Page 13 of Building My Pack

He gives a small lift of his shoulder. "Wouldn't surprise me, if I'm being honest. It was bright as day to me, but then again, I'm instinctually driven to notice it."

"And they aren't?" I ask curiously.

Laughing, he answers with his own question. "How much research have you actually done? Because it sounds to me like growing up the way you did was the equivalent of living underneath a rock. No offense."

I'm not offended in the slightest, because it's not like it's a lie. "Once I made the decision to start with the trials, I closed myself off from learning anything about it. Except what little bit they taught us when we were separated during sex education. Like about alphas being controlling and how they'd treat us betas differently than they would omegas. How we're pretty much just used for certain things for an alpha. And you know, about the knotting thing."

He tosses his head back with his laugh this time. "Dear God, chickie. I'm so glad we're going to be friends. You have so much to learn. I have to know, though. You're okay with an alpha just using you for sex but you're not okay with one claiming you to spoil you rotten just so they can give you one of the most mind-blowing, sexual encounters you'll ever have with theknotting thing? Am I understanding that right?"

"When you put it like that it makes me sound like hussy," I say, not even bothering to watch my language. A fact that he appreciates, apparently, since he cracks up again.

Getting himself back under control he advises, "Okay, look. You've got some serious homework to do. I'm going to need your digits so we can share secrets and knowledge. We still have to do lunch at least once a week, too, so don't think you're getting out of that, either."

Snorting softly, I hand over my phone so he can put his number in and send a quick text to himself. For as nervous as I was about this entire conversation, it actually took some of the load off my back having someone to talk to about it. Which is what I tell him and receive a tight hug in return.

"Oh, my alphas are going to raise hell when they get a whiff of that sweet banana rolling off of you," he tells me, cracking another smile.

I jerk back in surprise. "Are they going to be angry?"

For the first time since meeting him, his cheeks flush. "There might be some jealousy there, but I like it when they get possessive over me. Who knows, between the scent of me being turned on mixed with bananas might put them in a good mood. If you catch my drift."

"Holy fudge," I groan, slapping my palm to my forehead. "Of course, they can."

"As humorous as this has the potential to be, I fear you've lost me," he states.

"Let's just say, following that same topic of conversation, I may or may not have thought about it and embarrassed myself without even realizing it."

He quickly covers his mouth, but there's no hiding the smile lines around his eyes, successfully giving him away. All I can do is think back on how many times Santiago turned me on the other night. And every...single...time, he knew undoubtedly what he was doing to me. Learning to be involved with alphas just may prove to be as difficult as I always imagined.

"I can see you doubting yourself right now. Don't, you'll be fine," he tells me. "Has he sent any other courting gifts?"

"One for every day of the week so far," I say with a smile slipping into place. "Why would they be courting me, though, Thomas? Unless they know my secret."

Unexpectedly, his expression morphs into anger. "Let me guess, that piece of work beta you were with never bought you anything nice just for no reason."

Pressing my lips together in a tight line must be more than enough of an answer for him. "Yeah, he deserves whatever karma has in store for him. Listen to me, bananas. A man is allowed to buy a woman things for no other reason than he thinks she deserves it or simply wants to and vice versa. There doesn't always have to be ulterior motives. Now, I will say that if this goes as far as we're both secretly hoping it does, then they'll be doubly glad they sent gifts since it's, technically, supposed to be part of courting. You know, proving that they can provide and comfort you within their pack."

"What if I want to provide for myself?" I ask, feeling like all the independence I've worked so hard to obtain is slowly going to start slipping through my fingers.

He rolls his eyes playfully before answering, "They won't stop you. For example, I paint. No one in my pack would ask, let alone force, me to stop. I sell them when I feel like it, contributing to our pack. But, they always take my feelings into consideration. Seriously, I think once you get out of the mindset that every alpha is a bad alpha and all packs are evil, you'll be relatively surprised how much youandyour omega nature will love being cared for and pampered. If you still don't believe me, go out with Santiago this weekend and just let yourself enjoy the moment without prejudice. Without your parent's feelings and doubts in your head."

I didn't know it, but I needed that little confidence booster. Definitely hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but I'd been considering cancelling on Santiago more than once already this week. Which of course left me filled with guilt because of the nice things he's already sent me. I hadn't taken the day off today since I had a morning appointment, so I gratefully thank Thomas for his wisdom and for his company. We part ways with a hug and a promise on my part to keep him in the loop and to also learn a little more about pack life.

