At sixteen, everyone in the country takes a government mandated blood test to confirm their designation. Most people already have a good idea of their traits—early heat, in an omega’s case—or by their family history. By eighteen, most designations are completely identifiable.
“For an alpha, having a pack brings a lot of security,” Laz continues. “The camp was pretty terrible, but it bonded me and Cole. Neither of us really wanted to be there, yet we formed an alliance against some of the other assholes. It turned out he lived in the next town over, so we met up after camp, he met Damon, then bam!”
“And Ren?”
“He and Cole were already tight. Ren was a late bloomer. His results came back inconclusive at sixteen, yet when he retested again at eighteen, he became the final member of our pack. It’s a good thing we have him too. Cole’s our leader, but he and Damon both give off serious alpha energy. As you’ve probably figured out already, I’m the pack clown, and Ren levels everyone out with his calmness. He’s the glue that holds us together.”
“So what were you doing before coming to SVU?” I ask.
“Oh, you know.” Laz shrugs as we head up the steps to the pack house. “Having fun like most young alphas. Cole worked for his dad, I helped my parents around the house, Ren did his bachelors at another college, and Damon did odd jobs. We all really wanted to come here together when we were old enough.”
Because of the high drop-out rate for omegas and alphas, SVU’s minimum admission age is twenty-one. They reason that, with extra time to consider studying, students are more likely to be committed, though that’s not always the case.
Ren throws the door open. “Hey, baby,” he croons, kissing me on the cheek as soon as I enter.
“How was your seminar?” I ask, trying to slow my heart rate which kicked up at the kiss and endearment.
“Not as fun as our date.” He shakes his head. “But a few students did put forward a compelling argument about why Mr. Darcy is their ideal man.”
“Told you,” I giggle. “It’s a romance!”
Over Laz’s shoulder, I spot Cole quickly sweeping the surfaces with a feather duster before stashing it away.
“Hi, Faye.” Looking as amazing as ever, Cole strolls over to greet me, blue jeans hugging his muscular legs. “It’s good to see you.”
Now that I’m not in a heat-induced mania, I can properly take in my surroundings. Their place is very modern and spotless. I would never have guessed it’s a bachelor pad.
Cole catches me looking around. “Would you like a tour?”
“Sure.” I nod. “It’s so clean for four alphas.”
Cole’s chest puffs out with pride. “That’s because Cole’s a clean freak,” Laz teases. “Like all the pack houses, we have a housekeeper, but Cole insists on doing most of it himself. If you ask nicely, maybe he’ll wear his French maid costume for you.”
Cole glowers at him.
“You’ve already seen the living room, but you can see it again.” Ren steps in to diffuse the situation, leading me to the right.
The same comfy sofas are here, but without a thousand cushions and blankets, it looks totally different. And it smells amazing—Ren’s calming scent mixed with Laz’s spice, Cole’s smoky reassurance, and the underlying tone of Damon’s protective streak.
“We have a projector that pulls down here.” Laz waves his freckled arm at the blank wall. “Where we game and watch movies.”
There’s also a popcorn machine, a pinball machine, and a foosball table.
“We’ll show you the kitchen.” I follow behind Ren.
“There’s a bathroom just down there, and all our bedrooms are upstairs,” Cole tells me as we return to the hall.
Beneath us, heavy metal music blares, making my feet vibrate.
“That’s just Damon.” Laz answers my unspoken question. “He works out in the basement. As you can hear, he likes all the hard stuff. Angsty shit. Where’s the catchy beat I can dance to?”
“There’s more to music than dancing.” Ren rolls his eyes. “Just because you have the emotional depth of a teaspoon doesn’t mean everyone else does.”
“Hey!” Laz scoffs. “I just like music that I can actually understand the words to.”
“It’s a wonder that you understand anything at all.” Clearly, Cole is still annoyed, presumably for his earlier jabs about his cleaning.
The kitchen doubles as a dining room with sleek white countertops and black cupboards. One wall has a giant sliding glass door that leads into their yard.
