Page 66 of A Pack of Mistletoe
We round the corner, and the smell of kung pao chicken, Big Macs, and pizza hits us all at once.
“Food court,” Wyatt declares. “We’ll eat on it.”
Honestly? No arguments here. I’m starving.
We all grab our choices and meet at a table in the middle.
“I think we’re going about this all wrong,” Harlan says as he slides a bowl of noodles onto my tray.
He knows I love them. He always has. It’s such a small thing, but it hits like a punch to the gut. The way his hand lingers on the edge of my tray—close, deliberate—feels like a claim. My pulse jumps.
“Thanks,” I mutter, voice rougher than I mean it to be.
He smirks, the corner of his mouth tugging up like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. For Evander, he drops two fortune cookies onto his tray without even asking. Evander beams at him like he’s been handed treasure.
And across the table, Kai and Wyatt are practically wrapped around each other, laughing about something stupid. Wyatt’s arm drapes along the back of Kai’s chair, fingers tracing the nape of his neck. Kai blushes and leans in closer, and the sight shouldn’t be hot—but fuck, it is. Watching them figure each other out, all soft touches and quiet smiles, makes something inside me ache.
I look back at Harlan. His gaze catches mine over the rim of his drink—steady, burning. That same spark that used to make me come undone years ago flickers between us now, stronger than ever. I hold it, daring him to look away. He doesn’t.
He never does.
He leans forward, elbows on the table, voice low enough that only I can hear. “You look like you’re thinking too hard, sweetheart.”
The word hits like a hand on the back of my neck. My mouth twitches, half a smile, half a challenge. “You always did like making me think.”
His grin sharpens, and I swear I can feel it slide down my spine.
Across the table, Kai catches it instantly and groans. “God, can you two not eye-fuck in public for five minutes?”
Wyatt snorts into his drink. Evander hides a grin against his shoulder.
Harlan doesn’t even look away from me. “No promises.”
And the worst part? I believe him.
I sigh. “Okay, back to the presents. She deserves way more than some shit we’d grab at a white elephant exchange,” I say before I can stop myself. The words come out harsher than I meant, but the frustration’s been building all morning. “She’s our fucking mate, not just some random omega.”
Evander reaches across the table and takes my hand, like he can feel the tension bleeding off me. One look from him, and some of that sharpness softens. He’s good at that.
“What the hell should we get her, though?” Wyatt says what we’re all thinking.
“Something bigger,” Harlan says, scent marking my cheek before pulling away. “Something from all of us. Not just a bunch of trinkets.”
Kai suddenly sits up straight, eyes wide. “She told us what she wanted.”
We all look at him.
“She did,” he insists. “Weeks ago. Back when we were still faking.”
I blink, confused for half a second. Then it hits me.
And when it does, a slow grin spreads across my face.
“Oh,” I say. “Oh, that’s fucking perfect.”
Rose
My gift picks are so good. I can’t help but feel smug as we all sit down to lunch at the Thai restaurant after a day of shopping with the rest of the Book Club girls. Everyone got what they needed for their packs too. Winnie, who hasn’t found a pack yet, still managed to fill her arms with thoughtful presents for her very big family.
