Page 32 of Shattered Trinket

I hold my breath, watching as she hesitates before she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, and then places her tiny hand in his massive one. I visibly deflate, wanting to ask if I can come too, but decide against it since I was too big of a pussy to ask her first.

Zeke stands up straight with the biggest grin on his dopey face, and honestly, I can’t even be mad. I’m just happy for him because an omega is all he’s wanted or talked about since we met him. Besides, out of the three of us, Zeke is probably the most likely to win her over with his wit and charm. He’s basically a large child, carefree and a touch dramatic. If he can’t get her to smile, to laugh, and fall for him, then me and Ridge don’t stand a chance.

With her hand in the crook of Zeke’s arm, I can’t help but laugh under my breath at the enormous size difference between the two. She looks like a tiny doll next to my behemoth of a brother, barely reaching his chest. They look like the oddest pair, side by side, and yet… as strong as he looks, I know how truly gentle Zeke is. He’s got the sunniest of personalities in our pack, the last few months being the exception. But since he met Cozy, just that one meeting has brought that light back into his eyes, and for that alone, I’m grateful.

As they move to walk off, Cozy turns back and looks at me, looking unsure at first until she holds her other hand out for me. My eyes widen and I glance around, remembering we weren’t the only ones out here, but now we are. Valley, Shep, and Damien have left us and I have no clue where Ridge is hiding.

“Aren’t you coming, too?” she asks me so innocently, and I practically throw myself at her, gripping her hand in mine.

Tingles spread out along my palm and up my arm, shooting straight into my heart when her soft, pale skin connects withmine that’s calloused and tanned much darker against hers, but creating a pretty contrast. My heart feels like it’s trying to climb up my throat as her cornflower blue eyes connect with mine before we start walking to the back of the property where Ripley created a walking trail years ago.

Querido Dios, por favor no me dejes hacer el ridículo.

Dear God, please don’t let me make a fool of myself.

Thirteen

Ridge

I stare into the backyard through the kitchen window that sits above the sink, ensnared and unable to look away as I watch the little omega that’s invaded my thoughts for weeks now walk between my brothers. I can’t help but reach up and rub my chest, my brows furrowing as I feel the ache and surge of jealousy coursing through my heart at the scene.

If I’d been out there with them, would she have asked me to come with them?

It’s a sight to see—the three of them together—not only because they look like the most ridiculous trio from an outsider’s point of view, but also because my brothers look completely enamored as they stare down at the tiny woman between them, barely paying attention to where they’re walking.

Since meeting her, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. She’s invaded my dreams, my every waking thought, and I haven’t even spoken a word to her.

How is that possible? How has she embedded herself so deep under my skin with only one miniscule meeting?

I’ve thought about that day at my parent’s house over and over these last few weeks, thought about what little Mom revealed and Dad’s cryptic words about how it’s possible there are others not in my pack meant for Cozy. How he’d asked if I thought I could put aside my personal feelings over an unknown alpha or beta coming into my pack if it means she’s happy and loved, and how I couldn’t answer.

But seeing her again now, snuggled between my brothers as they walk the trail Ripley carved out for herself as a kid, the answer is easy, and it should have been easy to answer the first time, but fuck… It’s a lot to take in at once. A beautiful scent match that’s perfectly broken, who possibly comes with strays, and she’s been living with my parents for months. I just needed to get over the shock and work through my own shit for a minute.

But now… Now I know it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if there’s someone else out there that’s meant for her as long as I’m one of them.I don’t care that it’s not going to be easy and that being with her will probably be a lot of work.Because she’s worth it. She’s worth the effort, the time. She’s worth it all, and I’m desperate to show her.

This isn’t how it was with Elise. Sure, I felt drawn to her in a way, thought of her often when we weren’t with her. Her scentwas nice, and we all seemed to have something in common with her, and sure, it hurt when she ghosted us, but I’ve realized it hurt our pride more than anything.

For me, she wasn’t all I thought about. She didn’t have me tied in knots over her after only one meeting, and her scent didn’t awaken something buried deep in my hindbrain just waiting for the right one. In fact, I haven’t even thought of Elise or any woman since I smelled that mouthwateringly sweet, lemony scent of Cozy’s that makes me want to lose my head as it gets trapped between soft, milky thighs…

I blink, shaking my head as I clear my throat and back away from the window because,what the fuck?

I shouldn’t be thinking about her like that at all. Cozy isn’t like other women, omega or otherwise, and she should be handled with care and respect. She has a past full of pain and nightmares, more than we truly know, and because of that, courting her is going to be a completely different experience.

“Watcha doin’, sweetie?”

“Ah, fuck!” I gasp, nearly jumping out of my skin as I turn and see my mother at my side.

“Language, Ridge Shepherd Jacobs!” she scolds, frowning up at me as I stare down at her wide eyed.

“Where the hell did you come from?” I ask her incredulously, my hand clutching my furiously beating heart, and she raises a brow, huffing.

“I’ve been here for the last two minutes, lover boy. You’d have heard me come in if you hadn’t been lost in La La Land while staring out into the backyard where a certain sweet little omega just walked off with your pack brothers.”

She pats my back and shakes her head with a scoff before moving to grab a cup out of the cabinet and making herself a glass of sweet tea. I scrub a hand down my face with a groan and when I look back up at her, she’s sitting at the island with a shit-eating grin on her face that reminds me so much of both of my sisters. There’s no doubt they get it from our mother.

She tilts her head to the empty chair beside her and I sigh, shoulders slumping as I walk around the island and plop myself down in the seat and lean my arms on the counter.

“What’s got my only son so lost in thought that he didn’t realize his mama was standing right beside him?” she teases, smiling softly at me.