Page 129 of Traded
My smile feels easier as I look at the other omega. “Hi.”
She’s smaller than Julia. Curvier in a pretty cream floral wrap dress, with dark hair pinned back in neat curls and brown eyes that study my shoes intently.
“Our other omega.” John Kessler waves his hand in her direction and turns to Liam. “Get us a drink, son, will you? I feel like we’ve traveled for days to get here.”
They brush past us, Jonas following. Lauren hesitates before Liam calls her name. I stay where I am, bemused.
“Hi,” I say again when she doesn’t move. “You know,other omegais a bit of a mouthful.”
Her mouth lifts at the corners. “Erin.”
“Erin,” I repeat, looking behind me to the kitchen. “Well, it’s good to meet you too. Can I get you a drink? Do you like wine? We’ve got plenty.”
“Erin.”
I flinch, finding myself pressed against the wall. Erin walks past while I’m still fighting to breathe, my hand reaching for my racing heart. I peel myself away and turn slowly, watching her approach Liam’s dad where he talks to Liam.
Liam’s mom is talking to Lauren, but I notice her hand gripping the counter tightly enough to whiten her knuckles. Jonas looks over at me, his face paler.
What… the fuck?
“Rosie.” I pull my eyes from them. Liam stands in front of me. His smile is strained. “Could you pour the drinks? Dad likes a sav. There’s a bottle in the bucket.”
Autopilot sets in as I move around the counter. Liam’s dad takes his wine without a thank-you, he and Jonas deep in discussion about hockey, and I turn to Erin. “What would you like?”
She looks at John instead of answering. I wait until he turns, barely acknowledging Erin at all. “She’ll have a merlot. Small glass.”
“Mighty deep voice you have there, Erin,” I rally after a few seconds of awkward silence. John only turns back to Jonas, dismissing me entirely.
But my chest grows tight and hot as Erin drops her eyes. Swallowing, I pour her a glass—alargeglass—and hang back as Liam leads them over to the table.
“What the hell is that about?” Lauren’s arm brushes mine, her whisper barely reaching me. “You ever seen anything like it?”
I don’t answer her. I’m not sure I can.
“Lauren?” Liam calls. “You sit here next to me. Ro, you’ll be over there, opposite Erin. Carter’s running late at the rink. He sends his apologies, says he’ll get here as soon as he can.”
I have my doubts that Carter’s said anything of the sort. I lift my phone from the counter and send him a quick message.
SOS. Dinner is weird. Come home?
Burying myself gratefully in dinner prep, I avoid the table for as long as I can. The only voice I can hear belongs to John, with an occasional murmur from Liam or Jonas. My eyes lift regularly, taking in the silence from the other three people sitting there.
Liam’s mom has a smile on her face, her head tilted as she listens to her alpha, for all intents and purposes looking like an adoring partner.
But it’s Erin I can’t stop watching. She keeps her eyes down on her empty plate, not engaging at all. When I can’t avoid it anymore, I start carrying the serving dishes through, leaning past Lauren to set the steaming racks of lamb down in their silver platter. “Hope everyone’s hungry.”
“You work at the rink?” John addresses Lauren without acknowledging me, again. “Not for long, I assume.”
“Why would you assume that?” Lauren seizes her glass and takes a deep gulp of wine. “It’s my job.”
“Only one job for an omega.” John’s hand wraps around the back of Julia’s neck, and she smiles in an eerily robotic way. “In the home. Traditional is the best way for a pack, I tell you. These new ideas come in, causing all sorts of problems.”
“Like independent thinking?” I suck on my cheek, drawing back slowly at the ice in Lauren’s tone. “I have no plans to give up work.”
Liam laughs, but there’s an edge to it. “Not sure this is the most exciting dinner conversation. Rosie, you need a hand carrying the dishes?”
“Just look at this one.” John waves his hand at me, and I stiffen. “Seems like she knows her place. Took a while to get there though, eh, son? So I’ve heard.”
