Psychotic

Both Alec and Rowan shared a look when they walked into her kitchen and found Ari with a large assortment of cooking books all over her counter.

Beautiful as ever, he was squinting down at a book as he bit his lip looking like he was trying his best to focus on whatever was written there. It made Alec lean down to her side near her ear to whisper discreetly.

”Whats he doing? ”

She shrugged. ”Baking a cake. ”

”Hes just reading. ”

Ari looked up at them with mild annoyance on his face. They were werewolves with sensitive hearing, and he could hear everything they whispered and they both knew that. ”I am trying to focus. ”

Rowan smiled at him and walked over to peer at what hes trying to make. It didn surprise her that he was trying to bake something, he always liked to bake things in her kitchen, what surprised her was the fact that what he was going to bake was one of his easier projects.

Its just a cake.

A cake wouldn be something hard for someone like Ari who literally took any chance he could to invade her kitchen to make sweets – his mother wasn too thrilled about the mess in their kitchen according to him – and a cake is just so simple. So common.

”You
e not having trouble with that, are you? ”

”It has to be perfect. ” He chewed nervously on his bottom lip and looked down at the cooking book once more. This caught Alecs attention because usually whenever Ari bakes it was for fun, however this time it is obvious hes baking for someone.

”Who is it for? ”

”Its for Eli. His birthday is tomorrow. ” He explained making Rowan eye him curiously. She knew about his new friend, the new omega, she just didn know his birthday was so soon.

”Is he turning eighteen? ”

”Yes, actually. ” He told her without much thought and finally grabbed a cooking utensil to start working. Distracted with his baking now, Rowan turned mischievously towards Alec who was listening to their conversation with interest.

”Hear that? An omega is turning eighteen. ” She told him slapping his arm with the back of her hand while he looked at her with a blank stare. ”Imagine if hes your mate. ”

He rolled his eyes at her. ”Highly unlikely. ”

”You never know. ” She grinned making him sigh and shake his head.

Alec looked didn look too convinces, or thrilled, by the idea. He had something else on his mind, and while it ironically concerned Eli, it wasn because he was thinking of him being a possible mate. That idea was far, far in the back of his mind.

He was thinking of that asshole in the woods who was after him. Just what was it that he wanted with Eli? Did that lunatic just hear about an omega and decide he wanted him for himself?

It was a disconcerting thought that made him lose sleep, and while some of the load is off of his mind after finally discussing it with his father, he still couldn help but worry. Lunatic or not, he was very much capable of doing what he promised.

However, his father didn seem to take the threat of one rouge seriously…

”Wheres Jaxon? ” He asked Rowan who rolled her eyes at the question.

”How should I know? ” She grumbled not really appreciating always being asked about Jaxon. Sure he was her mate, but that didn mean she followed his every moment. Would be nice if he came for her for a change.

Still, Alec seemed like he was on edge and she wondered if theres something that hes not telling her. Jaxon will be questioned by her later…

”Tell him I was here if he gets back. ” He told her already heading for the door, and she shook her head disapprovingly before she turned her attention to Ari who somehow already made a mess out of her kitchen with all his baking.

It never ceased to amaze her just how fast and passionately he worked on every little sweet he made, and this time he was extra passionate about it because he was making it for Eli. It was kind of cute, but it also worried her.

So trying her best not to disturb anything, she leaned on the other side of the counter he was working on and watched him for a thoughtful moment before she spoke.

”You know you should be careful. ”

That made Ari stop and look around worriedly before he looked at her with a lost expression. ”Huh? About what? I didn leave something on again, did I? ”

”Im not talking about burning my house down, I am talking about Eli. ”

His eyebrows furrowed. ”What about him? ”

Rowan sighed and looked at him with his cheek covered in flour and his hands all white and messy. Even like that, he still looked neat and well put together, but his looks were deceiving because someone like Ari would seem so smart and aware but in reality, hes just clueless and naïve.

”I am not saying you can be friends, us betas are in this awkward middle zone, but we
e also prone to fall for omegas. ” The way Ari pursued his lip and avoided looking at her only encouraged her to continue, this was not something he should take lightly. All she wanted was to save him from an avoidable heartache. ”They prefer alphas, you know. Don do this to yourself. ”

”I am not going to fall for him. ” He insisted but that didn really convince her.

”Maybe not now, but what about later? ”

”I am just baking him a cake for his birthday. ”

”I am sure hell love it. ” She smiled knowing it was best to leave it at that before she jumped into another topic which was related, but not really. A topic that she had been curious about for two years. ”Do you think youll find your mate soon? ”

Maybe it was a sensitive topic from the way he just stopped all his movements, but she was really curious because they were all around the same age, and the moment Jaxon turned eighteen he knew she was his. However, same with Alec, Ari hadn found whos his yet.

It was not worth the trouble to fall for an omega and then find his mate…

”The idea is great and all, but I don want to let that dictate who I want to be with. ” He told her simply with a nonchalant shrug and it was not something she expected him to say judging from her expression.

”You don know what you
e saying. Once you meet them, youll know what I mean. ”

He looked up at her curiously. ”What did it feel like for you? ”

The smile that appeared on her face should have answered everything as she remembered that moment vividly. She already knew Jaxon was her mate, he already told her, but the moment she turned eighteen and felt it was the moment her whole world changed completely.

It was a moment nobody will ever forget once they experience it.

But some wish they would.