Page 143 of Altius
Mine was.
Turning, I unleashed my long-simmering frustration, catching him unaware. His back slammed into the exposed brick wall.
Good. I hope the jagged texture ruined his precious vest.
“Since you’re so desperate to know why Morgan’s with Cal andnotyou,” I said, using the chaise as leverage to straighten up, not bothering to check my tone. “It’s simple. He’s emotionally available and capable of communicating like a mature adult. He respects her. All of her—at work and in private. And when he screws up, you know what he does? Apologizes with words. Asks for feedback. Listens to her. And then fucking changes his behavior.”
His dominance faltered, allowing me to catch my breath.
“And he’s better looking than you, even with a busted nose.” I let out a sarcastic laugh to really rub it in. “But this—what you’re doing right now—is the real problem. You have enough time to eavesdrop and be an asshole, but not to reassure Alijah. Classic prick behavior.”
“I’m not ignoring Alijah. Legal hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”
“Did you tell him that? What about Cal, Morgan, or me? Anyone. Did you communicate withanyone?”
“I trusted you’d all know I have the best interests of PheroPass in mind.”
“Loud and fucking clear. Redwing always comes first.”
Those cold, foreboding eyes drilled into me, but I was out of fucks to give.
“Pro tip, hot shot,” I half-snarled. “Start treating us like the Van Daals treated us. Like family, not inconvenient roommates.”
“Family,” he croaked, the fingers of his right hand going haywire against his thigh.
Whoops. Looks like I’d overloaded his emotional processing chip.
“Yeah, we’re supposed to be a family. Who put each other first. You and Cal are my chosen brothers. I thought you understood what that meant.” White-knuckling the chaise, I stared him down. “When was the last time you went out for dinner with Cal and didn’t talk about work? Or spent more than a minute alone with your brother? Have you ever asked Alijah what show he’s watching right now?”
I took a few steps closer, settling my hands on Owen’s twitchy shoulders. “I bet Wyatt could tell you. The same way he knows all of Morgan’s preferences. Thenandnow. Because he’s present. Curious. And he cares.”
Pulling his rigid form against my chest, I hugged Owen, our first proper physical contact in eons. Something I really should make a point of doing more often.
“Don’t assume everyone gets you the same way I do. You have to let us in, Owen.”
“I don’t know how,” he said, forcing the words through his stiff jaw.
“Use the supercomputer in your head and figure it out.”
He pushed against my sides, breaking my hold and putting distance between us, then showed me his phone.
Morgan’s lengthy, perfectly pointed barrage of texts was an absolute delight. “Oh, she’s got you pegged. One thousand percent.”
I returned the favor, showing him her message, which directed me to ice him out until he cracked. His right eyebrow twitched as he read the message.
“Don’t like it, do you?” I asked. “Now imagine how Alijah’s feeling.”
Owen’s mouth tightened into a flat line. He handed my phone back.
“It’s not a pleasant experience,” he said. The weak morning light made his gray eyes seem particularly inscrutable as theyveered over my shoulder, his finger tapping against his thigh with unsettling precision. “Would you have left?”
“Not as quickly as she said, but the thought had crossed my mind. I wanted to give Alijah the stability and commitment he deserves, but I can provide that for him—with or without you.”
“Then why stay?”
“Because I want a pack.Thispack. I’m a better version of myself around you and Cal. Alijah’s happier. And we finally have the room to breathe and grow together. Could maybe even watch a movie once in a blue moon. Or go on vacation. Rent a beach house for the weekend. You know, family shit.”
Owen’s head turned, staring long and hard at Wyatt’s bedroom door. His voice was quiet, riddled with regret, and a hint of yearning. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for Wyatt.”
