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Thirty-Three
Ripley
“Come on, girl! Omega’s night out, no alphas allowed. I’ll be accommodating and let you and River bring your sweet beta, however. I’m not taking no for an answer,” Hunt pleads through my speaker as I reorganize my bookshelves in my room.
“I don’t know Hunt. There was that whole stalker incident going on months back, and the alphas have been extra protective ever since, not letting me out anywhere without one of them present,” I tell her, pinching my bottom lip between my fingers and tugging.
A few months have gone by since my heat, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming and going. Christmas was a complete affair where all of my mates spoiled me more than I could have ever expected, and then they invited my entire family over for Christmas dinner. Syn’s parents and Nico’s dads also showed up, which was lovely, because until then, I’d still yet to meet Liam and Jakoby. It is my newest favorite memory.
Pack life has been everything I could have imagined and more, and every day that’s passed since my heat has been better than the one before.
Kian and I have gone on several hikes alone before it got too cold, where we enjoy long talks about anything that is on our minds. He’s shown me some of his favorite hiking trails and little hideaways he’s found over the years, and when we want to get some alone time together, we’ll hide out in one of them. We’ve also had some pretty epic Mario Kart battles. I won’t say that I win most of the time, but....
River finally showed me his little studio area, which was filled with paintings of me, by the way. He even had me pose for him while he painted me nude once. Or twice. Okay, three times, and one of those times I might have been fucking Kian while Knight fucked him. That’s actually a really great painting, me in Kian’s lap, impaled on him with my head thrown back, and him on Knight’s lap, impaled by the alpha and kissing my shoulder. Very explicit, River adding every detail he saw, making it look uber realistic. Needless to say, those paintings are put up somewhere safe where no one else can see them.
Syn and I have curled up together on the couch in the den many nights with good books in our hands and the lights low. A few of those times we shared the book. I leaned against her front while she held the book in front of us both. If she finished before me, she’d wait to turn the page and if I finished before her, I’d wait. I’m hoping to make it a regular thing because it’s one of my favorite things to do with her.
Nico has been teaching me how to cook, which has actually been going better than I thought it would. I wouldn’t call myself a chef or anything, but I can now make a simple meal without setting the kitchen on fire, so I’m calling it a win. There’ve been many fun nights spent in the kitchen with him while he shows me easy recipes to follow, him wrapped around my back and giving me light touches here and there.
And Knight, my talented video game-creating alpha, has been teaching me how to do what he does. Honestly, I just nod and smile when he explains coding or whatever else he talks about, content to be in his presence and stare at his pretty face. I love how excited he gets when he talks about what he loves, his face lighting up as he completely nerds out.
“Come onnn. Pretty please?” Hunt begs, pulling me from my thoughts. “We’ll be super careful and we’re going to a beta and omega-only club, so there won’t be any shady alphas hiding around. Plus, didn’t you tell me you haven’t seen that creeper alpha since River took you to that carnival?” She points out, determined to get her way.
I sigh, already knowing that arguing with her is pointless. She’ll end up calling River eventually if I keep it up and he’s such a shit, he’d agree with her just to spite me. I know for a fact that he’s going stir crazy in this house and having chaperones everywhere we go. Truth be told, I am pretty over it as well. I just haven’t had the heart to voice my opinion quite as loudly as River has.
“I’ll talk to them, okay? But I’m not making any promises. I’ll let you know something in a few hours,” I tell her reluctantly.
I’m not scared to go out, but I just know the alphas will not like this idea. Huntleigh is right, though. We haven’t seen the stalker alpha in months, and my pack has been extra vigilant any time we’re out.
Hunt screeches down the line, and I have to pull the phone away from my ear, wincing at the shrill sound.
“We’re going to have so much fun! Gabriel is coming too, so it’ll be like old times!” She babbles excitedly.
I smile and shake my head at her exuberance. “I said I’d talk to them, ya loon.”
“Uh-huh. That’s great! Love you, see you soon.” She says distractedly, kissing her phone speaker loudly, then hanging up before I can say anything more.
I drop my phone to my lap and shake my head. Crazy omega. I love her to pieces, but the woman means it when she says she won’t take no for an answer. In her mind, I’ve already said yes, and she fully expects us to meet her there.
The last book slides in place, bringing a sense of peace with it. I know Syn and Kian put all of my things away and organized for me months ago, and they did wonderful jobs, but every so often, you just need to reorganize your books and shelves and get lost in the monotony.
I lean back on my hands to look the shelves over. They’re going to have to get me another shelf before too long, or I’ll have to start mixing my books in with all of Syn’s in her little library. If Syn keeps buying everything I look at in a bookstore when we’re out or that I save online, we might just have to buy ourselves a whole ass library to store all of our books. Not that I’m complaining. Books as gifts are far superior to anything else one could get you. Obviously.
Several minutes pass while I sit on my floor, roving a critical gaze over all of my treasures before I sigh again and decide I should go find Knight to talk to him about going out first. I’ll talk to the others when they’re home, but Knight is the level-headed one of the pack most of the time. I get up, dusting my butt off even though the floor is spotless, and head for his office.
He’s exactly where I thought he’d be. Behind his desk, his face smashed to his computer screens. He doesn’t even hear me when I come in, too engrossed in what he’s doing to notice my intrusion. I tiptoe across the floor to where he’s seated and wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him there. He jolts, purring when he notices it’s me.
“Hey, Sweetheart. I didn’t hear you come in.” He smiles, his eyes crinkling as he turns in my hold and pulls me into his lap, nuzzling my cheek.
“I noticed,” I laugh lightly.
“Mm,” he hums against my cheek. “So, what brings you into my lair, my mate?”
Man, oh man, do I like that. Being called his mate. Or just his, in general. The usual things to like. No biggie. I still shiver when he says it, though. Makes me feel all tingly and melts my heart.
“Well... I actually came down because I just got off the phone with Hunt...” I trail off.
“Okay. And what did you and Huntleigh talk about?”
