Page 31 of Forsaken Desire
“Karol isn’t going to get in trouble, is she?”
“No, anyone who can’t show up texts one of the top three.”
“Top three?” He’d said that as if it should mean something.
He cocked his head.
“Have you ever been a part of a pack?”
Fuck. I didn’t want to answer that because I could tell it would come with many more questions. He was a talker, I couldtell. Much too smooth for me to take on, and I’d surely slip up and put my foot in my mouth.
“It’s a long story. Much too long for right now.” I would avoid this specific question as much as I could.
“Be ready for questions from the Alpha,” he warned. I slipped through the double glass doors. Toddlers played on the jungle gym inside. The entire front seemed to be some babysitting area. A few younger teens hung around, lounging on the chairs with their eyes on their phones.
“Alex.” A middle-aged woman grinned over at him. Her eyes briefly met mine and then returned to the shifter beside me. Wide strides had her before us within moments. She carried a baby, rocking him in her arms.
“How's it going, Lucy?”
“Good, good, it’s my turn to take care of the little ones.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Do you know why we’re meeting so suddenly?”
“No.” He sighed and rubbed his palm over his messy curls. “I didn’t even know he was going to do this.”
“It wasn’t the Alpha. The Luna called this meeting. She had Duane send out the message.”
Alex whistled and shook his head.
“He’s not going to like that.”
“I’m sure Cierra told him. She would never move without his approval.”
“For her sake, I hope you’re right.” He winced, shaking his head in disapproval.
I shuffled, lacing my hands in front of me. Lucy turned toward me, and her gaze bounced back to Alex, a question obvious in her clear blue eyes.
“Right, this is Joey Garcia. She’s petitioning to temporarily join our pack.”
“So like a test run?” Lucy asked, meeting my eyes.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be staying in town,” I answered noncommittally. I didn’t know what it would be like to be a part of their pack, plus, I wasn’t sure they’d accept me with my record. At the very least, I had to ask permission to be in this territory. Since Alex mentioned there were other packs nearby, they could be another option for me, too . . . the problem was I’d ended up working at a place owned by Wilder pack.
“Oh.” Her lips formed a circle, and she nodded. The chatter coming from the hall settled noticeably. “Oof, you both better get going.”
Alex smiled and shuffled me forward with his hand on my back. I picked up my pace, hoping he’d let me go. Lucian might smell him on me later, and I couldn’t have that.
“Are you sniffing me?” I asked, meeting his gaze. Red spread on his face.
“Uhm, sorry, you smell good.”
“Thanks?” I muttered, trying to bite back my laugh. I had to change the subject ASAP. “So the Luna can call meetings, too?” I kept pace with Alex, our feet scraping on the carpet.
“She’s not officially the Luna yet, so no.”
“Why is he waiting to claim her?” He slowed to a stop and faced me.
“I . . . don’t know.” He frowned. “The switch-up happened years ago. I think they got into a fight or something. Everyone is wondering, but ‘that’s not something to concern me,’” he said the last bit with a deeper intonation. It was obvious he was mocking someone. He shrugged and continued walking. “They’ve been promised to each other since they were born. Our parents are super close, so I don’t think anyone’s concerned about it, not with how enmeshed all the business stuff is.”
We reached the open double doors, and I followed Alex as he guided me to a seat in the back of the auditorium. It was a decently sized space. I wasn’t tall enough to see over the row infront of me. Shifters’s scents mingled in my nose. I scratched at my arms to try to ease the anstiness crawling over my skin.
