Page 33 of Dodging Bullets

He reached out and grabbed my hand, the connection calming the budding anxiety in my chest immediately. The others were looking at the meerkats in the enclosure by the ice cream cart. “Your emotions are valid, Polly. Your first heat is a scary uncertainty.”

Before I could stop myself, the question burst from my lips. “Would you be there too?”

Embarrassment immediately washed through me. He’d shown no interest in me like that—why would he want to be part of my heat? What if he was one of the territorial Omegas that the books had talked about? What if he felt obligated, just because he was a nice guy?

“I’m sorry. That was rude of me to ask. I mean, you don’t have to participate or anything. Maybe you could just check that I’m okay. I don’t know any?—”

He stopped my words with a kiss. His full lips brushed across mine, and he groaned in a low voice. “Polly, I’d be honored. But you don’t know how you’ll feel until the heat is closer. Your Omega might be resistant to other Omegas being around. So how about we play it by ear?”

He wrapped me in his arms. He wasn’t huge like Llew, or tall and rangy like Max. He wasn’t stacked with muscle like Rio. But something about the way August held me felt sorightthat I knew me and my Omega were on the same page. August felt like ours, and we wanted him at our heat.

“Even if your Omega doesn’t want me there, I’ll make sure you are safe and cared for. The draw I feel toward you isn’t the norm, but neither is our situation. Besides, normal is overrated.” He kissed the top of my head and stepped away.

My eyes felt too wide, my body leaning towards his like he was the sun and I was a light-starved flower. “Okay,” I mumbled.

I could feel eyes on me. When I looked over my shoulder, the hungry gaze of Rio met mine, and they flicked between meand August. I realized with a shock that Rio also had a crush on the other Omega. I acknowledged that I should probably feel bad about that, jealous or something. But honestly, it was understandable.

“I think Rio would like you to be there too.”

Red flushed along August’s cheeks, and I couldn’t resist lifting my hand to chase the changing color. “It doesn’t matter what Rio would like—it’s your heat. You’re the only one that matters for those few days.” Like he couldn’t help himself, he kissed me once more.

I smirked at him. “I think I’d like to watch you and Rio together. Is that strange?” My nose twitched, and then suddenly, I could scent it too. His desire. It was like a highlight to his already sweet scent. Like coffee in chocolate.

He groaned again. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here, Polly Barrie, and you’re making it difficult not to pull you into my lap and kiss you senseless.”

Uh, why was he even resisting?

Then his words pierced the haze of lust that swamped me, and I grinned. “I have a last name.”

He looked down at me, his brows pulling together. “What do you mean?”

“I have a last name now. I’ve never had a last name before; I was just Paloma. There were no other Palomas in the Homestead, and we didn’t need last names. But Polly Barrie isn’t Paloma anymore, and she has a family name, because she has afamily.” I burst into tears. August gathered me up in his arms as the Alphas appeared, and I realized they’d been giving us privacy.

Rio was there first. “What happened? Polly, baby, what’s wrong?”

August laughed low in his chest, a joyful noise. “They’re happy tears, I think?”

I nodded against his chest, then turned in his arms, wrapping my own around Rio and making grabby hands towards Max and Llew. My family. The Barrie Pack.MyPack. “I’m just… It’s just really nice.”

Llew chuckled, because I guess he could feel my happiness. “You make us happy too, Sweet Thing.”

Max kissed the tears from my cheeks and stepped away. “Come on, Polly, let’s go ride the carousel. No more tears.” Tugging me along behind him, he headed over to a carousel, which was huge and shone gold in the midday sun. It was turning lazily, empty except for a few parents with their toddlers. Instead of carousel horses, they had zoo animals, all intricately painted. Ostriches, giraffes, gorillas, rhinos, cassowaries—there were so many to choose from.

Max wrapped an arm around my waist. “There’s only one good choice here, obviously.”

I looked up at him like he was crazy, because there were at least fifteen different choices. “Oh?”

“The tiger, of course. The king of the jungle.”

I screwed up my nose. “It’s a good choice, but…”

He raised an eyebrow, the smile across his face infectious. “Oh. All right, which one are you choosing?” I pointed to one, and he laughed. “Well, I didn’t see that coming.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. “I didn’t see you coming either, Polly, but I’m so glad you’re here.”

The previous ride ended, and we climbed on board. Max lifted me gently onto my animal—a whooping crane—and settled in beside me.

This day had felt like a dream, and the men I’d shared it with were a gift. My past was behind me. There were nothing but good days ahead for Polly Barrie.

Nineteen

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