Page 46 of The Beta: Part Three
“I'm wonderful, Devon. Are you alright? You all look like I've doused you with ice water.”
“I”m good. What's wrong with Talia, Jasper?” Talia does appear to be in somewhat of a trance. She hasn't looked away from Jasper at all this whole time, not even when Trent's chair fell to the floor.
“Nothing is wrong with Talia. She's perfect. She was just very agitated when we came inside, and she's starving.”
“No offense, baby,” Devon says, “but I'm going to need her to tell me that.”
Jasper nods, turning his gaze back to Talia, and stops making that sound. “Talia?” he gently calls and strokes down her jaw, “Devon needs to know if you're alright.” He strokes her jaw twice more before she shakes her head and pulls away from him so violently that she falls to the floor.
When she stands up, she is seething with anger. She slaps Jasper faster than we can jump to stop her, causing his head to snap to the side. This is the first time she has ever been remotely aggressive toward him. “Don't ever do that shit again” she snarls then stomps out of the room.
If everyone was under a spell of calm before, they are dumbfounded by shock now. “She slapped me. I was just helping her calm down.” He looks just as bewildered as the rest of us.
“What was that noise you were making?” I ask him. “Can you make it again?”
He shrugs, “I think it's just for her. I've never done it before.”
“Yeah,” Alex says, taking a bite of food, “I definitely wouldn't do that again.”
Jasper looks down his nose at Alex. “I'll do it again if I need to.”
Alex smiles and takes another bite. “Oh peaches, I hope you do. I can't wait to see what happens.”
Chapter nineteen
Talia
What the hell was that sound Jasper was making? I remember coming inside the house angry because Corso made me come in, even more so because some assholes were shooting guns in the middle of the night when Jasper and I had just come off our heat. Then he started making that strange growly purr noise and the next thing I know I've got a mouthful of stew and Jasper's petting my face. Whatever he did took me completely out of it long enough that the alphas had time to come inside and start eating. I don't even remember setting the fucking table.
There's a soft knock on my door. Fuck the mostly open door policy in this pack, I locked it right after I slammed it shut. I locked the door on my side of the bathroom, too. I know it won't do a thing to actually keep any of them out, but it makes me feel better. The soft taps sound again and I huff out a breath. It better not be Jasper. I'm going to be pissed at him for a while longer.
“Talia,” Kaleb calls, “I just want to check on you. You don't have to open the door. I'd just really appreciate it if you'd let me know that you're alright.”
I remind myself that I'm not angry with Kaleb and I unlock the door to let him inside. “I'm fine. Just pissed.”
“Yes,” he hums, “you certainly are. But do you feel alright?”
“I'm fine, Kaleb. What was that sound he was making? It feels like when Alex made me sit, except worse.” I sit down on the edge of my bed, but then stand up again almost immediately. I'm too upset to sit.
“I don't know, cupcake. I've never heard him make it before. It did have a similar effect on you as an alpha command would. Is that what you meant? When did Alex tell you to sit?”
“When Devon was in the hospital. I needed to know what it would be like for me now that I'm an omega. It was just a teaching moment. What Jasper did wasn't teaching me anything. He took control of me.” Oh no. I think I might cry. Jasper actually took me away from myself with that sound, I don’t know how long I sat on his lap letting him shovel stew into my mouth. My stomach is almost overly full of food. I might cry while I throw up.
“He did. I don't think he knew he was doing it. He's never made that sound before tonight. That being said,” he pauses and takes a breath and gives me a look, “he doesn't feel overly bad about it. It's the wrong time to laugh, but I think it's funny that he knows how it feels for us. To know exactly what to do to help our omegas but also know better than to do it.”
“I guess that is funny,” I concede, “I just don't want him to do that again.”
“Do you think you'll be angry with him for very long?”
I blow out a breath, “no. But I am angry right now. And I might be pissy for a few days. That's not what I wanted. I wanted cuddles and horrible movies and shitty food.”
He grabs my hand when I pace past him and pulls me into his arms. “You can still have those things. Do you really feel alright? Not sick or anything?”
“Why are you so worried, Kaleb? Why would I be sick?”
His hand drifts down to my stomach and he holds it there.
Oh.
