Page 11 of Into the Fire: Before

Well, well-ish.

The female alpha only hummed, distrust still lingering in her eyes. The omega seemed comfortable enough, taking each of us in with a curious sweep of her gaze. “So, Brooks, Caine, and Lin…”

“Arceneaux,” Lin finished. He leaned back, affecting an air of calm and peace. “Brooks is an ER doc in town. I’m a real estate developer. And Caine manages the day-to-day of this property.”

The omega smirked, relaxing back against the cushions and crossing her linen shorts-clad legs. “Impressive,” she said with a teasing flick of her brow.

I leaned forward, the force of her pulling me in like roots draining the soil of water.

“Oh, sweetness, that’s just the start.”

Was my flirting partly in hopes that the happy omega’s pheromones would help Caine? Maybe.

Was I stilldyingto flirt with the pretty omega? Absolutely.

“Do we getyournames?” Lin asked.

“No, don’t tell us!” I said. “I want to guess!”

The alpha scoffed and the omega smirked. They leaned together, the omega playfully running their fingers together and apart. “By all means.”

I bit my bottom lip, tilting my head slightly to study her. “Well, you’ve got a look of sweetness about you, but I have a feeling there’s plenty of spice to back it too.”

“Oh, yeah, there’s a mischievous streak in you,” Lin confirmed, stroking his chin as he looked between the two women, thinking. He pointed to the alpha. “But you’ve got the vibe of someone who can keep that mischief in line, am I right?”

The omega leaned forward, resting her elbow on her crossed knees, chin on her fist. “Those are the most basic alpha and omega characteristics you could’ve guessed. And here I thought I was impressed…”

Surprised agreement from Caine spiked in the bond, then went dark again. Lin chuckled. “Well, we’ve only just met you. Give us time, and we’ll shock you.”

“Well, what are you supposed to call us until then?” the omega asked.

How about Trouble with a capital T?

Lin and I made a big show of thinking, considering, whispering behind our hands in each other’s ears and sending sly glances to the two women. The omega was fully charmed; the alpha hid it better, but either she was intrigued too or she was happy her omega was happy.

“All right,” I said as we straightened up. I pointed to the alpha. “You…are named Claudia.” The omega burst out laughing, the alpha’s face not changing in the least. I turned to the omega. “And you, Omega, are Cyndi. But with theyandiswapped.”

That one broke the alpha, and they both broke into giddy laughter, covering their mouths to contain the sound. I wished they wouldn’t. I wanted to live in the sound of them, of their joy.

Call me a fool, baby, because I’m rushing in.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Lin said. “We have backups.”

“Spill!” the omega demanded. The alpha wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.

Lin cleared his throat theatrically. “Alpha, you’re Caroline. And Omega, you’re Nikki.”

“Colder,” the alpha said, finally relaxing back against the cushions. “Drink.”

“Are we playing a drinking game?” I asked.

She shrugged. “What are the stakes otherwise?”

Heat scorched through me at her casually commanding tone, but Lin and I both took two long swigs of our moonshine. I wiped the excess moisture from my lips, narrowing my eyes. “Margaret and Hilary?” I asked, pointing from alpha to omega.

The omega grinned. “Drink.”

“Gwyn and Millie?” Lin asked as I took a sip.

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