Trying to turn my mind onto more pressing matters than wondering how it would feel to be in Liam’s lap again, with or without him wearing pants– and dear god, that was an image– I made my way through the sunken living room towards the kitchen nestled into the alcove beyond.
Though this pack looked more than justintip-top physical shape, I had to believethatthey still had good snacks somewhere.
I saw movement outside the window on my left.
I froze. Was it over that fast? Did someone else find me now that I was an omega? Did they know I was hiding in this house?
My heart hammered in my chest,eyeswentblurry with the sudden spike of fear. Whatever was outside, however, didn’t come towards the partially opened French doors, and I took a step towards them.
I turned my head until I could see that the figure outside under the lamp glow was not a masked robber but the largest and most silent of the alphas in the house.
He was the one who first spoke to me when I woke up the other day. He was the one who found me and kept me safe out on the sidewalk outside the club that first night.
Safe.
Marko bent over the flower beds alongside the townhouse.
The sound of cars and the chirps of crickets or late-night bugs seemed far away as I stepped outside on my bare feet. Marko shifted aside soil and rocks and yanked leaves from aroundlines of wilted flowers. Small grunts escaped from the back of his throat from minor exertion as he reached, lifting himself with strong quad muscles as he shifted on his knees.
He must’ve been outside for some time since the rest of the house retreated to their beds for the night. It looked like he had beenbothfrom the dirt caking his hands and the thin trail of sweat beading along his head. It dripped down his jawline to the pronounced tendon of his neck.
I wanted to lick the sweat of his temple.
I blinked.
That had to be the omega talking.
I took a step back, stepping on a leaf. It crumbled loudly under my toes.
Thelargealpha’s head snapped up. His face turned sharpandhis eyes flared. It was such a stark difference to the tired peace that his expression had held only a second ago.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, though my voice was still slightly hoarse from sleep. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I was just...”
Marko raised his dark eyebrows. In the low light, they almost hadan auburntint to them.
I looked down at what he was doing, his hands coated inathicklayer ofdirt.“What are you doing?”
Looking back down at his work, Marko shrugged. “Clearing out the weeds. No one takes care of it. I do it myself.”
“Oh.”
He studied me for another moment under his striking hazel eyes beforehe nodded and got backto work.
I shifted where I stood, unsure whether or not I should leave him to it and go back into the house.
Only, I didn’t want to.
I watched as he worked for a moment before I lowered myselfdownto the ground.
Grass prickled around my knees, but it felt nice, and my legs were oddly tired. All of me was oddly tired compared tonormal.
Picking at the grass, I looked around. Marko was still intent on his work around the flowers that greatly contrasted with the large and imposing man. They were soft and delicate, even as they wilted as autumn began soon.
He peekedupat me as if he could feel my eyes on him.
I cleared my throat. Maybehewanted me to say something or was uncomfortablewith mejust standing here. “Have you ever thought about planting vegetables or anything?”
“I’ve done zucchini and lettuce before. We haven’t had a chance to make something this past year, Traveling,” he clarified before I could ask. I remembered Cal saying that his alphas had been spendinga lot oftime out of town for work or something to that effect. “Do you like to garden?”