Page 113 of Feeling the Heat: Part One
“So, what exactly are we talking about?” I ask, heart leaping in my chest when I look over at Jackson and find him watching me with abesotted smile.
“Oh! Nothing bad. We figured we should discuss boundaries and set some pack ground rules. One thing you’ll learn about pack Knight is that we’re a bunch of yappers who love a good heart-to-heart.”
“Pack Knight?”
Ambrose scoffs. “Jackson is trying to convince our pack to take his last name because it’s the ‘coolest’.”
“Well, to be fair to him, it is,” I say, and Jackson claps his hands together with glee. “Not that I really understand the significance of picking a name for your pack, so maybe the coolest name isn’t the best metric to use.”
“It’s not,” Ambrose says drolly. “We’ve debated this for years and have yet to settle on anything. It’s one of two points of contention in our pack.”
“Is the other one me?” I ask, letting out a nervous laugh.
“No.” River’s deep voice startles me and I look up as he enters the living room with a tray of assorted drinks. “It’s me being closed off and not always expressing my feelings.”
“Oh. Right.” A heavy awkwardness hangs in the air between the four of us, Dolly the only one seemingly unaffected.
“Don’t be so self-absorbed, dude,” Jackson says with a dismissive hand wave that cuts through the tension. “That’s not the other issue. It’s the old man’s taste in music.”
River’s lips quirk. “Ah. True.”
“Yeah, yeah, make fun of me all you want,” Ambrose grumbles.
“Do they gang up on you like this a lot?” I give him a sympathetic smile and he nods.
“All the time. I’m so glad I have a sweet omega now to comfort me from the pain of their bullying.” He sighs and squeezes my thigh.
“Hmm, that depends on what kind of music we’re talking about.”
Ambrose removes his hand from my leg and places it on his chest with an affronted gasp. “Not you too.”
“I’m not here to get in the middle of things,” I reply with a shrug. A moment later, I realize how incorrect that statement is, and clear my throat awkwardly. “Speaking of which…you wanted to have a chat?”
Jackson sits up straight and places his palms on his thighs. “Right. Yes. Time for serious business.”
“Is that even possible with you?” Ambrose mutters, and I giggle.
Jackson scowls. “Hey, I heard that!”
“Enough.” River doesn’t raise his voice, but the dominance is clear in his tone.
My omega takes notice of how the other two sober and nod, recognizing that River must be the leader of their pack.
“I know you said you wanted water, but I brought some other options just in case.” River sets the tray down on the coffee table in front of me and I blink, taken aback by the assortment.
“Oh. Uh, thanks! That’s very thoughtful of you.” I smile up at River, who gives me a curt nod. I almost miss how his cheeks burnish under my attention.
“Of course.” He points out what each drink is and, not wanting him to think his effort has gone to waste, I choose the fizzy pink sparkling juice instead of the water.
I expect him to sit across from us, used to our work dynamic, but after he passes drinks to the others, he sits down next to Ambrose, where the sectional juts out so I can still see him.
Ambrose kisses River’s cheek as he settles in, and my chest squeezes seeing the obvious love they have for each other.
“Thanks guys, that’s a good place to start,” Jackson says as he observes the exchange. “The biggest thing to address is probably intimacy when we’re all together.”
“Ah, okay. Well, I’m fine with most things, as long as it doesn’t bother anyone else.” My eyes dart over to River, but I pull them away just as fast, flushing.
Ambrose’s hand returns to my thigh. “We’ll each say what we’re comfortable with. Don’t worry, sweetheart, it’s not all on you to decide.”
