Elowen lets out a nervous laugh, staring down as Cliff piles a heap of pasta on her plate. "I’m from Cassville," she finally says.
"Cassville?" I lean toward her. "A big city girl."
"Cassville hasonestoplight,” she says with a smile. “It’s definitelynota big city."
"One more than we had growing up," I say, then look at Adam, but he’s too busy pushing his pasta around with his fork.
"Anything south of the dividing line is a big city," Raff says, completely serious. "They have bus stops and fire departments down there.” He pops a piece of bread into his mouth. “That’s some fancy, inner-city shit right there.”
Elowen immediately laughs. It's small and surprised, like it got out before she could stop it. She covers her mouth with the back of her hand then nods.
"Yeah," she says. "Fair enough." Then she ducks herhead over her bowl and starts eating, and I find myself staring at her like an idiot.
I can't help it.
She's so pretty, especially when she smiles, and there's a sweetness to her that makes her feel almost precious. I want to wrap her up in fluffy blankets, feed her grapes and brush her hair, which is insane, because twenty-four hours ago I didn't know she existed.
Is this how other pack-betas feel about omegas?
This protective instinct mixed with an overwhelming desire to make them happy?
"Can I ask something?" Elowen glances at Cliff, then her eyes briefly meet mine.
Everyone turns to her, except Adam. He’s busy pretending to eat.
I need to make sure he takes some pain meds tonight.
“Of course, Elowen,” Cliff says. “You can ask us anything.”
"How does this work?" she asks quietly, like she’s worried she’s going to offend someone. "The four of you. I mean, I know what a pack is, technically. But I've never seen one from the inside. I grew up with beta parents, so. I don't knowhoweveryone—" She stops, then tries again. "I don't know the rules."
"There aren't any rules," I say simply.
"There are absolutely rules," Adam says without looking up.
I roll my eyes upward, trying to find a better word. "They’re more like guidelines."
"They’rerules, Perrin." Adam looks up, fixing me with a glare that could curdle milk.
I roll my eyes then turn back to Elowen. "It’s a strongly suggested framework."
Cliff sets his fork down. "We’re pack-mono," he says like that explains everything.
Elowen tilts her head slightly. "What does that mean?"
“We don’t have committed relationships outside the pack," Adam says, and something flickers across his face as his gaze snaps to Cliff. It’s there for less than a second, before he catches himself and looks back down at his pasta.
"We are fully committed to each other and only each other," Cliff says as he looks right at Elowen. "This pack has been settled for years. Nobody here is looking for something we don't already have. You don't have to worry about being bound to something unstable."
Elowen is quiet for a moment, like she’s not sure what to say to that. “That’s good to know, but…” she frowns before clearing her throat. "What I meant is...are all four of you—" She stops, and licks her lips. "I mean, are you all—" She makes a small, frustrated gesture with her hand.
"Yes," Raff says, saving her from having to finish her sentence. “We all fuck.”
Elowen nods and her eyes drop straight to her bowl. She picks up her fork and puts it down again like she's forgotten what it's for.
"What Raff means," I say, desperate to make things less awkward for the omega, "is that it's not as complicated as it sounds. It's more like—" I pause. "It's fluid. Between the four of us. Depending on the night and who needs what and if the alphas are in rut—" I can feel the sentence getting away from me, but I press on anyway. "But obviously me and Adam don't—" I gesture vaguely between us. "You know. Since we're brothers. But we're often all in the same—" I stop. Reconsider exactly where that sentence is going. "Room."
Adam puts his face in his hands.
