Page 97 of Finding the Forward: Part One
Her hand squeezing my ass. Yeah, that was all the answer I needed.
“I’ll be up in a bit? Don’t stay up too late?” Verity hugged Creed. “Thank you.”
She said her good nights, then took my hand with her free one.
“There you are, Grif. Why aren’t you answering my texts? I’ve booked the champagne room at Lucious. Come on, you’re not a real Knight until you have a lap dance.” Carlos stood there, dressed to go out. Dimitri and the three rookies were with them.
“Maybe he has other plans. Carlos is sad so many of the forwards are going purse shopping. Perhaps Grif is joining them.” Dimitri shrugged.
Right, someone had a connection to a fancy shop, and they were getting after-hours shopping time or something. Oh. Verity probably liked that brand. Next time.
“I’ll pass on the festivities tonight. Thanks for the invite. You can take Lucky, though.” I held out my imaginary cat. No, I was only interested in a lap dance from Verity or Dean.
“Oh, hey, Professor Mami, looking good. Come with us. Lap dance still counts if it’s from you. But I’ll take Lucky.” Carlos grinned, eyeing her pretty dress.
“Thanks for the invitation, but maybe another time?” Verity said quietly.
For once Carlos seemed to get the subtext, and he nodded. “Your private room is booked. Understood. Lucky can have your lap dance, but I won’t let him get plastered like last time.”
“Please? I am not cleaning up imaginary cat puke,” Dean snorted.
Verity waved again at her family, then we all walked to the elevators. When we got in, she leaned against me, face to my chest.
“You have an actual list of who can watch Mercy?” Dean asked as the doors closed.
“We do.” Her body shuddered a little, and not in the way I liked. In the enclosed space, her fatigue, her anxiety, became more evident.
My hand stroked her back, the fabric of her pastel dress soft under my fingers.
“If you want, you can put me on it. You know, in case you’re in the middle of an experiment or something and can’t pick her up. Since we might be at the training center anyway, and I can bring her to campus,” I offered. Why hadn’t I thought of this before?
“I’d like that. So, that’s my family. Well, some of them,” she sighed. “Dad’s okay. He’s always been one of my favorites. But Mumsy... she never forgave me for not staying a beta. For wanting to do more than help our beta mama take care of the kids. Especially after the littles were born.”
“What’s Grace?” Dean asked. “She’s tiny but doesn’t quite smell omega. I really thought she was going to stab Mumsy-Dearest.”
Verity laughed. “Grace is a gamma. She was raised outside the pack. Creed found her a year and a half ago.”
Rich sister, who seemed like she’d giveeverythingfor Verity and Mercy, had only known them for less than two years? What?
“Gamma, fuck. Did someone take care of the fucker?” Jonas’ look went pained.
“Yeah.” Verity nodded.
Gammas were failed omegas. Like something was so dangerous in their environment that their body literallystoppedthat process. They weren’t as common nowadays. Historically, it was caused by things like war and famine.
Nowadays, it was usually asshole parents.
Gammas didn’t respond to danger, barks, or pheromones like other designations. Their reactions to danger were random. Which would be why a woman not even five feet tall might try to attack an alpha with aplastic fork.
How had Grace ended up being raised outside the pack when she was clearly the blond dad’s kid? Huh.
The elevator doors parted. Jonas led us down the hall, opening the hotel room door, and pushing Dean into it. I opened the one next to it, disappearing into it with Verity. She gave a long look toward the hall as the door closed behind us.
“Their room adjoins mine,” I assured her. As much as I’d love to have her alone, Dean would barrel through the connecting door in a moment to collect his shutout spoils.
I flipped on the light and opened the adjoining door. Dean stood there, their side open, a look of longing on his face. He let out a little needy whine.
“What do you need, Hot Stuff?” She reached her free hand out to squeeze his. “Do you need me to reward my good, sweet omega for getting another shutout? I’m going to take all my feelings out on your cock, then wash them away when I swallow all that hot cum you’ll shoot down my throat.”
