Page 31 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
I thought S was the drama queen?
J
*Gasp* Mean!
Maple
Honest, not mean!
For a few seconds, he was typing, then he went away. I stared at the phone screen, biting my lip. Had I gone too far by calling him a drama queen? He had referred to his pack mate as a drama queen many times before, so I didn’tthinkit was over the line.
Then a voice note popped up on my screen.
My back straightened as I sat up, fully alert. I had never shared voice notes with them before—so why had J decided to do it now?
Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself, clicking on the message.
A deep, rumbly voice spoke. “You know what? I am too tired to type, but I’m going to say it right now, Maple, that was downright mean. I’ll have you know that I am a drama king, not a drama queen. Wait, does that mean I am married to my pack mate who is the drama queen? You know what, this talking thing is way easier than typing, but I wish you were willing to hang out with us. Just think, we could both be lying here looking longingly at the snacks. Then again, I won’t get up to get snacks for myself,but I probably would to get snacks for someone else. Not sure what that says about me. I probably need therapy. I hope you don’t mind the voice message.”
Even after he finished talking, I stared at my screen for a moment longer, trying to absorb his voice. It was one thing to know he was an alpha, but it was another to hear it, because his voice had that deep tone that was undoubtedly alpha. The kind of voice that made me feel mushy, yet at the same time, light and playful, just like the man himself.
Chewing on my lip, I contemplated my reply. Should I type or speak? I wasn’t ashamed of my voice, and it probably would be a good thing for them to know I was actually a woman and not some psycho man who was stalking them. It was a line we hadn’t crossed before.
I wanted to, though.
Swallowing, I lifted the phone so it was closer to my mouth and pressed the record button.
“You know what? A voice note might be a lot easier than typing,” I said, doing my best to keep my tone friendly. “I hate to break it to you, but if you are the drama king, then I do think that means you’re married. I’m sure many women will be heartbroken by that revelation. S, on the other hand, will probably be elated.”
Before I could reconsider and delete the message, I hit send and threw my phone into the nest. My stomach churned as I waited for his response. Increasing my anxiety was probably not a good idea, especially since I already had severe morning sickness, but it was too late to change anything.
When he didn’t reply immediately, I started rearranging the blankets in my nest in a desperate attempt to distract myself.
Even though I was awaiting his reply, when it finally came through, I paused before opening it. I had put myself more out there with his pack than I had in the past two years. I didn’tknow what had possessed me to be so forward, but my head was swimming with panic. What if he hated my voice? What if it grated on him or irritated him?
“Maple girl,” he sighed. “You sound pretty. You know that? I mean, I was convinced that you are stunning, anyway, but now you’ve just gone and confirmed it. I hate that you’re feeling so tired, but if it means I get voice notes instead of text messages, I’m not going to complain.”
I bit back a smile before replying.
“Ah, this is where I break your heart. See, actually, my name is Gary, and I live in a far-off country, and I’m just using you for snack pictures. I sell them for profit.”
“Snack pictures? I didn’t realize there was a profitable market for those.” His voice came out as a deep, rumbly laugh. Lying in my nest, I kept the phone near my face as I listened, enjoying the relaxing yet warm tones.
“Well, if I’m honest, I was simply waiting to become good enough friends so I could convince you to send me foot pictures, and then I would be making the big bucks.”
“In that case, I think it’s my turn to break your heart, because I have some hideous feet. I’m serious, Maple girl. They’re like a hobbit’s feet.”
“Luckily, the Internet is full of weirdos, and I will find a market for hobbit feet somewhere,” I said with a giggle. Usually, I found guys difficult to talk to, but this time, it was oddly easy. The chat and banter flowed. I wasn’t scared or anxious, and I was actually starting to enjoy myself, curled up in my nest talking to him.
“In that case, I better start selling my foot pics myself if I am sitting on a potential gold mine.”
“But I think I deserve at least a cut of the profits, considering I introduced you to the weird world of Internet hobbit footfetishes. I have all these johns lined up, just waiting for prime hobbit feet pics.”
Our chat was taking the stupidest turn, but I wasn’t mad at it. It’s hard to be nervous when you were talking about hobbit feet and selling foot fetish pictures.
“I’m sure we could work something out. What do you think?”
The next message was a photo. He was still in bed, but he had lifted his leg into the air, displaying his bare foot.
