Page 50 of Overeager
Oh, fuck yes. Noah grinned like a dope, rising from the couch to envelop his brother in a bear hug, making a bro fist for Ryder behind Ash’s back. “Ash! Ryder! What’re you two doing here?”
Ash allowed the hug for approximately two seconds before he pushed Noah off, and Noah settled back on the couch. “Spence texted.”
Noah glanced at Spencer, who gave him a look of wide-eyed innocence.
Ash snapped in Noah’s face to get his attention. “Hey. You. Where the fuck have you been?”
“What do you mean?” Noah asked, frowning at him. It had been a while since he’d been on the bad end of his brother’s temper, and he hadn’t missed it. Ash was still unpresented—a rarity at nineteen—but Noah wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up an alpha. He may have been built like a beta—he was shorter and slimmer than Noah, more wiry than muscled—but he had the alpha aggression down pat. Especially when provoked.
But when the hell had Noah provoked him?
Ash started listing on his fingers. “You don’t answer calls. You barely text back. I’ve stopped by the house three times, and every time, this dickhead”—he gestured to Spencer with his thumb—“is the only one there to tell me you’re out. Again.”
“Uh …” Noah tried to think clearly. He knew he’d missed a call or two, but he hadn’t thought he’d beenthatabsent.
“You doing drugs or something?”
Noah could only laugh. “What the fuck, Ash?”
“I told you, Asher darling,” Spencer drawled, kicking a foot out to tap Ash’s calf. “He’s seeing someone.”
Ash flipped Spencer off without looking at him. “No, he isn’t. Because Noah wouldtellme if he was seeing someone. Wouldn’t you?”
“Uh …”
Ash’s eyes narrowed. “I take that back. Who is it?”
“I told you that too,” Spencer said cheerfully, apparently pleased as fucking punch to have an ally in the give-Noah-a-hard-time department. “He’s being super cagey.”
Noah let out a growl. “Spencer, I swear to god …” He leaned forward, giving Ash his most plaintive gaze. “Look, it’s super new, and I’m keeping it to myself for now. I’ve just been at his place a lot, I guess. I’m sorry I disappeared. I’ll do better.”
Ash stared Noah down for a long moment. His eyes were light brown, but they had a ring of black around them, and when he focused all his attention on someone, they were intense as all hell.
“Fine,” he said eventually. “But I want to borrow the car soon. We want to head to Flag, see the snow before it melts.”
Spencer sat up out of his slouch. “Ooh, snow trip? That sounds—”
“You’re not invited,” Ryder snapped. He’d stepped out from behind Ash—not that Ash’s form was capable of covering much of Ryder’s bulk—to glare at Spencer. Noah had known the guysince he’d been a scrawny, malnourished kid, so he wasn’t affected by the whole “mean alpha” thing he had going on, but he could see why some might be intimidated. Along with the deep, alpha bark, Ryder had dark hair shorn close to his scalp and an impressive collection of tattoos on his muscled arms. The only person he was ever remotely soft with was Ash.
Plus, his pheromones were something else.
Spencer scowled back at Ryder, but he could only keep it up for a second before he dropped it, his eyes lowering in submission. “Fine. Jeez, wouldn’t want to be stuck with you two, anyway.”
“Don’t be a dick,” Ash told Ryder mildly, without an ounce of real censure. His gaze landed on Noah again. “Okay, then?”
Noah shrugged. “Yeah, take the car. Whenever you want.”
“Good. I’ll text. You’ll answer.”
And then Ash disappeared back into the crowd, Ryder at his heels.
Spencer laughed, the sound almost manic. “Dude. Ash is such a hard-ass sometimes. How hasn’t he presented as an alpha yet?”
“Because his designation is officially ‘mouthy little shit,’ that’s why.”
Spencer laughed again, clearly feeling the booze. “I’d let him move in with us just for the entertainment value if Ryder wasn’t always with him.”
“Ryder’s chill unless you’re an asshole. You just have a way of pissing him off.”
