Once again, I was the failure omega who couldn’t keep a pack together.
I closed the fridge without taking anything out. I’d been repeating this dance for the past few minutes. Getting Blossom her lunch was the only thing that had dragged me from my nest. She was happily munching away at her salad while I wandered aimlessly aroundthe kitchen. It was stocked with premade meals and snacks, dropped off by Summer, Tara, my moms, Carmen, and Harry, but nothing sounded good.
I rested my forehead against the closed refrigerator door. I didn’t know how long I’d stayed standing there, eyes closed, when the downstairs doorbell rang.
I didn’t move.
It rang again.
Andagain.
I lifted my head with a scowl. The shop was closed, so I was guessing this was a meddling friend visiting and not a tailoring emergency.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Blossom nudged my ankle and I picked her up. “Should we go back to the nest and hide, or see who’s at the door?”
Ding. Ding. Ding.
I let out a frustrated screech and stomped down the stairs, stopping short when I glimpsed Parisa through the window.
Shit. I was a mess—eyes red and puffy from crying, tangled hair, drowning in men’s clothing—and was tempted to ignore her and head back to my nest. But that felt too rude and probably wouldn’t work, anyway, since she wasstill ringing the doorbell.
Parisa smiled when I opened the door, pulling me into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you. Ready to go? My mom made lunch, so I hope you’re hungry.”
I ran my hand through my hair, my fingers catching on the tangles. “What? Did we have plans?”
“For lunch, yes.”
I racked my brain, trying to remember, but came up with nothing. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember—”
“Oh, I made the plans like twenty minutes ago. I texted to let you know.”
“I don’t think that’s how plans work. And I’m not really feeling up to being social. Sorry you wasted your time.”
“It wasn’t a waste,” she said easily. Before I knew it, she had taken my hand, pulled me out of my store, and closed the door behind me.
Parisa’s alpha Amir opened the car door for us. “Nice to see you again, Lucy.”
“I think I’m being kidnapped.” I said as Parisa half shoved me into the car. “I could have you arrested.”
She cocked an amused eyebrow. “Who’s going to arrest me? Blossom?” She scooted in next to me, leaning over to stroke Blossom’s ears from her spot in my arms. “And don’t worry, today’s a girls’ day. Amir is just here as a chauffeur.”
“I know my place.” He grinned, his tender eyes meeting his omega’s in the rearview mirror, and it made my heart hurt. I wanted to demand we turn back around, but fighting Parisa would take too much energy. I took a deep breath. I could pull my shit together, if only for this afternoon.
The sun warmed myface as I curled up on the comfortable outdoor sofa on the Azad family patio. We’d moved out here after eating one of the best lunches I’d ever had. Parisa was sprawled out beside me, Bibi reclined on the sun lounger smoking hookah from an elaborate copper pipe, and Tara was deep in conversation with Blossom. It was a bit of a one-sided conversation, but Blossom looked riveted all the same.
“Blossom and I need to learn Farsi.” I wanted to know what Tara was saying and to communicate better with Bibi. She spoke English, but it was clear she wasn’t nearly as comfortable speaking it as the rest of her family.
“I’ll practice with you,” Parisa said. Her eyes were shut, the sunlight turning her skin golden.
Tara beamed. “Moosh bokhoratet. We’ll all help you. Won’t we?” she cooed at Blossom.
“What does that mean?”
“It’s something you say when you think someone is cute,” Tara responded.
Parisa snorted. “That’s what it means, but the literal translation ismay a mouse eat you.”
