“Yep. Chelsea is part of the Thenguard pack led by Alpha Sorenson.”
The Scottish tiger shifter sprang to mind. “Oh right. We met at my trial. I’d love to chat with their omega too, if you think she’d be okay with it.”
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t be. She runs a little bakery called Chelsea’s Sweets on Bond Street, which is the main junction for cafes and eateries. We can stop in there today, and I’ll pick up a few pastries for dessert tonight.”
With our plans for the day settled, I dressed quickly in denim shorts, a cropped white shirt, and white sneakers. I took a minute to run a brush through my hair, leaving it out and wavy.
Cora waited for me near the door, and we walked side by side to where a white Mercedes AMG GT was parked out front. “Niceride,” I said, stepping back to take in all of the sleek car. “I see that Alpha Warrick isn’t the only one in your pack with great taste in cars.”
Cora rolled her eyes hard, and it was the oddest gesture from such a refined shifter. “War is a big fan of buying all the cars he enjoys and pretending they’re for other members of the pack. Mostly so we stop calling him a hoarder.”
I busted out laughing, and she joined me a beat later. “I admire and fear that alpha,” I finally choked out. Even with my unease over him possibly allowing the Reeves pack to stalk me, I genuinely liked Alpha Warrick and his pack. Hopefully that wouldn’t change after we talked about Hunter.
The car beeped as Cora unlocked it. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.” Her gaze ran over the sporty lines of her fancy car. “And look, don’t ever tell him I said this, but I love my car. He chose well.”
He really did, and that stood for more than just the cars in his life.
Cora drove just below the speed limit the entire way into the downtown, where multiple shiny high-rises made up the skyline. It took us a while to get there, mostly because Cora traveled the very scenic route, pointing out lots of sights including the Reeves pack family estate, which was hidden behind huge black gates.
She didn’t bother to be discreet as she showed them off to me, but I found that I didn’t mind. They were an annoyingly impressive pack.
If material stuff mattered to me, I’d be jumping at the opportunity to claim them. Unfortunately, my priorities were skewed more toward living a long life and not just a luxurious, short one.
Cora parked downtown in the shadow of the two largest, shiniest, most impressive buildings I’d seen in Golden Claw so far. They were twins of each other, standing a full block in size with a three-story parking structure between them. “This is Reeves Pack offices,” Cora said, pointing toward the silver and black tower. “And the one beside it belongs to Thenguard Pack. Hunter and Soren are best friends. Not that you’d always know with the way they talk to each other.”
That explained Sorenson’s lack of deferential treatment during my trial in the council chambers.
Examining the two structures, I noted that Thenguard’s building was just as impressive as the Reeves’, and I had to ask, “What does Thenguard Pack do to warrant such an extravagant office building?”
Cora’s lips quirked into a smile. “Shipping. They control the import and export of all goods through the shifter cities.”
I was immediately hit by my own stupidity; I absolutely should have known that. “Thenguard Shipping is even in the human world,” I said faintly.
She nodded. “Yep, and so is Reeves Industries. Those two packs have more money than they know what to do with, so it’s no real surprise that they’re always competing.”
Despite our scent match, I wondered if there was a part of Hunter Reeves that wanted an omega to even the score with his best friend. “How do Thenguard treat their omega? Has she been bonded into the pack for long?”
Cora’s face went all dreamy as she sighed. “Oh, you should see them, Emme.They’re so sweet. Soren and Chelsea are childhood best friends, and you just know that he’d die for her without thought. There’s never been a safer place for an omega in all the packs.”
Chelsea lucked out, then. To have bonded to an alpha without him abusing the gifts she could offer was rarer than dragon shifters. And I was fairly sure they were extinct.
Maybe the years of friendship kept him in line, because simply being adecent guywouldn’t be enough once the power exchange started. From what I remembered, my mom’s pack treated her well at the start too. Until they’d all bonded.
Cora was once again staring up at the Reeves building, so I asked, “Is there a reason you’ve brought me here, to this particular building?”
Her smile turned sheepish as she met my gaze. “Uh, I might have forgotten to mention that the main place to inquire aboutrentals, and even jobs to some degree, is with one of these two packs. One rental building is owned by Reeves. The other by Thenguard. And…” Her cheeks pinkened. “In regard to a job, you mentioned the other night wanting restaurant, cafe, or bar work, and that industry is mostly controlled by them as well. It makes sense to start here. Do you have a preference which pack you want to check with first?”
Herforgettingto mention it was clearly deliberate, and I understood why. After my little breakdown yesterday, it made sense that she’d be cautious of bringing me this close to my pack.
“Let’s try Reeves,” I said, deciding I was strong enough to handle it. “If I can’t leave Golden Claw, there’s no point letting them scare me into hiding forever. That’s not feasible, which means I need to deal with them like an adult.”
Cora hurried to add, “You can stay with us as long as you need, but eventually it would bother your wolf to not have your own space and territory. Which I totally understand. I wouldn’t change my pack or home for anything, but there’s a reason we also have two separate wings to our house with guests in the center. All of us enjoy space with our romantically bonded mates.”
My smile was brief while the ache in my chest lingered much longer. “If I had what you do, I’d never want to leave either. I don’t have much experience with love or friendship, but you’re all teaching me that there’s great joy in the family we choose. I hope, even after I move out, I’ll be there forsomefamily dinners.”
Cora’s hug was unexpected as she wrapped her arms around me, and my insides twisted at the odd sensation. “Always. You have a standing invitation. Now, come on, let’s get you settled into your new life. And can I just say, I really admire your courage in facing your pack to ask for independence.”
Standing there, after a perfect hug, and her affirmative words, I found myself just a touchdestroyed. She’d given me the same sort of hug as the one Warrick received when he’d walked through the door. The sort of hug I’d stood on the outside and admired, wondering if it felt as good as it looked. Spoiler alert: it did.
