Page 88 of Pack Rivals, Part One

"Yeah, I'm mean as fuck with a frying pan." And a knife. "I'll cook for you sometime."

"Doyoudo gourmet dishes?"

"I'm more of a meatloaf kind of guy."

"Wow," she says, impressed.

Shouldn't be. Anyone will tell you, kids that don't get fed grow up into adults with food obsessions. The others let me get on with it. They know fuck all about food and cooking. They're happy to eat whatever monstrosity I dump in front of their faces, just like they're happy for me to skip off and do my thing.

We continue down the sidewalk, passing Hetty's department store.

"Shouldn't we try there?" she asks, eyeing up all the mannequins displayed in the window.

"Nope, their stuff won't fit you."

We walk further along the sidewalk, the stores thinning and then I swing her around the corner to a little boutique I've been eyeing up since I met her.

The dresses in the window are all slinky, silky things I want to dress this girl up in.

"Here?" she asks, stepping towards the windows. "Those dresses look a bit …"

"Sexy as hell." I grin.

"Risqué and … expensive."

"Told you. Company's paying."

"Is this where other omegas–"

I drag her through the door.

The shop is empty.

I spin around, irritated. Then thrust my fingers in my mouth and whistle hard. A young shop assistant comes scurrying out, tucking his shirt into his pants and patting down his hair.

"Hi there," he says, his cheeks all red.

He's followed a moment later by another shop assistant, his shirt all buttoned up wrong. This one hurries to start straightening piles of panties.

Bea's gaze flicks between the two men.

"Were we interrupting?" I ask.

"No, Sir," the first dude says, his cheeks flaming. Bea jabs me with her elbow.

"I need a dress," I tell him.

"Short? Long? Strapless? Halter neck?"

"Short," I say. "Strapless."

"Long," Bea corrects, "maybe strapless."

"But blue," I say. "It has to be blue. Dark blue, almost black." I grin and she rolls her eyes. "Both our favorite colors," I explain.

"Freddie?" the man serving us says to the other. "Did you hear that?"

The second man nods and together they start searching through the racks of dresses. Bea stands in the middle of the shop, eyes swooping around all the clothes on display, thumbs twiddling.

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