“We’re happy to do it. We’re really good listeners. Omegas are sneaky little shits, which is why we prefer alphas and betas,”Marlow says, handing me another drink. I sip at it this time, sinking down at the kitchen table and staring out the window.
“Maybe I should stick with a beta too,” I murmur, and Vick grunts as he digs into the meal I prepared. It’s like they haven’t eaten in ages with the way they’re groaning around mouthfuls.
“You want us to find him and rip him apart?” Corvin asks, swiping the back of his hand across his lips, sauce smearing over his cheek. “We could do that. The full moon is coming up. We get mean when that happens. Get kinda vengeful, too.”
“No, don’t hurt him,” I grunt. “I’ll deal with it. In my own way.”
“All right, but you let us know if you change your mind. You really won us over with the marinara.”
“Didn’t know werewolves cared about other people much,” I say, and then add, “Or made such good drinks.”
Marlow winks at me. “Lots of misconceptions about us.”
“Seems so.”
“Some are true, though. We do grow strong and scary on a full moon. Watch out,” Corvin says with an eyebrow wag and a chuckle. “But other than that, we’re nice guys. And the sex is fucking amazing when we’re in true form.”
“Yeah, that’s the truth. Don’t believe the media hype,” Vick says. “I preferred it back in the old days, when information wasn’t so readily available.”
“So, you don’t go around and steal shit from people’s houses?” I ask.
“Oh, we do that, but we gotta live. We don’t have a place right now, so we have to make do,” Vick explains. “Once we have a place and a steady pack, we’ll settle down. Maybe get rid of that shifter who keeps trying to fuck with us once and for all.”
“He needs a life,” Corvin chimes in. “Causing lots of trouble for us. Making us look bad, too.”
“Which shifter?”
“Dunno. Haven’t caught his name.”
I stare at them and then lean back in my chair. “So, what made you wander over into Wolverston? It’s a pretty small town, not much to do and a lot less to see.”
“Visited here in the sixties, loved it. Was a lot smaller back then,” Corvin says. “Had some good memories and thought we’d head back. It’s a little harder to move around discreetly now that everyone has cameras and phones.”
“You guys old, then?” I ask, and Vick nods.
“Older than you, and we’ll live longer too, unless….” His voice trails off, and he hums, meeting the stares of the rest of his pack.
“What? What’s that look for?”
“Unless you want to join us. It’s a simple process, a bite on the full moon. Nothing more.”
I stare at them, my heart rate picking up. That’s insane. No way do I want to become a shifter, let alone a werewolf. I like my boring life just as it is.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
Vick shrugs and goes back to eating. “All right, like I said, let us know if you change your mind. We wouldn’t mind a fourth.”
I’m sure they wouldn’t, but I have no desire to wander around for ages with the three of them. I’d prefer to find an omega who doesn’t knock me out with magical rocks and settle down. Maybe build an addition on my house, have some kids.
I dunno.
I just know I don’t want to be bitten on the full moon.
“So, what are you gonna do when you see your omega at work tomorrow?” Marlow asks.
My mind is pulled back to Arbor, and I meet each and every one of their stares.
“Fuck if I know.”