As the afternoon wears on and I show different homes to a client, I start feeling restless and am dying to go home for a long soak in the tub. Maybe curl up in bed with a book afterward. My skin feels like it's got an itch underneath it that I can't scratch. I let out the biggest sigh of my life after hopping in my car for the eighth time, only this one I actually get to head to my own house for the day. If I wasn't already booked solid tomorrow, I'd, for real, take a personal day off just to sort out some of the madness bouncing around my brain.

When I make it home, I'm happy to see several of my packages waiting for me on the porch. Kind of changes my plans for the first part of the night since I can't wait to rip down some of the old decor and put the new stuff up. One of the boxes stands out from the others seeing as there's a soft rose and bright daisy stuffed down into the crack of the overlapping edges. Curious, I don't bother waiting to get it inside before opening it. Setting the flowers aside to place in a vase in a few minutes, I open the flaps to find a cute multicolored patch quilt at the bottom. This will be my third gift from Santiago this week, and I've concluded two things. One, that they're clues for something we might be doing this weekend since the first was a portable radio and yesterday’s was a huge box filled with soft cushions that smelled like summer rainstorms and coffee with a tinge of chocolate. Leaning closer toward the small gift on my porch now, I'm pleasantly overwhelmed with the scent again, meaning they made it a point to positively mark the items to smell like them. Which brings me to number two. I'd been slightly worried for unspeakable reasons that Kennedy may not be as interested as Santiago. Being surrounded by both of their scents within the quilt and cushions and now the variety of flowers, too, it's a safe bet to say Kennedy will be joining us this weekend.

I'm seriously glad Thomas didn't ask what I'd already received this week, because it would've been slightly humiliating, on top of everything else I already told him, to say that the pillow cushions have claimed a spot on my bed, just as this quilt will be doing shortly. Grabbing that box first, I unlock the door and carry it inside before going back out for the others. With a quick flip of the lock and setting of my house alarm, I decide to go ahead and take the quilt upstairs. It's not even spread completely out on my bed before I already know thatallof my plans have now changed for the night. Rushing back downstairs, I toss a leftover container in the microwave to heat up while grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. The food could taste like a bowl full of lemons for all that I notice it. Once it's gone and rinsed down with the water, I toss the container in the dishwasher before flipping all the lights off and heading back up. Lightning flashes outside, warning of an upcoming storm on the horizon. I can't be more grateful that I made it home when I did so that none of my boxes got wet.

It's way too early to go to bed, for some reason, that's all I seem to want at the moment. Especially as the alphas’ scents fill my senses as soon as I walk into my bedroom. It's all I can do to not jump on top of the quilt and rub it against my body like a cat. I manage to stop myself from doing it, but just barely. Opting for a shower instead of a bath like I originally wanted, I'm in and out within no time. I don't even bother drying my hair like I usually do, I just wrap it with a towel instead.

That same itch flares back to life as soon as I walk into my room fully naked with it fragranced with alphas. Foregoing sleep clothes, I towel dry my hair before jumping straight in underneath the covers. For the first time in the past several months, desire shoots through me harder than it ever has.

George always had a way of shaming me for using anything other than himself to help me climax, so I'd had to keep yet another secret in my life in the form of a high-end battery-operated friend. Another bedroom requirement was that we keep the lights off while making love, so out of habit, I reach over to flick the lamp off manually before grabbing my friend out of the nightstand drawer. He'd been hidden in the darkest out of reach location in my closet until George left. Then, I made a new home for him, even if I hardly ever use him.

A flash of lightning illuminates the room before it goes dark again, and the sound of rain pelts the windows above behind my headboard. The storm adds to the ambiance of my mood, mixing with Santiago's scent. As my friend starts to buzz, I move him beneath the covers until he's pressed against the very spot that's been begging for attention since Saturday. With my head filled with the sound of the storm and the aroma of both alphas, it's not hard to imagine the two of them lying here with me.

I haven't spent much time with Kennedy so I can't guess at his bedroom mannerisms. Santiago, on the other hand, he's already proven to be more than attentive, and would no doubt take his time dragging those sinful lips down my body as he explores. All while Kennedy claims my own lips all for himself. The man may be as big as a mountain, but there's no doubt that his lips would be as soft and inviting as they appeared to be last weekend. Imagining Santiago slipping between my thighs has my back arching off the bed in need. I want them here so badly that it physically hurts. Kennedy's hand wraps around one breast and then the other, pulling both tight buds of my nipples to standing peaks for him. Having that mouth part over one of them would feel good enough to have me grinding against Santiago's face, bringing out that cocky, lopsided smirk of his.

---