Page 31 of Pack Rivals, Part One

"Yeah," I say, "maybe." Although, I can't help feeling there's more to it than that. I'll get my team to do some more digging when they're back in the office on Monday.

Angel cracks his knuckles. "Axel's going to go all out. You know that, right? Whether he wants this girl for real, or he's simply messing with us, he won't want to lose this battle. Not when losing will end in real humiliation." A smile creeps across Angel's features. Alphas hate being rejected. They especially hate being rejected by omegas. They hate it even more when the omega rejects them for another pack. It dents their pride. If Axel and his pack are rejected in favor of us, it will do more than dent his pride, it'll bulldoze straight through it.

"So what's our game plan?" Hardy asks, swinging his gaze from me to Axel. Hardy is the muscle of our pack. The enforcer. I'm the brains. And Angel? Well, he is a bit of both.

"We use our best card. One Axel doesn't have in his pack."

"What's that?" Hardy asks.

Angel slaps me on the shoulder. "Silver here."

"Me?" I say, surprised.

"You've always been the charmer, Silver. And you already have one up on every other alpha in this city. You escorted her home. Rescued her from a potential shitshow. You're her knight in shining armor. We need to play that shit to our advantage."

Didn't seem to be working to my advantage when she called me earlier. In fact, she turned down my offer of a dinner date. Not that that will stop me. I'm still rocking up on her doorstep at eight tonight.

"Angel," I say, gripping his arm. "We're going to win this little game. But more importantly we're going to win the girl."

Because, hell, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her.

* * *

As promised,I'm on her doorstep, pressing the buzzer at 8pm. The guards I stationed there are now gone and I half-expect to find Axel in a monkey suit with a bunch of posies. There's no one there though – although it'll only be a matter of time until the other alphas in this city learn her name and where she's living. Then there'll be a fucking great line outside her door.

It's why my two guards have moved from the doorstep to the house across the street. I'm not taking any chances with my girl.

It's the cousin who answers the buzzer.

"Hello?"

"Hi, It's Silver, Silver Boston. I've come to pick up Bea and take her out for dinner."

I look down at my hands. Empty. Damn it, I should have brought flowers. Omegas like flowers. All women like flowers, don't they?

I try to remember all the things my mom told me growing up. It was one of her favorite stories; how my dad had gone about chasing her and persuading her to join his pack. I'm sure there were flowers involved. I'm going to need to give her a call. Subtly. If I give too much away the woman will be ordering her outfit for my wedding.

There's some muffled discussion on the other end of the line and then Bea's voice.

As promised, she refuses my offer.

"Bea," I say sweetly, "at least let me up so we can talk about this."

It's near impossible for an omega to resist an alpha. Not when he's right there in front of them.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she murmurs.

I think it's a very good idea. I want to soak that little thing up again. See if she really is as sweet as I remember.

"I've come all this way …" I sound disappointed and hurt. Truth is, I am. I'd hoped she'd have changed her mind already and would be racing down those stairs to greet me.

I imagine her chewing her lip. There's some more muffled chattering and then she says, "Just for a minute."

Bingo.

I race up the stairs two at a time and come to a halt outside her apartment door. I can smell her scent from out here. All sweet and sugary. I close my eyes and breathe her in.

The door opens, and she's there, wearing leggings and my sweater, her hair tied back in a messy bun.

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