Page 36 of Finding the Forward: Part One
As much as I’d like to have a few more rounds, then sleep snuggled together, my sister would be home soon.
“Oh yeah. That’s it,” he moaned again as the door opened.
“Well, that’s not what I expected. But she does give the best calf massages. She’s good at taping injuries, too.” Mercy tossed her bag on the bench by the door.
“So’s Dean. He studied kinesiology,” Grif told me.
“That’s a great major. How was the movie, Mercy?” I moved, straddling his other calf.
Mercy’s nostrils flared. “How wascoffee?”
“We ate at this great Thai place.” I’d de-scented the house, put my discarded pants in the washer, and sanitized the counter while making popcorn.
“Yum. I had nachos and popcorn for dinner, then we got tacos. I’m ordering pizza.” She kicked off her shoes and put them by the door. “Any requests?”
“Skate smashers can have midnight pizza?” Grif gave her an amused look from his place on the couch.
“The team nutritionist can kiss my ass. What’s the point of having my own money if I can’t order pizza whenever I want?” She looked at me. “Usual?”
“Sure.” My fingers dug into his flesh, working out a knot, and he groaned. Part of me felt bad that I’d only made popcorn. We’d burned a lot of energy.
“You sound pornographic. I’m going to hit the shower. Then we’ll have pizza and watch something else.” Mercy left for her room.
“I know it’s late, but would you like to stay for pizza, a movie, and twenty questions from my sister?” I asked, not ready for our night to end.
Grif beamed. “I’d love to be subject to the great sister inquisition.”
I fluffed the couch pillows after Grif left, debating whether or not to de-scent them. Hugging one to my chest, I breathed deep, getting a hit of him. No. I wouldn’t unless Mercy asked.
“Thanks for being nice to him,” I replied, feeling Mercy behind me. We’d watched the latest Defender League movie and ate pizza. The superhero franchise was always a good time.
“I like him. Also, while he’s new to the Knights, they like him. You can tell a lot about someone from how their teammates speak about them,” she told me.
True. It was like her to check him out. Apparently his pack knew Rusty’s.
Mercy flopped onto the couch with me. “Doyoulike him?”
“Tremendously. I don’t know if I can let him go–don’t let me be a knothead?” I shot her a pleading look. The sheer force of my emotions overwhelmed me. If I didn’t know he was a beta, I’d think he was my mate. Maybe not my perfect fated alpha-omega scent match like in a love story, but definitelythe one.
He was stillthe oneeven if he was beta. Grif was my pack. My person. I’d absolutely be happy forever with him, and I felt this in the deepest depths of my soul.
Hopefully, his packmates accepted me.
“Ver, are you okay? I lost you. You were safe, right? This is your first boyfriend, so maybe go slow?” Her spiced plum scent took on the musty tinge of worry.
“We were safe. Also, just because the parents banned dating doesn’t mean I lack experience. I even did a little secret dating back in undergrad.” When I was braver.
“Please tell me it was not some fútbol asshole like your arch nemesis Freddie the Fuckboy?” Mercy grimaced.
ItwasFreddie. We’d had an enemy-to-lovers fling that had ended badly.
“Ver, you didn’t?” With a sigh, Mercy glanced at the couch. “Um, you didn’t fuck on the couch, did you?”
“No.” I should clean the counter again. Whoops, before I’d found Grif, I’d meant to bake an apology treat tonight for the omega whose weight room I’d been using.
That would be Dean, Grif’s goalie husband.
“I’m going to go to bed. Have you checked the sibling group chat?” With a grin, she left.
