Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 42 - The Window

A/N (4/24/18) - This weekend has been emotionally exhausting. I couldn't even think from the brother's POVs, so I'll try 41.1 as the next update. I just wanted to give you guys something. It's a really long chapter (10k), but I think you'll like it. Enjoy~

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I can't get Suzie's message out of my head. Get her on my guard shift? Is that even something I want to consider?

I furrow my brow, staring down at my plate like it's the source of all my problems. If she's crazy, it could be a trap. If not, it would still be pointless. The brothers don't trust her enough to leave me alone with her. They'd have a beta lurking around every corner.

I look up at the three sets of eyes staring back at me—Axel, Onai, and Ethel. Yeah, we'd get caught for sure.

Axel looks down at my food expectantly, then up at me. He smiles, moving my plate closer. Onai and Ethel wait not-so-patiently. People around us watch too, leaning closer from their tables. Even the chef and waitresses are here, wide-eyed, waiting for me to take my first bite.

You'd think this was something special, but it's just a breakfast biscuit. I can't eat in these conditions.

"Is..." Axel hesitates. "Is something wrong?"

One waitress nearly faints.

I shake my head vehemently as gasps fill the room. "No, there's nothing wrong." I smile to reassure him.

The crowd breathes again, but Axel furrows his brow. "Well..." He lifts my plate gently. "Would you like something else?"

The chef holds her heart, glaring into the open air. "I've failed my pack." She collapses. The waitresses catch her, steadying her in their arms, but she doesn't have the will to stand.

Omg. I wave her off. "No, that's not it at all. This looks great." I take the plate from Axel, staring at it. "I'm just... Letting it cool?"

The crowd glares at me. "The luna can't even stomach it to be polite," they mutter.

Luca, unlike me, is having no such problems. He all but inhales his food. I try not to stare, but there's no way he's actually tasting it.

"Stop." Onai glares at him.

It goes right over Luca's head. "Dad says I'm growing and I need all the food I can get." The younger boy wipes his hands on the table and reaches over to Onai's plate to—

I look away before Onai manages to kill him over a croissant.

Focusing on the task at hand, I pick up my breakfast biscuit, eyeing the steaming egg and cheese layers. I'll admit, it does look good... I slowly take a bite. "Mmm," I say dramatically to Axel, hoping he'll believe me so we can finally leave this place. "It's delicious." Surprisingly, I actually like it.

Everyone breathes for what seems like the first time in a while, especially Axel. The chef lets out a sigh of relief too, adjusting her coat. "I knew it." She nods curtly to her staff.

Axel smiles, nodding back. Then he turns to me, rubbing my shoulder gently. "See? That's why you can't skip breakfast. You were hungry."

"I wasn't," I say, scarfing it down.

He shakes his head and tries to get me to take another bite.

Note to self: Never let Axel hear my stomach growl again.

He all but dragged me to the nearest food place when he identified where the "whale noises" were coming from—me. I sigh. Don't get me wrong, I love the attention. I love to feel cared for, but not at the expense of his peace of mind. Even now he's watching me like a hawk. He looks so anxious, even though he's trying his best to hide it behind a smile. Maybe he's fooling someone, but it's not me.