25
723 Words
Will, Trey, and Elijah walked back toward the packhouse, tension from the council meeting still heavy on their shoulders. The moment they stepped into the kitchen, the scent of food hit them—but something else followed.
Laughter.
Male laughter.
Will’s gaze snapped forward. Trey’s shoulders tightened instantly. Elijah’s eyes narrowed as they took in the scene—Remi, Rae, and Del surrounded by three male omegas leaning in a little too close, smirking, clearly trying their luck.
Something primal flickered through all three Alphas.
Will’s jaw clenched.
Elijah shifted his stance, already alert.
And Trey—without even thinking—felt a sharp, unexpected surge of irritation spike through his chest as his eyes locked on Rae.
“Seriously?” Trey muttered under his breath, tone darker than he expected it to be.
Will took a step forward, voice low. “They’ve got about five seconds.”
But before any of them could intervene—
Rae straightened.
“Ohhh wow,” she said, dragging the words out as she looked at the first omega. “You really thought that line was going to work?”
The omega blinked. “Uh—what?”
Rae tilted her head, completely unimpressed. “‘Are you a magician? Because every time I look at you, everyone else disappears’?” She let out a short laugh. “Yeah… no. That’s not charming. That’s painful.”
Del snorted behind her.
The second omega tried to recover, stepping in. “Hey, I’ve got a better one—”
Rae didn’t even let him finish. “‘Do you have a map? Because I got lost in your eyes’?” She pointed at him. “Stop. Just… stop. You sound like a bad dating app.”
Elijah actually choked back a laugh.
The third omega tried a quieter approach, offering a grin.
Rae narrowed her eyes at him. “Nope. Not you either. I don’t care what line you’ve got loaded—abort mission.”
By now, Will, Trey, and Elijah had fully entered the space, their presence shifting the entire atmosphere.
The omegas froze.
Will’s voice cut through the room, calm but edged. “That’s enough.”
Trey moved closer—closer than necessary—positioning himself just slightly in front of Rae without even realizing it. His expression was sharp, eyes locked on the omegas like he was daring them to try again.
He didn’t know why the irritation was so strong.
He just knew he didn’t like it.
Elijah leaned casually against the counter, though his gaze stayed alert. “You boys picked the wrong place… and the wrong people.”
Rae smirked, completely unfazed, crossing her arms. “Relax. I had it handled.” She glanced at Trey, then Will. “But wow… you guys really came in ready to throw down over bad pickup lines.”
Trey huffed, running a hand through his hair. “They were annoying.”
Rae raised a brow. “Annoying? You looked ready to commit violence.”
Elijah muttered, “He kinda did.”
Will’s lips twitched slightly, though his gaze stayed sharp on the retreating omegas. “They crossed a line.”
The omegas, now very aware of the danger they’d walked into, backed off quickly, muttering apologies as they exited the kitchen.
Silence settled for a moment.
Then Rae turned back to the Alphas, grabbing a snack off the counter like nothing happened. “Well. That was entertaining.” She pointed slightly with her food. “Also? Their lines? Terrible. Zero effort.”
Remi laughed. “You destroyed them.”
Rae shrugged. “Public service.”
Trey shook his head, though there was the faintest hint of a smile now. “Remind me never to flirt with you.”
Rae shot him a look, instantly smug. “Oh, you couldn’t handle it anyway.”
Elijah snorted.
Will’s gaze lingered on Rae for a moment longer than necessary, something unreadable passing through his expression. “You didn’t need us,” he admitted.
Rae smirked. “Nope. But the dramatic entrance? Nice touch.”
Aspen padded into the kitchen then, settling beside Rae, clearly satisfied that everything was under control.
Trey glanced down at the dog, then back at Rae—still feeling that strange, lingering pull of protectiveness he couldn’t quite explain.
He didn’t question it.
Not yet.
- Writer
