Page 14 of For What It's Worth

“I’m sorry,” I managed to whisper. Whether or not he heard me, he didn’t respond to my apology, but the veins in his forearms were somehow standing out. It was only concern for Enzo’s health that helped me break out of my trance. “I should go.”

“Why?” It was less of a question and more of a demand for an answer. “Why did you come in here?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was your room. I should have knocked.”

“Whose room did you think it was?” Talking didn’t seem to help Enzo relax his grip. The color was leaving his knuckles as he held onto the drawer.

“No one’s. Jenson said I could collect some blankets and pillows, so I’m going room to room. I wasn’t really thinking.” I felt my cheeks heat with a blush. Enzo’s attention flickering from my own, down to my cheeks, only turned them a darker shade.

“For a nest?” I was about to deny it, to explain it wasn’t really a nest, when he said, “Take it. Take anything you want that’s mine, Koda.”

The rasp in his voice almost brought me to my knees, but somehow, I convinced myself to walk to his bed. Instead of pushed back against the wall to the back of the house, Enzo’s bed was on the far-left side, the head of the bed sharing the same wall as the guest. My eyes never strayed from his as I stripped the bed. He only had one pillow and I made sure to grab that as well.

Enzo watched me as I turned everything into a big ball to carry. Before I got the chance to say “thanks” and get the hell out of his room, Enzo crossed the space in just a few steps, stopping in front of me with only the ball of Enzo-smelling-sheets between us.

With all the alphas in this house, I had to tilt my head up to see them, but with Enzo so close, and the tallest in the pack, his proximity felt overwhelming. I remembered what it was like to have my legs wrapped around his body. To rub myself against him, trying to scent him and get myself off at the same time. He was so different from Jenson; I couldn’t help but wonder how I’d attracted two opposites.

Enzo’s blue eyes were bright even if they weren’t as intelligent as Jenson’s. His face was shaved but not smooth, like his hair was already growing back. I knew if I ran my fingers along his jaw, I would feel the bite of his stubble. And my fingers ached to reach out and touch him.

There was something with Enzo I didn’t feel with the others. A comfortable silence. Like I could’ve dropped what I was holding, threw myself at him, and Enzo would hold me. No questions ask.

I also knew Enzo would be a good alpha to his omega. But I was not that omega. Because I wasn’t a true omega, and these males deserved the best.

“Thank you.” I barely got the words out before I flew out of the room, throwing myself into the nest. Instead of focusing on the aching feeling that started the moment I was in Enzo’s presence, I spread out the sheets that smelled of him and mixed them into Jenson’s.

Every instinct in my body told me to go find Aidan’s room and get his scent too, but I ignored it. I didn’t know if I’d survive another run-in without dropping to my knees and begging to be rutted. I’d never had sex, but my body was definitely telling me that my pussy was too empty. I needed to be filled, and any one of the alphas in this house would do.

Making the nest with only two scents, however, quickly grated on my nerves. The more I created, the more I hated it until the nest was done and I tore it down again. Frustrated, I held onto that emotion and marched myself back out of the nest to find Aidan’s room.

This time, I made sure to knock.

“Come in.”

I would have just peeked my head in, but I didn’t want to let his scent out. Weird but necessary. Unlike Enzo, Aidan was fully dressed when I came into his room. His bed was a single mattress in the middle of the room which somehow did and did not surprise me. Pillows were on and off the bed, the covers thrown around. Aidan’s room was the messiest but also had the most decorations. Photos lined walls instead of just being displayed on desks like Jenson’s room. Along the back wall was windows—like Jenson’s—with light, orange-colored curtains covering them. Clothes of all type decorated the floor and basically any available surface.

If my dorm room wasn’t also this messy, I might have made fun of Aidan. But alas, hypocrisy wasn’t in the books for now.

I’d also realized I hadn’t gotten a good look at Enzo’s room, and it made me sadder than it should’ve.

I found Aidan sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the bed, while typing away on his phone. He looked up, his smile blinding when he noticed me. Or maybe blinding wasn’t the right word. His smile was contagious because my bad mood at not seeing Enzo’s room and not having Aidan’s scent quickly disappeared. I matched Aidan’s smile with one of my own.

“What can I do for you, Koda bear?”

My heart jumped at the nickname. “I was hoping to collect your sheets and pillows.”

“Oh yeah, what for?”

I knew what he wanted me to say—it was the same thing Enzo guessed but hadn’t made me confirm. “I’m making a fort.”

“A fort.”

“Yep.”

“Can I help then? Since it’s for a fort.”

“Absolutely. I was hoping for bed supplies from you. That’s helping.”

Aidan’s laugh was full. I watched him throw his head back with the beautiful sound. There were some people that giggled at small comments and then there were people like Aidan who threw their whole body and soul into everything they did. All their love and joy. It was amazing to watch.

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