“They’re just the pack I started seeing,” I say casually.
“When were you planning to tell me you’re in a relationship?” Josie’s voice is tight, her smile forced as she stares at the screen. “And with a pack? This is kind of a big deal.”
The selfie shows all four of us squeezed together. Me in the center with Matheo’s arm draped casually around my shoulders, Cash leaning in from the side, and Lucas beaming behind us. We look happy. We look real.
“It’s brand new,” I say, the rehearsed explanation tumbling out. “Like, extremely new. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet.”
“But they’re coming to my wedding?” Hurt flashes across her face as she hands back my phone. “When Egret told me you requested plus ones, I thought he was kidding. Were you just going to spring this on everyone without warning?”
Guilt gnaws at my insides. I hate lying to Josie. We’ve always told each other everything.
“I only mentioned them to Egret because he assumed I was single.” I merge into the left lane, avoiding her eyes. “When he said he hadn’t included space for my date in the seating chart, I panicked and told him I had a pack. It wasn’t planned.”
“So these guys are actually your pack?” She studies me with narrowed eyes. “Not just dates?”
“We’re figuring things out.” At least that partisn’t entirely a lie. “It’s complicated. I didn’t want to make a big announcement until I knew where it was headed.”
Josie’s expression softens. “They’re gorgeous. Especially the one with the dark hair.”
“Matheo.” His name comes out more breathless than intended.
“Two alphas and a beta,” she murmurs, still scrutinizing the picture. “That’s wild.”
“There’s actually one more alpha,” I quickly add, searching for a way to explain why he isn’t in the picture. “He had to work that day.”
“You really like them, don’t you?” She touches my arm. “I can see it on your face.”
I focus intently on the road. “Like I said, it’s new. But yes, there’s something there.”
That isn’tpreciselya lie.
“I can’t believe you kept this from me.” She’s not angry anymore, just disappointed, which is worse. “You know you would have been the first person I told.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “You didn’t tell me about your pack until you made a wedding announcement.”
“Okay, that’s fair.” Josie winces. “But there also wasn’t much of a gap between when I met them and the proposal. I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you.”
“And you would have been my first call under normal circumstances,” I insist. “I swear. If it weren’t for Heat Island, I would have waited longer before introducing them to my family. And I didn’t want to steal any attention from your wedding preparations.”
Josie laughs. “As if that’s possible. I’m going to be the center of attention in a custom Vivienne Westwood surrounded by three smoking hot and filthy rich alphas. You couldn’t take my spotlight if youtried.”
Her smile is rueful, as if she can’t even say all that out loud without acknowledging how ridiculous it all sounds.
“Very true.” I return her smile with a genuine one of my own. This isn’t just about saving face in front of my exes. If Josie thinks I’m happy, then it will give her the permission she needs to be happy for herself. “Though now I’m dreading the conversation with Mom. You know how she’s been hounding me to settle down.”
“Oh god.” Josie’s eyes widen. “She’s going to lose her mind. After all those years of setting you up with every eligible alpha in the state? She’s going to be insufferable.”
“She’ll probably take full credit somehow.”
“Definitely.” Josie reaches for my phone again. “Tell me more. I want to know everything about them before we get to the resort.”
I make up a story with sprinkles of truth. Matheo’s exhibition is a convenient explanation for how we met that isn’t technically a lie. Luckily, Josie seems happy with just superficial information.
As we approach the airport exit, I grip the steering wheel tighter. One week of pretending with four strangers. What could possibly go wrong?
ELEVEN
CASH
