“Why didn’t you bring in your alpha, Josie? We haven’t seen this one before. He looks soooo sexy and mysterious,” Poppy said, a mischievous expression on her face.
My omega snarled, not liking anyone talking about our alpha.
“Poppy, do you want to get attacked?” Westin asked, a smirk on her face.
“Don’t worry, Josie. He’s all yours. My alphas keep me plenty busy. Although I don’t have one with a sexy British accent,” Poppy mused, twirling her curly blonde hair.
Possessiveness seized me. Poppy was my friend and I knew she was teasing, but part of me wanted to tackle her.
Clementine threw her arm around me. “It’s not like you would be successful, Poppy,” she said. “Theo only has eyes for Josie.”
That’s right, he only wants me. A thrill went through me as I realized I believed my own words. I still wasn’t sure why they wanted me when they could have anyone else. But they had chosenme, made clear their attraction tome.
“Where’s Luc?” I asked, looking around.
“He had to deal with some issue upstairs. He said we should get started on our warm-ups,” Clementine said.
“I don’t want to,” Westin whined, lying down on a mat.
I raised my eyebrows. Westin was usually so focused, never one to complain. As I examined her more closely, I saw she looked paler than usual, her eyes squinting as if the basement lights were bothering her.
“I’m just tired today,” she said with a shrug, averting her gaze.
I bit my lip, wanting to press her further, when Poppy interrupted my train of thought.
“I think we should forget about the warm-ups. I need girl time,” Poppy said, flopping down next to Westin before turning back to me with a playful smirk. “Josie, I want to hear how things are going with your alphas.”
I scowled at her.
“I pinky promise no more teasing. They’re your alphas. I would never dare try to get between you and them.” She held out her pinky towards me.
“Okay,” I said, squeezing her pinky with mine. “I forgive you.”
Poppy beamed and patted the spot on the mat beside her, and I lowered myself down.
“Are you happy with them?” Westin asked, her earnest eyes meeting mine.
“Yeah, I am,” I said. “I was so scared to join a pack, scared to even be around alphas. But they’re the best. They make me feel so safe.”
I thought I sawlongingin Westin’s eyes. Did she want a pack?
“Aww!” Poppy said. “Look at that ridiculous smile on your face.”
It had been so long since I had other girls to talk to. The vulnerability of opening up clawed at my stomach, but I needed to process everything that was happening.
I took a deep breath. “But I feel so… needy all the time? Is something wrong with me?”
“What do you mean?” Clementine asked, leaning her chin on her knees from her spot across from me.
“Cam and Ben left this afternoon for a work thing, and they won’t be back until the morning. I know they’re not going to be gone for long, but I already miss them, and I feel all raw inside.”
Poppy nodded. “That’s totally normal. The first time one of my alphas left the house to go to the store, I sobbed the whole time they were gone. Freaked them all the fuck out,” she said with a smirk. “The fact that you’re not bawling right now means you’re doing leaps and bounds better than I did. Us omegas are needy. It’s how we’re made. It gets easier, but you shouldn’t feel bad about it. And your alphas should definitely help you when you’re feeling that way.”
The weight on my chest lessened at her words. What I was experiencing was normal. That didn’t mean I liked it, especially after a year of almost complete independence, but at least there wasn’t something wrong with me.
“Okay, I’ve been dying to know—have you had sex yet?” Poppy asked, practically bouncing on her spot on the mat.
“Poppy! Not everyone is as comfortable talking about sex as you are,” Westin said.
