Page 59 of Talk About… History

“I’m glad she has support,” I admitted. “I’ll take the glares to know she has them behind her.”

“They were glorious when they confronted our old boss,” Mason said. “Walked right in and made sure that asshole knew he was fucked over now. I guess the Whitaker name has standing in these parts.”

“Oh yeah,” I agreed. “They were behind a ton of town history and it still carries weight.”

I’d grown up a few towns over and we still heard about the Whitaker alphas and their business ventures. A bit of an underdog story that was reminisced about. After they passed, a lot of people were affected.

“Well, it’s strange, but nice, to have you guys all here,” Avery said, her voice shy now as she, Ford, and Cohen approached.

“We’ve got to get to know each other somehow. The strangeness will pass,” Ford reassured her, giving her hand a squeeze before sliding into his seat. Cohen took the one next to him and Avery leaned into him instinctually. Having a beta in the mix was perfect, she likely didn’t even seem to realize how much she was touching him and relaxing.

I was just happy she was getting more comfortable. Her personality shined through more when she was settled.

“Dance with me?” I asked her. The music had just switched over to a slower song.

Her eyes lit up like I’d just offered her the gift of a lifetime.

“Wait, really?” She gasped. I nodded and stood, holding out a hand.

Avery let out an excited little squeal before letting me drag her out to the middle of the crowd. We weren’t the only ones out here, alphas, omegas, and betas alike were dancing and filling the space, the heat and electricity of the crowd hitting me as I led her to an empty spot.

I didn’t hesitate to pull her close, one hand on her hip, the other still holding her hand. This close, all I could smell was her sweet scent that had gone even richer at our proximity.

We didn’t speak as I led her through the slow dance, her following me beautifully, each move so fluid it felt like we’d done this for years.

Our eyes were locked, bodies spinning around the dance floor as if we had done this a million times before.

When the song switched, so did we, my pace picking up as we kept up with the beat. I spun her out and she swung back my way again, right into my arms. This time I held her close and let my fingers trail higher on her side.

She shivered under the touch and I swear my cock had never been this hard. Her scent bloomed higher as her breath caught. I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.

She melted against me, hands braced on my chest as her lips parted for me.

My tongue teased against hers as I deepened the kiss, drinking in every sigh she let out, and wishing I could take her home right now and taste all of her.

We were all supposed to be getting to know each other as a pack, but I was happy to stay right here in this moment for as long as I could.

Arden

My head was spinning and my skin flushed with fresh heat. It wasn’t just the body heat of the crowd, but being consumed by Avery.

I tried to take it slow, but the longer she was in my arms, the harder it was to resist her.

Her spiced cider scent was strong as I nuzzled into her neck, marking her as much as she was marking me.

The closer we stood, the deeper the notes of her scent grew, until it surrounded me like a warm, cozy blanket.

“I should probably share you, Avery,” I admitted reluctantly, my voice lined with gravel that showed that I was feeling this just as much as she was. I didn’t want to give her any reason to doubt me or my intentions.

“Maybe,” she said, though I didn’t let her go. “You know… this feels a lot different.”

She didn’t have to clarify for me. I hummed in agreement and pulled her tighter against me.

“I’m glad. I want this to be different for you.” That was an understatement. After her exes, the bar was on the floor. I wanted us to be so much better.

“Some days I’m so mad at myself for not seeing it,” she admitted, her voice small.

“Fight against that voice, baby. It’s lying to you. There was no fault from you in that relationship. They were covert, using your hormones and biology against you, and all you did was try to love them. Don’t let them ruin your future because of the history between you. We’ll make new memories and you’ll realize how good pack life can be.”

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