Page 33 of Pack Fever

Seth’s mother gestures for me to take a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk.

“This is where I escape the family sometimes.” She gives me a small crack of a smile, as though there’s so much hurt behind her reason for hiding in her office. Moving to the cupboard behind the desk, she opens a panel to reveal a safe. She shifts, so I don’t see the combination, and has it open in no time. Quickly, she grabs out what I assume is a ring, then closes it back up.

“So, Danica, tell me about yourself.” She turns to me and pulls up a seat right next to me. There’s something humble, almost comforting, about her.

I lick my lips, feeling awful about lying, especially to Seth’s mom, who genuinely looks excited. I really shouldn’t have let them drag me here, but they didn’t want me to run away, which had been my plan. Or at least take some time out to sort out my emotions, my thoughts about these men who ignite a raw passion inside me, who make me swoon in their presence.

“Seth doesn’t bring many people home, aside from his band, so it’s lovely to meet you. And to see him settling down. Maybe…” She glances over her shoulder at the door. “Maybe it will be good for everyone.”

“He really is very caring,” I say, unsure what to say about the family issues she’s referring to. I’m nervous, feeling like I’m under a microscope. When she just watches me, I freak out a bit, and words start pouring out of my mouth. “Sometimes, families are complicated. I mean, I had an argument with my mom recently, and I know it was out of anxiety, but it’s left me feeling awful. And I miss her.”

“Family arguments are tough.” She reaches over, her hand gentle and comforting, the other still clutching a small ring box. “These are the people we love, yet we end up hurting them the most.” She sounds so sad, especially when she glances quickly to the doorway where the faint voices from the kitchen linger. “Seth and his father have been at odds ever since he first said he wanted to be in a band.”

I exhale deeply, hearing the ache in her voice.

She shakes her head just as fast, then forces a smile, her face transforming into a mask of positivity.

“But all families have their complications. We love him, and I’m so happy to have you in our family now. You must be getting close to reaching your heat, right?”

I nod, fidgeting under the weight of the conversation.

“It’s okay.” Her hand pats mine reassuringly. “We’ve all been there. It’s terrifying, but I’m guessing if Nexus matched you, then it was meant to be.”

The words slip out before I can stop them. “Oh, we met at a concert, not through Nexus.” As soon as I say it, I cringe internally, hoping I haven’t made Seth look like someone going against protocol.

She grins, leaning in. “Probably for the best. Sometimes, I wonder if Nexus is overrated in making perfect matches for Omegas and Alphas, anyway.”

The sadness pouring from Seth’s mom is heartbreaking. I shift in my seat and peer out the window behind me at the sound of laughter and chatter in the backyard.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Seth’s mom says. “I’m hijacking all your time. But we came here for a reason.”

She opens her palm, revealing a small ring box, which she carefully opens. Inside sits a stunning gold band adorned with diamonds and rubies.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur, never expecting to own such expensive jewelry.

“This is his grandmother’s engagement ring,” she explains. “In our family, we pass this down to the next Omega until she’s ready to pass it on to the next generation.”

I’m lost for breath at her confession.

“And I want you to have it.”

My heart’s pounding in my chest.

“Oh, I can’t take that,” I stammer, my gaze locked on the beautiful ring. The idea of wearing such a significant ring feels like I’m taking this pretense too far.

But Seth’s mom insists, taking my hand and sliding the ring over my marriage finger. It fits perfectly, as if it’s meant to be. Something in my heart squeezes while emotions run over me at how desperately I would love to own such a ring, to believe the Alphas want me to have it.

Yet the ring feels heavy on my finger.

“In our family tradition, it’s either the Alpha or his mother who bestows the ring to the next in line,” she says softly.

For a moment, I can’t speak, and for some ridiculous reason, my eyes are pricking. All I can think about is that I don’t deserve this, that somehow, I will end up ruining this woman’s heart. It’s having her staring at me with admiration in her eyes that completely undoes me. With it comes heavy darkness slithering inside my thoughts, reminding me while I’m toying with these Alphas, one of them who doesn’t want me, and that while Seth and Jasper might be nice to me, it doesn’t mean there’s a future for us.

How can there be? When they find out I’m not good enough for them, when they see that I’m broken and my ugly scars, they’ll toss me out. I’ve been told my whole life at the Omega Academy that Alphas want their perfect Omegas. It’s why we spent so much time taking classes on beauty and etiquette… all to please an Alpha. Yet I’m still clumsy with it all.

I’ll never forget the words from one of my teachers when she saw my scars. She stared at me as if I’d contracted leprosy, saying that maybe there’s a desperate Alpha out there who will take pity on me.

I tense in my chair, starting to pull the ring off.

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