Page 129 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Ashley had the feeling hetoleratedher because Lyric liked training with her. Ashley didn’t mind. He was an alpha with an omega, and he was marking his territory.

She found it amusing more than anything, because Ashley had no desire for the omega.

Her nose wrinkled. Nah. Lyric wasn’t hers in any way except contractual obligation to help the singer keep up her stamina for stage performances.

Ugh, Dylanwasright! Dammit. Shecouldbe a professional trainer and admit that she had… mixed feelings about a certain omega.

She frowned as she neutralized the scents, noting the lack of disappointment she usually felt when she erased Cameron’s scent.

Mine.

Ashley paused, spray bottle in hand, face flushing at just thethought.The hindbrain claim.

Cameron was inno wayhers.

Okay, so she liked when her and Cam’s pheromones mixed. Big deal.

But then she kept noticing other things.

Like the blankets she passed at the supermarket as she shopped for groceries. The big, soft, colorful ones that would break up the harshness of Cam’s apartment.

Ashley scratched at her bond mark, confusion filling her.

“It’s biology,” she mumbled to herself, and continued walking, grocery cart wheels squeaking the whole way.

The entire time her thoughts circled the same drain.

Alphas and omegas didn’t spend that much time together outside of courting. Following that logic, it was kind of an odd situation that Ashley was hanging around with Cameron so much, even if the reasons were justifiable—training him, being mated to his bodyguard.

Biology had to take over eventually, and it was trying to. But Ashley was stronger than her hindbrain, so there was no shame. It was just natural.

Ashley winced as she stepped onto her front porch, the mail on the stoop organized in a small pile.

Have I really been spending so much time at Cam’s?

Shaking her head, Ashley let herself in, put the groceries away, and started dinner, decidedly not letting herself think about Cameron.

Dylan texted her for a bit, but then the doorbell rang, and she grinned.

Her friends were back.

Kenzie squealed as the door opened, and she leapt at Ashley, hugging her tightly. Jordan laughed over her shoulder, and Ashley tugged her in, too.

“I missed you guys!” she said, inhaling their familiar scents all muddled together, more than usual, probably from traveling together.

Kenzie sighed, then paused, sniffing, and pushed Ashley back by the shoulders. “Why do you smell different?”

Her cheeksflamed,and Ashley shrugged, trying to appear casual and collected. “We can, uh, talk about that later. But first, how is your brother?”

“He’s fine,” Jordan said, waving a hand and moving in for a hug. “He’ll recover. I’m more interested in why Kenzie’s right—you do smell weird.”

I’m not the only one!

“Rude,” Ashley mused.

“That’s why you love us,” Kenzie sang, and made her way to the kitchen that she probably knew as well as her own by this point.

“Spill, I want to know everything that’s been going on.”

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