Page 34 of This Pack of Ours

I’d updated her on the whole Kit-scent-match situation. I glanced over at the pack before typing my answer.

Me: The usual. Like cats to Kitnip.

Ez had his arm around Kit, and Kit was resting his head on his shoulder. Adrian hadn’t looked away from Kit once and had refilled his water glass after almost every sip.

And though Jhin sat formally beside them, the picture of politeness, his face flushed slightly every time Kit smiled at him.

Kit seemed smitten. Why wouldn’t he be? Besides the literal glaring exception—Vander—so far, they’d all shown they were decent people. Kit was a total romantic, and Jhin was the epitome of his dream alpha. He’d probably fallen in love the moment Jhin kissed his hand. Ez, though exasperating, was kind of impossible not to like. And Adrian was quiet, kinda shy, but seemed really sweet.

My heart felt suddenly tight as Ez plucked a grape off the plate and popped it into Kit’s mouth.

Vander looked my way and rolled his eyes. He was sitting to the side of their table in stony silence, the only one resistant to theKitnip.

VANDER

My head hurt. Kit kept glancing at me, trying to draw me into the conversation with the others, but I was doing my best to ignore them. That had been my plan for the evening, after all, grit my teeth and endure this date.

Then he’d fucking hugged me.

Didn’t he know about personal space? Or consent?

You couldn’t just go around hugging people when you smelled like almond buttercream heaven. It wasn’t like I didn’t have enough to deal with already, with Jhin, and whatever the fuck was happening with Juniper. Just add in a sweet, pink-haired fluffy almond puffball to the equation. I couldn’t even look anywhere; if I looked at the table, my eyes were drawn to him like a magnet, and if I looked away, they’d catch on the grumpy cherry stormcloud typing away on her laptop in the corner.

Ez had just asked about how the omegas’ heat-buddy thing worked, and Kit was stumbling through an answer that painted a picture of both of them being fucked in the same room.

This was too much.

“Need some fresh air.” I stood abruptly, tucking my hands into my pockets and making my way out to the balcony. Once outside I leaned over the railing, looking at the spread of twinkling lights that made up New Oxford and tried to deal with the mess of emotions that were threatening my peace. I heard the balcony door open and sour cherries and spice hit me. I mentally sighed. Of course she’d follow me out here.

“Cherry Bomb,” I drew out the greeting, tapping my fingers on the rail without looking at her. “You here to yell at me some more? Or try and fuck me again?”

“What’s your problem with Kit?” she demanded.

“Ah. The far less fun option." I turned around to face her, crossing my arms.

“Well?” Her dark eyes were glinting in the lights around us, her pretty face pulled into her signature frown.

“I don’t have a problem with Kit,” I said, flicking a bit of lint off my forearm.

“Oh, really?” Her voice was flat. “You’ve barely said two words to him.”

God, couldn’t I get some peace out here, even for a second? Why was it her business, anyway?

”Didn’t realize a scent match required me to talk.” I kept my voice light. “Or sorry,Omega. Let me guess. You think he deserves to be worshipped and fawned over just because he can take a knot?”

Her mouth dropped open as I threw her own scathing words back in her face. I had the satisfaction of seeing her frown turn sullen.

“No. I think he deserves to be worshipped and fawned over because he’shim.And I’d be chewing outanybodywho left him on a date without giving him a chance, because Kit is anangel.”

That was just the problem, wasn’t it? He was sweet and kind, and if we bonded him, he’d stabilize us.

Would it work forever? Or would I still slowly poison the bond dooming him along with the rest of us?

I pushed the thought away.

“You know, you get real fucking sexy when you’re angry," I said, ruffling my hand in her hair, and enjoying the snarl she gave me.

“God, you are fuckingintolerable,” she snapped as I stepped past her.

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