Page 81 of The Beta: Part One

At some point, Devon and Trent wander in, both looking dour, but once they see Jasper happily wielding his paring knife and popping bites of everything but onion into his mouth they brighten. Oh yes, that's definitely why Nathan was embarrassed. Jasper was not okay and they were definitely having a very hard time handling it.

“Spicy, or spicy-spicy?” I ask the room in general as I prepare to put together a sauce. They unanimously decide on spicy spicy, and I put Jasper on wok duty while I mix up a sweet and spicy sauce that should have everyone's ears burning in the best possible way.

It feels so nice to be in this kitchen cooking for them again. I knew I missed Jasper like crazy, but I didn't know I'd miss the rest of it. I missed the kitchen, I missed planning meals with Jasper and having movie nights with him. I missed Trent's teasing and Kaleb's steady presence working at the table. I missed their combined scents. I know the only one of them who genuinely wants me here for me is Jasper, but I can't help the secret relief I feel knowing that they are all in the same room; and that makes me that much more grateful that Bianca put those suppressants in my bag. The list of things pointing towards me finally having an omega awakening is growing longer and longer, and it terrifies me. If it turns out that I'm an actual omega I'll have to leave. I'll have to leave this house and I'll have to leave Jasper.

I must be showing some of what I'm trying to process on my face because Devon is looking at me like he can see into my soul and his nostrils are gently flaring. I watch in slow horror as Kaleb stops what he's working on to see what has Devon so alert and then moves his eyes to me, his nostrils only slightly flaring and his head tilting in curious interest.

I turn my back on them and put myself on the other side of Jasper's body. With any luck, neither of them will have caught the scent of anything that would give either of them any reason to form questions or opinions. I'm going to go straight downstairs and take one of those pills in my bag the second I finish eating, though; just as a precaution. The very last thing I need is to experience one of those spikes standing at the sink washing dishes while I'm in a room with four alphas and their omega. I'm probably going to send Bianca flowers or a fruit basket or something.

As hard as it is for me to admit, I do feel less emotionally unstable after I take one of the little pink pills, and I get to spend the rest of the afternoon letting Jasper keep me hidden away in his room. We spend most of our time burrowed under his blankets napping or destroying the bed with our sex.

Only Nathan comes in to check in on us, and when his lingering becomes obvious Jasper rolls his eyes and invites him to stay for a while to watch a movie. Nathan climbs onto the bed on the other side of Jasper, if he notices any sign of how Jasper and I have spent the afternoon he doesn't mention it. In fact, he seems very happy to be lounging in a space that has been very heavily enjoyed by his omega. Jasper, being the spoiled brat he is, chooses the worst movie he can find to watch, and I fall asleep curled into his side before I even put the plot together. Apparently my misery-induced inability to sleep for the past few weeks is catching up to me.

I wake up to the obnoxious sound of the ending credits, a truly delicious scent, and a gentle rocking motion. I know what's happening before I open my eyes. Well, I'm only slightly mistaken, Jasper isn't actually fucking Nathan. But he is jerking him off and licking off the sticky precum leaking from the tip of Nathan's engorged dick.

As much as I would enjoy staying to watch, I don't want to intrude and I slide away as gracefully and inconspicuously as I can. Jasper whines and pouts at me over his shoulder, but I wink at him on my way out of the room and wave Nathan a little salute that he returns with a smile. Jasper is only about two weeks away from his next heat cycle. He's going to be spiking all over the place like he did last time, and he's going to need alpha assistance to get through them no matter how much pleasure he finds with me.

I go in search of Devon, although whichever alpha I find first will be able to handle what I have to say. Jasper's last heat was a mess. His alphas didn't manage their time or plan sufficiently and the result was unacceptable. Jasper was in fucking agony. Swollen, aching, leaking, begging agony with only me there to ease him while they were off doing something that could have waited or been handled differently. I don't ever want to see him in that much burning misery ever again, no matter that being pinned to the wall while he fucked my mouth is one of my favorite fantasies. Just remembering the sounds he made makes me unnecessarily and copiously wet, making me press my thighs together as I move through the house.

I find two of them in the basement. Kaleb and Devon are standing in front of my bedroom door peering inside like it holds some mystery. I don't exactly startle them when I call their attention, but they both stare at me like I’m the center of an inquisition.

“I need to address a potential issue. Do you have time?” I ask, my voice firm as I purposefully ignore their curious expressions.

They exchange one of those looks that mean an entire conversation has taken place silently and Kaleb responds, “Is the potential issue to do with Jasper or yourself?”

I blink at him, “Both, actually.”

They have another silent conversation and I roll my eyes as I slide between them into my bedroom, “Rude, both of you.”

Kaleb smirks, “You shouldn't call alphas names.”

I roll my eyes again. “Jasper should go into heat within two weeks if he keeps to his schedule. Last time, you all left him here with me and he was in so much pain. You can't do that again. I couldn't give him what he so desperately needed. He needed his alphas and all he had was me and it was fucking horrible. He can't suffer like that again.”

“Did you suffer because of it, as well?” Kaleb asks, tilting his head to the side.

I did suffer, but only because I couldn't help him. “It hurt me to see and hear him in pain, begging for relief that I couldn't provide.”

Another of their silent conversations.

“Listen,” I try very hard to keep the snarl I feel off my face and out of my tone, “I don't know what you two are talking about with your eyes, but this is a real problem. Please make arrangements to stay home until after his heat is over.”

Devon's eyes burn into mine and down my body, his nostrils flare like he's trying to scent me without getting any nearer, and I suddenly can't keep the snarl away. “What are you looking at? Is there something on me? Do you have a problem with me wearing Jasper's clothes? If you do you'll need to take it up with him, because if he wants me to wear them I'm going to.”

“How are you feeling, Talia? You look a little unwell. I can't smell any sign of sickness, but you look a bit wrung out.” I'd be shocked at Devon's question if he didn't look like he was working out a puzzle, and I can't have him working out this puzzle.

Not yet, anyway. Not until I know for sure, and even then not until I talk to Jasper about it.

“I'm fine,” I snap, and flop down on my little bed. I move my hands along the sheets and frown when I remember that Jasper's blanket is at Daniel's. I lift my finger to the alpha's in the room and pull out my phone. Maybe Kaleb is right, maybe I shouldn't be so dismissive of them, at least part of the time. Bianca answers on the second ring, “B, please don't wash the blanket I left. I'll come get it and my armory in a couple weeks. Will you put it in one of those air lock bags for me until I can get it?”

She laughs at me and agrees, and says she'll also text me the recipe for that soup so I can make it for Jasper then she tells me she loves me and hangs up. I hold the phone out and look at her contact picture on the screen, “Everyone is fucking rude.”

Kaleb scoffs and I give him the most polite glare I can manage, then I sigh. “I'm just tired. I hated being away from Jasper. I was so worried, and I missed him so much. I'm a bit off now, but I'll be back to normal in a day or two. I know you're worried about my ability to keep up with things here, especially with Jasper going into heat soon, but I'll be fine before then. It'll be fine.”

They have yet another silent exchange and it is a battle not to comment on it, but I don't.

“You said fine three times in a matter of minutes. Women don't say fine that many times unless they are definitely not fine. Is there anything else you'd like to talk to us about?” Kaleb asks, his earnest blue eyes pinning mine.

“No, really, I'm fine. I mean okay. I just need some real rest, which I'll get now that I can see that Jasper is alright. Will you stay home until after Jasper's heat is over?”

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