Page 109 of The Pack Next Door
“Show me how to do it.” Gideon stared at the crack fixedly. “I’ll help.”
“That’s a nope.” Jace picked up the tube of glue and mixed up a larger batch. “You remember what you were like in art class? Those big hands are good for smashing people, but not so good for stuff like this.” His eyes flicked over to meet mine. “And you’re too impatient.”
“The launch.” Gideon nodded. “Briar asked me to talk to Emma about cancelling the venue hire, but maybe…”
“You glue.” I pointed to Jace. “You work out a place where we can display this stuff and I’ll…” I pulled out the flier I’d folded up. “Ask our mate out for a date.”
“What?” Jace spluttered. “How is that fair?”
“It’s not.” I smirked at him. “Just like you taking Briar out last night wasn’t very fair. Love and war and all that.”
With a whistle, I strolled over to my mate’s office, rapping on the door and entering when she called out.
“Em, can we…?” That small, unguarded moment of surprise. I’d memorise that, storing it away for later. Our mate had walls that were sky high, so it was a treat to see behind them. “You’re not Emma.”
“Nope.” I came to sit on the edge of her desk, imagining some sexy scenarios where she was the boss lady and I crawled under it, ready to service her, but instead I was a good boy. The flier was spread out on the desk. “Came to see if you’d be free this Friday?”
“Nope.”
So I didn’t expect this to be easy, but being shut down the instant she turned back to her computer? That wasn’t how this was supposed to go.
“Briar—”
“I’m busy, Mads.” She didn’t even sound angry. Just so distant it was hard to imagine the girl that was panting out her pleasure days before. “Very, very busy.”
“And all work and no play makes Briar a dull girl.”
Shit. I wanted her attention, but not like this. A dark look over the top of her laptop, the frown deepening by the second.
“That’s a risk I have to take,” she said. “Everything went to hell while I was away, and now I need to do the work to fix it.”
“By yourself?”
“Not by myself.” Her fingers moved across the keys again. “Emma and Seb are at capacity. You and your brothers have helped lessen the load, which is really great, but not so much that I can spend my evenings drinking and painting.”
“So when will you relax?” She didn’t answer me, her focus entirely on the computer screen. “Briar, you only just broke your heat, and your mum took a fall?—”
“Shit, Mum!” A glanced down at her phone and she was frowning all over again. From the frantic scroll, it seemed likeher mother had tried to ring her several times. “I’ve still got to find her a damn nurse.”
“So take a moment.” The office seemed somehow oppressive now, like a cage my omega had built for herself. “Let yourself breathe.”
“I don’t have time.” Her finger stabbed her phone screen, tapping in a number. “Not now, not until this whole debacle is over and done with. It took me years to build the business up to the place it is now. I’m not losing it over one freight company’s stuff up. If I don’t keep it together, then Emma and Seb are out of a job. They’re relying on me…” She hit the call button, and we both heard the regular buzzing through the speakers. “So I have to ensure I fulfil my responsibilities. Now, we can talk afterwards, maybe…” A voice said hello down the line. “Yes, hi, I was wanting to chat to someone about in-home care?”
I was dismissed, that was clear to see. With a nod I jumped off the desk and made for the door. This wasn’t right, that’s what my wolf felt, pacing back and forth inside me. Omegas were supposed to live a soft life, not one filled with stress. It was my job… In a couple of strides, I was out of the door, closing it behind me, and then I went to grab one of Jace’s repaired pots.
“Hey—!” he said.
“Just gotta show Emma something,” I called over my shoulder.
The woman herself was found bopping away to the radio as she and Seb packed orders ready for shipping.
“Hey, Mads.” She smiled when she saw me, then her eyes dropped to the pot. “Damn, is that?—?”
“Kintsugi?” Seb drew closer. “Where the hell did you get that done?”
“Here.” I put the piece down and the two of them were drawn closer like moths to a flame. “Jace did it.”
“Jace…?” The two of them looked at each other. “Could he?—?”
