Page 138 of Feeling the Heat: Part One
He smiles gently. “We’llfigure it out.”
Jackson nods in agreement. “Camille will understand. She knows we all belong together.”
They both say it like it’s a foregone conclusion. And fuck, as the new bond with Camille simmers inside me, I know they’re right.
My alpha knew this whole time. My pack knew. I think even Camille knew. I’m the dumbass who couldn’t read the signs.
“I’m going to quit my job.” I freeze after the words slip free from my lips, waiting for them to tell me that’s a terrible idea. Waiting for that practical voice in my head to tell me I can’t take away our pack’s financial security so flippantly.
Neither happens.
Jackson smiles. “Makes sense.”
Ambrose squeezes my arm. “Yes, it does.”
It’s alarming how simple it feels now that I’ve made the choice.
God, I’m an idiot.
Jackson lets out a loud bark of laughter and claps me on the back, making me realize I said that out loud. “Yeah, you kinda are. But you’reouridiot.”
44
“Canwe stay and hang out with Aunt Camille?” Frannie pleads, looking moments away from bursting into tears.
Her twin nods, Bea’s expression far more restrained as she reaches out to place a hand on Astrid’s arm. “Please Mom, we never get to see her.”
Astrid gives me a look that silently asks, “Hey, are you okay with these gremlins pestering you with a million questions?”
I give her a small nod in reply.
Honestly, dealing with the twins’ questions is preferable to the grilling I’m likely to get from my best friend after I’ve spent the last month dodging her texts, only to turn around and beg her to have lunch with me.
I ended up going to her place for lunch, and the twins are off from school this week so they’re here too. I know I reached out to Astrid for emotional support, but after my encounter with River, I’m having second thoughts. Now I have tell her that I’ve not only started being courted by a pack, but one of the members is my boss and we fucked right before I came over.
She’s going to strangle me when she finds out that I’ve been keeping secrets from her, but I don’t think she’ll commit homicide in front of her kids.
“Alright, you have fifteen minutes. But after that, Aunt Camille and I need to have a private conversation.”
The twins flash matching grins of glee. “Thank you!”
Frannie plops down on the couch next to me, leaning over to sniff me with a frown. “Why don’t you smell like anything?”
“Francesca Marie, it’s not polite to talk about how someone smells,” Astrid chides, giving her a stern mom look.
I shrug, unbothered. “I use scent neutralizer. Now that I’m an omega, I smell like a coffee shop if I don’t use it, and some people find that unpleasant. It’s common courtesy to wear it at work and when you go out in bigger public settings.”
The preteen nods sagely. “Oh. Makes sense. So when I reveal as an omega, I’ll have to use scent neutralizer too?”
Bea scoffs. “You’re not an omega. If anything, I bet you’re an alpha.”
Her sister scowls in horror. “What? Eww, no way! You’re just jealous because I’m going to be an omega and get spoiled while you’re going to be a boring, basic beta.”
“Enough,” Astrid says firmly, cutting off their argument with a glare. “We won’t have any clue what your designation is until you’re old enough for the testing. So lay off this nonsense.”
The twins give their mother matching sullen looks that say as soon as they’re out of her presence, they’ll be arguing again.
I’d laugh, but I remember what it was like to be their age. Designations and revealing were on everyone’s brains, at the same level as wondering how big your boobs were going to get or being weirded out by new body hair.
