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“Mmm, I should’ve seen that one coming. Is that all you can think about, Ver Bear?”
I place my hand against my chest in mock defense. “Can you blame a girl? Fifteen shirtless alphas, Ry. I’ll be lucky to get through this day without being a panting mess.”
He puffs out his chest and lifts his arms to showcase his muscles. He’s pretty defined for a beta, but missing some of the extra bulk that alphas have. It doesn’t make him any less yummy, though. “Looks like I’ll be checking them out to discover what I’m working against, too.”
That sobers me up. “You know there’s no competition, Ry,” I whisper.
“Doesn’t mean I won’t continue to fight for you like there is. You’re special, Ver. You deserve the world. I’ll treat you no less than that. And I’ll make damn sure the alphas you end up with know it too.” He keeps his voice just as low, ensuring our conversation stays private.
My stomach explodes with butterflies, and it takes everything in me not to yank his face to mine. “I could fucking kiss you right now.”
He smirks and leans in, his breath feathering over my lips. “Later.” His words aren’t a statement, but a promise. One that has a wave of desire rolling over me.
I’m two seconds away from jumping off the golf cart and taking Ry with me when the driver calls out, “Almost there!”
And that’s when I notice where we are. The sight of the sprawling lake takes my breath away. The water is gorgeous. It starts out clear near the bank but turns a richer blue toward the center as it gets deeper. There’s a large wooden deck on the side closest to us and it makes me want to take a running leap off it into the crisp liquid.
There’s also a giant floating obstacle course set up in the middle and my eyes widen. Completing that will be a full body workout for sure. I hope these alphas are up for the challenge.
The driver rolls straight to the bank before letting Ry and me off, but not before helping us gather our bags filled with towels, sunscreen, and other essentials, courtesy of Rosey. Since Ry and I are here first, I decide to claim one of the several picnic tables. I plonk down and take a few deep, calming breaths.
“You feeling okay, Ver?”
“Yeah,” I respond, lifting my head to stare into Ryland’s jade green eyes. “I’m nervous about this group date and the possibility of getting overwhelmed. But otherwise, I’m good.” I add the last bit to downplay it, but of course, Ry knows better.
His eyes soften. “That’s why there are rules in place today. Trust me, I’ll be watching to make sure no more than five crowd you at one time, don’t worry. If you ever need me to step in, raise two fingers and I’ll come swinging, okay?”
I blow out a relieved breath and some of the tension in my shoulders eases as I relax them. The idea of being around fifteen alphas without scent dampeners has had me worried all morning, but he’s right. That’s why they’ve explicitly told them no more than five at a time. Ryland moves to stand behind me and drops his hands on my shoulders, further massaging the tension away. I sigh. “What would I do without you?”
“Probably flee the scene… again,” he teases.
“Hey! I take offense to that. Even if it’s true.”
His hands leave my shoulders and a protest forms on the tip of my tongue until I turn around and notice the alphas arriving. Ry leans in close to my ear. “I’ve got your back today, Ver. Let loose and have fun. I’ll be here if you need me. And look, here comes your favorite set of twins.”
I smile when I see the duo and they return it. Well, sort of for Jedrik. His lips quirk on one side and I take that as his version of a smile.
“Hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Andrik drawls when he reaches us. He gives Ryland a pat on the shoulder, which is like guy code for hello, we’re total bros. Right?
“Not at all. Actually, I was about to go check out what sort of mischief I can get into, but was telling Verity I’d be watching in case something happens.”
Andrik nods. “Good. Since we’ll be participating in the events, we won’t be able to keep as close of an eye on her as usual.” Something about knowing I always have several sets of eyes on me that truly care about my well-being has me all tingly on the inside. Nothing like the feeling the cameras invoke.
The breeze shifts, blowing lightly across my face. Andrik’s decadent spices hit me full force, and my eyes almost roll into the back of my head. Especially when I inhale Jedrik’s smoky maple a second later. The tingling sensation spreads a little lower and I’m close to letting out a groan. If this is how I get from one little whiff of their scent... the rest of the day will be rough. Holy hell.
Ryland and the twins continue conversing, completely oblivious to my internal dilemma. I swear I’ve never heard of anyone being this... whatever this is with their scents. I mean, you definitely don’t want someone who smells like dirty socks, but with them, it seems like so much more than simple biology.
The last of the alphas appear, along with Mark and his crew of cameras. He still seems agitated this morning, so I make a mental note to ask Karen what’s going on between them.
A familiar face behind them captures my attention, and I find Kyle chatting with another alpha. If my memory serves right, he was near the bottom of the list and not on my radar. Kyle notices me watching and shoots me his signature grin, excusing himself from the man who does a double take when he sees him heading in my direction. The other alpha scrambles after Kyle.
The wind kicks up and blows Kyle’s delectable caramel sugar in my direction. He smells exactly like those little candy lollipops, making me crave one. I wonder if he tastes like he smells... If so, I’d probably never be able to keep him out of my mouth. Whoa, okay, that sounded dirty.
“Verity?” Kyle asks. I realize I’ve been staring at him blankly and it’s probably not the first time he’s said my name. What the heck is wrong with me lately?
I stand to hopefully snap out of my lusty thoughts. I also don’t like sitting when everyone around me has the high ground. Especially with an incoming alpha I don’t know at all. Kyle wraps me in a quick hug. “Hey. Sorry, I was zoned out.”
His gaze searches me over like he’s checking to make sure I’m really okay before letting me go. “Are you ready for today? I’ve heard we’re competing for a date with you.” He wiggles his eyebrows and an embarrassing giggle escapes me.
