Page 10 of Claiming Xan
“I SAID—” The door was yanked open so fast, my hair fluttered in my face from the breeze. River stood in the doorway, one hand pulled back, as if to swat the plate right out of my hand as he snarled at me.
I didn’t even flinch. I stared up at him. Our eyes met. Locked. River froze, a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. I only smiled and offered the plate to the surly Alpha.
“Pancakes and sausage,” I said with a smile. “Don’t be such a dick, babe. It’s unbecoming.”
River just stared at me, his jaw slack and his eyes wide. It was like his big, growly Alpha brain hadn’t caught up with the rest of him, or maybe it couldn’t process the fact that a cute Omega was offering him food out of the kindness of his heart.
Then, as if everything came rushing back and reality set in, River snarled, snatched the plate out of my hands, and slammed the door right in my face. My hair, once again, fluttered in the breeze.
I huffed. “Enjoy, I guess.”
Shrugging, I wandered back into the kitchen to eat my own stack of fluffy pancakes—which I’d added a metric butt-ton of chocolate chips to. The whole time, though, my stomach was doing somersaults. What was it about that Alpha that made me feel all squirmy inside? Was it the danger? The fact that he was off-limits?
Or was it something else?
I didn’t know, but give me some time, and I’ddefinitelyfind out.
6
RIVER
As I stood there,my legs braced and my lips curled away from sharpening fangs, the Omega just stared at me, completely unfazed. Unafraid. His dark eyes bore into mine, imploring, almost tempting me to strike him—but I couldn’t.
As much as I wanted to lash out, to slap the plate out of his hand and send it sailing across the room, then swipe my claws across the Alpha’s son’s pretty face? I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
The young man was so bold, so brave. Unabashed and unashamed of the fact that he was parading around in a thin, nearly see-through crop top and booty shorts made out of a sparkly material that were definitely too short to be considered decent.
Or the fact that I knew that his mother had warned him away from me, yet here he was, completely disobeying her wishes to bring me breakfast.
Frustration bubbling up like a vat of witch’s brew in a big fiery cauldron, I did the one thing I could think to do—I slammed the door in the Omega’s face. Then I sank down onthe side of the bed with the plate of pancakes and sausage still gripped in my hands.
Truthfully? I was famished. I’d been actively avoiding the Alpha, because I was so angry that it burned holes through me. When I looked at her, all I could see was Sky’s tear-streaked face and hunched shoulders as he was lead away. As we were separated—again.
I wanted to riot. To scream and thrash and tear into anyone who dared come between me and my brother…except, deep down? I knew Gracie was right. There was a reason our mother signed off on us when we turned fourteen.
We were dangerous. Unpredictable. Our energies pure chaos. We fed off of one another. But to be apart from Sky, the other half of my soul, was so hard, especially after everything my twin had lost. Now to lose me, too? To be surrounded by strangers he didn’t know or trust?
I shoved the bitter feelings down and stuffed half a pancake in my mouth, wishing I could somehow fill my aching heart with food. If that was the case, I’d eat and eat until I weighed five-hundred pounds.
When I finished the breakfast the Omega had made me, I felt a little bit better. It was delicious, sweet and syrupy. He was a good cook. Any Alpha worth his weight would be wise to snatch an Omega like that up.
I didn’t even know his name.
I glanced down at the plate, sticky with maple syrup and sausage grease, then back up at the closed door that separated me from the rest of the house.
With a deep breath, I stood and crept out of the room and towards the kitchen. I could hear music playing. I stopped when I saw the young man dancing at the sink, rocking his slim hips from side to side, his shorts riding up his crack a bit. He was washing dishes and humming along. I didn’t move.
Then, “I know you’re there,” he teased, throwing a glance at me from over his shoulder. “For a wolf, you’re not very stealthy.”
He turned, an impish grin on his face, and held out his hand expectantly. I frowned and stared at his hand, before realizing… Right. He was waiting for the plate, so he could wash it.
Growling under my breath, I strode over and thrust it into his waiting hand.
He simply smiled. “Thanks, babe.” Turning away, his back to me once more, he began to wash the dish in the sudsy water.
I just sort of stood there, not sure what to say or do. I returned the plate. Now what? Did I go back to my room? But I’d come out here for a reason.
The Omega looked at me again. “Do you wanna help? Or…”
