Page 30 of Shades of Scars

“I’ll have her back before dinner.” He supplies, and that startles me a little, considering how early it is still, but I only have time to snap up my purse with my phone tucked inside of it before he pulls me out of the apartment to the sound of Kate’s soft laughter.

What have I gotten myself into?

17

Lark

Scarlett is more closed off than usual as we step into the diner down the block from her apartment. When I’d asked her where she’d wanted to go, she’d told me to pick with a casual shrug of her shoulders. I would have been upset about her blase attitude, but Wren had already informed us about the possibility she’d shut down, and exactly why that is.

That doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The last thing I want to do is push her, though.

I have my own plan to smuggle my way into my omega’s good graces. The scents of fried foods and delicious coffee waft over us upon entering, and I refrain from smiling when Scarlett’s stomach growls loudly in response where she stands beside me, coming to a stop in front of the hostess stand just inside the door. The place is packed for the breakfast rush, which isn’t a surprise. This place had the best reviews when I’d done some research before deciding to go on this venture with my omega.

A young blonde woman standing behind the hostess podium glances up when we come to a stop, and her eyes immediately zero in on me. She smiles in a way that instantly makes me uncomfortable, but I’m a nice guy, so I brush it off. She doesn’t even look over at Scarlett. That aggravates me more than howinappropriate and unprofessional she’s being with her facial expressions when she looks me up and down.

“How can I help you, sugar?” She smells like overly ripe bananas and that fake vanilla extract that I usually find repulsive. Her tits practically pop out of her uniform top, which is missing a few buttons, when she leans forward against the podium.

“A table for two please.” It takes me a second to force a friendly smile, hoping she doesn’t take it the wrong way. Confusion flashes in her eyes when she glances beside me for the first time. Her brows hit her hairline at the sight of Scarlett standing rigid beside me, glaring daggers at the waitress.

“Scarlett? What are you doing here?” Clearly, the waitress knows my omega. Maybe that’s why she’s not put off by the death stare Scarlett has leveled her way.

“Trying to have breakfast with my alpha. Now, would you like me to remove your eyeballs from your skull, or can you manage to keep them to yourself and find us a table?” A surge of satisfaction shoots through me at her referring to me as her alpha, and I offer the beta a smirk when she has the balls to glance at me again in disbelief.

She’s quick to jerk her attention away from me when Scarlett lets out a small, yet still completely feral, growl. She blinks at my omega, slightly shocked. “I’m… sorry. Kate didn’t mention you had an alpha.”

Scarlett just looks at her with cool, emotionless eyes, but I can still sense the dangerous anger roiling beneath her skin. It’s twisting her scent in a way I seriously don’t like. It’s also entirely too fucked up that I find her possessive behavior sexy as hell. I’m reminded of the slew of inappropriate things I’d like to do to her to reward her for publicly acknowledging her connection to me.

“Considering my personal life and business is not Kate’s to share, I’d imagine that’s a sufficient enough explanation. Notthat I need to give you one. Maybe don’t let the men you’re interested in see just how desperate you are at first glance,Rosa. You’d probably have better luck catching the right kind of attention if you didn’t flirt shamelessly with every male that comes within five feet of you.” I will not admit how painfully hard my cock gets at hearing my omega put another woman in her place.

I’ll just pretend she’s acting like a cave woman for my benefit.

I’m secretly loving that she’s letting her omega instincts guide her.

The waitress—Rosa—sputters and goes red in the face, but Scarlett just crosses her good arm over her chest, somehow able to appear threatening despite the sling she wears. There’s anger and embarrassment shimmering in Rosa’s eyes when she snatches two menus from a stack behind the podium. She’s smart to keep her eyes off of me as she addresses Scarlett. “I have a two top booth in the corner. Follow me.”

My little fiery omega doesn’t bother looking at me while moving to trail after the beta, but I keep my smirk painted on my face, regardless. Yeah, Scarlett could fake it for the entire world that she wasn’t interested in us, but I know, deep down, that it’s a lie. I take that as a win in my book.

Rosa sets the menus down before turning towards us again. She manages to offer my omega a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “This is Cosette’s section for the morning. She’ll be right with you shortly. Enjoy your meal.” She steers clear of me like I have the plague, taking off back towards the hostess stand like the fires of hell are on her ass.

Scarlett doesn’t wait to take the seat with her back to the corner where a solid wall meets one made entirely of windows. I don’t much like my back to a crowded restaurant, but if the position helps put her at ease, I am all for it. I’m already fullycommitted to walking over hot coals if that’s what it takes to win this woman’s heart

Besides, Caito is currently outside across the street, sitting on a bench with a book in his hands, acting as back up. None of us trust any one in this city, especially not after what happened a few days ago. Thankfully, Scarlett hasn’t noticed her super powered scent matched security detail as of late. I’m not sure how she’ll react to it when she finds out, which hopefully won’t be today.

Grabbing one of the menus, I start to flick through it, but then pause when she doesn’t pick hers up. “Everything alright?” I ask with a bit of hesitancy, and she brings her eyes back to me from where she’d been looking over the crowded diner with a keen eye, arm still firmly wrapped across her chest.

“I used to work here when I first came to the city. It’s how I met Kate. I know that menu by heart.” She shrugs with her good shoulder, a sort of non-answer that makes my lip twitch.

I’m quiet for a moment, flipping through the hunk of plastic and only vaguely reading the options. I already know what I want, too. “Didn’t like it here?” I query, and Scarlett gives me an odd look, but before she can respond, a dark-skinned waitress with a mop of stylish, shiny brown curls and rich copper eyes appears.

This time, she only has eyes for my perfect omega. “Oh my gosh, Scar! How are you? Long time no see!” She flashes pearly white teeth in a genuine smile that has me relaxing more. It’s obvious that this one doesn’t feel the same animosity towards Scarlett as Rosa does.

Scarlett offers the woman a smile. My nostrils flare to take in the newcomer’s scent, and a small smile makes my lips twitch. Bonded omega. “I’m well, Cosette. Thank you for asking. How have you been? Hope those rugrats of yours are staying out of trouble.”

Cosette laughs, the sound like the tinkling of a bell. “Georgia is freaking five now and little Henry just turned two. I’ve got my hands full, that’s for sure. Alphas always make kiddos sound like a grand ole’ time, until you’re busy running after them and lecturing them not to put everything they have a fancy to in their mouths.”

For the first time since I’d met my little omega, her eyes lit up with genuine amusement. It’s an awe inspiring sight. “I told you to put your foot down with those burly alphas of yours. You can’t go letting them think they run the show.” Scarlett actually winks at Cosette, and that somehow delights me even more.

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