Page 53 of Pack Favero

“What the hell happened? I was coming to disregard Alek’s warnings for me to stay away until Zira adjusted to pack life, but I come in and smell a stressy omega instead,” Silver complains, dropping her hands onto her hips as she continues to watch me like I’m two seconds away from an omega level meltdown..

Barnes sighs before he kisses my head, lingering for a moment to inhale, likely checking how stressed I still am. His touch has soothed most of my anxiety, but there’s still a sour note to my usually soft and sweet scent. It’s only when he pullsaway that he answers, “Zira seems to have an unwanted admirer, so we’re going to talk with the Dean about what we can do to resolve it.”

Silver pulls a face before nodding rapidly. “Yeah, sure. Okay. Do you want me to come? Or do anything?”

“Man the desk for me, kiddo. And call Alek. Tell him there’s been another incident. He’ll know what I’m talking about,” Barnes instructs, maneuvering around me until he can reach for the necklace and note, taking my hand in his free one as soon as he has the unwanted gift clutched in his hand. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Ay, ay, mon capitan. I shall man the fort. Do what you must. Defend my new cousin’s honor!” Silver voices, sounding so serious that I blink at her in alarm. It’s only when I see her twitching lips that I see that she’s joking.

It’s the exact moment when Munro rounds the corner and mutters with a suppressed smile, “You’re fucking weird.”

“You’re weird,” Silver counters, rolling her eyes at her beta. “Come over here. We’re the new librarians for however long it takes for Miss Fave to have a chat with the Dean.”

Munro nods easily, his dark curls bouncing as he sends me a look. “Everything good, Miss Fave?”

Clearing my throat, I try for a smile, though I’m sure he doesn’t buy it with how his eyebrows dip and his eyes narrow. “Mhm. Just need to discuss something important with the Dean. Don't burn the place down, okay?”

Silver snorts and Munro offers her a tattooed middle finger before rounding the desk, yanking Silver from my chair, and depositing her back on his lap as soon as he’s claimed the seat. “We’ve got you covered, Miss Fave. Take as long as you need. I have two free periods, and Juno should be here as soon as she stops sucking face with her alphas and beta.”

“Aww. Annoyed that your sister from another misteris prioritizing her pack above your needy ass?” Silver teases, leaning into him as she blows a bubble of pink gum before winking at me.

“My needy ass? Says the stage-five clinger who wouldn’t let me get out of the nest this morning,” Munro volleys, poking his omega in the waist and making her squeak, and I huff a laugh as Barnes reaches for my purse and leads me around the desk.

“Be good,” he calls over his shoulder, and I smile with gratitude at the adorable pair, not for the first time thinking how they complement each other so wonderfully.

Of course, my thoughts fade from them and right back to the problem in Barnes’s hand, and my grip on his hand tightens as he reassures me, “We’ll get it fixed, Freckles. I promise.”

I nod, taking a deep breath, and prepare myself for an uncomfortable conversation with the Dean that could either fix my issues or make them ten times worse.

***

“So, you’re not the first to put a complaint in about him?” Mac asks as he runs his hands up my bare leg, tickling my skin as he offers me the remote when he can’t find anything good to watch.

Nodding, I turnBrassicon and slump in my seat, inhaling his earthy and somewhat sweet patchouli and musk scent that pairs beautifully with his brother's more warm and dark oud and musk. “Apparently, so. One of the history professors complained last week that he made a suggestive comment about another staff member while they were talking in the hallway, and she thought it was gross. There was another time where a student caught him sniffing the female science professors when they were occupied. Apparently, my guy was right. The guy is a weirdo.”

“And he’s been removed?” Ford asks, stepping back into the living room with three beers and an extra large pizza to share between us.

He takes his seat beside me, handing a beer each to Mac and me, and places the pizza box on my lap after tucking a cushion beneath it to save my legs from the heat since I’m only in a pair of short shorts and an oversized shirt that Alek wrangled me into when he wished for me to smell like him when I came out of the shower after he took drastic and very pleasurable measures to ensure I wasn’t stressed any longer. Not that I mind. I love how each of their scents clings to me now, a hint of each one of my guys threaded into all of my clothes already.

Nodding, a soft smile gracing my lips when Ford readjusts me until my back is leaning against his front and his one leg is acting as my arm rest while the other cradles mine in Mac’s lap, I say, “Mhm. He had three infractions already and received warnings. Barnes, Professor Neeve, and the student who came forward. Gifting me with inappropriate jewelry after he was instructed not to bother me was the last straw. Kira didn’t want to risk the safety of the staff and students if he turned out to be a super creep, and the money his father, apparently, donates every year wasn’t enough to sway her otherwise. He’s been removed effective immediately.”

“That’s a relief, starlight,” Mac sighs, squeezing my calf before accepting a piece of pizza I hand to him.

As Ford helps himself, I mutter, “You’re telling me. I can finally go to work without needing to concoct a devious plan to avoid him and his pungent scent.”

“That bad, huh?” Ford snorts, the twins both calm now that Barnes and I have explained the situation. That wasn’t the case when we finally got home and Alek had stressed everyone out enough that the atmosphere was beyond tense the moment we stepped into the house. Apparently, Alek didn’t know whatBarnes meant when he told Silver to relay the message and thought something seriously bad had happened.

After a long sit down that calmed Alek only enough to ensure he didn’t hurt me when he hauled me to his room and mauled me for two delicious hours, everything went back to normal and the guys all went back to their regularly scheduled programs once they checked that I really was okay.

And I am, especially now that I know Hunter Gary Johnson the second will no longer be an issue.

“It was bad. Like burnt rubber and gasoline,” I convey, wrinkling my nose at the memory. I’m fairly certain that scent will haunt me for the rest of my days.

At the exact same time, both twins mutter, “Ew,” before biting into their pizza, and I grin before doing the same.

For a few hours, the three of us lounge on the couch and eat our fill of carbs while Barnes and Lazarus go about working on their stocks and investments and Alek went to call Silver to complain about her message-delivering skills. His words, not mine.

Eventually, just as I’m about to drift off to sleep with my upper body cradled in Ford’s arms and my legs wrapped in Mac’s embrace, Ford quietly asks, “Say, what would be your thoughts on getting away for the weekend? Just you, Mac, and me?”

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