Page 12 of Claiming Xan
XAN
I was countingdown my drawer, adding up all my five and one dollar bills, when a shadow fell over my register. Damn it… I set my jaw and did my best to ignore it, but of course, my annoying coworker didn’t leave.
TJ was a human Alpha who’d been infatuated with me ever since I was hired here at The Candy Jar months ago. He’d been dogging me for weeks, trying to get me to give him my number or agree to a date with him.
I wasn’t interested, and I told him that, but TJ didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer.
He leaned in, one elbow propped up on the swirled candy pink-and-blue countertop. “So, what are you doing this evening?” A line if I’d ever heard one.
I huffed softly. “I’m booked. Sorry.”
“Yeah, right.” TJ scoffed. “You’ll probably go home and play video games. Boring. I’ve got a better idea. You. Me. Dinner at seven? Anywhere you wanna go, my treat.”
I sighed and closed my drawer, then wrote down my ending numbers before I forgot. I leveled TJ with a look. It wasn’t thathe wasn’t cute, because he was, in a jockish sort of way, but… There just wasn’t a spark there for me. Plus he was annoying.
“Sorry, but no. I actually do have plans tonight, believe it or not. I’m going home to bake something sweet, then I’m taking it over to a friend’s house for a visit,” I told him.
TJ exhaled. “Fine. Maybe another day? I’m free Friday?”
“TJ…”
“One of these days, I’ll wear you down and you’ll say yes to me,” he said, matter-of-fact, before pushing off the counter and striding away.
I shook my head and finished what I was doing so that I could clock out and get far away from work and everything it entailed.
I went home and changed into a pair of tight skinny jeans and a babydoll tee with a smiling rainbow on the front. I pulled on a denim half-vest over the top of that, added a few bracelets and a stretchy black choker, and smiled at my reflection in the mirror.
Perfection, as always.
Then, after browsing what ingredients I had in the kitchen, I got to work baking a couple of loaves of banana bread. One for my family, of course, and the other for Jem Murphy—and River’s brother, Sky.
The Omega had been heavy on my mind lately. I felt the need to stop in and check on them, to see how they were faring.
When the banana bread was done and cooled, I wrapped one loaf in a towel and tucked it into a basket. With it on the passenger seat, I drove to Jem’s home, which was in a cute little neighborhood at the end of a cul-de-sac.
For being a lone Omega, he did well for himself.
I parked and killed the engine, then grabbed the basket and went up to the front door. I knocked and when Jem answered, he seemed surprised to see me.
“Xan?” His dark eyes widened. “To what do I owe this honor?”
I shrugged. “Just figured I’d stop in and see how everything’s going. I brought goodies!” With a bright smile, I ducked under Jem’s arm and went right inside his cozy little home. It smelled good, of cinnamon and cloves. “Where’s Sky?”
Jem’s frown formed grooves into his forehead. “Hiding in his room,” he murmured, keeping his voice low. “I took him to his doctor appointment today, and they diagnosed him with postpartum depression. The doctor mentioned he might have PTSD as well.”
“So things haven’t been well,” I affirmed.
Jem sighed. “Honestly? He’s a mess. He barely eats, he only ever comes out of his room to use the bathroom, and I hear him crying at night. It breaks my heart, Xan. He’s lost so much, and to be torn apart from his only remaining family…”
He shook his head, then ran a hand over his short black hair. “I understand why Gracie did what she did, but damn it. I don’t like it. All I can do is offer my support, in any way that I can. I know what it’s like to lose a loved one. I know grief better than anyone. It sucks, big time. I feel for him in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”
Pressing my lips together, I reached over and squeezed Jem’s arm gently. The bear Omega had lost his mate in a freak accident at work, and he’d been alone ever since. Donovan and Shay said he didn’t even look twice at other Alphas, not even when they went to the bar and the hot cheetah bartender flirted with him. It was like Jem had resigned himself to a life of loneliness or something.
“Do you think Sky would like some banana bread?” I asked, changing the subject. “I made it for you guys special. It’s got chocolate chips in it.”
He shrugged. “You can try, but there’s no guarantee. He’s very bitter, and he’s hurting. Just be gentle. Last door on the right.”
“I will be.” I carefully unwrapped the still-warm loaf and cut a small slice off the end, placing it on a plate. With the banana bread in hand, I went down the hall to Sky’s room and knocked. There was no answer. Not even a “go away.”
