𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 || 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐊𝐰𝐚𝐧

Chapter 6

After an awkward end to their brunch, Vernon waved the others off and started clearing the table. Despite all the jokes aimed his way during the meal, if he didn’t do the dishes, there wouldn’t be a plate or cup clean for dinner.

He was just filling the sink when he heard a clink and turned to see Seungkwan setting a pile of plates on the counter.

“I can manage,” he said.

He knew he wasn’t the only one a little put out by Seungkwan’s behavior during brunch. Things had been going well at the start, but they went downhill fast.

“It’s the least I can do. I wasn’t looking forward to more burnt toast for breakfast.”

Vernon snorted.

“Well, if there’s one thing we can make sure you learn this month, it’s how to work the grill. Who burns toast?”

“My apartment has this novel invention called a toaster,” Seungkwan said dryly. “Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

“Is that what you live on?” Vernon queried, eyeing the omega’s slim frame. “Toast?”

Seungkwan shrugged. “I eat a lot of salad. And chicken. But I never cook, I don’t usually have the time.”

“Schedule keeps you busy, huh?” Vernon didn’t really want to know the ins and outs of the omega’s life of stardom, but talking was better than sniping.

“When I’m filming, it’s fourteen—sometimes sixteen—hour days. I usually fall asleep waiting for the toaster to pop.” He set some glasses next to the stack of plates. “It’s probably a good thing I don’t eat food like this too often. I don’t know what I’m missing.”

There was something quite sad about that, but Vernon pushed the emotion away. This omega was a movie star who courted controversy. He didn’t need or want Vernon feeling sorry for him because his busy life didn’t go hand-in-hand with gourmet cooking.

“I guess your work pays off in other ways,” he said.

Seungkwan made a non-committal noise in response, setting the last of the dishes on the sink beside him.

“How do you and your friends know each other?”

Vernon could hear the effort Seungkwan was making to keep his tone casual.

He might have missed it, seeing how Seungkwan’s mannerisms seemed to change on a whim. But having spent a few days in close proximity, he was starting to pick up on the subtleties of the omega’s tone and expression.

“We were in the army together; we were a team.”

“Oh,” Seungkwan said with a grin. “That explains why all you guys look like you could be on a calendar of your very own.”

Vernon shook his head in exasperation, reaching for another plate. Seungkwan kept talking.

“So you were a team, and now you’re…”

“And now we’re a pack,” Vernon said shortly.

It wasn’t like it was a secret anymore. They’d come right out and told the world, even if it hadn’t filtered into Seungkwan’s little corner of it just yet.

Seungkwan went very still next to him.
“A pack?”

His voice was small, shorn of the pretension he’d had just a moment before.

“Yep,” Vernon said, taking pains not to look at him. “Seokmin is our alpha leader. His mate Joshua is our Defender.”

“I didn’t think there were any packs left here,” Seungkwan said softly. “I mean, aside from the crazy isolationists, of course.”

Seungkwan wasn’t wrong there. The majority of packs left in the country were armed isolationist groups who only came to the world’s attention when things went horribly wrong. The last one had involved a vicious fight with police two years previously that had killed over a dozen.

“We’re the exception to the rule,” he said. “No one seems to know if they want to champion us or control us.”

“People can’t leave well enough alone, huh?” Seungkwan said softly.

“Not where packs are concerned. We’re something of a novelty.” Vernon grimaced. “I hate standing out from the crowd.”

“Oh?” Seungkwan perked up. “Why’s that?”

Vernon didn’t really want to get into it, but he had brought it up. It would be rude to shut down the conversation now.

“I’m the pack’s Protector. It’s my job to work from within and keep them safe. I do that by being unobtrusive about it.”

“But you don’t live in the house with them?”

Perceptive and curious. Vernon was going to have to be careful about what he said around Seungkwan.

“Duke’s there. He’s also a Protector. It helps to have us spaced out. Besides, I like time to myself now and then.” Or as much as he could get, as often as he could get it.

“But when you’re with them, you keep them safe?”

“That’s my job,” he said shortly, glancing over his shoulder at Seungkwan.

He was a little taken aback at the wistful look on Seungkwan’s face. But then, remembering their conversation only the day before, maybe it wasn’t such a surprise.

“You know, we have a psychologist up at the house. She works with the kids, but she also helps the adults out from time to time if you needed someone to talk to.”

It was like a shutter being pulled down: Seungkwan’s expression became a blank canvas. He smiled politely at Vernon, but it was empty. It never touched his eyes.

“Thank you, but I’m not much for talking.”

Vernon shrugged and turned back to his dishes.

“Sure, I get it. I’m not the kind of person who opens up to strangers, either.”

He set a glass upside down on the sink to drain.

“Hey, do you want to grab a cloth and start dry—”

Glancing over his shoulder again, he found he was addressing an empty room. He snorted and shook his head. He didn’t know what was going on with that omega, but he had enough trouble of his own without borrowing more from someone else.

Still, there had been a point during brunch when he felt like he’d seen a different side to Seungkwan. And now he’d glimpsed another. How many faces did Seungkwan wear? How many were masks, and which one was the real thing?