Page 13 of An Alpha’s Guide to Finding the One

Again, Wyatt just shrugs. “Didn’t matter. I had a good feeling he would, because Luck is a persistent bastard, but if he hadn’t, this room still would have been yours. Lucky picked everything out there based on the only outfit he had ever seen you in. And I picked everything in here based on his version of your scent. This space is yours Lainey.” He glances at my stomach, eyes going soft. “Yours and theirs. Regardless of what happens between any of us.”

My eyes mist over, and the alphas share a look before Rhys places a gentle kiss on my forehead. “We’ll give you some time to settle in, and then later we can go shopping. Okay?”

I nod, sure that if I open my mouth the floodgates will open and I’ll lose what little composure I have left.

As soon as the door snicks shut and I’m left alone in the silence of my perfect new room, I lose the battle with my willpower and sink onto the bed before I break down, tears soaking the duvet for a long time before sleep pulls me under.

The persistent buzzing of my phone wakes me what feels like minutes later, but when I look at the clock I’m shocked to find several hours have passed. The door to my room is still firmly shut, but that doesn’t mean one or more of the alphas didn’t check on me during my nap. I find I don’t hate the idea nearly as much as I should.

Posey’s name lights up the little screen again and I realize she’s calling me. Guilt sluices through me when I realize she must have heard about the fire, so I’m quick to answer.

“Lainey Ryan why haven’t you been answering your phone?! Are you okay? What happened? It’s all over campus that Anderson Dorm burned down and then you go MIA? I’ve been calling you for hours!” My best friend screeches into the phone, making me cringe at the tinny rattle it causes in my crappy speakers. My phone is older than dirt, but it’s served me well the last decade despite having none of the amenities of current technology. Hell, the thing survived a literal fire. Surely that deserves some credit, if nothing else.

“Okay, can you slow down? And maybe turn the volume down a notch or ten? My head is killing me.” It’s a known fact that I’m almost always grouchy when I first wake up, but I think the smoke inhalation side effects are finally hitting me, too. At least I’m not nauseous all the time anymore.

There’s a deep breath on the other end of the line, and then a more rational Posey comes back on. “I’m sorry. Are you and baby okay?”

I nod even though she can’t see me. “I suffered from smoke inhalation, but all things considered, it could have been much worse. Baby is fine, too.”

A relieved gust of breath. “Okay, good. That’s good. Where are you?”

Looking around, I am in awe again that Lucky and Wyatt did all of this for me. “It’s kind of a long story,” I start. And for the next half hour, I run my friend through every detail of the last 72 hours, not leaving a single thing out. By the time I’m done explaining my saga, Posey’s whole pack, including my brother, are listening raptly and chiming in often with commentary that’s far funnier than it should be. “And that’s how I ended up alone in my scent matched pack’s house laying on a bed softer than clouds with dried drool on my cheek and eyes swollen from crying.”

“Well shit,” Jude sighs. “You sure know how to keep people on their toes, Lain.” Only my brother has ever called me Lain, and hearing it now makes me smile. I’m hopeful for our relationship now that he’s bonded to my best friend. It wasn’t bad before, we just didn’t really have one. It would be nice to have my big brother back.

“You aren’t mad?” I ask tentatively. Unless Posey told him, he is just now finding out I’m pregnant.

“Why would I be mad, Lain? Do I think you’re a little young to be getting bonded and having babies? Sure. But it’s your life. I’m just here to support you through it.”

That is exactly what I needed to hear, but… “Nobody said anything about bonding!” I nearly screech.

Somebody, probably Parker, snorts. My theory is confirmed when he speaks. “10 bucks and a cinnamon roll from Sugar & Spice says you’ll be bonded before the year is out, friend.”

I sputter. That’s barely two months away. A knock on my door saves me from answering and instead I say a quick goodbye before hanging up just in time for Lucky to bound into the room like he’s spring-loaded. “Hey sleepy kitten. Have a nice nap?”

Looks like he’s over his quietness from the hospital. I glare at him, and he chuckles. “Oh, got it. So we’re not a morning person. I wouldn’t know since I’ve never actually seen you wake up before,” the ass says with a wink.

I wish I had something to throw at him. “Careful ball boy,” I warn. “If you thought I was mean earlier, you don’t want to see me overtired and under-caffeinated.”

Lucky just smirks, excitement dancing in his hazel eyes. He looks truly thrilled by the prospect of me being even meaner. This silly man doesn’t seem to be afraid of my attitude. Not even one little bit. A greek fucking tragedy if you ask me considering I was kind of hoping it would scare him away.

“Don’t tempt me with a good time, gorgeous.” He slaps my ass, making me squeak. “But we don’t have time to play right now. It’s time to take you shopping.”

Lainey’s scent is all over the pack house, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy, or horny, in my life. When Lawson sent me to fetch her for our little shopping adventure, I honestly thought he was crazy. It’s clear she isn’t all that comfortable with me right now, but maybe he knows that and is playing mediator. Wyatt is usually the one to settle disputes in our pack, but everything is changing now that we have Lainey, so maybe that is too.

I bound up the stairs three at a time, the knowledge that I actually found my scent match making me feel like I chased three lines with a Red Bull. I have spent the last three months looking for this girl, and now she’s here. In my house. It doesn’t feel real. And not only that, but she’s pregnant. We created an actual human life together. If that doesn’t prove scent theory I don’t know what does.

So yeah, maybe my kitten isn’t super comfortable with me yet, but I plan to do everything in my power to change that, starting with getting her everything she and the baby could possibly need.

Knocking on the door, I don’t wait before barging in like I own the place. “Hey sleepy kitten. Have a nice nap?” I can’t know for sure that she slept, but based on the lines on her face and sleepy flush to her cheeks, I would be willing to bet she did.

Those brown eyes immediately glare daggers at me, making me laugh. She’s so goddamn cute when she’s in angry kitten mode. “Oh, got it. So we’re not a morning person. I wouldn’t know since I’ve never actually seen you wake up before.” I wink at her so she knows I’m just kidding, but it only makes her lips pucker in a pout.

Fuck, that’s almost as cute as her glare.

“Careful, ball boy,” she warns in a raspy voice that has my dick jumping to attention. She tosses another warning out, something about seeing her tired, but she called me ball boy and now all my mind can focus on is the last time she called me that.

Clearing my throat, I shift to the side and pray my erection isn’t too obvious. The last thing she needs in this moment is me panting after her like a horny dog. I can wait to do that until after I am back in her good graces. “Don’t tempt me with a good time, gorgeous.” Moving closer to the bed, I get within arms reach and because I just cannot resist, I smack her on the ass. She squeaks, and it takes considerable effort to bite back another chuckle. “But we don’t have time to play right now. It’s time to take you shopping!”