Page 101 of Knot All is Crystal
Craft supplies tumble across the tabletop.
There’s glue, glitter, gems, construction paper, and a mess of pipe cleaners. I pick up one of the tubes that rolls to the side of the table. “Puffy paint?” I ask.
Maverick grins and dumps out the other bag. Several white T-shirts fall out. “We’re making matching t-shirts!”
Gage chokes on a laugh and settles into a seat at my table. “Why?”
“Why? Because it’s fucking fun, that’s why! Haven’t you ever played with puffy paint?”
“Can’t say I have,” Gage remarks. “But won’t most of this stuff come off in the wash?”
“We’re not going to wash them! We’ll wear them a few times and then gift them to Crystal to keep in her nest for the smell.” The Alpha grabs a shirt and spreads it out on the table before humming as he looks through all the paint. “She’s going to love it.”
I pick up the glitter and put it on my counter. “Then let’s avoid the glitter. It’ll flake off and get all over the nest. It’ll mess up her pillows and blankets.”
The other Alpha chews on his lip, and his shoulders slump a little. Fuck, I hate when he gets dejected like that.
“It’s not that it’s a bad idea,” I tell him gently. “It’s only because it’s her nest. The gems and paint are going to be very cool.” I take one of the shirts and spread it out opposite him, grabbing a random paint tube.
“I don’t have a scent,” Gage says softly. “Me wearing the shirt will do nothing for her.”
Maverick waves his hand. “Psh, nope, you’re not getting out of this that easily. This is pack bonding time!”
It’s hard to say no to Mav. His enduringly positive attitude and zest for life are contagious, even if sometimes he takes it too far. He seems fairly receptive to being brought back by me, though.
“Okay, let’s play two truths and a lie,” Maverick announces as he paints a massive heart on the chest of his shirt. “I’ll go first. I’ve got six toes on one foot, I’ve never left the country, and I was the mascot in high school.”
“Dude, we’ve seen your feet before. You don’t have six toes.” Gage chuckles as he reaches for the gems. “But I’m not surprised at all that you were the mascot. What was the costume?”
“You’re looking at the Mighty Manatee, thank you very much.”
I nearly spit out my drink. “I have to see pictures. A manatee costume?” I struggle to picture Maverick’s head sticking out of a manatee’s body. “Was the costume heavy?”
“Oh, definitely. And it was hot as fuck. I swear I sweated out a cold once.” He starts gluing gems to the neckline of his shirt. “You’re up, Manny, my man-y.”
I never know what to say on these sorts of icebreakers. I don’t exactly do a lot because of my pain. But a good one comes to me, and I think I can stump the guys. “I brush my teeth in the shower, I love spiders, and I have never been to an arcade.”
Gage wrinkles his brow and stares at me. “I feel like I should know this.”
“You probably should, but it’s been over a decade, so I’ll give you a pass if you forgot.” I head to the kitchen and grab a bag of chips, dump them into a bowl, and put them between us. I feel like a t-shirt-making party needs snacks.
Maverick narrows his eyes at me, his stare intense as he tries to figure out my lie. “You love spiders. Wait. No. Never been to an arcade, final answer!”
I emulate a buzzer, and I’m surprised it doesn’t rattle my brain. “Unfortunately, you were right the first time. I’m terribly afraid of spiders.” I shudder at the thought. “Nothing should have that many legs.”
“By that logic, are you afraid of millipedes, octopuses, and squids?” Gage asks, leaning back in his chair and pulling the front two legs off the ground.
“Yes, anything more than four legs is going to make my skin crawl, but spiders are the worst.”
Maverick wrinkles his nose and leans forward, resting his chin on his elbows. “How have you never been to an arcade?”
“Sensory hell,” I tell him honestly. “The sounds, the lights, it’s migraine fuel. By the time I was old enough to want to go, I wasn’t willing to risk it.”
“How am I going to beat you in Dance Dance Revolution if we can’t go to an arcade?” the other Alpha laments. “I wanna show off to our Omega!”
“You can go without me.” I grab a handful of chips. “I’m used to missing out on stuff because of my pain.”
Maverick shakes his head. “No, that’s not right. We’re not going to do stuff as a pack that you can’t participate in. It’d be like us going on a bakery and brewery tour and leaving Gage behind.”
