Page 80 of Begrudgingly Yours
“Hey guys.” I step up to enter the circle, trying not to feel awkward since I’m still just their friend’s new pack mate. “How’s planning going?”
I take an educated guess that they’re discussing the benefit for their philanthropy this weekend. Dax was tasked with inviting all the other Greek houses and ensuring that a few individuals correlate with Sam directly. I have no otherinformation than that, but I think my shot in the dark was correct when Sam answers, “It’s going. I really hope it’s a good turn out.”
Kendall leans over to me and not-so-quietly whispers, “He has this personal goal to always earn more than he did the previous year. It’s stressing him out.”
“It’s not stressing me out,” Sam says, although he does look fairly fatigued. He looks over at me. “We’ve had a few investors drop out last second so there’s a few kinks to sort out.”
Ah, that definitely sounds like something that would be stressful. “Well, I can talk to Dax about that, he may know a few people that can help.”
I realize as soon as I say it that I’ve messed up because all of them give me varying looks of confusion. I suddenly remember that none of them know about Dax’s mother.
“Anyway,” I start, immediately doing awkward damage control. “I gotta go show Everett that he saved my ass this semester with all that tutoring.”
Sam beams, loving the reminder that one of his ideas actually helped someone. “I’m so glad the tutoring worked out for you, in more than one way,” he says.
“Thanks, Sam.” I slap him on the shoulder as I pass by.
“Oh, wait, one more thing,” Atlas says, finally speaking up. “Did those two invite you and Rory to the benefit?”
My eyebrows scrunch, wondering why we would be there. But then I really think about it. We’re a pack, and these are the kinds of things packs do together. I try not to show how happy that thought makes me as I give them a solid nod. “We’ll be there.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
“I’m so glad that’s over.” I sit down on the edge of my bed, preparing to take off the excruciating shoes that have been digging into my skin all night. Jett is there before I can blink, kneeling in front of me so he can unlace my shoes and gently pull them off my feet.
“There’s going to be a ton of events like this in your future. You’ll have to get used to them,” Jett retorts, referring to possible future award shows.
“Or, we can just get used to stealing her away early,” Dax cuts in while undoing his tie. His cheeky grin paired up with the expensive tuxedo is doing something to me. All night, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of him. “The tabloids can talk about how clingy and possessive Rory Cromwell’s pack is and we can laugh into the sunset.”
“We can always blame it on the prime, whichever one of us that ends up being,” Jett laughs.
My cheeks flush at the thought. It sounds accurate to the reality of it, though. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle thosekinds of events for long periods of time. The idea that they would take the blame for me in that regard makes something pinch in my chest in the best way.
Tonight was the charity ball for Alpha Xi’s philanthropy and it was a black tie event. I’ve never seen so many college students in a formal setting before. It was impressive, how Sam was able to wrangle up that much buzz for this event. And the money they raised was well past the point that Sam wanted, so I’m happy for him tonight, along with the charity that the money will go to.
The dress I’m wearing costs way too much, but the way all three of them looked at me when I walked out of that dressing room made the number disappear. They were enraptured with me and the way the black material clung to my body like water. I found that made every penny worth it.
It didn’t matter anyway because Dax wouldn’t let me pay for it. I’ve learned a lot about my boys recently, and one of those things is that Dax loves to spend money. His love language definitely has to do with quality time and gift giving, the more the better. The gifts can be of any multitude. I never know if it’s going to be food from my favorite place or a random piece of jewelry or little crystals that he says look like my “vibe.”
I am a fan of kyanite, though, so that worked out well.
Dax is so headstrong and loves to plan. From the outside looking in, others might think that Dax is our prime because he has his hand in a lot of our dates and loves to plan how we spend our time together. He’s a natural at it and you can tell he thrives under that kind of pressure. However, there’s a hidden limit. Dax’s plans can sometimes go a bit haywire, but Everett is always there to pull him back.
There’s an un-intrusive nature about Everett that makes him the perfect leader. He lets us be who we are and do whatwe want, but he’s also always alert to any dangers nearby, to any issue that may arise. I can see it every time we’re all together, the calm but also watchful disposition that he emulates.
Jett just loves to have a good time. It’s so nice to see him in his element outside of class. Others might think he’s a loner, but I know that he just enjoys his solitude. The more I get to know him, the more I realize that acting was the perfect thing for him to fall into. He’s so comfortable in who he is that he won’t get lost in the character he’s playing, which is so important for people like us.
Jett loves antiques (although if you asked him, he’d just say he appreciates things that are timeless) and he loves a good thriller novel. I wouldn’t admit this out loud but I might have some recommendations from Atlas already in my cart to buy for him.
Everett scoffs, undoing his cuffs. “I don’t know how we’d even figure that out.”
Dax jokes, “Maybe we’re supposed to have a duel. A triad duel.”
The other two laugh at that, the conversation lighthearted and hypothetical, but my omega nudges me. They’ll never make the decision if they’re not pushed.
“I think there’s a clear choice,” I say, looking over at them. “The prime is someone who protects the pack no matter what, holds emotional space for them… one that goes out of their way to make sure the rest of us doesn’t have to lift a finger.”
Jett is already smiling, knowing what I’m going to say. Dax does, too, if the way he side-eyes his best friend is any indication. But Everett doesn’t seem to pick up on what I’m saying. He watches me, agreeing with my words, waiting for me to say who I’m thinking between Jett and Dax.
