PROLOGUE
HARPER
On a Friday night in small town Greywood, Georgia everyone attends the high school football game at Greywood Prep. The field lights make the football field sparkle. Pups running up and down the stairs give it a family feel. A smile tugs at my lips as hotdogs and popcorn waft under my nose as I sip my favorite soda cherry cola. Everyone in the bleachers is on their feet bubbling with excitement due to the close score.
The quarterback Archer Barclay snaps the football from his hands and it spirals through the crisp October air. Running back, Dustin Montclair’s gloved hands shoot up and the ball makes contact. Clutching the football, Dustin sprints down the football field toward the endzone.
Dressed in a pair of jeans and my boyfriend’s oversized navy team hoodie, I fidget with both excitement and from the cold weather.
Cupping my chilled hands around my mouth, I shout, “Come on, Dustin!”
My boyfriend zig zags across the field, clutching the football tightly as he dodges Mavericks defensive players.
“Yes! Go Dustin!” Sarah calls out from the sidelines, shaking her pom-poms, casting a sharp glance my way.
Sarah Marshin, the cheer captain and an omega, has wanted him since freshman year. But he was mine long before that.
We’ve grown up side by side. Nothing can tear us apart.
I flip her the middle finger.
Her mouth falls open in surprise.
Candice, my best friend, snickers next to me.
“Find your own alpha,” my other friend Kanieshie shouts.
Laughing, I high-five my friends.
Sara got her awakening early.
I learned I was an omega when I was twelve. I followed my mother and grandmother around the house cleaning and helping cook meals. A year later I got a soft heat. I still don’t have a powerful scent yet like Sarah who enjoys perfuming around alphas.
A couple of plays later, Archer launches the ball. Dustin bolts downfield, leaps into the air to catch it, then tucks it under his arm, weaving through the defensive line. Sawyer Burbank knocks down a player who tries to tackle Dustin’s side. Dustin presses on toward the end zone.
“Let’s go, Dustin and Sawyer!” Thatcher Donovan cheers from the bench, pumping his good arm. His left arm remains in a cast after last week’s game.
Dustin, Archer, Sawyer, and Thatcher have been inseparable since they were young pups.
With Sawyer’s assist, Dustin scores another touchdown, sealing the victory.
My friends and I leave the bleachers and sprint onto the field.
Dustin yanks off his helmet, shouting, “Eagles are the champions!”
The Eagles team hoists Dustin into the air, chanting our school anthem.
Once he’s back on the ground, he rushes to me and lifts my five-five frame into his arms. Smiling, his emerald green eyes hold my amber eyes for a beat. I wrap my arms around his neck as his lips crash onto mine in a kiss I’ll never forget.
His inky black hair drips with sweat between us. “I love you, my little omega.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “I love you too, alpha.”
“I always love hearing those words.” He pecks my lips before setting me down.
My boyfriend is six two and carries the scent of rich pine and vanilla—an aroma I could breathe in forever.
Dustin takes my hand, leading me toward his best friends.
