Page 30 of Shattered Trinket
“You know, you’re not as scary in the daylight, standing in the middle of a fuck ton of plushies in an omega nesting store. Do you prefer Ghost or is it okay if I call you Jeremiah?” Ripley asks with a snort, tilting her head to the side, and I can’t help but giggle when Jeremiah huffs at my back.
“Jeremiah is fine, please.” He shifts slightly at my back, and I swallow thickly when I feel something veryhardpressing against my back, which has my cheeks flame brighter. “I suppose I owe you an apology.”
Ripley waves her hand in the air and rolls her eyes.
“Nah. I get it now, and I’m over it. But I can’t say the same about my mates. Especially my omega. He’s probably going to blow a gasket when he finds out about this,” she says, glancing at me apologetically.
“In any case, I am sorry.” He pauses and I look back at him, watching as he straightens his shoulders with a determined look in his eye. “Whatever it takes to make my amends, I’ll do it, but I won’t let her go. Not again. Not unless she tells me to.”
My breath catches in my chest when he glances down at me, eyes blazing with sincerity and so much more than I could ever put into words. He looks at me like I’m his beginning and end. Like I’m his downfall… and hissalvation.
I have to blink several times to rid the tears trying to form, and when I glance at Ripley, she’s grinning like an absolute crazy person.
“Good,” she tells him, meeting his eyes without flinching before looking back at me and sighing. “As much as I hate to break this adorable little impromptu meet up, Ma’s looking for you. If you’re done, she’s wanting to stop for some food before we head home.”
I nod, noticing how hungry I am at the mention of dinner, and I turn around to wrap my arms around Jeremiah, squeezing him as hard as I can. Which isn’t hard at all because the man is as sturdy as a tree!
He presses a kiss to the top of my head before leaning down to whisper in my ear, “Tonight.”
With one last kiss to my lips, I reluctantly leave his arms to join Ripley. Just before we walk away, Ripley turns back around and nonchalantly tells him, “The trellis under the window is weak on the left side, so best to stick to the right as you climb up.”
My lips pop open as I stare at her wide-eyed and Jeremiah’s brows rise in surprise.
“Good to know,” he murmurs as she cackles, dragging me away.
We grab the cart I’d left by the bin I was digging in, and after tossing my loot of stuffed animals and plushies I’d found inside,we head to the front to find Mama Valley. Just before we make it to her, Ripley pulls me off to the side and wraps her arms around me, rubbing herself all against me. I stand stock still in her hold, confused and a little shocked, unsure of what’s happening. When she steps back, she leans forward and sniffs me quickly before nodding proudly as I stare at her in bewilderment.
“What the heck was that?”
“Oh, right. You smelled like him, so just covering that up with my scent. Might want to consider carrying the descenter spray we got you for times like these.” She winks, hazel eyes bright with mirth. “Now let’s go. I’m frickin’ starving!”
I follow behind the crazy omega as she runs off with my plush filled cart to checkout where Mama Valley is waiting for us. When I reach their side, Ripley immediately works to distract me, in turn, keeping me from seeing the total as Mama Valley pays for everything. The cashier tells her everything will be delivered in a couple of hours and we walk out, both women chattering at my side while I can’t help but get lost in thoughts about tonight as the nerves battle with my budding excitement.
Twelve
Emmanuel
“Will you relax?” I mutter under my breath to Zeke, his incessant knee bouncing, officially driving me up the wall.
“I’m tryin’. I’m just anxious tae catch a glimpse o’ her again,” he whispers back, running his fingers through his hair and groaning.
Zeke has been nonstop talking about this omega ever since they came home a few weeks ago. The way he’s depicted her in such detail has left me intrigued, and I’m convinced that I would have no trouble picking her out from a lineup. Ridge, however,has been tight-lipped about her, which makes sense after they told me everything they learned from his parents. Damien’s revelation about other alphas possibly being destined for her adds another layer of complexity.
On one hand, the thought of introducing unknown alphas to our tightly-knit pack is intimidating, as we’d lack the shared history we have with the three of us. But on the other hand, how could we reject a potential scent match simply because there may be other alphas out there destined for her besides us?
After the disaster of our last courting, the idea of finding a scent match feels like a beacon of hope.
Zeke’s spontaneous visit to Ridge’s parent’s house today to talk to the dads was just an excuse—Ridge and I both knew he really only wanted to come here to seeher. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet her firsthand, which is why I tagged along. While Ridge is supposedly only here since it’s his parent’s house, I’m also pretty sure he wants to see her again, even if he’s trying to deny it.
As we work on Shep’s latest project in the driveway with Damien, we hear the familiar sound of Mama Valley’s car pulling in behind us. In an instant, Zeke’s body stiffens, his back straightening like a rod as he freezes and turns his gaze towards me, eyes widened. I scoff and shake my head, amused by his theatrics and quietly chuckling to myself.
As I wipe my hands on one of the many rags tossed nearby, I turn and suddenly freeze, just like Zeke, when I hear the sound of two car doors shutting. The minute I lay eyes on the omega my brother has been incessantly talking about, a faint buzz pounds in my head and my fists automatically clench at my sides. I find myself unable to look away from her, greedily feasting my eyes on her captivating beauty.
“Dios mío,” I breathe out, my heart skipping a beat.
They said her name is Cozette, Mama Valley calling her Cozy.
Cozette.