This is bringing back a whole phase of my life, and I don’t know that I like it.
Devon’s scent hits me stronger than ever. The sea salt, sparklers, and sunscreen combo are three of my favourite smells. Ones I have so much association with. Why him?
Slick pools in my underwear, and I know I’m in trouble. I wipe my hands on the side of my shorts and curl my shoulders as a tiny mewl breaks free.
“Those hearts are everywhere. On the roof, carved into the bed frame, the window. The more I looked, the more I found.”
I wince. I swear, this is one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. If there was a hole, any hole, I would dive into it. “I was obsessed, but don’t worry, it’s in the past.”
He prowls too close, stopping behind me. “Shame.”
Shame? Shame! What?
He leans in and inhales my scent from the join of my neck and shoulder. I tremble, breaking into goosebumps. This is a bad idea, a terrible idea. I don’t care how loud my teenage self is cheering. I’m not sixteen years old. I’m not twenty.
I’m twenty-four, and I’ve experienced life, and I will not fall all over myself for this alpha, no matter how badly I would like to.
“Are you looking forward to the Pack Maker event?” he purrs in a deep voice that is so much more intimate than anything I’ve ever dreamed.
I exhale roughly, but it doesn’t help me. Suddenly, something is as clear as day, something I’ve been pretending is true for a few years. I thought I was over him, but I'm not.
I’m not. At all.
“I, uh, yes. It would be good to have some fun, a couple of dates. Sounds good,” I manage to get out as I watch him pick up my hand and stroke his thumb across my knuckles.
“What happened to the pack you were writing your parents about? Did you cut the dead weight?”
Reality slams into me with the force of a train. I shut down, stepping away from him and putting on a smile that is a mask if ever there was one.
“So, I’ll see you there, right, Devon? Sebastian must be really happy to have you here.”
Devon scowls. And that is the line that has always kept us apart. Sebastian. He made the promise; I just got to witness it. Granted, he was seventeen at the time, and everyone has probably forgotten, but I cried for three weeks after I witnessed that.
“Rebel, don’t run away-”
“Not running. Have to get ready. For my date,” I say with a huge fake smile. “Where is my Danger?”
“Downstairs with Elijah,” he says with a sigh.
“Oh, good. I guess I’ll see you around,” I say in a voice that’s too high.
Devon scowls and stalks towards me, but I dart out of the room and into the guest room, locking the door behind me, then I continue retreating until my legs hit the edge of the bed, and I sit down heavily.
“It’s okay. It’s going to be fine. All teens have crushes. It’s a passing thing.” But every time I think of the way he said there were hearts everywhere, my face flames. But that then leads me down this slippery slide to his murmured ‘shame.’ What did that mean?
“Forget it. Get dressed and ready. Get it together, sunshine.”
It takes me half an hour to get ready. I walk downstairs in my jean shorts and sandals and that off the shoulder pink top Mum insisted I wear. It actually suits me, though I never would have thought to pick it out for myself.
Sebastian hisses at Mum and struggles free of her grabby hands. “What are you doing, woman? Stop it!”
“I just need to get that spot off your face. Come here and let me clean it.”
Sebastian roars and struggles while Devon, Mack, and Elijah watch on with amused smiles. Those three smiles fall when they see me. Mack’s eyes drop down my body and crawl back up, while Elijah chokes on the apple he’s eating. Devon just stares at me. He’s got my puppy curled up on his chest again, sound asleep. I’m starting to wonder if that will work on omegas; it looks like it might.
“I like this look, too,” Devon murmurs.
He’s going to be the death of me, I just know it.
