Page 63 of Their Knotty Pack
Chapter 27
Bethany
"Little nymph, I brought you something," Miles sing-songs as he pushes the door open. My brows raise as I sit up in the nest, my phone held to my ear.
I wasn't lying when I said I had a call to make. That call just happened to be to Lanie to rant and rave about how infuriating Kieran is.
"Lane?" I swallow roughly as I see the shape of Kieran looming behind my omega. "I gotta go."
Lanie cackles as she hangs up, and I drop the phone next to me. "If the surprise is Kieran, I'll pass."
"It's…it's notjustKieran," Miles admits, stepping into the room and motioning behind him with a flourish.
My hand flies to my mouth in an attempt to stifle my laugh. My attempt doesnotwork.
Kieran walks into our nest, clad in sweatpants, with a much too tight t-shirt stretched across his expansive chest. The bottom is ripped like they tried to turn it into a crop top, and scrawled in handwriting I don't recognize, it reads"I'm sorry I almost hit you with my motorcycle."His lavender-spearmint scent is tinged with stress.
His expression is unsure, like he doesn't know what my laughter means. But Miles, standing next to him, looks positively gleeful.
"Turn around, alpha." Miles does a little twirling motion with his finger, and Kieran complies, showing me his back where the shirt reads"and for being a complete ass waffle."This time, I do recognize Miles' blocky handwriting. A snort escapes me, and when Kieran turns back around, his eyes full of hope, I realize what it took for him to do this.
I can feel his trepidation through the bond. His worry.
This arrogant, infuriating alpha made himself look absolutely ridiculous when he didn't have to. For me.
We both know I would have ended up in his room tonight anyway, regardless of our bickering. So for him to do this, to show up, in my room, so vulnerable?
Why?
Could it be…does he want more than what we have right now? I suppose I could ask him.
"What are you trying to get out of this?" I ask, shifting on the bed. "Do you mean it, or did Miles force you?"
"I…" Kieran huffs, running a hand through his hair. "It was Miles' idea, but I do mean it. I…I thought, if I kept you mad at me, at least I wouldn't be a pity fuck."
"I don't pity you, Kieran," I huff. "But I'm allowed to feel like shit for what I did." I haven't tried to apologize since the first night we fucked, when he cut me off mid-apolgy, that dangerous look in his eyes. The reason why makes sense now. He doesn't want me to feel sorry for him. "Whether or not you hate me because of it, it shouldn't have happened like that."
"Even though I'm not mad about it…" Kieran trails off, closing his eyes. "I accept your apology. Even if I don't want it. Iamsorry I've been an ass, though. I've never known how to do anything halfway, and I admit I may have gotten carried away."
"Thank you," I tell him gently, "Can we…can we try? To exist together without biting each other's heads off? I know…I know you aren't like my old pack. None of you are."
A small growl rips from him as he takes a step forward. "One of these days, sunshine, I'm going to need a list of every single member of that old pack…and an address. A list of any known weaknesses, and of any not-known ones. I'm going to rip them to pieces for ever thinking they could—"
He stops at my giggle, and I try so hard to keep my sounds to myself. He just looks so ridiculous, all mad and growly in a ripped crop top. "I'm sorry," I wipe the tear that falls out of my eye, unable to hold in my laughter. "It's not—" my voice cracks, and I take a deep breath. "It's not funny. But…maybe save the threats for when you'renotwearing the weirdly sexy apology crop top." One last little giggle leaves me, and Kieran looks at me like he's never seen me before.
His eyes are wide, his jaw slack.
"I think you broke him," Miles whispers, and Kieran shakes his head like he's trying to clear it.
"Weirdly sexy?" Kieran asks, his voice choking.
"I want a picture." I grin, lifting my phone and opening the camera as I slide off the mattress.
"You heard her, alpha. Your omega wants some sexy photos for her spank bank." Miles laughs as I flip him off, but Kieran has found his composure again and just smirks, lifting both arms and flexing as I snap a picture of the front of his shirt. I definitely don't focus on his defined abs as the bottom of the shirt rides up at the motion. When he turns, I get a picture of the back as well. "Let me see," Miles shoves in next to me, then lets out a low whistle. "Damn. That was supposed to be embarrassing for you, Kieran, but maybe we should submit this to'Alpha-Play Magazine'."
A growl of possessiveness rips through me at the thought of anyone outside of our pack seeing Kieran's bare body.
My cheeks heat as soon as the sound leaves me, and I expect a sneer or an overconfident comment from Kieran, but instead his face softens.
