Page 13 of Knot Their Valentine

I don’t even notice Quinton has returned until he’s sliding a glass of juice in front of me. I sit up, sending him a grateful smile, and take a sip, only to realize it’s wine, so I take a bigger sip.

“So, food? What can I make you?” Quinton asks, then lists four different dishes, but he might as well have been speaking in a language I don’t understand. I just stare at him. “Should I just decide for you?” he chuckles, and I shrug. I don’t have the capacity to make another decision today. Working for Dr. Mahoney’s clinic is exhausting.

So I don’t have room for questions and answers. Not even one as simple as what I want to eat.

I spend so much of my day telling college educated, board certified doctors how to work a simple fucking computer system. It’s like they filled their brains to the max capacity of knowledge, and now there isn’t even room for something as simple as how to fill out a medical chart.

I let out a growl of frustration, thinking about the three extra hours I spent sitting next to the doctor, helping him fill out each block of information for each damn patient. I need a raise.

Quin frowns at me, and I wrinkle my nose.

“Work stuff. Where are Thing-One and Thing-Two?” I murmur before sipping more of the wine. It’s a deep red and dry. Not my favorite, but I didn’t have to serve myself or buy the damn bottle, so I don’t really care.

Quinton laughs, brown eyes sparkling, and the sound makes me almost smile. The longer I sit here, the more of his emotions reach me. He’s so fucking happy, but under that is this deep sense of need. His scent is half sour, half desperate. Jesus, if a stranger walked in here right now, they’d think I was his Alpha and fucking neglecting him.

“Cae is working a double, and Lachlan doesn’t check in. He just comes and goes.” Quin swallows thickly, and I frown. His Alpha doesn’t check in with him? That must send his instincts into a tizzy. That would actually infuriate me. He wouldn’t leave this apartment without drowning in my scent. He’d get marked so much, he’d smell like a chocolate bar.

Maybe… Lachlan is only his Alpha for heats, and more like a friend the rest of the time? They’ve been bonded for less than a year. It’s not usually how packs work, but it’s not unheard of.

“Are you and Lachlan intimate?” I ask, tilting my head. Quin’s cheeks flame bright red, and he refuses to look at me as he stirs something in a pot on the stove.

“We… I mean… Well, we kissed once, but we were all drunk… He’s only been with women before. I don’t think I’m what he likes… I mean, I don’t know…” Quin shakes his head.

“He liked you enough to kiss you, even if he was drunk.” I take another few sips, considering his words. If Quin was an Alpha, it would make more sense. They’d be looking for an Omega to share, even if Cae and Quin were also intimate. Dreaming of a scent match, even as rare as they are. It wouldn’t be unusual for Lachlan and Quin not to fuck. “So Caelum is the chef, but you cook most of the meals?” I change the subject since Quin’s scent turned even more sour.

“I wanted to be a chef before–” he snaps his mouth shut abruptly, and I frown.

“Is everything okay, Quinton?” I ask, and he nods his head and keeps cooking.

I don’t push him, mostly because it’s midnight, and I’m dead on my feet. I’m burning with curiosity, though. He wanted to be a chef before what? Why does he work from home? Why has he only kissed Lachlan once? Why don’t both his Alphas fuck him? Why did Lachlan and his ex break up? Ugh. I may never know.

Quin puts some pasta on a plate, then silently slides it across the counter and hands me a fork.

“This smells incredible,” I whisper before taking a massive bite. I moan, my eyes fluttering shut as the flavor invades my taste buds. “Oh muh gurd…” I mumble around a mouthful.

“Do you like it?” His voice is deeper, a hint of a growl just under the surface. I nod, blinking my eyes open, only to find him watching me intently. Thoughts of him watching me as I stuff my mouth with other things fill my filthy mind, and I blink.

“So good,” I say after I swallow. This moment feels charged with some unspoken emotions as I hold his gaze.

“I wanted to be a chef before we formed the pack. Since then, I haven’t had a great handle on my instincts or my hormones.” Quin shakes his head. “I–I was raised with a pack of Alphas, and they thought I would be an Alpha, too. When I perfumed, they fucking lost it. Cae saved me, really…” Quinton’s confession makes my heart ache. I knew his home life was fucked when we were kids, but he never talked about it. I didn’t think it was my business to ask, either. “So I’ve just been struggling. It makes working with the public harder.”

“Fuck…” I frown. “Have you tried talking to supportive services? Or getting suppressants?” I ask, not sure if there’s anything I can really say that might help him. My instincts do crazy shit, but they’re not so out of control that I can’t work.

“No, I’m allergic to oral suppressants. And I guess I just thought I could handle it on my own, so I haven’t looked into the support services.” Quin nibbles his lip, and I stuff a few more bites in my mouth as we chat.

Fuck, this meal is yummy. I hope he makes me more food.

“Hmm. Well, if there’s anything I can help with, just let me know.” I smile softly at him. I have the smallest sliver of energy back after the few bites I’ve had.

“Have you ever been drawn to another Omega?” His voice deepens, and I snap my head up, mid-chew, and stare at him with wide eyes. Does he know? Am I that fucking obvious?

“I-I um, I mean, I’ve found an Omega attractive before.” I confess, taking a large gulp of the wine.

“Me too…” he murmurs. There’s that charged spark again. I stare at him, unsure where to take the rest of this conversation.

The moment is ruined when Caelum walks in the door. Well, more like storms in.

I keep eating because no matter how insufferable the Alpha is, I’m not letting him ruin this meal.

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