Chapter 46

Ollie’s POV

In the driveway, I hug Ella tightly. Behind her, her parents’ car is packed, with suitcases in the trunk and the backseat. Her mom watches us where she stands beside the driver’s side door.

In just a few minutes, they’ll be on their way, and I’ll be without my dearest friend for the summer. I already feel somewhat lost. My time with Hugh, though immensely pleasurable, was only a temporary distraction. I’ll miss having someone to actually talk with.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Ella says and squeezes me. Then, we separate. “You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

That’s a damn lie and we both know it, but I don’t want her to leave thinking I’ll be miserable. She should have fun on her vacation, bonding with her mom like her mom wants.

Jealousy sinks down to my bones, but over it, and stronger than it, is my affection for my best friend.

I want her to have a good time. So I smile as best as I am able and tell her, “Take lots of pictures. And don’t forget the postcards.”

“I won’t,” she says. She smiles at me in return, but hers is as shaky as mine. “Try to have some fun, okay? Summer break is supposed to be a good time.”

“I’ll try,” I tell her.

“Ella, I’m sorry, honey, but if we want to miss traffic, we have to go now,” her mother calls.

“Go on,” I say. “I’m going to be alright.”

“Okay,” she says, then looks at me. Quickly, she comes in for one last hug, then she turns and hurries away, entering the car on the front passenger side. Her mom gets in too.

Too soon, the engine starts and the car carrying my best friend drives off into the distance and disappears around the bed.

I’m resolved not to be a grumpy recluse all summer break, so I decide to apply for a part time job. This way, I can also save up some more money on my own to help with my relocation when the fall semester ends. When I escape Crescent Claw pack, it will need every resource I can get my hands on.

Not many well-paying jobs hire Omegas, but I don’t need anything fancy for my first real job outside of the family.

I apply to a local ice cream shop that has extended hours in the summer. The manager asks me if I can count change. She makes no mention of my being an Omega. After a brief interview, I’m hired on the spot.

The job even comes with a cute uniform. It’s a white and sky blue stripped shirt, khaki shorts with a matching visor cap, and a white apron with frills. A smiling cartoon cow is embroidered on the chest of the apron.

On my first day before work, I put on the outfit, making sure everything fits. The shorts are a bit tighter than they looked laid out on my bed, and the first button on the striped shirt is a bit low, hinting at some cleavage. But the apron mostly covers everything.

When I look in the mirror, I think I look pretty cute! I take a couple of selfies and send to Ella, though I don’t expect a reply.

As I feared might happen, she’s been too busy with her mom to make much time for me. But that’s okay. From what I can tell in our brief messages, she and her mom are having a lot of fun. I can’t be mad about that.

Besides, if she was home, I might not have gotten this job. So, maybe everything is working out just as it needs to.

After grabbing my purse, I step out of my room. I need to bring a lunch for my break so I head up to the kitchen. Just as I step out of the stairwell onto the main floor, Declan steps out of one of the other rooms.

When he sees me, he stops in his tracks. His icy gaze drags down the length of my body. I start to shrink inside of myself slightly at the clear disapproval freezing over in his blue eyes.

He blinks, and those eyes are on my face once more, pushing the full weight of that disapproval right onto me.

“What the hell are you wearing?” he demands.

I’ve already asked Diana for permission to get a job outside of the house, and she gave it. So I have no fear that I’m doing something I’m not supposed to be.

“This is my uniform,” I say. “For my job at the Moo Moon Ice Cream Shop.”

Declan scoffs. “You are offering more than ice cream in that outfit.”

I look down at myself, but I don’t see anything amiss. “I think it’s cute,” I say.

“Cute?” His expression darkens. “What are you hoping for, Ollie? Do you want to seduce every man who walks through the door?”

“N-no…” I say, suddenly uncertain. Where is this coming from? There’s nothing inappropriate about my outfit!

I don’t have time for this. I need to pack my lunch and start walking to the shop, or I’ll be late on my first day.

“Just forget it,” I say and try to walk around him.

In a flash, he grabs me by the wrists. Suddenly, I’m pinned with my back to the wall. He holds both of my wrists trapped up above my head. The rest of his body is close to mine, only an inch away, but not quite touching me.

Yet, even without touching, I can feel the warmth of him. Despite the coldness in his eyes and his demeanor, his body seems to run extra hot.

“You think you can parade yourself around like a common whore,” he growls, his voice so low, I only barely hear it.

This close, I can see the blizzard raging in his eyes and the way it slowly clears as his gaze drops ever-so-slowly to my lips.

Instinctively, I dampen my lips with my tongue.

As if entranced, he starts to slowly move in, leaning his face closer to mine.

I hold my breath. Is he about to kiss me?

“You need a reminder of just who you belong to,” he says, and I feel the words, his breath, brush over my wet lips.

My body reacts to his closeness, my nipples hardening, my panties getting wet.

In this moment, I want more than anything to feel his mouth on mine. I wonder if his kisses taste cold or hot. Or somehow both at once. Or one right after the other.

But then, he stills. His eyes lift back to mine. He chuffs in disgust and turns, releasing me as he faces down the hallway away from me.

“Go be a slut if you want,” he says, his voice flat once more. Then he walks away without turning back.

I don’t immediately move from the wall, my legs too weak to move.

I’ve never been so confused about what just happened. I swear he almost kissed me. I didn’t imagine it.

But my wolf scent is still being repressed. He shouldn’t know that I’m his mate. He shouldn’t feel any attraction to me at all. He never has before…

Though, with Declan, he’s likely just teasing me, pushing me to prove his point.

He thinks I’m a slut. What he doesn’t realize is that I only burn this hot for my four mates.

I hope he never finds out.