Page 83 of The Pack Next Door
“Even though there’s only three of them?” someone asked.
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.
April’s nose pinched as she sucked in a breath, the skin around her mouth pulling tight before she clapped back.
“If they were the weak sort that makes up the majority of modern packs,” she snapped. “But not my sons. Each one has the strength, the speed of two, even three other alphas.”
“If she does say so herself.”
Jacinta appeared with the kinds of plastic cups most kids drink form, then filled them before handing them over. I smiledinto the rim, taking a sip as I stared at the field. Anywhere but at the Whitlock pack’s mother.
“Sounds like you’ll have your hands full, Briar.” I turned around to see half the town smiling at me. All of them but April.
“The strength and stamina of six alphas?” Someone else snorted. “Maybe that’s the noise I heard coming from the forest last night.”
Kill. Me. Now.
“You know what they say about a lusty courtship,” someone else said.
“Nothing that bears repeating in polite company.” We all turned around to see that Damien had walked over. “Gods, it’s hot.”
“Mimosa?” Jacinta offered.
“There is literally nothing I’d want more, but if I start drinking now, I won’t stop.” Something interesting happened then as he looked over my shoulder and in the direction of April. I followed his gaze, catching the moment he and the other omega locked eyes. Something crackled between them, and it was far from pleasant. His face went very hard, his eyes harder, but when he looked back at us again, his friendly demeanour was back. “I’ll wait until this afternoon when this madness is over.”
“Pretty sure those boys from Bordertown are fast, April,” someone else said as another pack assembled on the field. “Look at those tall, lanky fellas. If they were betas, they’d move like lightning down the footy field.”
“Speed without power is only good for running away from problems,” April shot back.
“Do we drink each time the mother talks up her sons?” Jacinta’s rakish grin had me bursting out laughing. That earned me a dark look from the Whitlock omega. “I mean we’d bepassed out drunk on the grass before the game is done and then no one would be feeling the heat.”
“Leaving me to organise your escorts home?” Damien shot her a meaningful look. “Just let Kieran know if you need a lift. He’s running the shuttle bus service today.”
“Of course, when my sons take over as ruling pack, Moon River will finally have a proper omega running it.”
Record scratch.
If I looked from April to Damien, so did everyone else, just in time to see her triumphant expression. Like I knew she was a bitch, but a raging one taking pot shots at the ruling omega? That was damn near suicidal. My hand whipped out, landing on Damien’s arm in time to feel the fine tremor there. Fur grazed my palm as he fought for control, finding it seconds later as he shot her a toothy grin.
“I’m glad you are so supportive of Briar.” His arm went around me, holding me tightly against his side. “Pretty sure I speak for the entire town when I say that we would all welcome her taking over the position as ruling omega from me.”
The word me was bitten off, but right as she went to say more, Damien turned us around, marching us away from the marquee and over to the shade of a nearby tree.
“Are you OK?” He asked, and I watched his chest heave.
“Are you?” I replied. “April is a bitch, but usually she’s more passive in her aggressive.”
“Of course she is.” His lips thinned as he stared into the back of the woman’s head, forcing her to turn around. Her eyes flashed silver, right before she scowled and focussed back on the field. “Always has been a right bitch.”
“Always…?”
My eyebrow cocked up, making clear I was open to hearing the story if he wanted to tell it. With a sigh, he shook his head and then faced me.
“How’re you surviving Cyclone April?” he asked, taking my hands in his. “That’s why I came by. We were supposed to have dinner.” Shit… “And then you left town with the guys.”
“Work emergency.” My smile was tight. “They came along to… help.”
“Help?” The mischief that lurked beneath the impressive facade of Omega Hart reared its head then. “Do tell.”
