She pulls away from Orion and brushes his hands off her shoulder, then scoots her chair, putting a few inches between herself and Foster. None of them look happy about it.
“How are we supposed to grovel and spoil you if we can’t show our affection in public?” Vann asks, frowning as he sets the trays he’s carrying beside mine.
“We’ll just have to show her in private,” I say, only realizing how that sounds a beat too late. And why did I say we? I don’t have anything to grovel about, or any real affection for Raven. I don’t even know her.
I think I want to, though.
Surprisingly enough, she intrigues me.
Raven smirks at my unintentional innuendo, then pulls out the chair next to her, inviting me to take it. I hesitate, but her eyes go wary, and I don’t want her to think I’m rejecting her. Instead, I slide my tray over and plop down in the seat, much to the envy of the alphas.
She smiles at me, then turns to the smorgasbord we’ve presented her. “Okay, you know I can’t eat all this, right?” She looks up at the alphas who are all staring at her, waiting for her to take a bite. “No need for you to go all caveman on me all of a sudden. ‘Me strong. Feed omega.’”
The guys laugh at her impression, but sit down.
“Did you know the preconceived gender roles of cavemen we’re taught—men hunt, women gather—are totally incorrect? Sure, alphas are usually stronger, but betas and omegas took an active role in hunting and fishing, too. I was watching a documentary and…” I trail off, realizing the whole table is silently staring at me. Oh god, why did I go on a nerd spiral? Raven was making a joke. She wasn’t asking for the history of human evolution. “Well, anyway. Yeah. The crepes are good.”
The tension breaks when the group chuckles, and we all eat in silence for a few minutes.
“Rhodes, you seem like the kind of guy who likes to research,” Raven asks. “Do you think you could do some research on heat spikes? I still don’t understand it. Even if I missed a dose?—”
“You didn’t,” Foster says, firm and certain.
We all look at him.
“How can you be so sure?” Orion crosses his arms, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“I watched her take it, and I’ve checked her pill bottle every night before bed.”
Raven just stares at him, mouth hanging open. I can’t tell if she thinks it’s a violation of privacy or not.
“Part of my job is to ensure you don’t go into heat while you’re here. I’m supposed to check.” Foster rubs the back of his neck. “And, well, once I knew we were sharing a room, it seemed like a good idea.”
“You’ve been sharing a room?” Tanner raises his voice, nearly slamming his coffee cup on the table.
Foster shuts him up with a single look. Wow, wish that was a skill I could learn.
“Now it really doesn’t make sense.” Raven’s dark hair flows like rippling waves when she shakes her head.
“I’ll do a little research,” I say. “But I don’t think being around your scent matches would be enough to trigger a heat spike when you’re on the kinds of pharmaceuticals you’re on. I mean, maybe with the cheap stuff, sure. But you’re right. It doesn’t make sense.”It’s probably too forward to ask someone I’ve just met this next question, but I need to know. “When was your last heat?”
“I’ve only ever had one. They made me go off meds and have a medically sedated heat right before the Olympics.” A series of growls surrounds us, and I have to say I agree with the sentiment. Forcing her to have a heat? Her first heat being medically sedated? That’s fucked up.
But now this seems even stranger. I don’t want to voice my suspicions, but it’s clear I’m not the only one thinking along these lines.
Orion curses quietly. Foster mutters something under his breath that sounds a lot like‘my fault.’Tanner just makes a deep growly noise in his throat. Vann stares at his plate and moves his food around without eating.
“Maybe we should see a doctor,” Foster suggests.
“No, we can’t let anyone find out.” Raven’s eyes widen in panic.
“It doesn’t have to be an Olympic doctor.” Foster quickly assures her. “We can find someone local or someone outside of the city. A lot of people are willing to keep their mouth shut for the right price.”
Raven acquiesces with a brief dip of her head. She shoves another bite of a Nutella crepe in her mouth, and we all quietly watch her chew. The muscles in her long slender throat work as she swallows, the lines delicate and feminine. So different from my other packmates.
“We’ll figure it out,” I say, trying to offer some comfort. “It’s probably just the scent match thing. There are a lot of you.”
I haven’t wanted to admit it, but Raven’s scent appeals to me, too. The sweet cinnamon combo made my mouth water the moment I stepped into the apartment last night.It wasn’t attraction, or arousal, not really. But as soon as I smelled her, I knew she was ours, just like I knew the guys were my pack.
