"Does Darren know?" I ask, though I'm pretty sure of the answer. "Can he smell it?"
Jax shakes his head. "The suppressants. They're blocking his senses almost completely. He has no idea. He would've mentioned it." He hesitates. "Probably."
I hate that he's right. There's so much distance between us lately, because of the way we've been reacting to his omega awakening, that I'm not sure if Darren would have told us.
"So what do we do?" I look between the three of them. "Tell him? Tell her?"
"Not tonight," Jax says firmly. "This is already complicated enough. Darren said she's wary of packs, especially ones with omegas. Finding out she's our scent match would just add another layer of pressure she's not ready for."
He has a point. We're already a lot, even when we're trying not to come on too strong.
"So we just... pretend everything's normal?" Zayn finally speaks, his voice strained. "When she smells like... like..."
He trails off, unable to articulate what we're all feeling.
"Pumpkin spice latte," I mumble before I can stop myself. The others all look at me, but I can tell she smells the same way to them. We're all on the same page.
For once.
"For now, yes," Jax says. "We get through dinner. Try our best to act like normal fucking human beings. Then we talk to Darren privately, as a pack."
"We could just text him," I suggest. "Let him know now, so he's not completely blindsided."
Jax glances through the frosted glass toward our table, where Darren and Lexie sit in awkward silence. "No, that could make things even weirder. We need to just get through the night without any more incidents."
I nod, though I'm not sure I can pull it off. My world has been turned upside down twice in a little more than the span of a month. First with Darren presenting as an omega, and now this. It's too much, too fast.
"Let's go back," Jax says, straightening his jacket. "And try to act normal. For Darren's sake, if nothing else."
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the rest of this impossible evening. Normal. I can act normal. Even if nothing about this situation is normal at all.
The frosted glass door slides open, and we step back into the lion's den.
Chapter
Seventeen
LEXIE
The moment the four alphas make their bizarre and obviously contrived exit, an awkward silence descends over the table like a heavy blanket. I stare at the half-eaten pasta on my plate, pushing a piece of asparagus around with my fork, desperately trying to look casual while my mind spirals.
What the hell just happened?
One minute we're having a slightly tense but manageable dinner, and the next, all four alphas are practically tripping over themselves to leave the table with the flimsiest excuses I've ever heard. Checking on risotto we didn't order? Strength in numbers bathroom trips? If they were trying to be subtle, they failed spectacularly.
Across from me, Darren's fingers drum against the white tablecloth in an agitated rhythm.Tap-tap-tap.Pause.Tap-tap-tap.His jaw is tight, a muscle twitching along the edge. I've known him for all of two dates, but even I can tell he's furious.
"So..." I venture, breaking the silence. "Is this normal pack behavior I should know about?"
Darren's blue eyes snap to mine, his expression a storm of confusion and anger. "No. This is definitely not normal." His voice is tight, controlled, but I can hear the frustration simmering beneath the surface.
Tap-tap-tap.His fingers continue their nervous dance on the tablecloth.
"They seemed..." I search for a diplomatic word. "Intense."
"That's one way to put it." He runs his free hand through his short brown hair, messing it up in a way that would be adorable if the situation weren't so uncomfortable. "I don't know what's gotten into them. They promised they'd be on their best behavior tonight."
I take a sip of wine, using the moment to gather my thoughts. The truth is, I'm not entirely surprised. This is exactly why I've avoided packs for so long. The dynamics are complicated enough with just two people. Add in four alphas and a newly-presented omega, and you've got a powder keg waiting for a match.
