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I gave him a brief heads-up that Espy had a panic attack earlier, and I know she texted him as well. Currently, only her face is visible outside the blankets, and for all intents and purposes she appears calm and untroubled.
I nod. “All good.”
I reach out and snag the beer from his hand, taking a long sip. Leo’s only been twenty-one for about a week and a half now, but I already love that I no longer have to buy beer for him and Tanner. I’d only do it on occasion, not wanting to jeopardize my standing in the military, but it’ll be nice not to have the little shits bugging me anymore.
“Ladrón,”he scolds, swiping it back.
“Man, I’m wired,” Tanner complains as he reemerges from his room.
“Energy drinks or sour candy?” I ask, knowing his tendencies.
“Both.” He grins, shoving his hands into his hoodie and pulling out a crumpled packet of some sort of sugar-coated gummy monstrosity. “Care to get on my level?” Still grinning, he shakes the bag in front of me in clear invitation.
I roll my eyes.
I was willing to indulge in junk food with Espy earlier, but I’m not willing to throw off my diet even further with these lab-grown creepy crawlers. Alpha metabolism aside, I still have a figure to maintain.
“Seee aswweep?” Tanner mumbles around a mouthful of candy, walking over to look down at Espy.
“Not anymore,” she responds, her voice sleepy.
I manage to keep the pout off my face as she pushes up into a sitting position, shedding the blankets as she lets out a massive yawn. It was probably poor form to have her sleeping on me anyway, but my side feels noticeably colder. All traces of her earlier panic attack are gone as she suddenly launches into the air and grabs onto Tanner. I watch as they get into a play fight over the sour gummy candies, laughing as she manages to grab a fistful before dancing away, out of reach.
I’m so distracted watching their antics that I don’t immediately notice when Leo’s face turns serious. He’s staring into his beer bottle as if it has all the answers to the universe, and when Espy leaves to use the restroom he jumps in.
“So, guys, can we talk?”
I feel immediately guilty and on edge. Did he pick up on my conflicted feelings about his sister, did I cross a line by having her lying on me, and is finally calling me out? Of course, he probably wouldn’t choose this moment to do so—not when Espy will be back any minute.
I keep my face neutral as I nod, turning to face him fully as Tanner does the same. “What’s up, man?”
“Okay, right. So, yeah.” He wipes his hands on his pants, and I realize how nervous he is. “I found out today Mackenzie officially rejected that pack that was courting her. Said it wasn’t a good fit. She’s open to considering new packs again, and I want us to put in an official request to court her.”
My brain doesn’t seem to be processing his words at first.Mackenzie? He wants us to courtMackenzie?
“Wow.” Tanner lets out a whistle. “That’s some serious shit.”
He’s fucking got that right.
I stay silent as my mind continues to process what my packmate just asked. It’s not like I don’t know Leo has a crush on her. Hell, practically everyone knows; it’s got to be one of the worst-kept secrets in River Valley’s pack community. The guy can’t help but look at her with puppy-dog eyes any time they’re in the same vicinity. In fact, if I’m honest, Mackenzie is probably the main reason why our pack hasn’t yet decided to get serious about finding an omega of our own. We only really solidified as a pack over the summer after Leo and Tanner’s freshmen year, and then Leo met Mackenzie his first semester as a sophomore. Even being the eldest, I never felt any immediate need to find a mate. I just figured it would happen naturally when we were all ready, as a pack.
“It is serious,” Leo agrees, his nerves seemingly fading away in favor of growing determination. “You guys know how I feel about her. You both get along with her great as well, and she and Espy are practically becoming best friends. She’s smart, kind, caring, and beautiful. She’s perfect for us. Something about her just fits—I can feel it. Ihavefelt it. It always seemed wrong that she agreed to be courted by Pack Sanders when she’s supposed to beours. It just makes sense that they didn’t work out. And her and Espy bonding these past two months just proves that even more. I know you’re both alphas and I’m just a beta, but my instincts here aren’t wrong. They can’t be. The way I feel when I’m around her ...”
I wonder if it’s the same as theway I feel around your sister, I think wryly.
I still haven’t said anything, and I’m not sure I can. I expected to have this conversation at the start of the semester, knowing many omegas start attending the pack-matching socials in their sophomore year. But then Mackenzie met that pack over the summer, and they were courting by the time school started. I know Leo was devastated, but I was kind of relieved. Courting an omega would mean a lot of changes, including needing to move into pack housing. I knew I’d want to make those changes eventually, but having an excuse to put it off was a relief.
Now, Leo unexpectedly asking us to court Mackenzie when my head is all messed up over his Gods-damn sister has me frozen.
“Come on, man. You being a beta doesn’t mean you have less of a voice in this pack—you know that,” Tanner asserts.
“I know.” He breathes out shakily. “But I also know how powerful biology is, and there’s a special bond with alphas and omegas. But it’sbecauseof biology, because of how powerfully I feel drawn to her, that I just know she’s right for us. We’re a pack, and if I feel this way, then I know you both will as well once you spend more time with her and start seeing her as a potential mate. I’ve spent a ton more time with her than you guys have. A spark will click, I’m sure of it!”
I look toward Tanner, attempting to gauge where he’s at on this subject. We’ve always teased Leo about his crush but never actually spoken about our own feelings. Could he have been feeling a pull all this time too and just never said anything?
“I’m not opposed to the idea ...” he finally states, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Not opposed to what?” Espy asks, walking back into the dorm. Her eyes look tired, and some of her hair is wet, like she just washed her face. It’s fresh and real and beautiful. I long to go back to snuggling with her on the couch like I was before Leo got home and laid such a life-changing request at our feet.
