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I cut him off again, raising my hand. His rambling is cute, but it doesn’t help me think.AmI okay if Cabe comes back here? His citrusy scent is all over the place, so it isn’t like I haven’t had time to adjust. I’ve never actually spoken to the guy, but I know who he is from seeing him in the cafeteria a few times. I trust Micah, and I’ve felt nothing but safe with him, so logically I should feel the same about his packmate ...
“Okay,” I agree once I’ve finished sorting through my thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
Micah grins. “Cabe, hey.” He turns back to his phone.
I tune out the rest of his conversation, going back to focus on my illustrations.Te lo puedes hacer, Espy.
14
Mason
I’m trying not to brood, but when I catch myself frowning at my soup for the third time, I figure it’s a lost cause.
I have an expanded outline for my honors thesis due to my advisor in four days, a paper due in my Militarization and Dynamic Health seminar, and a lab I need to finish for my Advanced Genetics class. Not to mention, we have a swim meet next weekend out of state. Ishouldbe figuring out how in the world I’m going to pull all of this off. Instead I’m once again obsessing over a certain omega.
I was shocked when I walked in a few nights ago and saw Espy sitting there eating dinner with Micah and Cabe. I knew she was coming to the house, but she was supposed to be long gone by the time Cabe and I got back. I’ve never been more regretful about being held up at practice. While I was going over strategy with Coach, my packmates were hanging out with her and making tacos. She left almost as soon as I got home. Maybe two alphas were too much for her, or maybe she doesn’t feel as comfortable around me as she does Cabe.
Fuck. I hope that’s not it.
I was so disappointed I’d missed time with her I literally pouted.
Our house still has traces of her scent. Like the fucking creepers we are, Micah, Cabe, and I have all been fighting over the blanket Micah very cunningly wrapped around her. There’s nothing that reminds you you’re an alpha quite like getting a boner from sniffing a piece of cloth.
It’s in mine and Cabe’s nature to abstain from most sexual activity until we find our mate—one of many fascinating biological developments that have evolved in the human race. Scientists think it’s one of the older evolutionary traits we still cling to, meant to promote unity in a pack, reduce sexually transmitted diseases, and ensure offspring will always have maximum protection. Or so the theories go. Though betas don’t have the same hormonally driven checks on their system, culturally it’s still rare for sex to happen outside of a bond regardless of whether that bond is marriage or a pack bite.
Everyone has to take sexual education in school, but for alphas it’s a bit different. In addition to learning all about the ins and outs of our knots, we’re also taught to embrace sexual openness with our packmates. Knowing we’ll likely be sharing a mate one day, the government and school boards apparently decided it was best to embed the concept of group sex into our psyches early on. We’re biologically programmed to accept, even thrive on, shared sexual experiences, but before last night I’d never experienced that firsthand.
Micah was in his room, but Cabe and I were sharing a few beers in the living room, the Espy blanket sitting on the couch between us. We were just chatting, relaxing after our busy days. Then Cabe starts recountingagainwhat it was like to have Espy over at the house. How good she looked next to Micah, how her nose crinkled when she laughed, how she’d made this sweet humming noise when she tried the food.Cocky bastard.
My mind started wandering, picturing it all. Adding in new details. Imagining she’d stayed longer when I got back. That she was part of our pack. That she was here right now, curled up on the couch in between us. She’d be wearing one of my shirts, following the innate need to be covered in her alpha’s scent. Maybe she’d let me play with her hair, and I’d run my fingers through those long, dark waves while she leaned into my chest. She’d have her feet in Cabe’s lap, moaning softly and arching into me as he dug his thumbs in ...
I don’t know if his mind wandered to the same place or if my pheromones set off his. But before I knew what was happening, Cabe and I both had our hands down our sweats.
It was strange, but not awkward, per se. Almost like I didn’t have control over my actions in the moment, but in a relaxing way. It reminded me of the first time I got high, also with Cabe. And his brothers. My mind just sort of disconnected, and all I could think about was chasing my pleasure as Espy danced her way through my imagination. The thought of sharing her with my packmate only heightened my lust.
I heard Cabe come a few seconds before I did, both of us sitting there panting and sticky.
Ididfeel a hint of embarrassment sneak in at that point, and I sheepishly tucked myself back into my sweats. Cabe just had a gigantic grin on his face, as if the experience were more than a simple orgasm for him.
I find my gaze tracking to him now, sitting across from me in the dining hall. He’s in an animated conversation with two of his soccer teammates, not looking anywhere near as distracted as I feel. He’s always been more confident in his alpha-ness than me, having grown up with so many of them. Whereas my brain keeps running over and over how much everything has changed since Espy came onto our radar, I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t given it more than a passing thought.
I felt surprised—and guilty—when he told Micah and me that he’d been wanting an omega. There I was assuming we were all on the same page, only to find out Cabe had been hoping we’d change our minds.
It’s not like I don’t understand why he wants to complete our pack. Lots of packs find their omegas in college, if not shortly after. Something about the structure and emotional bond is grounding. I know some people out there consider bonding an omega to be the official mark of adulthood for an alpha, like a stamp of approval to become a productive and fully functioning member of society.
Of course, just like omega rights have evolved over the years, so too have societal expectations for alphas. It’s not crazy to see a pack of alphas who don’t find their omega until later in life, or even some who never do. Others have started eschewing packs altogether, choosing relationships with betas instead. The balance of biological instinct, culture, and pursuit of freedom means not everyone fits the mold. Legally, there are no restrictions beyond the age of consent.
I give up on my soup and attempt my meatloaf instead.Thesis, paper, lab, swim. Thesis, paper, lab, swim.
“Hey!” Micah whisper-screams in my ear, jabbing me with his elbow for good measure.
I turn to glare at him, only to see him nodding over to the entrance of the cafeteria where Espy, Leo, and his two alpha packmates have just come in. There goes my five-second attempt at concentration ...
Micah’s waving them over before I can even blink, and a shot of warmth settles in my stomach when I see Espy blush and offer a small smile and wave in return. I catch Leo’s eye, nodding at him in greeting. The big, gruff-looking alpha next to him—Lincoln, I believe—just frowns at me, but the other alpha is all friendly smiles.
