Page 38 of Trick or Heat

He belly laughs in response, shaking his head. “I’m not playing with him right now. Look at his face.”

Being called out must do the trick, because DJ’s shoulders relax. “Sorry. I get a little ramped up sometimes.”

“Do you get like that during your matches too?” I ask.

Raivat snorts and Brodie says, “It’s worse.”

My eyes widen as I smile. “I can’t wait to see it.”

My statement lingers in the air, reminding everyone of the reality of our situation. Elsie and I will be at their games from now on, what little is left. If everything keeps going the way it is, we’ll all be there for everything life throws at us from now on.

The tiny note of vulnerability pushes through us, but there’s something else too. Happiness seems to pulsate in the air as my words sink in.

But with that happiness, there’s also a missing piece. Tonight has been amazing, but I can’t help but think about the omega I love and how much better it would be if she were here with us right now.

“Maybe Elsie would like this game,” Raivat comments like he can read my mind.

I scrunch my features, a random burst of sadness coursing through me. “Yeah, maybe.”

I know it must be apparent to them, but I can’t seem to hold it back. My thoughts turn to Elsie, her beautiful face taking up residence in my mind.

I scoff at myself. Like it hasn’t been there since the moment we met at the bus stop when we were eight years old. Like I didn’t see her crying over her ruined project and do everything in my power to make it up to her. I’ve been doing that for years now, instinct driving me. Maybe it was more than just love, but this deep knowing that we were meant to spend our lives together one way or another.

I miss her. I can’t help thinking it. Our problem may have been us potentially having different packs on the surface, but it was never as simple as that. My feelings for her would have surpassed what was socially acceptable.

I’m now realizing that fate would never have done that to us. This was always our destiny, and now that we’re being courted by the same pack, things still feel just as heavy and unsolvable, because I’m in love with her. Same pack or not, I won’t be able to settle until she knows the truth.

EIGHTEEN

Walking into my favorite place, hand-in-hand with my scent match, is surreal. Her candy scent wraps around me, coating me with its sweetness, and the beast in my chest preens as she squeezes my fingers, communicating her need for extra comfort.

Both omegas are amazing, it seems, and the fact that they’ve been best friends since they were kids is mind-blowing. Still, the guys and I have been treating them to different dates, because at the end of the day, they are different people.

Well, they are very alike in a lot of ways after growing up attached at the hip, but their differences are distinctive even to the most ignorant of people.

Elsie is creative and whimsical. From our brief chats, I’ve learned that she loves books, art (maybe not to the same degree as me, but she’s receptive), philosophy. She is attuned to nature, and that shows as she leans her head back and smiles at the feeling of the sun’s rays against her face.

Casey has a soft heart, but there’s a wall of resistance to get to it. He’s protective, fiercely so, and that fire gleams in his eyes every time we are together. I can tell he wants to let go, wants to be the omega he innately is, but there’s something holding him back. A small part of me thinks the omega by my side might be the cause.

It may not be Halloween anymore, but there are still rogue decorations in the lobby waiting to be packed away from another year. After paying for our tickets, I guide her to the first room. It’s a vast space, with a high ceiling and precisely placed paintings all over the walls, like an expert game of Tetris. We head over to the empty bench in the center to sit.

“I hope this is an okay place for a first date,” I comment a bit self-deprecatingly.

She swings her gaze to mine. “What are you talking about? I love museums.”

My head tips into a curt nod, relief shooting through my body.

“I thought it was appropriate,” I finally say. “More than anything, Elsie, I want you to know me. There’s no other place that will do that better.”

Her brows rise and her lips quirk. “Oh? Is this one of your favorite places?”

“Museums in general are my favorite. It’s where I hope to be for the rest of my life.”

She stays quiet, waiting for me to elaborate as we sit serenely.

“I want to be a curator,” I tell her, and her eyes sparkle to life. “You know, oversee a museum’s inventory, navigate the story it wants to tell.”

“That’s beautiful.”