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Hazel
Once again I was handfed a meal like a baby bird. And, once again, I didn’t really mind. Crew refused to let me go, but didn’t balk when Kellan and Jude each yanked chairs closer to help him. Between the three of them, I was fed bites from everyone’s plates. It was so sweet the way they made sure I took a bite before any of them did.
“No more,” I finally moaned, feeling like I’d never need food again.
Kellan frowned. “You’re still too skinny.”
I covered his hand with mine. “And if I eat any more, I’m going to start giving it all back. And that would be a little counterproductive.” I slid off Crew’s lap, relieved that he actually let me go, as Rhett came back into the room with a packet.
His gray eyes zeroed in on me. “Did you eat?”
I threw up my hands with a laugh. “Is this what having a pack is? Four of you constantly making sure I’ve eaten enough?”
“Yes,” they all answered.
Rolling my eyes, I looked back at Rhett. “What’s that?”
Rhett looked at the thick envelope in his hand and grimaced. “I spoke with my father, and we should all talk.”
“That didn’t sound foreboding at all,” I deadpanned.
“What’s up?” Crew demanded, standing behind me.
Rhett held up the packet. “Pack profiles, all vetted and approved by Omega Services for Hazel. OS dropped this off for you this morning. My father said he’d heard OS had a promising new omega for interested packs.”
“What?” I gasped as the others started swearing and snarling. I grabbed the folder from Rhett and ripped it open. Sure enough, the manilla envelope was stuffed full of five pack profiles. There was also a welcome note from Hillary, encouraging me to call her to discuss my next steps. Not likely.
I flipped through the pages of glossy photos and sealed scent cards, my heart sinking as I came to the end. “You guys aren’t in here.”
Did that mean OS was denying Crew’s claim? Was it over?
Terror churned like ice water in my gut. Now I knew I was going to be sick. Pressing a hand to my roiling tummy, I tried taking deep breaths.
Jude took the papers from my trembling hands as Rhett pulled me close.
“Breathe, love,” he murmured, his thick, smoky scent wrapping around me like a blanket. “We’ll sort this out.”
“Can they take me away?” I demanded.
“No,” Crew snapped, snatching the papers from Jude. He gave them a quick once over and tossed them onto the floor. His eyes were blazing as they found mine. “They’re suggestions, not an order. OS doesn’t work like that.”
“Yet,” Kellan added scornfully. He smoothed out his frustration when my breathing hitched. “They’re trying to get you to pick a pack they’ve already vetted.”
“All those packs come from influential families,” Rhett agreed. “They’ve got bank accounts with enough zeroes to get their pack profiles to the top of the list.”
“I don’t care,” I insisted. “I want this pack.”
“You have us,” Jude assured me. “We just need to make it formal. And the faster, the better.”
Rhett nodded. “It’s why I reached out to my father. He thinks he can help.”
Crew snorted. “And what’s it gonna cost us?”
I looked at Rhett in surprise.
“My parents don’t do anything for free,” Rhett told me softly, watching me closely. “There’s always a caveat to their generosity, and, in this case, that caveat is directly connected to you, Hazel.”
“Me?” I squeaked.
