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“Hmm, yes. But I think I’ll save that story for later. I want to hear about you and misters tall, dark, and handsome over there.”
Ryan blushed slightly and ducked his head. “It was a weird chance of fate that we met actually. Everything lining up time wise and stuff.”
“Oh? Color me intrigued.”
“Well, Victor and Declan own a construction company, Birmingham Builders. They were out scouting a new satellite location near where I work, Hotel True?”
“Oh yeah! Sidetrack, how is that going?”
“Really well! I’m enjoying it!”
“That’s wonderful! Okay, continue,” I said, propping my head up on my hands and giving him my undivided attention.
“Anyway, I was just finishing my shift and getting ready to head home when Victor and Declan came into the hotel. Victor was off balance; he had gotten bonked on the head by a rogue ball kicked by some neighborhood kids. They had left the site early to come back to the hotel, and that was the only reason I ran into them. Declan was having a bit of trouble keeping his brother upright and I rushed over to help, not even thinking. Together, we got him upstairs to their suite and put him down on the bed.”
Victor jumped into the conversation. “Declan and I wanted to thank him for helping me, and he got Ryan’s number. Dec practically had to beg our beta here to let us take him for a thank you dinner.”
“You did not,” Ryan protested, flushing.
“I sure did!” Declan piped up. “You seemed to be under the impression that we had nefarious reasons for asking.”
“And didn’t you?” Ryan snarked, a gleam in his eye.
“Brat,” Victor chided with a smirk. “Maybe we did and maybe we didn’t. All I knew was something was telling me not to let you leave without getting to know you more. As I was in no position to do it right then, we did the next best thing and got your agreement to dinner the following day.”
“They came and picked me up after my shift, dressed to the nines in tuxes. I felt so underdressed. They hadn’t told me where they were taking me,” Ryan said with a pout. “So I was wearing jeans and a button-down.”
“And you were still the most handsome man there that evening,” Victor said with heat in his gaze.
I fanned myself and teased, “Good gods, it’s hot in here.”
Ryan bumped my shoulder with his, grinning like a fool. “You’re a mess.”
“But you love it.”
“I do,” he agreed. “Anyway, they took me to dinner, and what I thought was supposed to be a thank you dinner quickly became obvious was a date. They sat us at a corner booth, the one with the U-shaped chairs? Victor slid in first, then Declan nudged me in, and then he sat at the other end. These two impressive alphas trapped me between them.”
“That was the plan. Less chance for you to run scared when we turned on the charm.” Declan flipped his hair with a smirk.
“There was no chance of that. I was already starstruck.”
The alphas and Ryan fell silent as they stared at one another. The love in their gazes was scorching. I couldn’t wait for my opportunity for that same feeling. That absolute security in knowing that someone cared for you so completely. That thought brought the image of Riley back into my head, front and center.
Gods, I missed that woman. One more week and she would be back in my arms, where she belonged. I couldn’t wait.
“Ms. Vareth, tell us, how school is going for you? Second to last year, right?” Victor asked.
“Yes! And please, call me Storm.”
“Storm,” Victor repeated, rolling my name around his tongue. “What a beautiful name.”
“Ah, thank you. School is going well. I’m ready to be done, to be honest.” I huffed a laugh. “I feel like a lot of what we are going over now is common sense.”
“Mmm, I remember feeling the same way my last year at my academy. Declan skipped so many classes, I’m shocked they let him graduate.”
Declan had the good grace to look abashed. “Meh, there were only so many times I could hear, ‘Make a pack, find an omega,’ before I lost my mind. Vic and I were already a pack. We have no desire to join with any others.”
“I understand that,” I said.
