Page 17 of How to Lose a Pack in 10 Dates

His voice is full of harmless confidence, and I take exactly one step closer, letting my smile bloom slowly.

“I mean,” I murmur, batting my lashes at him, “I’d hate to waste anything...moist.”

His grin tells me that I’ve passed a secret test.

“I like you already.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” I purr, “I’mverylikable.”

Behind me, the air thickens. It’s not scent so much as it is pure, electric tension. I swear, I canfeelWes’s eyes burning into my back, his whole body probably clenched tight enough to snap bone.

I don’t even need to look. The fury ispalpable.

Meanwhile, Jace is practically oblivious; gloriously unaware that his flirty little back-and-forth with me is making his packmates' left eyelid twitch.

It’s almost too easy, and god, it feelsgood.

Cam looks between the three of us before clearing his throat and trying again. “So, um. We were going to give you the tour—”

“She doesn’t need a tour,” Wes cuts in. “She needs to say what she came to say.”

And there it is: that tight, clipped authority.

I turn to face him, letting the corner of my mouth curl. It’s subtle, but he’s perceptive, so I know he won’t miss it, and he’ll know thatIknow just how much I’m getting under his skin—and the way I plan to keep digging.

After all, he’s at his most fun when he’s fuming.

“Actually,” I say, unbuttoning my coat and slipping it off one shoulder, “I came for the muffins.”

The clingy blue dress underneath earns me exactly the reaction I hoped for. It’s not scandalous—technically. The neckline dips just enough to invite commentary, and the fabric hugs my curves just right. Wes’s nostrils flare as his eyes drag down my body, and I notice how one of the muscles in his jaw jumps as his hands clench by his sides.

“And everything else?” I continue, locking eyes with him as my smile widens. “That’s just a bonus.”

Jace lets out a low whistle behind me. “Damn,” he mutters. “This is gonna be fun.”

I might be scent-blocked to the gods as a precaution, but I’m still a woman, and these alphas have still got eyes. There’s no harm in using what evolution gave me—especiallyif Wes is going to stand there looking like a thundercloud with a superiority complex.

Jace hands me a muffin and gestures toward the couch.

“So…” he says as he flops onto the opposite end of the sofa, one ankle propped on his knee. “How’s the investigation coming? The one about, uh—heat suppressant shortages?”

“You… you read my article?” I pause mid-chew, blinking. “That only got published, like, yesterday.”

“Sure did. Cam sent it to us,” he grins. “You’re a really good writer. And also kind of terrifying?”

“Thanks,” I say. “That’s honestly the exact energy I’m going for.”

“Mission accomplished,” Wes mutters from the armchair. “Even your footnotes are passive aggressive.”

I shoot him a look. “Just be grateful I’m not writing aboutyou.”

Wes exhales sharply, but I ignore him as Cam steps around the couch and sits beside me.

“We’re really glad you came,” he says. “It’s been—what, three years?”

“Four,” I say automatically, then instantly want to yeet myself into the trash.

Cam’s smile softens. “You look good.”

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