We all follow him into the kitchen. As we walk, I notice Delilah’s hand brush the cuff of Jagger’s shirt, almost like a private show of solidarity. He may not be off the hook yet, but he’s made it through the worst of the evening. Well, hopefully that was the worst of it.
As soon as Nash piles the boxes on the island, Sabs is first to dive into the pepperoni, pulling off a gargantuan piece.
“Marco’s pizza was a good choice.” Kady eyes the gooey cheese trail hanging from Sab’s plate. “Nice job.”
Nash’s cheeks flush. It’s the first nice thing she’s said to any of us.
“Kady’s pack lives around the corner from Marco’s,” Delilah comments. “I swear, that’s all they eat sometimes.”
“That and your baking,” Faye chimes in. “Although I can’t blame them. If Cole didn’t insist on cooking most of the time, I’m sure my guys would eat takeout most days.”
“How long have you and your pack been bonded?” I ask Faye, noting the silvery claim marks on her neck.
“We met at the start of this semester.” Faye goes on to tell us her story while we all load up our plates and find spots to sit or lean against the cabinets.
“Scent matches blow my mind. I used to think they were just made-up stories.” I shake my head. “It’s pretty wild.”
“You can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” Kady mumbles around a bite of pizza.
“You love them.” Sabs nudges her.
Kady only smiles, picking a jalapeño off her pizza then popping it into her mouth.
“Kady’s not bonded to her pack in the traditional sense,” Sabs explains. “They have some kinda crazy omega-induced bond. You’re lucky to be a beta, Tae. It’s less complicated.”
Delilah’s eyebrows lower. “You can’t make assumptions, Sabs.”
“It’s okay. Sabs made a good point.” I drizzle hot sauce over my slice. “Being a beta is much easier than what you guys have to deal with. Although I can’t pretend I wouldn’t mind having your sense of smell sometimes.”
Sabs grins wickedly. “It’s certainly useful in the bedroom.”
Jagger whacks Nash on the back when he almost chokes on his crust.
“But I can smell Delilah more strongly than any omega I’ve ever met,” I declare proudly.
“That happens sometimes.” Kady nods knowingly. “If you’re in a pack with alphas who have found their scent match, you have increased sensitivity to their omega’s smell.”
I smile at Delilah as the rest of the room seems to fall away. “I guess that explains it, then.”
“So, Nash…” Sabs turns her attention to him. He backs away into the cupboard, his large hands clumsily holding his pizza slice to avoid the toppings from sliding off. It’s like watching a grizzly being stared down by a fox and losing. I can see why she makes him nervous. It’s hard to predict what Delilah’s firecracker friend is going to come up with next. “Delilah told us that you’re Jagger’s bodyguard. How’s that going?”
The muscles in his neck relax as he realizes he’s not being subjected to the same round of questions as Jagger.
“Someone’s got to do it.” He shrugs. “Though I’d rather be fixing up the house.”
“Hey!” Jagger nudges him. “Surely spending time with me is better than replacing a washer?”
“The jury’s still out there,” Sabs teases, making Nash snort.
“Whatever you did to the radiator inThe Valley Voiceoffice worked,” Kady tells him. “It’s never been so warm in there.”
“Nash can fix anything,” I interject. “He’s always busy with a project.”
Even while the girls were grilling Jagger, I noticed Nash’s eyes roaming the room, probably mentally checking off the various jobs he’s yet to complete—fixing the loose floorboard, redoing the blinds, replacing a light bulb… It’s not only his hobby but his way of unwinding.
Delilah bats her eyelashes at him. “Maybe you can take a look at my old mixer sometime?”
With a look like that, Nash will do anything for her. He clears his throat and loosens his collar. Seeing my packmate turn to mush around her is adorable. Sure, he’s been on a few dates during the time we’ve known each other, but he’s never been interested enough to want to see anyone more than once.
