Page 43 of Coco and the Misfits

Find a pack, settle down…

“Coco? Are you there? Are you writing his number down?”

“No, Mom. Unless I find a pack of alphas who adore me, growly alphas who will have me as their queen, I won’t settle for anything less.”

“Oh God, you’re headstrong.” Mom sighs. “Who did you take after?”

“You. I’m your improved sequel.”

She laughs. “Baby. I’m glad you know your worth. I’m sure you will find those alphas.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“If only you accepted your designation?—”

“Mom, just quit already. I’m not having the best day, okay? Bye, gotta go.”

“Coco—”

I hang up and sigh. She’s a great mom, but she believes I’m being childish and difficult when it comes to my designation.

How can I convince her that this really matters to me? How can I spend my life forced into a pair of shoes that don’t fit me, into a role I can’t play? I’d be unhappy.

And are you happy now?

I’ll get there, just you watch. One day at a time. Waiting for a heat to come on and prove me right has wrecked my nerves, but I’m not giving up hope.

I’m not a quitter.

And yet when a knock comes on my door, I scream like a little girl.

Dammit.

“Zach?” I stare at him as the echoes of my scream bounce around the stairwell. “Is that you?”

“Hi.” He tilts his head to the side and gives me a crooked smile. Whoa, dimple alert! I’m staring at him with hearts in my eyes when he places a hand on the door and pushes. “May I come in?”

“What? Oh, of course. Yeah.” I step back and he brushes by me, then hesitates. Turns his head to gaze down at me, a brief frown marring his brow.

Then he walks inside and I close the door. I’m so distracted, I almost forget to lock it.

My new normal. Locking and bolting every door and window. My heart jumping at every little noise.

I turn and watch him walk through my apartment, stopping at the sofa. It’s a good-sized sofa but it suddenly looks tiny beside him.

Everything looks tiny beside these hulking alphas, and my silly heart goes pitty-patter when I’m near them, happy as a bug in a rug, basking in the shadow of their muscular bodies.

My gaze moves from his sneakers up his denim-clad legs, his muscular thighs straining the fabric, further up to his flat stomach and broad chest barely covered in a tight white T-shirt, and those biceps…

Lord, have mercy.

I want them flexing around me, I want those thick muscles in his thighs bunching as he pounds into me, I want?—

“Coco.” I finally look up to meet his blue eyes and find him glaring. “We need to talk.”

“We do?”

I was thinking about knocking him out and crawling on top of him to explore his body, but okay.

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