Page 16 of Pack Favero

“Barnes and Lazarus are pretty understanding guys,” I ease, shrugging my shoulders. “Trust me, they’ll forgive you.”

Silence answers me, and I assume she’s lost in thought for a little while. That is, until I lift my eyes to the mirror and find Mac face palming in the back seat with a shake of his head. Turning my head slightly, I find Zira watching me with a knowing smirk, and I give her a look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

She shakes her head and, instead of answering me, she mutters, “He said there were five of you. I didn’t think to question it this morning, because I was already mortified and pissed enough that it escaped my notice that there were only three of them. But now it makes sense. I could smell the two of you there. Oud, patchouli, and musk. I thought I recognized it.”

I frown, having no clue what she’s talking about, until it dawns on me with horror what I’ve done. She never mentioned Champ or Laz, and I just blew our cover because she distracted me with that cheeky little sparkle in her eyes. Damn it.

I’m cringing for a whole new reason, and I mutter, “Surprise?”

Zira, to her credit, laughs, and she says, “How do you even know who I am? I thought, according to the conversation I overheard, that Barnes didn’t talk about me with any of you.”

Mac groans from the back, and I wince. “Your scent. Barnes has been smelling of you every day for weeks.”

There’s a pause, and I know how it sounds. It’s not great, but it’s the truth, and that’s all I can offer.

“That’s weird, I hope you know that,” she admonishes, though there’s no real bite to it, and I flash her a chagrined smile.

“In our defense, we didn’t have a clue who you were until you walked past me to get into the car,” I defend.

“Oh, I know,” she snickers. “You have your window rolled down a little. I heard you outside.”

Oh my fucking god.

“You’re an idiot,” Mac snickers into his hand, shaking his head like he can’t believe we’re related let alone having shared the womb at the same time.

Groaning as I take another turn, I grumble, “Okay, so this is quickly unravelling into a disaster. How about we start again?”

“Sure,” Zira laughs and turns in her seat to better face me and see Mac in the back. “My name is Zira Favero, I work with Barnes, who until my phone call with Mom has been in my bad books. As was Lazarus, though I only met him six weeks ago and have put a lot of effort into ignoring his texts and calls. Not that it’s an issue any longer, since I’m now without a phone. Now your turn.”

Biting my lip to hide my amusement, her sassiness appealing in far too many ways, I gesture to Mac for him to share. He does, smiling shyly at Zira as he says, “Crawford and Cormac Hart, though we prefer to go by Ford and Mac to family and friends. Packmates of the aforementioned doghouse dwellers and one other who resembles a Viking.”

“Oh, Alek. Yeah. I braided his hair this morning,” she quips, shaking her head as if she can’t believe the words that just slipped from her lips.

And, honestly,same.

“Wait, what?” I blurt, chuckling with confusion.

“Hmm, yeah,” Zira distractedly answers. “That was after I woke up this morning in a strange bed in a house I didn’t know after I was abducted in only a towel yesterday.”

Just as we pull up to the facility, I press the brakes a little harder and snap my head in Zira’s direction, gaping at the pretty, little thing while she sits casually in her seat after dropping that particular bomb.

“You were abducted?” Mac asks, all amusement and shyness evaporating as he leans in to stare at Zira.

She winces and shakes her head to and fro before finally saying, “Well, Lazarus kept telling me it wasn’t an abduction, but I don’t recall agreeing to my home being entered by a six foot six beast of a man who picked me off the ground and carried me to his car. I fell asleep before I was deposited into the bed, so the jury is still out on that.”

My body turns to liquid when I realize she wasn’t actually abducted, though I still have more questions than answers at her explanation.

“You were at our house this morning?” I wonder, eyeing the girl like the enigma she is when she pulls a face and her cheeks grow pink again.

Clearing her throat, she looks away and mutters, “Uh, about that. You might want to call Barnes, Lazarus, or Alek and tell them I’m fine. There’s a good chance I might have pulled an Irish exit while they were discussing something about having their work cut out for them on the back porch. I’ve been dodging their calls since, though I was going to call and apologize after my visit with Mom.”

Mac snorts before whispering, “Who even are you?”

“Just another omega with issues, I guess.” She snickers, blushing from head to toe now. “Anyway, thank you very much for the ride and the enlightening conversation. I should go see Mom before she calls the police on me, claiming me as a missing person.”

“Wait, before you go,” I say, reaching over to the glove compartment and pulling out the notebook and pen I keep stashed there, inhaling the banana-split aroma that hits stronger the closer I get to Zira.

Pulling back, I make quick work of scribbling my number down and tear the piece of paper from the notebook, handing it over to her with a smile. “We still owe you a phone, so give me a call and I’ll pick you up when you’re done with your visit. I’ll bring your new phone with me.”

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