jenson. When I glanced in his direction, I found him turned almost completely around so he stared at me through the space between his and Aidan’s seat. “No, don’t look away. I want you to look at me. That’s it. Now take a deep breath.” He paused, waiting for me to follow his instructions before he continued. “Atta girl. Are you ready to listen?”
I narrowed my eyes at the condescending tone, ignoring the small chuckle from Aidan, and nodded.
“Good.” With my sole focus on Jen, I felt the sadness at the loss of tacos diminishing. “Aidan is going to wait in line and get your tacos. You perfumed earlier, which means we all smell like an unclaimed omega, but your scent on Aidan is the lightest.”
Aidan growled at that truth. I turned my head to look at him, but a tight grip on my chin forced my gaze back to Jen. My chest started purring at the show of dominance. Not only was he handling me, but he just set himself up as the lead alpha—or at least higher up the hierarchy than Aidan—and the simple realization of that truth meant we were solidifying pack dynamics. Not to mention, the blatant hold on my chin had me trembling at his touch.