“Your cheeks are bright pink right now.”
I flipped my sister the bird and covered Lucy’s ears. “Fuck off.”
“You first.” She grinned and waved me further inside. “Maybe I’ll host a block party.”
“Are you seriously thinking about planning a party just so you can shove us into the same room?”
“Notjustyou,” Ava defended with a smile. “Charlotte told me that one of the reasons she realized kindness and compassion from alphas was possible was because she saw how my pack treated me. Maybe the same magic would work for Madison.”
“You’ve gotten crafty in your old age.”
“I’m younger than you.”
“You’re getting an early start then.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Maybe you’re falling behind. You’re three years older, you should be craftier by now.”
“Nah. You got that gene. I got the one with no filter and a much stronger drive to punch shitty people.”
She laughed. “Could’ve used more of that one when I became an adult.”
“I’d say you should practice, but you’ve got a good squad now.”
“I really do.” Ava beamed. “Will you stay for a bit?”
“I’ve got to pick up groceries so I don’t starve, and do some cleaning. My apartment is getting too cluttered.”
“Okay, but make sure you visit again soon.” Ava hugged me tightly and I kissed the top of her head, then did the same to Lucy.
“Will do. You both be good ’til I get back.”
After leaving, I mindlessly wandered the grocery store, Madison’s big brown eyes popping into my head. It was fucking dumb. I had a very clear rule for myself: don’t get involved with anyone attached to an idiot. I’d done enough of that in college. Packs only worked when everyone respected each other. If I hated someone from the start, I didn’t even bother, no matter how tempting someone else in the pack might be. Madison had made her choice. If she wanted to be with Tyler, I couldn’t even begin to entertain the idea of her. If she left him, though… Well, that would be a different story.
I wasn’t usually such a sucker for a pretty face. Okay, maybe that was a lie. Mostly I neverletmyself be. I had a stubborn streak a mile wide, and once it engaged, that was generally the end of it. It had saved me a lot of heartbreak over the years. What was it about her that had me moon-eyed, when I wasusually good at sweeping ill-advised crushes under the rug? Maybe it was a result of getting older. Seeing my sister happily bonded with a pack and growing family was probably making me dissatisfied with my own life now, that I’d slapped down some roots.
I was lost in my own little world, thinking about the omega just out of reach and walked my cart right into someone. “Shit, sorry. Space cadet today.”
He turned, face vaguely familiar beneath a short high-top fade. “No worries.” He furrowed his dark brows, examining me. “You look weirdly familiar.”
We picked our way through a list of where we might have known each other from and settled on us attending the same gym. “That’s it. You’re the calisthenics guy everyone stops to watch.”
He laughed, full lips spreading into a wide smile. “Guilty as charged. I’m Jude.”
I offered my hand to shake and he slipped his into it. “Nathan.”
“Good to officially meet you. So, what’s got your head in the clouds today?”
“An omega I can’t have,” I replied with a sharp laugh.
“I’ve got one of those, too. We can be miserable together.”
“Misery does love company. Want to meet for a beer later? Do you drink beer or is that an empty calories thing?”
Jude chuckled. “I don’t drink it often, but I can make an exception. I like to be strong, not obsessive. Empty calories are good once in a while.”
“Thank god for that.”
We exchanged numbers and picked out an Irish pub that was relatively equidistant between our homes. After parting ways, I took my groceries home and set about cleaning the most important bits of the apartment. I didn’t have the energy for atop to bottom scrub, but it was better than nothing. You never knew who might show up, and if wild fantasies about Madison appearing at my door were what I needed to keep a sparkling clean home, then I might as well roll with it.
