His sad smile is empathetic. “My parents come from old money, so I get it. My great great grandfather was some oil tycoon who got lucky and made enough money that my great grandkids wouldn’t have to work if they don’t want to, and since I’ve also always been great at sports, my parents warned me to be wary of who I let get close. I do agree it’s easier not to talk about it, but we’re pack. We’d never judge you for something you have no control over. And just like you said, you’re not some spoiled little rich girl. You’re the furthest thing from it. Money doesn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things. It’s paper that some random dude in China decided was worth something. You could have nothing and we would love you exactly the same.”
A relieved breath whooshes out of me. It’s hard to explain why I was so nervous to tell them about my home life, but it’s nice to be reassured that they truly don’t care.
“Now tell me,” Mack starts, that mischievous twinkle back in his eyes. “Are you the kind of rich girl that rode horses for fun? And if the answer is yes, are there pictures?”
I laugh, especially when my other alphas perk up at this question. “I can do you one better, there’s video. I did a few local competitions for barrel racing but never really got into it the way my cousin did. I do still have a horse though. Her name is Daisy and she’s my pride and joy. You guys can meet her tomorrow, but for now I need an apple fritter, STAT.”
“You heard our omega,” Parker chimes in. “She needs an apple fritter. Mack, go find them. Pax, you’reon drink duty.”
“What about me?” Amusement laces Jude’s voice, which is a stark change from just a few days ago when he was always snarling and irritable from the constant battle against his feral alpha.
“You’re with us,” Parker says distractedly. Leaning in, he lowers his voice so only we can hear. “Posey’s scent is particularly strong today and even though her scent is tinged with yours since the bond, alphas are simple creatures. I don’t want one of them catching her alone and getting the wrong idea.”
Concern filters through the bond from Jude, but I can barely feel it over my own annoyance. “Poseyis right here. And she’s not two years old. I am fully capable of speaking for myself and understanding when y’all are talking over my head.”
Parker pulls me into his body, nuzzling his nose in my hair. “Sorry, flower. But it’s true. Your scent is really strong today. You aren’t due for a heat yet, but you’ve had a few episodes where your temperature spiked since we met.”
My mind spins, a dozen different possibilities circling in a dizzying wave. “You don’t think…” I trail off, not wanting to voice the terrifying thought.
“That you’re showing signs of going into an early heat?” Parker finishes my thought casually. “Yes actually, that’s exactly what I think.”
“No. I—I can’t go through another heat. Not now. Not this soon after…” a fully body shudder wracks through me.
“Doll,” Jude coos, cupping my face. “I’m so sorry you ever had to go through a heat alone, but it will never happen again. You have four alphas at your side now who would never willingly leave your side during a heat unless you asked us to. If our bonding put you into an early heat, I promise it’s going to be miles different than your first one.”
I nod, sagging into Parker’s hold. “I trust you. But I’m feeling fine right now, so can we just have fun and try not to think about it until that happens?”
They exchange a look but reluctantly agree and we set off towards the picnic tables. It’s a beautifully warm fall day here in Honeybrook, a stark contrast and blessed change from the bitter cold of a Maine fall. “Do you ever get snow here, pretty girl? I’ve never been outside of the east coast in the winter so it feels weird to not be wearing a jacket in October.”
“Sometimes! We’ll get rare flurries down here but usually if you want to see snow that won’t melt immediately you’d have to go up in the mountains. I’m actually really looking forward to winter in Maine even if it is colder than a witches tit in a brass bra.”
“Just wait until we get stuck in a Nor’easter,” Mack chuckles, dropping down to the bench seat next to me and handing me a steaming box. “You’ll be freezing your ass offandstuck inside for days on end. The university was built on an incline so we typically don’t have to worry about flooding, but the power goes out at the drop of a hat in those old buildings.”
The guys continue to joke and swap stories, but I tune them out when a hot flash hits suddenly, turning me into a sweaty mess. I use my shirt to fan myself as subtly as I can, but Paxton notices, glancing at me with a quirk of his brow. I wave him off, diligently ignoring the trickle of slick I feel seeping into my panties. We came here to have fun and that’s what I’m going to do, damnit.
“Holy fuck,” McKenzie’s moan is borderline pornographic as he shovels fritters into his mouth with alarming speed. Any other time I might laugh, but right now? It’s all I can do not to beg them to take me right here on this picnic table.
A wave of heat perfume explodes out of me, surrounding the table in seconds and making my alphas groan for a whole new reason. Parker side-eyes me and I ready a denial, but he doesn’t call me out, instead starting a new conversation about other snacks they should try and find to distract everyone.
My skin is starting to crawl, and even thoughit’s barely seventy degrees the heat ravaging my body makes me feel like I need an ice bath to cool off. “I need a Snoball. Anyone else want one?” I blurt, interrupting the guys.
“I’ll come with you, sweetheart.”
I roll my eyes when Pax offers to accompany me and then immediately feel like a bitch, so I nod and hold out ahand. Apparently being afraid of my heat is going to turn me into a petulant child.
Can’t freaking wait.
Posey has copped a major attitude all of a sudden and I think it might have something to do with the pre-heat symptoms she’s been ignoring since she bonded Jude. Meeting a scent match can trigger a heat for an omega regardless of where they are in their heat cycle, and it’s something I’ve been preparing for since the day we ran into each other outside the coffee shop.
A little presumptuous? Maybe. But none of my packmates are the best at planning ahead, so it’s my job to make sure we’re prepared for anything. In this case, it meant preemptively booking a heat suite at the local bed and breakfast for this weekend just in case. And now that Posey is all hot and bothered? I’m glad I did. The only thing I haven’t done is email everyones professors, but only because I wasn’t one hundred percent certain she would go into heat this weekend.
But the mood swings, increase in the strength of her scent, flushed cheeks and sweaty forehead tells me her heat is coming, and it’s coming fast. “What flavors do you want on your Snoball sweetheart?”
Posey frowns, little lines forming between her brows. When she makes that face, I can picture her exactly like this, fifty years from now. “I don’t know.”
“What if we do caramel and cotton candy? It’ll taste like your alphas.” I’m thanking my lucky starsthat my mom prepared me to get an omega through pre-heat right now. We didn’t know Posey before her first heat and I’ve never been through a heat with anyone else before, so asking my mom seemed like the best option. My only goal today is to keep my omega calm and as happy as possible before the cramps start. As soon as they do I can get us to the heat suite, or, if she has a nest at home, we can go there. I just want her to have the option of privacy.
While Posey watches the vendor make her treat, I discreetly pull out my phone to loop the guys in.
