“Actually…” I gaze at the sparkling lights, wringing my hands. “We didn’t do anything. Well, not like that anyway. They just stayed with me. I guess Laz did give me a foot rub?—”
“A foot rub?” Kady’s jaw drops. “That’s it?”
“It was a good one,” I reply, coming to Laz’s defense. “But they didn’t want to take advantage, even if I was a little needy.” I cover my face with a cushion at the memory of me begging for their knots.
“They’re good guys,” Sabs says proudly.
“It wouldn’t have been easy for an alpha to deny their scent match during heat.” Kady nods. “Pretty impressive.”
“Are you going to see them again soon?” Delilah asks.
“I really don’t know what comes next. I do want to see them again, but it’s just a lot to process. I never expected this to happen.”
“They won’t pressure you.” Sabs takes my hand. “Although they’re a pain in the ass sometimes, they’ll go at your pace. However slow or fast you want to take it.”
Her reassuring words make me smile. “Thanks for talking it out with me.”
We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I already feel like we’ve been friends forever. They’re all unique. Sabs is bold and not afraid to say what she thinks. She inspires me to do crazy things and just have fun. Kady’s super intelligent, yet shecares deeply for those she loves and is a person you’d want in your corner when things get tough because she’ll fight for what’s right. Delilah is the most similar to me. Her compassionate nature makes her empathetic and incredibly sensitive to others’ emotions, making it easy for her to know what to do to make them feel better.
“Whatever happens, we’ll be here for you,” Sabs promises.
“You know, you probably should be prepared for another heat,” Kady remarks. “From what I know about scent matches, your heat could strike any time you’re around them, so you’ll need to be armed with patches.”
“My gram could make me something to help,” As soon as the words leave me, my heart sinks. “But I can’t tell her yet. Not about this.” I grimace at the thought. “She’s not exactly a fan of alphas.”
Delilah tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. “She’s not an omega too?”
Designations often run in families, but it’s not always the case, especially with omegas as they’re so rare.
“No,” I answer her. “My mom was the first omega in our family. Mom’s dad was an alpha traveler who passed through town, so we don’t know much about his side of the family. Good riddance, or so Gram says.”
“So that’s why she doesn’t like alphas,” Kady infers.
“That’s one reason, but there’s more to it than that. It’s complicated.” After speaking to them about the Silverwoods, I feel ready to open up to them fully. “A pack of alphas murdered my parents.”
Delilah’s eyes fill with tears as she lunges for my free hand. Sabs squeezes my fingers tightly, and Kady gasps in horror.
“I’m so sorry, Faye,” Sabs murmurs. “I knew you got a little jumpy around alphas, but if I’d understood why, I never would’ve pushed you to come to the costume party.”
“Don’t be silly. I wanted to go,” I try to reassure her. “It happened a long time ago, when I was a baby. Mom was an omega, and Dad was a beta. A drunk pack came through Clover Hollow one night. They got aggressive when they caught Mom’s scent. My dad stepped in to protect her, then things got out of control.”
“That’s awful.” Sabs looks horror-stricken. “I’m so sorry, Faye.”
“My mom died when I was five.” Kady gently pats my knee. “Cancer.” She shakes her head sadly. “Losing a parent is hard, but to lose them in the way you did… I can’t even imagine."
“They caught the pack who did it, but them spending their lives in prison doesn’t bring them back.” I’ve carried around grief my entire life, so I’ve almost become numb to it. “Although I don’t remember either of them, Gram talks about them all the time and how in love they were. I think she secretly hoped I’d be a beta like my father. It would have made my life easier,” I sigh. “Gram has always done her best to protect me. She was worried about me coming to SVU and being around so many alphas, but I persuaded her that this was something I needed to do. How am I supposed to tell her I may have found a potential pack already?”
“You don’t have to tell her until you’re ready and you’re sure of what you want,” Kady comments. “You need time to figure this out.”
“I can’t imagine how scary it must have been coming here for you,” Delilah squeezes my hand. “You’re so strong.”
“I don’t feel it.” I blow out a long breath. “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to act around the Silverwoods now. There’s no rule book for this, and packs have scared me until now.”
“I’ve been around alphas my entire life. Good alphas, like my dads and the Silverwood Pack,” Sabs says. “True alphas only want to protect and care for their omega. You’ll see that foryourself; the Silverwood’s will treat you like a queen, if you let them.”
“Damon wouldn’t,” I scoff. “He can’t stand being around me.”
“Typical Damon. He doesn’t know what’s good for him.” Sabs runs a hand through her red tresses in exasperation. “He acts tough, but he’s been through a lot. He needs someone like you even more than the others. Someone who will care for him, and someone he can take care of.”
