Page 26 of Pack Favero

“It means that you’ve always come guns blazing when you’re dealing with me and my pack. A pack filled with men. Alpha men, too. It’s great, and I’m not in the least bit complaining, but it’s certainly not the shy, demure, and guarded omega I’ve been getting to know over the past few months. I likeit. A lot,” he explains, a softness in his voice amongst the teasing that tells me he’s being genuine.

I feel my cheeks heat, and there’s no mistaking the burst of perfume that seeps from my body, and I try to distract him from it when I shrug, stab the pasta with my fork, and take a bite of the most exquisite pasta. Moaning around the mouthful, the flavors bursting over my tongue just as beautifully as they did when Amara made the same dish, I fall back into my seat and briefly wonder if this is what heaven tastes like.

Eyes fluttering open, not even remembering closing them, I peer up at Barnes from beneath my eyelashes. I swallow hard at the heat now pooling in his sapphire eyes, my blush deepening until I’m sure they’re painted a rosy-pink color that I can never disguise with my pale skin, and I rasp, “That was before you pissed me off enough to forget that men make me nervous.”

Clearing his throat does nothing to hide the slight rasp in his voice as he says, “I can’t say I’m too sorry for that. Like I said, I’m rather enjoying this version of you, Freckles.”

Hell, if I blush any deeper, I’m sure I’d turn into a tomato. The only thing that could make it worse is if Barnes highlights the strength of my scent and how I’m perfuming more now than I was before.

Thankfully, he doesn’t. Instead, he winks down at me and stands, rounding the desk before pausing to smile down at me once more. It’s a little more bashful, and I melt right there and then, swooning at the sight and smell of the beautiful man who brought me the best damned pasta bake in the world.

I’m swooning ten times harder when he cautiously asks, “Would it be pushing my luck if I asked you to dinner tonight? Maybe that fresh start can come with you spending time with my pack without the animosity? I’d like you to meet them properly, get to know them.”

I pause for a moment, thinking about it. It doesn’t take long for Mom’s voice to enter my head, her sage wisdom coming back to me as her voice echoes in my ears as though she’s standing beside me. ‘I won’t be around forever, Zee. I want you to be happy, and those men? They could make you happy if you gave them a chance. Offer your olive branch, make amends, and see where things go. You might find that they’re exactly what you’ve been looking for since you learned what packs were as a teenager.’

So, with her voice reaffirming my decision, I nod and smile shyly, muttering, “Fine. But I have one condition.”

“Name it,” he demands easily, relief evident in his voice.

My smile grows as I take another bite of the food, actively fighting the moan that almost bleeds from my tongue, and once I’m done with the bite of heaven, I say, “We don’t eat anything fancy that will cost my month’s wage.”

There isn’t an ounce of hesitation in him when he agrees. “It’s a deal, Freckles. I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“I’ll see you at seven,” I confirm, grinning when he does, feeling a bubbly sense of excitement for this new chapter of my life.

I’m watching Barnes as he leaves, tucking his hands back into his pocket and finding the move far too sexy for the workplace. Before he disappears entirely, I’m reminded about my manners, and I whisper-shout his name across the room.

When he turns, an expectant look on his unfairly beautiful face, I point at my food and iced coffee with my fork. “Thank you. This is incredible.”

“Glad you like it,” he says, winking once more before disappearing and leaving me to my gnocchi, feeling like a puddle of anticipation and excitement for tonight.

Devouring the rest of my lunch, I’m left to think about what the hell I’m going to wear. I’m going to have to scour mycloset for something to wear as soon as I’m home, but that’s fine, because it takes me until the very end of the day to realize Barnes effectively took away the thoughts of the new professor with his presence alone. So, I’ll gladly scour every inch of my closet for something nice to wear, because he suddenly became very much worth the effort.

Chapter 9

Zira

So, as much as he’s worth the effort, it didn’t take me long to realize that I didn’t even know where we were going, or if I was going to his house. I’ve scoured my closet and have come to the conclusion that winging it probably isn’t the best option.

With that, I retrieve my cell and text the man.

ZIRA:What is the clothing situation for this dinner?

The message is read almost instantly, and bubbles appear with his impending reply.

BARNES:Oh, fancy. Really fancy. Think black tie. Wear your best.

Cold horror washes over me so suddenly that my face falls as I read his text, then read it again. I have nothing like that to wear, which was one of the reasons I added a stipulation to my agreement. Where the hell—?

BARNES:I’m kidding lol. Don’t panic.

Oh my god, I’m going to kill him.

BARNES:Get comfy, Freckles. You’re going to hang out with five alphas for the night, eat some good food, maybe play a game or two of Monopoly, and you’re going to do it comfortably.

My smile reignites and I instantly relax, swooning for the billionth time at the charming man. Dinner and gamesnight sounds like such a good time, and being able to do it comfortably? Without having to dress up? Perfection.

With a renewed sense of excitement, I write out a reply.

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