Page 3 of Duke's Baby Deal
Duke sat up as well, wiping the tickling grass off his face. “I’m letting him become an adult.” He couldn’t help his eyes going to the crowd of young alphas and betas surrounding Bram, and the obvious flirting happening. Damned Justin Montana Border sauntered up and Bram turned to him with a beaming smile, and Duke wanted to cry challenge right there and then. Bram glanced over at them, and Duke quickly looked away to hide his anger and frustration.
Mac watched Bram and his suitors for a moment, his expression thoughtful, then turned back to Duke. “I think Bram’s closer to being an adult than he lets us think, though he drives Jason crazy some times. But he’s trying to figure it out on his own, and, to be honest, Jason’s not much help, because he doesn’t fit in as a traditional omega either and Bram’s parents have started to keep Bram away from him. Bax is taking a hand, but with the pups, and the new baby coming, he doesn’t have the time. And well, you know how Bram can be. If he had someone he looked up to, to lead him in that direction…”
Duke got to his feet, careful not to look over by the playground equipment. Well, after one painful glance that showed Justin actually putting his hand on Bram. “I don’t want to be his father.”
Mac stood as well. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Whatever.” Duke waved him off, his heart aching, and Mac mercifully dropped the subject. “I need a drink.”
“Water or beer?”
“Water, idiot.” But Mac’s goofiness peeled away a layer of tension. “Then beer.”
Mac slung an arm over his shoulder. “Let’s go grab that workaholic cousin of yours and see what Jason’s got in the fridge.”
“Yeah, alright.” He needed to get away from uncomfortable play going on in front of him anyway.
Puppy whoops sounded behind them as they turned away from the playground. Duke and Mac half-turned to see Fan barreling across the grass towards them.
CHAPTER THREE
“So you’ll save me a dance?” Edmond asked eagerly.
“I’ll have to check my list,” I told him gravely. Poor guy really didn’t get that he didn’t have a chance. Though tonight, he might get one. The way I felt at the moment, I’d dance with everyone—as long as Duke was around to see it. He’d completely ignored me while I was over there. I flicked a glance over Edmond’s shoulder to where Duke was lying on the ground in the shade of a tree, talking to Mac. His mouth was tight, the corners turned down. He glanced over my way and it tightened further, then he looked away again.
Damn you, Duke Mercy Hills.I shifted my weight to one leg so my hip stuck out attractively and smiled up at Edmond. “I know I shouldn’t dance them, but I think I still have some of the later dances open.” The lover’s dances. Definitely wasn’t supposed to dance them, but as long as I could keep out of arm’s reach of my parents, who cared? I didn’t. “I’ll save one for you.”
“I hope that’s not your last one.” Justin’s drawl came from my right, and I spun and smiled up at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Duke watching us, and—was that pain mixed in with the disapproval? I thought it was—I hoped it was—and it set off a small fountain of triumph and joy inside me.Just come over here and demand a dance!But apparently being alpha didn’t make you telepathic. That, or I was reading stuff into his expression that wasn’t there. In frustration, I turned back to Justin.
“Nope. Still one or two, I’m sure.”I’ll make sure.“But I only have the lover’s dances left,” I told him breathlessly. Oh, he was hot. Just looking at him made me want to grab him and pull him down on top of me. Of all of them, he was the only one who could give Duke a run for his money, though for very different reasons. With Duke, I wanted to bring out the beast, the wild man and his wolf, that I sometimes sensed underneath the easy-going appearance. I dreamed of the day he threw away all the polite social conventions and grabbed me and demanded his rights. Even thinking about it made a shiver run over my skin.
Justin must have assumed he was the one to make me shiver, because his grin widened. “Well, I’ll take whatever you have left, darlin’,” he said, and ran the back of his index finger over my cheek. I almost forgot Duke at that moment—I’d always found Justin fun and exciting. Dangerous, even. He treated me so differently than the Mercy Hills shifters did, like I was a grownup, ready to mate right now, instead of in six months. Like I was an omega from another pack, where they let them mate earlier and treated them like adults. More importantly, he treated me like I wasn’t just the novelty Mercy Hills thought I was, but a sexy man. He gave off the impression that he could have me at any time, except he was choosing not to. Like I was so special I could make a bad boy behave. I’d decided that maybe there was a heart of gold underneath there, though it didn’t always show.
Or, at least, that was the story I told myself when I was mad at Duke. Which was most of the time, to be honest.
If Justin hadn’t been from Montana Border, I’d have been tempted, but I didn’t want to live the way Jason described it. I liked my luxuries. I liked not having to scrape and wait for things to be fixed. I liked having a job, which Montana Border would take away from me. I especially liked the idea that, if Bax could have an important job that took him outside the enclave, then maybe I could have one too. So, really, Justin was just a bit of fun, and a stick to poke Duke with until he finally wolfed up.
Speaking of… I lowered my eyelids so I could peek at Duke without anyone noticing. Yeah, he was mad. But the question was, why? Mac’s face was interesting, too. He seemed just as frustrated as I was, and it all appeared to be directed at Duke. Maybe I had a chance…
I opened my mouth to say something provocative and see if I could push Justin to do something that would makeDukedo something, and that was when I saw Fan running toward Mac and Duke again. “Excuse me, I have to chase him down.” I didn’t wait for a reply, but ran after Fan. Not that I thought he’d get in trouble, but this habit of charging off without telling me first was driving me crazy and I was trying to break him of it. Also, I didn’t want Justin feelingtoosure of me. After all, I was a prize, right? And you never knew what might happen if I was close enough to Duke. He might say something that would lead to something that would lead to something else… right?
“Hey, Fan!” Duke said and held out a fist so Fan could fist-bump him. Fan complied, so seriously I nearly laughed out loud. I wondered if I should ask Duke to dance with me, since we were both here. But if I did, and he said yes, how would I know he wasn’t just humoring me? And besides, he was the alpha, right? I couldn’t count the number of times I’d been told that a proper omegawaitedto be asked.
Anyway, I had to deal with the pup first. “Fan, did you run off without telling me again?” I glanced over my shoulder to check on the rest of the pups, but everything seemed fine. Half of them had moved over to the slide and the sandbox while I was chatting with the alphas, so the potential for squabbles had gone down enough that I could risk staying this far away.
“Can I go with Mac and Duke, Bram?” Fan asked, reaching for the alpha’s hands.
“No,” I told him. “You’re supposed to be in daycare. Mac and Duke have things to do.” Even saying his name made a shiver run up my spine.
“I’ll call Dabi and ask,” Duke rumbled, in that sexy deep voice of his. “We’re going to go disturb Abel anyway.” His glanced up at me, then just as quickly away, and I was confused once more, because I could have sworn he’d looked at me with longing.
I just wanted to shake him.
He called Abel and got the okay, so I handed Fan over to them. Duke was really good with him—he’d make a great father some day. For some lucky shifter who probably wasn’t me.
Duke didn’t even say goodbye when he left.
I sighed and turned to trudge back to the rest of the pups. I didn’t even feel like flirting any more.
