Page 96 of Their Knotty Pack
She playfully pushes my shoulder. "Flirt."
"Yes?" I answer, and her head falls back, a light laugh permeating the air.
Sheshakes her head, giving a fake glare, before pointing at the bags, looking so adorably excited my heart feels like it just might burst out of my chest. "Chinese food. I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a little bit of everything. You just have to try the Beijing beef from this place though—"it's my favorite,"the egg drop soup is todiefor—"my second favorite,"and don't even get me started on the spring rolls. I brought an orange soda from home—
"Hmm…Bethany?" I ask, tilting my head at her.
"Um, yes?" she asks, looking confused.
"How the hell did you get so perfect for me?"
She gives me a wicked grin. "You know, I'm actually a level thirteen spell-caster, and I've put you under a spell."
I gently take her chin between my fingers. "Impossible. No spell could create feelings this powerful."
And then my mouth is on hers, my fingers still gripping her chin as I capture every little breathy moan and gasp.
I pull back, staring at her, words on the tip of my tongue. "Bethany, I…" the words catch in my throat. Is it too soon? Well yeah, it's too soon, it's only been a couple of weeks, and we've been officially courting what…a little over twenty-four hours? I don't know how, but I'm already in love with both of them. "I think our food's going to get cold if we wait much longer." I say lamely, instead of the last two words that wanted to escape.
She gives me a soft smile before pecking me on the cheek and standing up. "Let's eat, then."
"So the real reason I came here," Bethany says, a pair of chopsticks between her fingers as she sits in the chair opposite me, her feet tucked under her.
"You mean you didn't come just to bring me amazing Chinese food?" I ask with a grin, taking a bite of a spring roll. "I have to tell you, beautiful girl, I'm crushed."
She shakes her head like I'm being ridiculous. "As I told you, I don't want to work for the OMS anymore, so I'm not bothered by the whole firing thing—"
"I'm still looking at your contract though," I tell her. "Even if you don't want to work there anymore, their reasoning for firing you is bull." She arches a brow at me, and I realize I've cut her off. "Sorry. Go ahead."
"I'm not bothered by the whole firing thing," she says again, giving me a pointed look, "but I do…I have a proposition for you."
"Oh? What kind of proposition?"
"I want to come work for you." She says it with such confidence, such finality that my brows raise.
"You do?"
"Think about it, Brody. You guys are an office of alpha men. How comfortable do you think omegas are going to be coming here by themselves, which they would probably have to do if they're in a position to need a lawyer anyway. You need an omega around to put other omegas at ease. To assure them that you'regoodalphas. Or someone to attend their meetings with them if they don't have anyone and aren't comfortable by themselves. An…omega advocate…and consultant."
Pieces of a puzzle start turning in my mind. "Isn't that what Pack Hansen did to you though?" I ask, looking at her incredulously. "Paraded you around their omega clients to gain their trust?"
She frowns. "In a way. But…number one, this is my choice. All I wanted back then was for my pack to not have anything to complain about. Now though…I want to help the omegas. I should try to undo some of the damage I caused."
"Damage?" I shake my head. "Bethany, what are you talking about?"
"The OMS had us pushing the 'happy ending' narrative. How do I know that none of the omegas I helped find a pack ended up in situations like mine? What do you want to bet that at least…a third of your clients need your services because I helped them find the wrong one? Made them believe that our scent-matching process wasfoolproof." The last word comes out bitter. "I want to help, Brody. I don't want to sit back and do nothing."
My mind races, putting together pieces and wondering how this will all work.
"It'll take about a week to get things sorted, but…you're hired."
Chapter 39
Bethany
My second full day of unemployment, and I get to spend it…at the spa.
I had spent half the day yesterday trying to convince Lanie to not quit until she has a backup plan in place. Then Cady called Miles and me last night, saying she's writing a piece onOmega Springs Day Spa, and the magazine was paying for her and four other omegas to have a full day experience—only if we gave our full and honest opinion after, of course. She asked if we'd fill two of the spots, and we jumped on it.
