Page 19 of Claiming Xan
Without a word, Gracie grabbed a couple of cans from the fridge and a bottle of bright pink Pepto Bismol, pouring us both a medicine cup full. I was taken aback by the way the Alpha went into Mom-mode for us both.
“I’ll cook up some of my chicken soup for you boys later,” Gracie said.
I groaned and placed a hand on my stomach. “I don’t ever wanna eat again.”
“Mom’s soup is worth it,” Xan said. “It’s healing. Trust me.”
“You two try and get some rest,” Gracie said, turning the lights back off. “I’ll be just down the hall if you need anything.”
Xan and I exchanged a look. Xan smiled tiredly, then shrugged and curled back up on his side, the trash can having been emptied and a new liner put in. He turned on the TV and let it drone on in the background.
My stomach hurt and I felt like someone had run me over with a bus, but I also felt…oddly accepted, in a way I hadn’t felt before.
I sipped at my Sprite, which had gone lukewarm, listening to the bubbles hiss in the can. Then I turned over and tugged theblankets over me, dozing off to some kid’s cartoon about blue dogs with Australian accents.
11
RIVER
Tonight was family dinner night,the night when Gracie invited all of her adult children, their significant others, and the kids to enjoy a home-cooked meal and some company.
Of course, the house smelled heavenly, of roast lamb and rosemary-garlic potatoes, and something with a hint of cinnamon—maybe a pie? Knowing Gracie, it was probably a four-course dinner. Only the best for her progeny.
Which meant I’d be sitting this one out. I was the farthest thing from family there was, and that was fine with me. Even if my stomach was growling something awful…
Xan had dragged me out of the sanctum of my room and into the living room to play video games—“To pass the time,” he’d said—though all it did was make me even more aware of my unwanted presence here in Gracie’s home.
The black sheep that she didn’t want her son fraternizing with.
Apparently, Xan didn’t care about what she wanted. He was bound and determined to make a lasting impression on me.
And damn it, it was working.
If I’d thought he’d been flirting the other day? He was laying it on thick tonight and I had absolutely zero idea what to do with that information. I needed to behave myself, especially with Gracie in the next room.
“C’mon, River,” Xan taunted me, his character knocking mine off a cliff with a few well-aimed “Falcon Punch!”’s until poor Link spiraled into oblivion.
I lost a life. Xan crowed with delight. I growled back and fisted my hands around the controller, zeroing in on the screen.
“Watch it,” I muttered.
“Watch it?” he retorted. “You’re the one with the losing streak, not me! We’re playing Smash Bros, so come over here andsmashme!” He erupted into hyena giggles, his feet kicking off the edge of the couch.
He shouted with triumph as Link once again died in a fiery explosion, this time due to a bomb, and the victor was announced—Xan, of course. It was always Xan.
“You really need to up your game, babe,” he said, waggling his fingers at me. “Here, let me give you a few pointers.” He reached for my controller, but I snatched it away. He fell into me instead. “Hey!”
Somehow, we ended up on the floor, wrestling over control of the controller—but suddenly, I didn’t care about the game.
My attention was fully focused on Xan and the heat of his small body against mine, the way it felt rubbing against me in all the right places as he practically straddled me to pin me to the wooden floorboards.
I found myself face to face with the beautiful Omega, his lips curling into a wicked grin, both of us breathing heavily from the impromptu workout. I stared up at him, almost shell-shocked, which gave him the chance to steal the controller from me.
“Mine!” he barked—but my gaze cut to Gracie, who stood in the doorway, glaring daggers straight into my soul.
A warning.
With a growl, I rolled over and dumped Xan onto the floor, then stood and dusted my pants off. My face burned hot as embers. Fuck. I wastryingto be good.
