Page 23 of Forget-Me-Nots and Apricots

"Luck," he repeats, like it’s a private joke he’s letting me in on.

The man behind him speaks up, his voice smooth, almost amused. "I’d say it’s more than luck."

Reeves shifts, giving me a clear view. The other man's eyes meet mine, steady and measuring. His dark black hair was cut short on the sides, but on the top it had some volume leaving him with some bangs, his green eyes glittering as he looked at me. "Lucas Delray," he says, as if he's reading my mind, or maybe just my face. " You can call me Lucas….And you must be Vivian. We've heard a lot about you."

I swallow my surprise and try to look unimpressed. "Can't say the same."

He nods, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'm part of Dakota, or as you know him by, Reeves and Gabrial Collins’s pack. We all work together."

The names land heavy, the pieces clicking into place in my head. Reeves and Collins, just like I thought. I should be worried, maybe scared, but all I feel is a reckless kind of curiosity. I cross my arms, lean back against the door. "That's nice. Big family business, is it?"

Lucas nods again, his smile growing. "Something like that."

"Isn’t that interesting." I say, trying to sound casual, trying to cover the churn in my gut, “Is there any more of you that I need to worry about popping up randomly or is it just you three?”

Reeves snorts, the sound loud in the quiet room. "There is one more. Theodore. It just depends if he decides to leave his tech cave.”

I bit my lip before I silently shook my head, pushing the thoughts away for another time to think about.

"I need to get back to work," I said, shifting slightly and trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Jamie's waiting for me."

"Ah yes, the Beta," Reeves said, his tone making it clear exactly what he thought of Jamie. "Your watchdog."

I bristled at his description, straightening my spine. "My friend and colleague. Not that it's any of your business."

Lucas stepped forward, his movement smooth and deliberate. Unlike Reeves's aggressive stance, Lucas moved with a casual grace that somehow felt more dangerous.

"We don't mean to keep you," he said, his voice carrying that particular Alpha timbre that was meant to be soothing but always set my teeth on edge. "We're just doing our job. Making sure you're safe."

"By lurking in funeral homes and scaring me half to death?" I asked dryly.

Lucas smiled, the expression reaching his eyes in a way that felt genuine. "We prefer to think of it as keeping a watchful eye. The funeral home is a public place, after all."

"And you just happened to be here when I was making a delivery?" I asked skeptically.

"Not exactly," Reeves admitted, crossing his arms. "We were notified when you left your shop."

I frowned, not liking the implications. "So you are watching me."

"Protecting you," Lucas corrected smoothly. "There's a difference."

"I don't need protection from delivering flowers," I said, reaching for the door handle behind me. "Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Actually," Reeves interrupted, his tone shifting to something more serious, "we need to talk to you about something. Collins wanted us to brief you."

I paused, frown on my face, “Brief me with what?”

Lucas exchanged a glance with Reeves before stepping closer. "There's been another development in the case," he said, lowering his voice even though we were alone in the room. "Another Omega was found last night."

My stomach clenched. "Dead?"

"Yes," Lucas confirmed, his expression grim. "Same cause of death as the others. Hormone shock."

I leaned back against the door, suddenly needing the support. "Where?"

"Not far from here," Reeves said, his earlier smugness gone completely. "About ten blocks east."

I leaned back against the door, suddenly grateful for its solid support. "And you think it's connected to Thompson's research? Like the others?"

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