Page 33 of Pack Larsen

I can’t help but chuckle, only feeling a little bad. After all, Miss Favero and I have grown somewhat close over the past few weeks. I spend almost as much time in the library as I do the music room, and Miss Favero and I always seem to gravitate to one another when we’re nearby. She’s sweet, fun to talk to, and is close enough to my age that I don’t feel like a child talking to an adult every time we chat. Only five years my senior, Zira Favero is the youngest employee at North Five University, with her gorgeous, fiery-red hair, youthful good looks, abundance of freckles, and five inches of height on me. She’s basically a giant to me, which isn’t exactly a hard feat to reach, since I’m a mere five foot exactly.

Grinning, I say, “Sorry. You looked like you were in an intense debate with whatever is on your screen.”

Huffing a quiet laugh, she shakes her head and explains, “I was just looking into a medical procedure. Did you know it costs between fifty to two hundred thousand dollars for a heart valve replacement? Maybe more, depending on where you go and which surgeon you choose. Even the type of valve could end up costing more money.”

Shaking my head, I eye the librarian with a pinch of worry, and I mutter, “Can’t say I did know that.”

“Extortionate, right?” she mumbles, eyeing the computer monitor again like it’s the bane of her existence, all while the worry in my chest expands. Does Miss Favero have a heart problem? Does Barnes know?

Leaning my arms on the desk, I lower my voice until it’s a decibel just above a whisper and ask, “Is everything okay, Miss Favero?”

Her pretty, pale-green eyes peer up at me and she nods slowly with a pinched brow, confusion painting her face. “Why wouldn’t I be oka—? Oh! Oh, no, it’s not for me.”

She laughs when I breathe out a sigh of relief, my shoulders dropping suddenly while my head grows a little lightheaded. “Okay, so I guess we’re even then. I scare you, you scare me. Why are you looking into heart valve replacements?”

Hiding her smile by placing her chin in her hand as she rests her elbow on her desks, she explains, “It’s for my mom. We were told last week that she needs a heart valve replacement after she started seeing symptoms that something wasn’t quite right. Sleeping more, short of breath just walking up the stairs, that sort of thing. I’m just looking into how much it’ll cost if her insurance doesn’t cover the surgery.”

Damn, that sucks.

“You don’t think they will?” I wonder, my thoughts running a mile a minute. I wonder if Barnes is aware of this, because I don’t doubt that if he likes this omega as much as I think he does, especially if he’s keeping her a secret from the others for now, then there isn’t a single doubt in my mind that he would pay for the surgery without batting an eyelid.

“Not sure. We’re waiting to hear back from the hospital,” she answers, shrugging like it’s not a big deal, but the tightness around her eyes gives away her true feelings on the matter. That, and the sour bite that seeps into her otherwise fruity and sweet scent.

Opting not to pry, because it’s none of my business, I simply nod and state, “Well, I hope your mom is okay and she gets the treatment she needs.”

“Thank you, Silver,” she sweetly replies, smiling softly. “Anyway, what brings you here instead of the cafeteria. It is lunch time, right?”

I snort. “Yeah, it is. I just figured it was safer here than anywhere else right now.”

“Safer?” Miss Favero frowns, sitting up in her seat. “Is anyone giving you trouble, Silver? Do we need to go to the Dean?”

And that’s why, other than Barnes, this woman is my favorite employee at this fine establishment. Miss Favero cares, and she cares deeply. She wears her heart on her sleeve, has all the time in the world for any and all students, and won’t hesitate to jump in and help should we need it. She’s the best.

I’m already shaking my head, assuring her, “No, everything is fine. I’m just avoiding a pack that pissed me off. I’m not good at ignoring them, apparently, so I’m onto the next best thing.”

“Ah, avoidance,” she quips, smiling with a knowing gleam in her eyes. “Well, in that case, there’s a table in the far back that is empty. I think there’s only one or two students in that section, so if you want to hide there, I’ll tell anyone who might come looking for you that I haven’t seen you at all. Sound good?”

If it wasn’t inappropriate and highly frowned upon, I would reach over this damned desk and kiss the woman. I’m not even into women, but I would do it, because damn it if the librarian isn’t the coolest person in my world right now. Juno will have to regain the title, especially since she’s no doubt hanging out with the objects of my avoidance.

“That would be perfect. Thank you, Miss Favero,” I sigh, smiling gratefully.

She waves her hand in dismissal, and confides, “Don’t thank me. Trust me when I say I get it. I’ve been there, done that. You go hide and enjoy your lunch. You were never here.”

With a wink that makes me smile, she goes back to staring at her monitor, and I meander off with my smile still in place.

That smile dies a slow and painful death when I turn the corner toward the empty spot Miss Favero directed me in, my feet stalling the moment my gaze connects with a set of deep, honey-glazed irises that warm when they connect with mine.

“Silver,” Pace greets, his deep baritone sending shivers through me, causing my heart to beat irregularly, and a little drop of perfume slips free before I can bottle my emotions.

“Ah, fuck.”

Chapter 13

Pace

I have to work to keep my smirk in check the moment I catch the widening on Silver’s gorgeous, gray eyes and somehow hear her muttered, “Ah, fuck.”

Funny how the world works, isn’t it? Because moments before Silver rounded that corner, my thoughts had been centered around her. And then, the moment she came into view, I smelt her. The deliciously mouthwatering scent of sugary bubblegum, fruity and slightly creamy, setting off every one of my alpha instincts like only Silver can do. I catalogue every inch of her like I tend to do when she’s near, staring intently at the omega as she awkwardly stands near the bookcase lined with history literature.

---