Page 31 of Pack Apollo

He shrugs. "Sometimes, to make things interesting. So, it's just me and you today?"

"Yep," I tell him, taking a bite of my toast.

"Okay, stop it," he demands, reaching out to ease my plate away after I set the toast down. "I can't sit here and watch you eat a slice of bread like you're in a prison or something. Let's order food and have it delivered. We can be lazy and watch movies all day."

I fight a smile, watching my lonely piece of bread get tossed into the compost bin. "Sounds like a plan. Oh, wait, I got you something."

"Me?" he asks stunned like no one has ever said those words to him ever. "You got me something?"

"Just a sec," I tell him, running out the door and up the stairs to Palmer's room where I dropped my bag last night.

I grab the package and run back down the stairs, slowing down as I make it to the bottom. It'd really suck to have my socks slip on the floors and end up spending the day in the hospital instead.

Jake is still standing in the exact spot I left him like he's worried that if he moves that I won't be able to find him to give him his gift. It makes my heart happy to see that he at least cares enough that I got it for him.

I hand him the package as I say, "Okay, it's nothing extravagant, but I found it the other day when I went into this random store by campus and thought of you."

He opens it, and I wish right then and there that I could capture his expression and save it forever. Unfolding the sweater, the socks that came with it drop out onto the counter and he laughs.

"Where did you say you found this?" he asks, smiling.

"That tiny weird shop that always smells like cabbage when you walk by," I reply.

He sniffs the sweatshirt, making me laugh again. "I made sure to air it out beforehand. Do you like it?"

If expressions could speak, his would say a thousand words. "Of course, I do. I just can't believe you found my favorite Troma on a sweatshirt in a weird cabbage shop for one. And for two, that you bought it for me. I don't think you get how this courting thing is supposed to work. We're supposed to be gifting you things."

"I do understand it," I tell him with fake snark. "I just saw it and knew you had to have it. So, I bought it."

He snorts, shaking his head. "I'm only keeping this on one condition. You have to keep the socks so that we'll match."

"Compromise," I offer. "How about I wear them the same day you wear your sweatshirt."

"Or we could wear them right now," he suggests. "That sounds like the best plan."

"Deal," I tell him, taking the socks he holds out to me with a smile.

We order take out just like he says we should and chill out on the couch for hours watching our favorite gorecore movies. I love that he laughs at all the same parts as me instead of looking at me like I'm crazy. At one point I'm laughing, and he casually leans over to press his lips against mine in a quick kiss. I don't know what prompts the kiss, but I'm definitely not turning it down at all.

It's a quick one that only lasts for a few seconds, but I feel like it means more than any long kiss ever could have. Cuddling up next to him, one second I'm awake and thinking how lucky I am, and the next I'm dead asleep.

Jake

I watch her sleep, the tease of her taste still on my lips. It all happened so fast, and still is happening fast. I absolutely was not sure how I was going to take to a new omega coming into our lives. Especially after the last one. I've tried keeping my distance. At first I blamed it on her saying that she wasn't looking for a pack. That in itself had potential for disaster, what with how invested Palmer and Brent became so fast. They can say that they weren't, but when you spend years sharing a life with someone, you know if you know.

Then as Cordell started his slip down the slope, falling for her, I held out and used my anger to keep a wall up between us. At least one member of our pack had to be the sensible one. Never thought it'd be me, but here we are. If anything, I thought Roz would be the last to take the damn plunge. That all went out the window the other night at his victory celebration. All in the way that he looked at her, and the way he didn't seem upset at all about Cordell announcing our pack courting her.

I'm honestly not even surprised about anything involving her at this point. I heard something a long time ago that I'd always considered a myth. They say that some are lucky enough to find the perfect omega for their pack, and when it happens, everyone will justknow.The alphas. The betas. The omega. All of the pieces of the puzzle will gravitate toward each other and slide perfectly into place like they've always meant to be. I never thought it'd happen to us. Especially after the two-face wench from last time. I may be one of the younger ones in our pack, but that doesn't mean that I live on cloud nine rainbows of fantasy. Our personalities and quirks fit each other, but actually finding someone who not only accepts them, but embraces them and brings their own to mesh so well. It should've been impossible. Yet, here we are.

She stirs in her sleep, rubbing her face against my chest.When I had noticed her getting drowsy, I'd laid back and angled my body to give her a prop to lay on. I'm inadvertantly paying for it now. The more I think about what a perfect fit she is for us while watching her sleep and seeing the softness in her face, the harder I'm becoming.

Reaching up, I play with a few strands of her hair, making her honeysuckle scent even stronger. Never knew I was a fan of the sweet, flowery scent until she walked into our lives. There's a spearmint, too, that's been clinging to her since she slept with Palmer. Every time she's stayed over, her scent has been super strong thanks to him getting her all worked up. I don't see how any of the alphas in this house managed to even walk by his room. If I was as bothered by it as I was—and am now—it must've been unbearable for them.

I run my thumb gently down the smooth skin of her cheek, making her eyes crack open as she looks up at me. Desire takes a hold of me in the moment, forcing my head down until I'm low enough to capture her lips with mine. It takes a second for what seems to be her brain to wake up, but when it does, she kisses me back with a passion I know I'm going to become addicted to.

I go to pull away slightly, and she follows me, not allowing it. Even when it means that she's now scooting up my body, bringing our chests together. I let her take the lead in how far she's wanting this to go. She doesn't stop kissing me. As our tongues dance together, her hands slip beneath my gifted sweatshirt. Her soft hands move up my chest until they're resting on my pecs. We're stealing each other's breath as she slides them slowly back down until they come to the top hem of my pants. My hips jerk gently as one of her hands moves lower and rubs me through my pants.

I'd love to flip us over and ride her until I hear her calling out my name like she does Palmer's, but I let her keep leading.When her lips slip from mine, they fall down to my stomach where she's now lifted the hem of my sweatshirt. Her tongue makes swirls on my skin, making my hips jerk again. A soft moan from her glides across my skin as I do. Moving down to my hip bone, she spends more attention there as her breasts rub against my rock-hard cock resting between them.

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