I finally drop my hand from my mouth and smile, although my insides aresoconfused. These alphas are not normal, and although I haven’t met many betas, Riley isn’t what I would expect either. My thoughts swirl as I wonder what it means.
Chapter Eighteen
Sage
Vee makes the first card match when we start the next round—a pair of nine’s.
“I grew up in Chicago, then moved up here when I bought the lavender farm a few years ago.”
I have questions, but I bite my tongue. Questions weren’t part of the game, so I don’t know if they’re allowed.
Riley snags two matches, so Brooks says he has to share two facts.
“I love the beach, but I don’t like sand. And I hate winter. Being cold is the worst.”
When I get a match, my brain blanks as I try to think of something to share. They already know nearly everything about me from our question game over texts.
“Um. I think sheep are really cute. I have a stuffie that’s a lamb.” I cringe as soon as I say it, expecting them to judge me for being a twenty-four year old woman with a stuffed animal. Are they going to think I’m childish now?
Brooks smiles at me, though, then rearranges the cards in his hand.
“Sheep are pretty cute,” Riley says.
And that’s it. No judgment, no laughing at my expense. I blink, eyes darting around the circle, and my muscles relax another fraction when no one else reacts. I realize Brooks hasn’t gotten a match yet, and I’m starting to wonder how he’s so bad at this game. He got last place in the other round, too.
We continue sharing random facts, and each of Riley’s devolves from interesting or fun to more and more absurd. He’s winning—gleefully—and yet he seems to have no shortage of things to share.
“I love getting my nails done, but no acrylics for me. Trying to get them off when I want a new design days later is such a hassle.”
“I once thought I broke my pinky toe, but I didn’t. I wanted the attention though, so I put a bunch of makeup on it to make it look way worse than it was.”
Brooks snorts at that one, muttering, “Of course you did,” under his breath.
“I wish I could speak to dolphins,” Riley says with his next match.
Does that count as a fact? I could do plenty of wishes.
“Mushrooms are the largest organism on earth.”
“That’s not about you,” I point out, then shrink in on myself. He’s not an alpha, but still, I probably shouldn’t correct him.
Vee aims a finger at him, though. “She’s got a point. Try again.”
My shoulders loosen as Vee shoots me an encouraging smile, and the game continues. It’s so fun the time flies by, and before I know it, it’s getting dark out. The sun has dipped behind the trees, shadows stretching over us, and the temperature is slowly dropping. I shiver, rubbing my hands on my arms.
I wish I could be with these alphas for my heat.
The thought spears through me and I freeze, my stomach dropping. Brooks’ nose twitches, Vee’s nostrils flare, and then all three of them snap to face me.
“What’s wrong, Petal?”
“No, nothing,” I say.
Brooks eyes me, but it’s Vee who speaks next. “Please don’t lie to us, Sage. If you don’t want to tell us, that’s okay, but we ask because we care.”
My eyes start to water and I look down at my hands, scraping at the skin around my nail. Brooks’ large fingers enter my blurry vision, and he taps my hands to get me to stop. I want to slip my palm into his, but I don’t.
“You can tell us, if you want,” he says, voice soft and gentle.
