Verity reserved us two hours to find the perfect gowns. Mysister-in-law has already selected a beautiful green mermaid gown that would make me look like a plague patient, but with her complexion, it works. She knows how to make a dress work for her.
Me, on the other hand? Not so much.
Standing in a slip, I study the next gown I’m supposed to try on. “Is it possible to asphyxiate in all that poof?”
Verity laughs from her place on the fitting room sofa. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”
I lift an eyebrow. “It looks like a loofah.” Do I want to look like I’m about to scrub the crap out of someone's body? No.
She bites her lip and tips her head. “Huh. It really does. Can we see the next options, please?” she asks the staff member assigned to work with us. “So,” she says as we wait for another round of dresses to be pulled, “Sawyer is cute.”
My throat tightens. “What?”
“You have no poker face,” she says with a grin.
I chew on my cheek and glance away. Sawyer is Henry’s best friend, and while I have no intentions of stopping the courting because of that, I do feel a twinge of guilt. Like I’ve somehow betrayed my brother.
Verity nudges me. “Hey, Liv, it’s okay. I’m not going to tell Henry until you’re ready.”
“Um, well, it’s new.”
“I can tell. Your scent blooms whenever Sawyer's name is mentioned.”
As if on cue, my honey and vanilla perfume thickens in the air. “Oh no,” I groan. “Scents are so annoying sometimes.” How am I meant to have a poker face if my scent is screaming to the world that Sawyer gave me my first non-solo orgasm?
“Sometimes they really are,” Verity agrees. “So, tell me everything.”
Why is she eager to know? Is this a setup? “Did you invite me here to make inquiries?”
“Inquiries?” She shakes her head. “You make it sound like I’m investigating you.”
That gives me pause. “If you’re not digging for information, what are you doing?”
She frowns. “I’m talking, Liv. You know, like friends do.”
“Friends?” I parrot, probably sounding like my IQ has plummeted in a matter of seconds. When it comes to friendship, I’m woefully unprepared. In school, I had acquaintances, but most were more concerned with who was looking at who or wearing what. I was interested in science and research.
“We’re friends, right? I mean, I’d like to be,” Verity stammers, cheeks flushing. “Am I being like Marnie? Forcing myself on you?”
I laugh at that. “Trust me, you’re nothing like my mother.”
“Good.” She exhales in relief, picking at invisible lint. “So, do you want to be friends?”
My chest clenches. When was the last time someone wanted to be my friend? Outside of the pack and coworkers, I haven’t met a ton of people who get me or want to be around me. Here, Verity is offering me the very thing I always thought I was okay without, and the ache in my chest tells me that not having close friends hurt me more than I ever cared to admit.
“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” I smile at her.
“And if you don’t want to share about Sawyer, you don’t have to,” she says in a rush.
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask about knots, but every time I mention knots to the alphas, they get aroused.”
Verity chuckles. “Alphas and their knots.” Sighing, she gets comfortable on the sofa. “Ask me anything.”
“Biologically, knots and heats are triggered to increase theprobability of reproduction because some several thousand years ago, our society almost collapsed due to declining birth rates, but if you don’t get pregnant after your first heat and knotting, can they still knot you again? How long does a knot last? Oh my god, my brother has a knot.” A full-body shudder rushes over me, and I mutter to myself, “It’s okay, Liv, you’re learning about knots, it doesn’t mean she’s going to tell you about Henry.” I suck in a breath. “Right, of course. So, where was I? Ah, yes. A beta’s sperm count can be upwards of 600 million, but an alpha’s is six times as much as that. Do you know an omega who was impregnated by a beta? The statistics are there, but I’m fascinated by the possibility of a beta’s sperm doing the job better than an alpha’s. Oh, and?—”
Verity places her hand on my arm. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I’m trying to keep up, but first, I’d never tell you about Henry. I know that would be weird.” She takes a breath, gathering her composure. “Right, so, yes, you can be knotted again, even if you don’t get pregnant. While our bodies have evolved to ensure pregnancy with our heats and an alphas knot, knots are just as fun without that factoring into it. On average, knots can last between ten and fifteen minutes. Oh, and you know that omegas ovulate during a heat and once between heats, right?"
I nod.
