Page 74 of For What It's Worth
Aidan’s mother was beautiful, but it was to be expected when you looked at the specimen that was Aidan Braker. He obviously got his looks from his mother. They had the same blonde hair and face shape. Her dress was tight, highlighting her figure, and stopped at her knees in a way that screamed ‘posh’. She had a matching coat the same length of her dress that I chose to believe was covered in faux fur. Nails done, hair immaculately curled, and makeup freshly applied, I wouldn’t bat an eye if she admitted to getting ready and dressed specifically for the occasion of coming over to yell at us.
The male that stood behind her as a silent sentinel, Roger something, looked like an Irish stereotype with the red hair and freckles. His face was long and rectangular, matching the rest of his body. He might have smelled good, but his arrogance matched that of his mate.
Besides Roger, we all sat in the living room. Aidan was on the couch next to me, and Jenson leaned on the arm of the couch on my other side. Enzo had walked in when we led Catherine and Roger inside and immediately announced he was making dinner—for his pack.
“Some tea, Aidan?” Catherine asked.
I scrunched my nose at the request. This was a coffee house. And who didn’t add ‘please’ to requests? People who only make demands.
“No mother, you are not a guest,” Aidan said. “Say what you’ve come to say and then leave.”
“Watch how you speak to your mother,” Roger said.
“I did not raise you to be so disrespectful,” Catherine said.
Aidan sighed but surprisingly didn’t argue. I had no clue what kind of childhood Aidan had with his mother, but I could guess, based on Catherine sitting on the edge of the couch, her knees together and ankles crossed like she was the freaking queen.
Enzo came over and placed a small bowl of mixed fruit in my lap, then walked away without acknowledging our non-guests.
Catherine seemed to be reaching her limit as she glared at me while I picked up a raspberry with my fingers before popping it into my mouth. The entire room was quiet expect for the echoing sounds of Enzo cooking in the kitchen. Every swallow felt too loud.
“Betas,” Catherine scoffed, finally breaking the silence. “Is this your plan? Simply act like an omega in the hopes of entrapping my son and his pack?”
I could feel Aidan tense beside me, but I didn’t say anything. Words hurt, especially coming from someone I’d hoped would be like a surrogate mother to me, but if she thought this was the first time I’d heard this shit, she was woefully unaware of how betas were treated. Alphas had a tendency to think betas ‘didn’t know our place’ and then also create the standards of education and society for us. I was more certain of how alphas viewed betas than I was on how I viewed myself.
Which meant I knew exactly how to deal with an alpha. I shrugged one shoulder in response to her question and then dug around in my bowl for a blueberry. I tossed it up and caught it in my mouth. I smiled up at Jenson, pride coming off me in a ridiculous amount because I’d never actually thrown food and caught it before.
“Aidan, you cannot honestly tell me you are considering bonding with such a creature. What about—what was her name?” Catherine asked, her wrist making invisible gestures. “Lana? No, Laura. She was a fine beta. Very poised and even came from a good family. Her mother tells me she’s just heartbroken over your breakup, so she’s sure to take you back.”
“I dated Laura because her friends were dating members of my pack.” To smooth over his words, or maybe because he felt my jealousy, Aidan’s hand came up to the back of my neck. The skin was very tender from his claiming bite—which definitely needed a bandage soon—but it was his touch near the literal part of me that belonged to him that sent a shiver down my spine and raised the hairs on my arms. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from moaning.
Roger gentled a hand on his omega’s shoulder. “Son. When you first started dating betas, I’ll admit, we were all shocked. But we’ve come around to the younger generation’s way of things. Your other fathers and I think it’s a good thing. Shows how dominant each of your alpha instincts are. We’ve already explained that to your mother.”
I wanted to roll my eyes at the condescending tone Roger had toward his omega mate. It was stereotypical alpha-male-bullshit. They knew best. They calmed the wild omega. It was a weird separation of belief. Alphas like Roger thought dominance was in controlling an omega, when really, dominance was supposed to protect weaker designations from other alphas so they could be free. What was strength when you were already going up against a weaker opponent?
“This is ridiculous,” Catherine said. Her scent was starting to flood the room, making me more agitated with every breath. “The three of you cannot share a beta. You will become too territorial, and the longer you are unsatisfied, the worse it will be. You are dooming this beta to broken bonds when you need to rut.”
“Mother, I promise, you do not have to worry about my sex life.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the awkward conversation even as my cheeks burned remembering how Aidan had taken my ass earlier. Let her interpret the blush any way she wanted, but I had no doubt I could satisfy my males sexually.
“Don’t be crude,” Catherine snapped. “You are being selfish, Aidan. Think of the beta’s future.”
Aidan growled. “All I do is think of Koda. And likewise, she can think for herself.”
“Enough Aidan. We need to put that heinous article’s rumors to an end. Let Jenson claim the beta, and we can find you an appropriate female if you’re determined to settle down right now.”
The entire room froze. Even Enzo who I hadn’t thought was paying attention stopped cooking. Her words spun around and around in my head until all I heard was that single word: article.
“What article?” Aidan asked, earning a vicious grin from his mother.
“Apparently some students saw Jenson moving his bonded beta out of the dorms last week. Those same students then verified that you—Aidan—told some professor on campus you’ve bonded the same beta. It’s even speculated poor Lorenzo will claim the beta, if he hasn’t done so already.”
Jen’s hands tightened on my body in a gesture that was supposed to be comforting but just confirmed there was something wrong. The scent of a desert storm, mixed with the tang of anger, bled through the chemical scent on Aidan. I didn’t know whether my alpha was angry over the article or his mother reveling in the pain she knew her words were causing.
“I think it’s time for you to leave, mother,” Aidan said, never breaking eye contact with me. He reached for me, pulling me onto his lap before finally looking over at Catherine. She seemed to struggle for words, and Aidan didn’t give her a chance. Lifting my hair, he planted a full kiss on his mark on the back of my neck and that time, I couldn’t catch the moan quick enough.
Catherine gasped. “You’ve made a terrible mistake, Aidan.”