Of course he had. Lando probably did a full background check, while Gabe scoured the internet for more meaningful intel. Meanwhile, Luke barely glanced at the file Dr. Gardiner sent over. He knew jack shit except that Genesis was twenty years younger than him, an unbonded omega, and that she was fucking trouble. That’s all he needed to know.
“I want to do more investigative stories—to highlight real issues, like the epidemic of violence against omegas in this country,” Genesis told Gabe, lifting her chin proudly. “The entertainment stuff is great, but it’s not where my passion lies. I want to expose the poverty and neglect feeding the nation’s criminal underbelly, starting in Smyrna City.”
“That’s too dangerous,” Luke blurted, before he could think better of it.
Genesis’s expression tightened, her pretty mouth taking on a stubborn set. “Impactful journalism isn’t safe, Mr. Wilder. Besides, your pack is going to help change my scent to provide some additional protection.”
Lando gave him a warning look and Luke clenched his jaw against a retort. Maybe Lando had already known her plans—it was probably in the files Luke had ignored. If so, then how was his pack leader still infuriatingly calm? He should’ve been outraged at the idea of Genesis investigating criminals who’d be all too happy to get their hands on an omega that looked and smelled like her. Luke’s instincts were telling him to throw Genesis over his shoulder, carry her to his room, and never let her out of his sight.
“There are lots of ways to tell impactful stories,” Lando said smoothly. “I’m sure Genesis has put a great deal of thought into how she’ll keep safe while doing good work. It’s clear she is quite adept at taking care of herself.”
Luke saw Genesis relax, the tension around her mouth softening. Great. Now he looked like a fucking caveman while Lando was her goddamn white knight. The thought of Genesis preferring Lando over him shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did.
“Honestly, I haven’t figured out my exact angle yet,” Genesis admitted, looking shyly at Lando through her lashes. Luke considered throttling his pack leader when Genesis leaned toward Lando, so close that her small breasts pressed against his arm. “I just know that I want to write stories that matter, stories thatneedto be told.”
“You’ll find your muse,” Gabriel said confidently. “That’s how art works. You keep looking in the right places and it reveals itself.”
What in the Vincent Van Fuck was this hipster asshole talking about?It must be a creative people thing, because Genesis was nodding and smiling at Gabe as if he’d said something meaningful rather than a random string of unrelated words. How was it that both of his packmates were so much better with people than he was? There was a time when he’d been just as good in a boardroom as Lando, though he’d always had a hotter temper. Luke sat back against the couch irritably, crossing his arms and trying not to scowl.
“I can already see that you’re going to get along quite well,” Dr. Gardiner declared brightly, drawing everyone’s attention. “While we’re finishing up the paperwork, why don’t you tell Genesis about the living arrangements you’ve used with your other temporary omegas. I know she’s going to love it.”
“Luke Wyatt,” Lando said—his full name a warning Luke knew all too well.Be nice, it said. “Why don’t you tell Genesis about it, since you built it.”
Luke grimaced at the exaggeration, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “Ihelpedthe contractors build an in-law suite in the back garden. Nothing too fancy. It’s a sort of replica of the main house but different.”
Sort of a replica but different?He sounded like a fucking moron. Maybe the omega’s scent had short-circuited his brain.
“A cowboy and a handyman?” Genesis smirked at him, that pretty mouth playful though her eyes were wary. “Is there anything you can’t do, Mr. Wilder?”
Luke was torn between the urge to spank her for her sassiness and frustration that she was obviously less comfortable with him than his packmates. He felt himself blushing like a lovesick teenager who finally got the nerve to talk to the fucking prom queen. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Gabe grinning.
“Yes ma’am, there’s a fair bit I can’t do,” Luke replied, his southern roots finding their way into his voice all of a sudden. “Idoubt I could’ve built the guest house myself. It’s a sight more complex than raising a barn.”
“It’s incredibly impressive, nonetheless,” Genesis replied, giving Luke a genuine smile that made his stomach do a weird little flip. “It’s been a long time since I lived in a detached home of any sort. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if it was as fancy as this main house.”
“Well, don’t get your hopes up too high,” Luke warned. “It’s only about twelve hundred square feet.”
“It’s more of a whimsical little cottage,” Gabe added.
“But it’s completely self-sufficient—even has a kitchenette,” Luke explained, trying not to think about Genesis living in such easy reach. “We have spare rooms here in the main house if that’s preferable, but I think the other omegas appreciated some privacy as we got to know each other. Of course, we all decided together how to manage alone time versus pack time, and where to have the nest.”
Genesis’s huge eyes widened further, her cheeks pinkening again. “Of course. The nest.”
“It’s all about communication,” Lando interjected, resting a hand on Genesis’s arm. Luke saw her relax beneath his touch. “We’ll discuss everything and make sure we all understand your boundaries and needs. Your comfort is our first priority.”
Luke wondered if she’d ever built a nest, given that she’d weathered all her heats alone. He felt another surge of instincts—an intense desire to give Genesis the safety she needed so that she might want to build her first real nest.For them.
He was so fucked.
Chapter five
Genesis
Aweek later, Genesis moved into the cottage. She was nervous as hell, but she hadn’t wavered over the decision once she’d met Pack Rossi. She saw no point in waiting to begin once she’d decided to go through with it. She didn’t want to give herself time to overthink.
Orlando had seemed pleased by her decision, in his calm, reassuring way. She hadn’t spoken with his packmates but assumed that they must’ve agreed—even if it had seemed to her that Luke had been less than enthused to meet her. She hadn’t forgotten the way he reacted to her career plans. If he thought she’d be easy to control because he was old enough to be her father, he had another thing coming.
There had been nothing fatherly in his eyes when she’d caught him staring at her during that first meeting, though. That stare had been all Daddy. Genesis might make an exception to the ruleabout not being controlled if Luke Wyatt Wilder wanted to dole out a little sexy punishment.
