“So that’s it?” I snarl. “You don’t even want to try?”
Sure, Victoria may have issues, but isn’t it our job as alphas to support her? To be there for her? To help her?
“What’s going on?” Riven steps into the apartment, pulling his giant headphones off his ears. He sniffs the air, then a smile breaks over his face. “Why does it smell like her?”
Ezra and I both freeze, turning to say in unison, “Her?”
“The girl I met last night.”
“What girl?” Ezra’s eyes narrow. “You don’t meet girls, Riven.”
“I do,” he grumbles, putting his headphones into his backpack. “Sometimes.”
The last date Riven went on was a few years ago. His family tricked him into it at his mom’s birthday party. Needless to say, it did not go well. So ever since then, he’s refused to attend any special occasions for fear of it happening again.
“I’m talking about real-life girls,” Ezra says. “Not the ones you play games with online.”
“Ignore him, Riven.” I glare at Ezra. There’s no reason for him to act like such an ass. “When did you meet this girl?”
“Last night.” Riven grins. “Stargazing.”
I scratch my head. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Riven doesn’t interact with many people outside the pack. He’s very shy and chooses to avoid social situations. The thought of him going stargazing with a girl feels as likely as him being abducted by aliens.
“It wasn’t a date or anything like that.” He shrugs like it’s nothing. “It just happened.”
“Well, it’s probably not the same girl.” Ezra looks at me. “What are the chances of that?”
As if the stars have aligned, my bedroom door inches open and Victoria steps into the hall. She’s no longer naked—unfortunately—having wrapped herself in one of my T-shirts that swims on her. The sight of her in my clothes makes me want to ravage her all over again.
When she sees Riven, her eyes widen before she blinks several times. “Riven Grove?”
“See?” Riven declares triumphantly. “I told you I smelled her. Although…” His nostrils flare. “You smell…” Realizing the source of her stronger scent, he looks down at his feet, a blush coloring his neck and cheeks. “Ohhh.”
She paces down the hall to join us.
“Riven’s in your pack?” Victoria’s jaw drops. “Pumpkin star boy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I squint at her in confusion. “But yes, Riven is in our pack.”
She nods but chews on the inside of her cheek, clearly as surprised as we are.
“It’s nice to see you again.” Riven’s voice is deeper, like he’s trying to impress her.
Shit, he likes her. Ezra’s shoulders visibly tense, telling me he notices too. I can’t help but grin. For Riven to pay more attention to a person than the stars basically means that he’s in love. Thisproves my point; she’s ours. I can feel it in every fiber of my being.
“Are you hungry?” I offer. “Maybe you could use some food? Or something to drink?”
“How about hot cocoa?” Riven blurts. “It’s my favorite.”
“Actually, that sounds great.” She smiles. “Thank you. I could use the extra sugar.”
He flashes his pearly whites before hurrying off to the kitchen.
“How are you feeling?” I approach her, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
“I think it was only a heat spike.” She yawns and stretches, the pulled fabric showcasing her hard nipples and making my cock twitch. Obviously, it’s taken a lot out of her. “My temperature seems to have come down, so I should be okay to leave soon.” She casts a glance out of the window at the setting sun. “How long was I asleep?”
