Mac's eyes fluttered open, instantly alert despite the hour. He had that ability—to go from dead asleep to fully functional in seconds.
“What's happening?” His voice was rough with sleep, but his eyes were sharp as they darted between us.
“Our Omega has a cat,” I said, cutting to the chase. “Non-negotiable package deal.”
Mac sat up slowly, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
“A cat.” It wasn't a question. He blinked once, twice, then his eyes widened as what we’d said hit him. “Aww, man,” he groaned, “why did it have to be a cat?”
“Better than snakes, Indiana,” I dropped next to Mac, slinging my tattooed arm around Mac’s shoulders. “Say yes.”
We all knew my words weren’t a request. We also all knew that Mac really didn’t have a choice. Our scent match was one in a million. She was, most likely, the only chance our pack had at finding that one Omega to create the family we all wanted. Without her, we’d have to truly consider alternatives that would weaken our bond. I mean, before smelling Tessa, I’d have been on board with that as a Hail Mary. After smelling Tessa? I didn’t want anyone else in our pack, in our house, or in our bed.
“One of you assholes better buy bulk antihistamine.” Mac slumped back against the sofa, and I clapped his shoulder in approval. Ryder punched the air in triumph.
We woke Tray up after the contract addendum came through an hour later. He was half-asleep and signed with one eye open. We didn’t even tell him what it was for until Catalina had emailed it back and everything was on track again. To our amusement, he’d drum soloed on the coffee table with plastic forks and excitedly announced he was heading to the pet store as soon as it opened. Tray had always wanted a pet, but his surgeon father and grandfather had been strictly against animals, citing how they made a home environment unsanitary.
29
TRAY
LOS ANGELES…
A cat.I was still so damn excited.
I’d raced out to the biggest pet store at dawn, but the damn thing wasn’t open. My bad really. I should have checked its hours, but I’d never been much of a planner. I liked to jump in the car and go wherever fate and fancy took me. It didn’t always work out in my favor, obviously. Feeling like a dumbass, I’d sat in the parking lot ordering everything—practically the whole damn store, Dixon had joked—for same day delivery, before picking up five fancy-as-fuck lattes and jetting back home.
The guys had hated the drinks, probably because I’d ordered them all the same. A Tray special, but at a new coffee shop that had popped up after a quick phone search. My only requirement had been ‘Wants Too Much’ Todd didn’t work there.
The Blend House off Sunrise hadn’t had marshmallow fluff,big freaking bummer, but the fresh whipped cream was nearly as good. And the barista—a rainbow-haired Beta with piercings galore and absolute CAKE that, strangely, didn’t ping my fuckable radar—hadn’t skimped on caramel. I’d walked out feeling strange about that. Not about the generous caramel, that was righteous, but the fact that I hadn’t, even for a second, thought about hooking up with the hottie gave me pause.
Cat at least was still sipping happily. She liked bougie drinks. I was on my second, with two more in the kitchen waiting to be reheated.
I sipped my latte and thumped a palm rhythmically against my thigh. Dixon had given me the stink eye earlier when I’d begun tapping out a beat on the floor, so I was trying to control my manic energy. Or, at least, I was trying to release it in a quieter way. Wasn’t sure why the hell it bugged him. Everything around us was freaking loud right now, my faux drumming barely registered. I think it was all just too much for him right now though, which was why he was out in the courtyard with his legs in the pool. Ryder as on the sectional, doing something on his laptop. Mac was pretending to read a book. Pretending, because he’d not flipped a page in the past thirty minutes.
Hours had passed since popping the contract addendum back to Eros and getting the official green light. The sun was high in the sky heating the day and the mansion was a flurry of activity.
Racks of clothing blocked the garage door and a couture-clad stylist, along with his two assistants, were continuing to carry garment bags inside despite running out of hanging room. The general contractor Cat kept on speed dial was busy repairing the fireplace mantle; he’d already tackled the kitchen cabinet and the coffee table—which no longer held Tessa’s precious medical gown; that was now safely situated inside the pack suite’s hidden safe. I wondered if the other guys were feeling antsy about that. It unsettled me that I didn’t like it being out of sight.
Unsettled me? Jesus!I was Tray Rivers. I wasn’t clingy. Hell, I’d just had to deal with a clingy-to-the-max dude who couldn’t take a hint. That wasn’t my bag.
Couldn’t deny though, what everyone said about an Alpha meeting a strong Omega scent match was true: once you feel that connection, there’s no going back.
Carrying my insulated to-go cup, I walked closer to where a pair of Pet Paradise employees were building not one, not two, but three complicated cat towers in the wide hallway leading to our rooms. They’d basically taken over that space, making it impossible to walk past. They seemed to be struggling. Not trying to be obvious that I was supervisingoff to the side, I dropped to my knees and started going through the delivery bags to the left of the hall archway. Each paper sack was filled to bursting with cat food, toys, and pampering products. Every few moments, I’d flick a look at the cat tree progress.
“No, that’s D. We need E. There should be two. Those connect with bolt size 2. We need the washers and nuts as well.” The gal’s voice was harried, as if she’d had to explain things too many times already.
“I don’t see an E. Read it again,” the responding guy was obviously not paying attention. Even from where I stood, I could see the E stickers on the side of two upholstered, angled attachments.
Pulling out a remote-controlled mouse, I looked over the box to see what kind of batteries were needed. It was rechargeable via USB. Which was great. Batteries hadn’t been on my shopping list. My attention was pulled back to the cat trees. The third still in the box, the second a pile of unorganized parts, and the first... still challenging the duo.
“If you’d just listen, this wouldn’t be so hard,” the girl groaned out.
“It’s only hard because you’ve always got to play the leader.”
“Fine,” she barked. “Show me how it’s done, oh wise one.”
She launched the booklet at the guy, and he lunged forward to grab it, missing by a mile. His face turned pinked from embarrassment as he retrieved the manual. He scowled at the girl, and she smirked back while waving both E parts in the air. It was funny, and I might have laughed, if I wasn’t more concerned with them getting the damn cat trees built before Tessa and her cat arrived. Betas could be so strange. Alphas and Omegas were straightforward.But...I wondered...
