“You’re a genius, Kady, but you can’t conjure up alphas out of thin air.” Delilah puffs out her cheeks then exhales slowly. “I don’t think even Faye can grow them in the greenhouse.”
Faye shrugs apologetically. “I would if I could.”
“I don’t need you to grow me a pack because I’m going to find one.”
“But you don’t want a pack,” Delilah points out.
“Keep up, Del! Not a real one.” I roll my eyes. “I need to create a ruse. One good enough to fool my father.”
“Are you going to use a pack for hire service?” Sabs chews her lip. “I’ve heard mixed reviews about those.”
I wave my hand dismissively. “Dad would see through that in a second.”
Sure, hiring a pack would be the easiest option, but my father is far too well-connected for that to work. He’ll run background checks and order his minions to dig into every aspect of their lives. The only way my plan will work is if I find a real pack and make it look believable.
“I need to find a pack who is desperate to have an omega.”
Delilah groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t like where this is going.”
“Sabs mentioned that there’s a rumor going around about a pack trying to rig a speed scenting event, right?”
Speeding scenting events are run by SVU’s matching service, for alphas and omegas looking for a partner. It’s extremely popular with students but not something I’ve considered doing. Just the thought of being trapped in a room and forced to sniff people’s sweaty gym clothes and dirty socks to decide if I like their scent makes my nose wrinkle.
However, if one pack was desperate enough to try to rig the results to find a match, then they’re surely going to be desperate enough to pretend to be my fake boyfriends. Well, at least for long enough for my father to cancel the wedding.
“It’s only a rumor,” Sabs says. “And we don’t know who the pack was!”
One thing I’ve learned through working as a writer forTheValley Voiceis that there’s no smoke without fire.
“Would you really want to pretend alphas like that were your pack?” Delilah quirks a brow. “They’re probably assholes.”
“Delilah’s right.” Faye nods. “There must have been a reason why they were trying to rig the matching.”
“Any pack would be better than having to marry Timothy. Besides, it’s not like it’s real. It would all be for show.” I throw my hands up. “Who cares if they’re assholes?”
Delilah’s head sways side to side. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“Come on, Del.” Sabs nudges her in the ribs. “We can’t let Daddy Sinclair marry Kady off.” Sabs salutes in my direction. “If you find a fake pack, I’ll help. I can make fake social posts, and we can stage a whole love story.”
“I’ll track them down.” A fresh wave of energy rushes through me at the prospect of a new challenge. “TheValley Voiceis bound to have had some leads on what happened at the event.”
From the worried looks Faye and Delilah are exchanging, it’s clear that they’re skeptical.
“Isn’t there another way?” Delilah asks. “A fake pack seems a little… dramatic. Can’t you just talk to your dad and tell him how you feel?”
“My father doesn’t do talking. Or listening, for that matter,” I scoff. “This is the only way. Trust me.”
Delilah grimaces then sighs in defeat. “Fine, I’ll support you, but you have to promise to be careful.”
“Packs can be dangerous.” Faye’s floral scent sours as she wraps a long strand of hair around her finger, pulling it so tightly that her fingertip turns white. “If you need any backup, Damon and his security buddies can help.”
Faye knows better than anyone how dangerous packs can be because of what happened to her parents. Meeting theSilverwood Pack has helped alleviate some of her fears around alphas, but it hasn’t erased them completely.
“I’ll be fine.” I dismiss her concerns. I’ve spent my life surrounded by alphas, so I’m used to them swinging their knots around in pathetic attempts to appear dominant. I can handle myself. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll keep our group chat updated on my progress.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Sabs offers.
I shake my head. “This is something I’ve got to do alone.”
