Page 69 of The Beta: Part Two
Jasper grins, and I bite my lips to keep from laughing. “Oh, I’m sure he does. Goodnight.”
After I end the call, I ask Jasper if he feels any better.
“Yes, and no. I’m going to be, though. You’re sure Reid won’t mind?”
“Reid will be honored. Remember when everyone was trying to convince me that Corso would be honored to help me? This is the same thing. I promise.” I tug on his earlobe and smile. “He’s in his room waiting for you to decide what you want. I can feel him. He’s as nervous as you are, but he is determined to be what you need if you’ll let him.”
“It’s hard to get used to feeling them through the bond. And I’ll have to get used to another one, I guess.”
I nod. It is hard. Sometimes I almost love it. It’s amazing that I can feel Reid’s nervousness, Alex’s chaos, and even Corso’s worry. There are times when I feel a little crowded inside my own head, but I’m getting better at handling it. I am curious about how I feel to them, but I don’t know if I’m brave enough to ask. If they think I’m as much of a mess as I think I am, I don’t really want to know.
“Want me to go get him?” I ask, and Jasper bites his lip before finally saying yes. I kiss the tip of his nose and roll off the bed. He’d never say anything, and I’ll never tell Devon I let him out of my sight long enough to go down the hall, but Jasper needs a minute to think by himself. Even if it is just one literal minute.
Reid is laying on his bed over the blankets when I knock on his door frame. I’m beginning to love even more that closed doors aren’t any more common at the manor than they were at the farmhouse.
“Are you ready to have another omega running laps in your head?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“Is he ready? I won’t do it if he doesn’t want it. I won’t force him. Not until there’s no other option.”
“You’re a good alpha, Reid,” I tell him, and walk to the side of the bed so I can tug him up to sit on the edge. I step between his knees and wrap my arms around his head, pulling it against my chest so I can gently scrape my nails over his hair and scalp. Reid locks his own arms around my waist. This might be one of the best feelings in the entire universe. “He’s nervous. He doesn’t want to betray the others. But he knows he needs this to happen before he starts declining any more than he already has. I’m glad it’s going to be you.”
“Corso would have done it.”
He’s right. Corso would have claimed Jasper and it would have been fine. But he might not have enjoyed Jasper the way Jasper deserves to be enjoyed. Corso can and does appreciate Jasper’s beauty, but that’s not the same thing as wanting him. Reid will want Jasper. And Jasper will be good for Reid. The situation is terrible, but I’m almost giddy with excitement. I can’t wait to see how they react to each other.
“Alex would have, as well.” Reid adds. He’s right about that, too. Alex would probably claim Jasper within an inch of his life. But Jasper doesn’t need Alex’s brand of attention right now, he needs Reid’s strength and calm. There will be plenty of time later for Alex to ravish Jasper.
“They would have. Alex still might someday. But right now, Jasper needs you.” This is the right thing to say. Reid often feels necessary, but he doesn’t always feelneeded. He is exactly what Jasper needs right now, and hearing me say it out loud helps calm the poorly suppressed buzz of anxiety I feel through our bond.
“Will he, do you think…” Reid pauses, and presses a bit more into my body, “do you think he’ll be like you? With me? Do you think he’ll want this? Do you think he’ll think less of me for it?” Reid is one of the most articulate people I know, and there isn’t a shy cell in his body. His nerves are making him doubt himself and the beautiful dynamic we’ve built around us.
“There is nothing you could do that would make him think less of you. Well, he wouldn’t think very much of you mistreating me; but you’d never do that, anyway. Jasper is very much like me, he just hasn’t been given the opportunity to explore it. The other alphas are pretty dominant with him, and he’s very comfortable maintaining the cooperative omega role. He’s different with me. Being with me gives him room to hold a place of dominance and he’s such a natural. But he’s still a brat.”
That earns me a soft laugh and a squeeze. “Right now he needs a little leading. A bond with you will make him feel safe and secure, and I’ll be right there with both of you. You’ll see, after this he’s going to feel so much better; and the next time we’re in your room we’ll both take care of you.”
Reid rubs up and down the backs of my thighs and groans, “I don’t know what I’ll do if I can survive both of you taking care of me.”
“You’re a big strong alpha, Reid. You can survive anything.” I drop a kiss onto his forehead, “I’ll go get Jasper. Be right back.”
Jasper is laying on the bed where I left him. He's got one arm thrown over his eyes and pure misery is rolling off of him. I hope having a bond with Reid will make things a little better for him. Devon thinks it will, so I'm running with that as hard as I can.
I crawl up over him from the foot of the bed and straddle his stomach, then I pull his arm from across his face. “Come with me to Reid's room.”
“I thought we'd do it here?”
“Do you trust me, princess?”
He nods.
“Then come with me. This will be better in his room. Things with Reid are different, though. Very different from what happens between us and any of the other alphas. Reid has a few different, very important, needs than they do. It's part of what makes him such a strong and good alpha.”
Jasper licks his lips and takes a breath before he says, “I caught on to something like that when we were on that video call.”
“Yes. You'll see. The biggest thing to understand is that I have this relationship with Reid because he needs it, and I will protect his needs from anything and anyone. That includes you, princess. Anything that happens in Reid's room stays in Reid's room. We don't mention it, make comments about it, or make jokes about it. None of the others know anything about what happens between Reid and I, and I will keep it that way. If you decide to come with me to his room, then you will have to help me take care of and protect him. Does that make sense?”
He rubs his palms up and down my thighs, and holds my gaze, “I understand. This will make him mine, too.”
“Yes. Can you handle something like that? If not, I'll get Alex. Either way, you need a bond with one of these alphas tonight. You're declining fast, Jasper. I don't want one of them to use a command on you, but we need you okay. I need you to be alright, and so does Devon.”
