"Bea?" Ben's voice is muffled through the wood. "You alive in there?"
"No. I died. This is my ghost."
"Your ghost needs to get ready for work. You've got a shift at the hardware store in an hour."
Right. Work. At the hardware store. With River.
River, who definitely knows something happened with Grayson because small towns don't have secrets and also because I literally ran out of the store yesterday looking thoroughly debauched.
"I'm calling in sick," I announce.
"You're not calling in sick." Ben's hand is on the doorknob, but he doesn't open it. There's a pause. A longer pause than normal. "Uh. Bea?"
"What?"
"Why do you smell like—" He stops. Clears his throat. "Never mind. I'm staying out here. But you need to shower. Like, immediately."
Oh god. Ohgod. He can smell my arousal through the door.
"I hate you," I say to the ceiling.
"Not as much as I hate having an omega sister right now." But there's laughter in his voice. "Seriously though. Cold shower. Now. Before Mom notices."
"Benjamin Wilson, I will end you."
"Yeah, yeah. Threats of violence. Very original." I can hear him leaning against the doorframe now, settling in for maximum big brother torture. "So. Interesting thing happened yesterday."
I grab my pillow and press it over my face. "Go away."
"I was at Millie's getting lunch, and I overheard something fascinating."
"I don't care."
"You will." He's definitely grinning now. I can hear it. "Apparently, three certain alphas in this town—a deputy, a hardware store owner, and a tattoo artist—are forming a pack."
My entire body goes rigid.
"And you know what's even more interesting? According to Maeve Bennett, who was talking to Mrs. Patterson, who heard it from her daughter who works at the sheriff's station—" He pauses for dramatic effect. "They're courting the same omega. Formally. Together."
I can't breathe.
"Funny thing is," Ben continues, voice going a bit more serious, "my little sister didn't mention anything about being formally courted by a pack. Just said she had plans tonight. So either Maeve's gossip mill is working overtime, or someone's been keeping secrets."
"Ben—"
"Relax. I haven't told Mom and the dads. Yet." He taps on the door. "But you might want to, you know, mention it before the entire town knows and they hear it from Millie at the diner. Just a thought."
"They asked me to dinner," I manage. "All of them. Tonight. I didn't—I didn't know it was formal courting. I thought it was just?—"
"Bea." His voice gentles. "Three alphas don't form a pack and take an omega to dinner in Pine Valley unless it's formal courting. That's like... that's the whole thing."
Oh.Oh.
"Also," he adds, back to teasing, "you should probably shower before you come out. You smell like you've been thinking about one of themveryenthusiastically. And I really, really don't want to know which one."
I hear him push off from the doorframe. "Shower. Get dressed. And Bea?"
"What?"
