Page 16 of Convincing the Heartbroken Beta

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Cam searched through the kitchen cupboards while Sascha waited on the couch in the living room. The place was huge, and the ceilings were open beamed. He’d never seen such an awesome house before. The pack where he’d grown up with Hawk had simpler homes and, while he was living with the Guardian Pack, he’d stayed in the barracks.

He wrinkled his nose at the thought of the Guardians. What a bunch of losers. Maybe if he did a really good job for Brandon, he’d be recommended for a better detail. He sure as hell didn’t want to go back to the betas now that Hawk wasn’t there anymore.

Cam searched the final cupboard then decided to give the refrigerator a try. The second after he opened the door, he regretted his decision and slammed it shut. Fighting the urge to retch, he wondered when the last time was that Brandon had been home. It couldn’t have been in recent memory.

“Yikes.”

Cam waved his hand around to try and dissipate the smell. He wondered if Brandon would yell at him if he opened a window. Even as the thought entered his mind, he knew he wasn’t being fair. He’d been barked at by Alphas ever since he’d signed up as a Guardian, but Brandon wasn’t like them at all. The guy could be gruff, but Cam could also tell that underneath his façade was a guy with a good heart. Sascha would be well taken care of.

“Hey, Sascha?” He poked his head into the living room. “I’m not having much luck.” Right as Sascha was about to respond, Cam yelped as the lock on the kitchen door jiggled.

“Stay here!”

Cam had just raced into the room when Brandon came through the door. He stepped inside then proceeded to wipe his feet on a mat, his eyes narrowed at Cam. The pounding of Cam’s heart still hadn’t subsided, but he tracked Brandon’s gaze down to Cam’s sidearm where his fingers were still wrapped around the grip. He’d been about to draw.

“Dude. I didn’t expect you to come through the back door. You gave me the keys, so I didn’t think you had any others.”

Brandon nodded. “Excellent reflexes. You were prepared to act in an instant, but also knew when to stand down.” He shook a key ring in front of Cam. “I’ve had a set under the planter for ages, but I’m no longer thinking that’s wise. So, here it is.” He dropped the ring on the tiled counter. “Keep it on you. I’ll take the one with the truck key.” Brandon shucked off his jacket, then hung it on a hook next to the door. “And I’ll overlook the ‘dude’ remark.” He frowned. “What’s that stench?”

Cam pointed to the fridge. “Something in there. I didn’t have the door open long enough to find out what it was.”

Brandon furrowed his brow. “Oh yeah. Forgot about that.” He sighed. “Well, I’d better clean it out before I leave. You guys’ll need to use the fridge while I’m gone.”

“I can do it. Sascha’s in the living room just waiting. I wasn’t sure—”

Brandon’s glare shut him down. “Leave it. Remember?”

“Right. My bad.”

Brandon let out a half sigh, half growl as he ran his hand over his head. “However, I should at least get him settled in one of the bedrooms first.”

“One of them? But wouldn’t he—” Cam clapped a hand over his mouth.

Brandon placed his hands on his hips. “Are you able to control yourself at all?”

Cam lowered his hand. “Maybe? I’m trying, I swear.”

“Try harder.” Brandon shook his head. “All right. Let’s get this over—” He coughed into his fist. “—get Sascha comfortable.”

More than anything, Cam wished he could figure out how to get Brandon and Sascha to relax around each other, to give each other a chance.

“Oh! I forgot. I was going to ask you. Do you have any green olives?”

Brandon stopped mid-stride then turned back to Cam. “What? Why the hell do you need green olives?”

“It’s not for me. Sascha’s having a craving.”

Brandon paled and his eyes widened. He glanced over his shoulder then grabbed Cam’s arm, dragging him to the other side of the kitchen.

“Craving?”

Brandon kept his voice low as he leaned into Cam. While he was perplexed at Brandon’s behavior, he was more perplexed as to why he thought he might faint from Brandon’s amazing scent. He’d thought Hawk’s smell was tantalizing, had always been attracted to his aroma. But this?

Wow.

Brandon shook Cam’s arm. “Hello? Craving? That’s because of the baby, right? What should we do?”