Besties. I haven’t had a bestie since I was in elementary school. Her eagerness to let me in is fascinating.She’sfascinating.
“Don’t besties have to spend a lot of time together?” I ask, not wanting her to know how appealing that thought really is to me.
Emily drops her smile. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to spend time with me. I mean, we don’t have to be friends if?—”
“No,” I blurt, too quickly, feeling more panicked than I should. “I’d really like that. But what about Meggie?”
Emily and her old roommate Meggie have been nearly inseparable for as long as I’ve known them. Meggie only moved out because she was moving in with Pack Hart, Harrison’s pack.
If I’m honest, I’ve always been jealous of Emily and Meggie’s connection, and I wasn’t always the kindest because of it.
Emily rolls her eyes. “Meggie has a whole pack now. I think she’ll survive.”
That one lands rough. I thought that pack would be mine. ThatHarrisonwould be mine. But you can’t lose something that never belonged to you.
He did warn me. He told me from the beginning he wasn’t interested in anything long term, that his pack didn’t want a beta, thatweweren’t pack. But I guess I never really heard him.
“I should probably get ready for my meet.” I stand up, taking the coffee mug around to the sink and quickly washing it out. Rinsing out the feelings, too. “Will you come?”
I hate the fragility of the question, but I can’t stop myself from asking it.
“Of course!” Emily throws her arms around me again. Three casual touches in one morning. It might be a record for me. I’ve seen how affectionate she is with Meggie, but it feels strange to have it directed at me. Good strange. I sigh into her embrace andsniff her hair before she pulls away. If she keeps treating me this well, I might become addicted to her and that light, boozy scent of hers.
“Alright, bestie,” she says. “Go win a medal. Then we’ll celebrate with giant rugby thighs and an overpriced stadium pretzel.”
My smile is more tentative than normal, but more genuine too. “Sounds like a plan.”
4
LUCAS
“Lucas!” Emily’s sweet voice captures my attention as I make my way off the pitch. The game didn’t go as well as it should have. Rugby is an aggressive sport, and my team didn’t take the risks we needed to take. We won, but only by three points earned from a penalty kick. Too close for comfort.
I tug the tie from my hair, letting the sweaty strands fall free for a moment. It slips to just above my shoulders, a familiar weight I’ve grown to love—despite my mom’s protests I’d look more handsome with a crisp short cut. I run a hand through it, savoring the softness, then twist it back into a looser, sloppy bun. When I glance up, I note my teammates have already left. Gone without a word. And our omega is nowhere to be seen. I guess that’s good. I don’t want them to get the wrong idea as I chat with the sweetheart waving for my attention.
“Hello, beautiful Emily,” I say as I stroll up to the low wall that divides the field from the cheering crowd. Most people are already exiting the stadium. There are games and races and events constantly going on, so none of the spectators loiter around after one wraps up. On to the next thing. “Did you enjoy the game?”
“Fuck, that’s the hottest accent I’ve ever heard,” the woman with Emily says in a whisper that is not at all quiet. “It’s like sex for my ears.” She says these words with unblinking eye contact and a quirk of her pretty lips.
I chuckle and lean against the half-wall. “If I am like sex for your ears, the two of you are like sex for the eyes.”
They blush a matching shade of pink, creating a stunning picture. One short, the other tall. One in flip-flops, the other in heels. So different even in their postures and expressions, but that blush is the same. Entirely captivating.
I shouldn’t be intrigued by women outside of my pack when I’m wanting to bond, but something about Emily captured my attention from the beginning. And this woman with her is equally enticing. It’s difficult not to imagine the two of them together. I’d love to watch them kiss as I slowly undress them.
No, bad Lucas.
The only sexual relationship I currently have with my pack mates is during Alessandra’s heats. They’ve made it clear they don’t mind me looking elsewhere to meet my needs, but I don’t want to ruin my chances of bonding with them. So I’ve been celibate since joining their pack a year ago, apart from the three heats I helped with. I know they only asked me to join because of the new Olympic Committee rule that states teams need to be pack mates. But a pack is all I’ve ever wanted. All I need to do is prove to them I’m committed. I’m certain if I can show them that, their omega will welcome me in for real.
Once the Olympics are over, that’s when I’m going to propose we take things to the next level. So it’s important I don’t break my personal vow before the surprise I’ve planned.
It hasn’t been easy though. I’ve always been a very physical person. And sweet Emily has been a particular temptation. Even if she’s nothing but a little daydream. A tiny crush. Some innocent flirting.
“Okay, Smooth Talker, dial it back.” The blonde woman with Emily rolls her eyes but the upturn of her lips encourages my flirtation.
“I am only saying what everyone is thinking. You two walk over to me like a romance novel with conflicting genres, and I am supposed to… hide my interest?”
“Conflicting genres?” Emily purses her lips as her brow furrows.
