When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)



Matthew

Keeping my head low, I try to avoid Cayden's gaze while I dig in.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

It might be my guilty conscience, but I feel like he is suspecting something.

But even if we made the deal that we would be open about anything that might happen, I am set on keeping the last occurrences with Artemisia my dirty little secret.

He isn't stupid though, and he must have asked himself why I would come to dinner freshly showered if I didn't train.

"Matty!" Logan's shouting reaches my ear before I feel the slap on my head.

I growl as my head jerks forward lightly, but I don't say anything or react as he sits down next to me.

As the youngest of us three, I'm certainly no match for him.

I close my eyes, letting the picture of Missy materialize in front of my inner eye. This way, I can successfully calm myself and my wolf down and can ignore the badgering.

My guts churn as he takes his plate flirtatiously talking to the Omega that is serving the food to him.

She blushes at the pet names he calls her before she scurries away.

'Asshole,' my wolf, Ambros, snarls.

"You two don't have to come tonight," Logan says nonchalantly as he scoops the first bite of food into his mouth.

Chewing, he gestures to Logan and me with his fork. “You have to work anyway, and you... I don't even know what you would do there with us.” "She is my mate. And she asked me to be there. So..." I murmur while Cayden just ignores him, his gaze directed to his phone that keeps flashing up with messages.

Logan hits the table with his fist, making the dishes clink. "You can forget her being your mate right away, as you will be fucking rejecting her anyway." "I'm not going to reject her!" I sneer at him.

This remark of his even gets him the attention of our Alpha, who lifts his gaze to look at him. "Logan, it's not the place to be joking about such things." Logan scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm not joking. I just don't plan to share her."

"With who? With us or with the other women you have on your hook?" My cheeky remark gets me a loud growl from Aidan resurfacing.

"Don't you dare, little brother. Don't have your insolence cost you more than it's worth it."

His loud snarl gets even the warriors dining around us to turn around, but I keep my cool, not backing down this time. "If you keep disrespecting my mate, I will dare how much I want."

As he growls, a few of the higher-ranked warriors stand up, ready to interfere should he try to attack me.

"This is not the time nor the place to discuss such things." Cayden keeps talking calmly, granting Logan a last chance to calm down.

"Logan! You will listen to me. NOW!" His annoyed growl booms through the dining hall, and enforced by its alpha command it gets even the warriors around us to cover submissively.

Not talking about the Omegas in the room that are already kneeling.

I lower my head instinctively, not being able to hold it up anymore, while my brother still fights the aura pressuring him.

But still complying with the order given to him.

"Sorry, bro," he mumbles, getting a murmur to raise around us.

Cayden breathes in, his eyes shifting to a pitch-black color. "I beg your pardon?!"

"I apologize, Alpha!" Logan repeats loudly, clearing his throat.

With a scoff, Cayden returns to his phone. "Don't push your luck, Logan."

We take a deep sigh in unison, feeling the pressure lifting off our chests.

Slowly, the room starts filling again with the sound of the silverware clinking to the plates.

The Omegas get back up to their

feet and start working again, scurrying between us, who are still recovering from our Alpha exerting his power on us.

el

I continue to keep my eyes down on my plate, just until it gets nearly unbearable to stand. Lifting my

head, Hook right into Logan's eyes, who looks at me disparagingly.

"And we will all participate in today's movie night if that's what Missy wants."

I hold back a snicker at Cayden saying that nonchalantly while his eyes are already back to being captured by the texts flashing on his screen.

“And behave. If you anger me more, you will cut short Fynn's punishment and take his place in the Dungeons."

"Yes, Alpha." We say in unison, returning to eat silently.

As I finish and get up to leave, I stop

two of the Omegas coming out

the kitchen. "Could you bring

velire

Finnegan something to eat as well,

please?"

They nod, one of them blushing while she does an exaggerated curtsy. "Of course, Gamma."

"Thank you very much. Have a nice evening." I smile at them, making them gasp and giggle.

"Thank you. You too, Gamma."

"Have a wonderful evening."

They keep talking in a high-pitched voice as I walk out of the dining hall.

'Pathetic,' Ambros growls, and I shake my head.

'I don't like to interact with the fangirly ones as well.' I react to his insult, making him laugh.

Robert waves at me as he walks towards me with a broad smile. "Are you coming as well? We are going to do a little tournament."

“Sure,” I accept his invitation, apparently enraging my wolf.

'No! Let's go see mate,' he says, and I have to push him down forcefully as he gets excited by the thought alone.

'Don't worry. We will get her soon enough.' I grin to myself as I join a few warriors on the training grounds.