Page 25 of Pack Rivals, Part One

"And yet they're single." I roll my eyes.

"What?" Courtney asks.

"If they are that hot and that in demand then they are also obviously players."

Aunt Julia and Courtney look at each other. "Are they?" Courtney asks our aunt. I'm guessing Aunt Julia is the font of all knowledge when it comes to alphas and omegas in the city.

"I only met them a handful of times and they were always very polite young men." Courtney sticks her tongue out in disgust like that's the last thing I'd want. "But they do have a bit of a reputation."

"Ha, exactly!" I glance down at the magazines. "For what?"

"Sleeping around."

"And the other one?" I ask, pointing my finger to the floor. "The one who brought me home and placed the goons on my door?"

"Ahhh." Aunt Julia, fiddles with the beads around her neck. "Pack Boston."

"Also hot and also super rich!" Courtney says, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands together. "Oh my god, Bea. You're set! Snag one of those packs and you'll be living the life of luxury for the rest of your days." She squeals. "We could finally go on that trip to the Caribbean that we've always wanted to … on their private jet!"

"One," I say, flicking through the magazine pages and trying to ignore the pictures of the man with gray eyes and the man who carried me home last night, because, well, damnit, they are both smoking hot. "Private jets are bad for the environment. Two, I don't want to end up a notch on some stuck-up dude's bedpost and three–"

"Why are you assuming you'd be a notch? Maybe they are looking for a mate," Aunt Julia says, pinching one of the magazines and dragging it onto her lap. "You may think alphas are simply interested in rutting and knotting," I gulp when she says that word, realizing I have some questions I need to ask the doctor in private, "but their instincts are just as strong to find a mate and settle down."

I snort. "Sure."

"I have more experience with alphas than you do, missy," Aunt Julia says sharply. "I wouldn't dismiss them out of hand. You have no idea what their intentions are."

My shoulders sag. "Look, even if they were interested in settling down, they aren't going to be interested in settling down with me."

"Why not?" Courtney asks.

Because I'm not the one people want to end their happily ever afters with. I've learned that the hard and humiliating way.

I stand up and walk to the window, wrapping my arms around my middle. Those two men remain outside the front door and further down the street I spy that silver-blue sports car from the gas station. Oh crap.

"We can try to stave off your heat for as long as possible," the doctor says gently, "but it will come eventually."

"And being with an alpha will make the whole experience much more comfortable," my aunt adds.

I turn around to look at her. "Is there a way of going through a heat without an alpha?"

My aunt mutters something under her breath. But the doctor nods. "Yes, there is. At my clinic–"

"I wouldn't recommend it. It's extremely painful even with painkillers and all the other fancy drugs," my aunt says.

I glance back to the window, to the clear blue sky, a flock of birds dancing across the expanse.

I've had my heart broken. Nothing is more painful than that.

* * *

The doctor leavesme with a pile of pamphlets and a long list of instructions for pills I need to take. She also tells me to watch out for certain signs, hints that my heat is approaching.

Aunt Julia jumps on her phone and starts ordering special blankets and pillows she says I'll need for a nest. Then she calls her friends about other eligible alphas they think I should meet. I protest at this latter course of action, but she waves me off, saying I'll thank her when my heat comes.

Courtney curls on the floor again and surfs the internet, relaying nuggets of information she discovers about Pack Boston and Pack York.

I escape to the bathroom, where I strip off my clothes and stand in front of the mirror.

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