We hug for a couple of minutes and then she sets me back, wiping under my eyes to clean up my eyeliner.
“Right, so you’re a target for the Pack Makers now?” Her scarlet-painted lips curve at my expense.
“I am. Do you know any way out of it?”
“Nope. And I wouldn’t, anyway. I think it’s good for you.” She brushes down her ribs and over her hips, straightening her suit jacket.
“You do?”
“Absolutely. You don’t belong out there in the world; you belong here, and if you can find an alpha or three who can help you decide to stay, I am all for it.”
I groan. “I feel like this whole town is trying to set us up.”
“Yes, I really can’t deny that. Sucks to be you.” Her voice is thick with sarcasm.
She puts an arm around my shoulders and guides me down the front steps. “So, tell me about your alphas.”
“You already know Elijah, Devon, and Mack.”
“I know, but I want to hear you gush about how perfect they are.”
My cheeks turn bright red. “That was mean.”
“It’s like no time has passed at all. I still remember the poem you wrote about Mack’s lovely eyes. Brown eyes stir my soul, warm smiles and lingering looks, oh, do you look at me, beautiful boy with the heart-shaped mole.”
“You are dead to me.”
She laughs so hard she needs to stop and compose herself. “You weren’t good at poetry, but you were damn good at being in love.”
I sniff and wait for her to finish chortling.
“Why do you even remember that?”
“Oh, I like to recite it every now and then when I’m getting ready to pitch an idea to some big CEO-type alpha. It really makes me stop seeing the suits and powerful auras and see the little boys with their heart-shaped moles.”
“Aunt Ophelia!” I whine.
“As calm as the sun beating down in summer, I wish I could still my random heart hummer.”
I cover my face with my hands. “Oh, god. It was awful.”
“I am so glad you never read it to him.” She wipes tears from the corner of her eyes.
“Me, too!”
We turn onto Main Street, and I can see a sizable crowd gathered near the café. All of a sudden, I just want to run in the other direction, just bail out of this mess.
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because they are larger than life, and I can’t understand why they would want me,” I say with perfect honesty.
“I can see why.”
“I don’t even have a job.”
