Page 56 of Begrudgingly Yours
I breathe a bit easier. She’s attracted to her scent match, that’s for sure. That’s still not an invitation to pursue things further, but it’s good to know. It satiates the beast inside me tosee she’s at least thinking of our pack mate. Before I can change the subject, a giant head of orange curls pops up behind everyone.
“Opal! I’m glad you could make it.” I see her costume and smile wide. “Sick! Sailor Jupiter.”
Opal’s face lights up before she looks over at Rory. “I told you someone would know who I am!”
The genuine smiles they give each other makes me giddy. Rory has more than one person, even better.
I bring my drink into the air. “Alright, well… it’s my birthday?—”
“Your birthday was fourteen days ago,” Jett adds.
“—so let’s drink!”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Playing: No One Else by Midnight Blu
“Didyou know that a woodpecker’s tongue is wrapped all the way around its brain to protect it from all the pecking?”
I choke on my mixed drink and look at Opal amidst my coughing fit. “What?” I ask as I try to get my bearings.
“Their tongues are long as fuck and protect their brains inside their skulls,” she replies nonchalantly before taking a sip of her own concoction.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that, too,” Ciro chimes in, already lit from the shots we did earlier. “And it’s forked so it can cover more area.”
I gag.
“There’s no way that’s a real thing.” Stacia looks over at her prime. “Right?”
Atlas laughs into his cup. “I’m not going to be the one to burst your bubble,angel.”
Well, that does it. Woodpeckers are officially on my banned animal list. They are no longer allowed within ten feet of me.
We all continue to mingle on the side of the room. Some people are dancing, but the real dancefloor is a room over. I’m trying not to think about what happened the last time I was on a dancefloor, how Dax had me holding on to each and every word, how I almost lost my will. And how I’m also on that same verge tonight.
All three alphas look ridiculous but also extremely attractive in their costumes. I love when someone can be silly and dress up, not take themselves too seriously. I always knew Dax had an enormous personality and a stellar sense of humor, but I wasn’t expecting Jett and Everett to look so comfortable in their outfits… and with each other.
I know they’re a new pack but I can already see the camaraderie between them. I think my secret is out of the bag, too, because they didn’t act surprised to see me earlier. Dax didn’t try to introduce me to his new pack mate, and the look in his eye let me know how he feels about the situation.
“Who is that?” Opal’s question pulls me out of my thoughts. I look in the same direction but can’t seem to figure out exactly who she’s referring to. There’s so many goddamn people in here.
Stacia smiles big. “That’s Sam’s scent match, Kit.”
I freeze but control my face as much as I can before it’s noticeable. I turn my gaze over to my fiery-haired friend to—discreetly—make sure she’s okay but she’s just staring in the same direction. Her eyes are glazed over, her chest rising and falling as she watches the other omega.
“He’s dressed as Gojo,” she says in a hushed tone. At first I think she’s talking to me, but then her laser focus makes me think the observation was just for herself.
I raise my brow, going for something light. “Is that an anime character?”
She doesn’t say anything. When she finally looks at me, her eyes are wide. “I’ll be right back,” she says before excusing herself and walking in the opposite direction of Sam’s mate.
No one seems bothered by Opal’s abrupt goodbye. They continue to drink and laugh; Stacia is now showing Kendall videos on her phone, Ciro is explaining what Choripan is to one of their frat brothers, while Uriah and Atlas are discussing something with Sam to the side.
I feel parched all of a sudden, so I leave to seek out the kitchen. It’s way more crowded than it was earlier, but I get to the fridge easily enough and pull it open to get some cold water.
“He’s seriously so cute,” someone says as they pass me. Whoever is with them nearly body checks me, but I just close the fridge to make more room.
“He can flog me with that whip anytime,” the person who almost ran into me replies.Wait, what?My head pivots in their direction. They’re wearing short dresses, wings, and little halos; one in white and one in black.
