Page 37 of Pack Plus One

“Thebestideas always are.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Come on, omega. Live a little. We need to get to know each other better since we’ve, you know, done things backwards.”

Caleb’s grip tightens around Leah’s waist, but before he can protest, she sighs. “Fine. But if this ends with anyone doing anything ridiculous?—”

“Too late,” Jude says cheerfully, gesturing to our half-naked bodies scattered across the bed.

She chucks a pillow at him with surprising accuracy for someone who claimed to be exhausted. He catches it, laughing.

“I’ll get drinks,” I offer, heading to the mini-fridge Caleb keeps in the corner of his massive room. I pull out water bottles for everyone, tossing them across the bed. “Let’s hydrate while we play.”

Leah accepts her bottle gratefully, gulping down half of it in one go. Her throat works as she swallows, and I catch all three of my packmates watching the movement with undisguised hunger.

“Okay,” Jude claps his hands together, settling cross-legged at the foot of the bed. “Rules are simple. If you’ve done it, you drink. Let’s start tame and work our way up.”

“Define ‘tame,’” Mason says dryly.

Jude grins, rolling onto his stomach to face Leah. “Never have I ever... hired an omega to pretend to be my date.”

All four of us drink without hesitation, and something complicated flashes across Leah’s face—guilt mixed with what looks like resolve. She opens her mouth as if to say something, her shoulders tensing.

I recognize that look. She’s about to confess.

Before she can speak, Mason cuts in smoothly. “Never have I ever been to a wedding where the groom sent over champagne just to be petty.”

The tension breaks as Leah laughs, though there’s relief in her eyes at the subject change. “That was so embarrassing! I can’t believe he did that.”

“Classic alpha insecurity,” Jude says, stretching languidly. “He couldn’t handle that you’ve moved on to better things.”

She blushes, fidgeting with her water bottle. “It wasn’t... I mean, we’re not really?—”

“Never have I ever,” Caleb interrupts, his voice rumbling against her back where he’s moved so she’s nestled against his chest, “fallen asleep during sex.”

No one drinks. Then Mason, in that deadpan way of his, takes a long sip.

Leah’s eyes go wide. “Wait, what?”

A chuckle brushes through Mason’s nose. “Not my proudest moment. But in my defense, it was after a 36-hour brewfest and she insisted on giving this... very slow massage first.” He shudders. “Like watching paint dry, but with more scented oils.”

Leah dissolves into giggles, the sound light and musical in the otherwise quiet room. It’s so unexpected and charming that all of us stop to stare at her.

Jude’s lips quirk as he adds, “Wish I could have seen her face when she realized you were snoring.”

Mason shakes his head, eyes rolling.

Jude points at him. “Marketing, my friend. Always market your failures as intentional features. ‘I wasn’t sleeping - I was testing out your new orthopedic mattress.’”

Leah snorts and giggles again. The sound makes something warm bloom in my chest.

“Well?” she asks, looking around at all of us. “Did none of you think to warn me about this before I agreed to come back here?”

I raise an eyebrow. “That Mason occasionally falls asleep during intimate moments? Not exactly first-date conversation.”

“Though now I’m a little worried,” she says, throwing a teasing glance at Mason. “Should I be checking for signs of consciousness during?—”

“Trust me,” Mason interrupts, his voice dropping to that low rumble that makes even me pay attention. “That won’t be a problem with you.”

The blush that spreads across her cheeks is absolutely delicious.

“My turn,” Caleb rumbles. “Never have I ever been kicked out of a baking competition.”

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