Page 39 of Pack Fever

“Seth, you’ve made something incredible of yourself, and I’m so proud of you. We all are. Don’t let your dad’s words take that away from you. Otherwise, he wins. Understand?”

Lips pinched tight, I nod. “I know.” We’ve had this conversation dozens of times, and I always nod because no words in the world can fix how fucking sick I am of my dad shoving me aside for my choices.

“Just remember, you’re not living your life for him, but for you, and your Omega now, and your pack.” My grandfather pats my arm again and moves toward my seat, and I take his arm, helping him. “From what I can see, you’re doing a damn fine job. Now, grab a seat and sit with me. Tell me more about how you met your Omega. I see the way she stares at you and how her face lights up.”

She does?

I sweep my gaze across the yard, searching for the cute blonde. She’s strolling back from the gardens with Jasper, both of them chatting closely. The guy can befriend a rock, and half the time, he has no clue that people around him are swooning. He’s somehow able to forget he’s famous when he chats with them.

She’s laughing, sounding cheerful. Part of me is envious that I can’t just ignore all the bullshit drama.

Seeing him with Danica makes me wonder if our meeting again is destiny. Never been a believer in such things, but this is an impossible coincidence to ignore.

I turn to my grandfather. “I want to do things right with her. Not a repeat of my past mistakes.” The half a dozen relationships I fucked up for not taking them seriously. Sure, they were with Betas, but I broke all their hearts.

Glancing back at Danica, my heart thumps louder. Something about her brings out a manic desire that leaves me completely ruined if I don’t claim her.

Does she have any idea of what she’s doing to us?

Danica

Ifeel like an imposter. Can everyone at the party tell I don’t belong?

Standing on my own at the edge of the yard, staring at the party, I sip my bubbly, attempting to appear casual. Yet I feel like a fish flapping wildly out of water, and everyone knows it.

After Jasper and I returned from our little adventure, Seth’s mom called him to help her with something. Reed and Seth are somewhere in the house, leaving me on my own at the party.

Great! Just what I enjoy.

“Hello, I’m Susan,” a voice comes from my left, her voice breaking through the music.

I swing around quickly to face a brunette in a red slinky dress that is over the top for a family gathering. But each to their own. She has two friends on either side of her, wearing similar dresses. They are all staring at me like they’re trying to read all my secrets.

“Hi,” I answer, partly happy to be talking to someone, and well, the other part suspicious, seeing earlier they were chatting up Jasper.

The second brunette with curls is gesturing with her hand for us to take a seat. Before I know it, she’s steering me by the elbow to one of the nearby small tables at the side of the party. Their introductions are a whirlwind, and before I can even process who’s who, Susan dives in with a question.

“So, you’re Fever’s Omega? I never thought they’d settle down.”

The girl with curls adds, “Oh, for sure. They’ve been listed as the most sought-after pack, and every Omega is dying to land them.” She leans in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “I prefer them that way, to be honest. No offense to you, but then they were open to taking Betas like us home. I mean, we didn’t expect them to announce an Omega today, so you can imagine our surprise!”

I shudder from the shock of their words. What the hell?

Anger that they would dare speak to me in such a way has my insides boiling. Is this how Betas see us? As intrusions in their lives, so they can’t sleep with all the Alphas they want?

They prattle on among themselves, oblivious to my discomfort, and just as I straighten to get up and leave, Susan puts her hand on mine.

“Ah, don’t listen to Aria. She’s just sore that Jasper turned her down earlier.”

“Oh,” is all I say as glee rises through me, which is irrational, considering I just met the guy. He’s not mine to claim… we’re just making play-believe for the sake of the party, right? But then I kissed him…

“So, you’re cousins with Seth but came here to pick up his friends?” I ask, sipping from my fluted glass.

Susan chuckles. “No, that’s our friend.” She glances over at a tall girl talking to Seth’s grandfather. “She’s his cousin, and we beg her to bring us to all family functions. She agrees on the proviso we don’t go all groupie crazy over the band.”

“Anyway, tell us,” the red-haired girl starts, leaning on her elbows, staring at me with her full attention. “How did you get them when everyone else failed? When everyone knows they won’t use Nexus?”

Coldness runs through me as all three stare at me like I’m about to share the secret to winning the lottery. I shrug, trying not to look as spooked as I feel on the inside.

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