Page 33 of Pack Me Up
And I notice, with creeping horror, that he notices me noticing.
Every time our eyes meet, even for a fraction of a second, a hot jolt rips down my spine. I can’t look away fast enough. It’s a game of chicken, except I lose every time.
Hunter notices my discomfort and, without a word, stands and circles the table, sliding into the open seat beside me.
The shift is subtle but seismic. His presence fills the space to my left, his knee brushing mine. He says nothing, just sits, perfectly at ease, hands folded in his lap.
Then, slowly, he lays his hand over my forearm, palm down. The heat of it seeps through my skin. I feel my whole body recalibrate, heart slowing, panic dissolving at the edges.
My breath evens out. I feel the urge to melt sideways, just to lean on him for a second, and I almost do, before my brain catches up and I jerk back to vertical.
Tommy notices everything, of course. He grins at me, eyes wide and delighted, and kicks my ankle under the table. “Smooth,” he whispers. “Very smooth.”
I nudge him back, hard enough to bruise, and he laughs.
At the front of the room, Saint’s voice cuts off mid-sentence. I glance up, and he’s staring straight at Hunter’s hand on my arm, then at Hunter, then at me. His expression doesn’t change, but the temperature increases a full ten degrees. For a moment, no one moves.
Then Saint clears his throat, clicks his pen, and goes right back into the next bullet point.
The rest of the meeting passes in a blur. I doodle on the edge of my folder and try to avoid looking at anyone for too long. But every time I risk a glance, I find Saint’s eyes on me, sharp as ever, measuring.
The meeting is wrapping up when Saint goes off the itinerary. “There’s something else. This tour features three omegas, so everyone is expected to use scent blockers, with some exceptions. Oli and her pack are mated; if they would like toforgo them, they can. Also, since Brittney’s security is also her scent match, our scent can comfort her. Because of this, one member from our pack will not use scent blockers at a time to help her on this tour.”
My jaw drops open in shock. I shouldn’t be surprised that Saint and the whole pack care about me enough to implement this, but no one has ever cared about my comfort the way they do and so quickly.
Saint moves on before anyone can comment and finishes with a warning to the two new teams: “There will be zero tolerance for drama. If anyone breaches protocol, you will be removed from the team. No exceptions.”
Oli claps her hands, delighted. “Good, you run a tight ship. I love it.”
Saint sits, folding himself back into the chair without a sound. For a second, he looks right at me, eyes like ice, then shifts to Riley, and the spell breaks.
Riley moves to the next item. “Press interviews, first show details, and a list of allergies, food restrictions, and comfort items. If you need anything, now’s the time to say it.”
“Brittney is allergic to mushrooms, gluten, and shellfish. I want the entire tour free of those items. Each member of my pack has epinephrine on them at all times now, so if anything happens, you find one of us,” Fox declares to the room, shocking me.
Fox looks so serious as he stares down the rest of the room.
Tommy leans over, grinning, and whispers, “They’re totally obsessed with you.”
I don’t look up. “I’m going to die of embarrassment.”
“I promise not to take any pictures.”
I snort, and the sound is so loud it bounces off the walls. Every alpha in the room turns, and I want to melt into the floor.
Hunter stands, stretches, and gives me a wink so casual it’s almost obscene. “You good, hazel?” he asks, quietly, just for me.
I nod. “Yeah. Thanks.”
He smiles, slow and wicked. “You did great. It’s so impressive that this tour is going to have three omegas on it.”
My smile is slow to come, but I appreciate his praise. “Thanks.”
Colton leans over the back of my chair. “You holding up?”
I nod, but it’s a lie. “It’s just… a lot.”
He glances at his twin, who leans over the other side of my chair. “You’ve got us. We will do anything we can to make this easier for you.”
