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Julia blushed and tucked her dark hair behind her ear. “For real. We’re pretty well known in Silver City.”
“Try all of New York. The Cristenello name is legendary.”For being dangerous, but I kept that thought to myself. No wonder she’d remained so cool under pressure when we’d been in the cages. Obviously, she’d been upset, but she also hadn’t reacted like most of the other Omegas—almost as though she’d been conditioned to expect the worst out of people, like I had. “I can’t believe Pack Silver crossed your family.”
It was shocking. Anton was a sadistic asshole, but he wasn’t stupid. What was he getting himself into? I wouldn’t lie. I hoped it was the start of his self-destructive downfall. You didn’t cross a family as deadly as the Cristenellos and get away with it.
“I don’t think he knew who I was.” She looked from me to Adeline, taking in our rapt attention, then laughed nervously. “I can practically see the questions on your faces.”
“No offense, but you’re terrible at girl talk,” Adeline teased, falling into the easy rapport we’d built. Though we were talking about heavy topics, like kidnapping, it was easier to pretend we weren’t. “More details, woman. Stat.”
My eyes were wide. “Exactly! Like, how did he not know who you were?”
“You know how you said you had trouble making matches?” Her gaze collided with Adeline, who nodded. “Try being a part of such an infamous family. It’s been hell trying to make a match. There are plenty of packs who want nothing to do with the daughter of Vincent Cristenello. And the ones who do? They’re just as much trouble. So, I decided to change my last name on the registry to distance myself from my family and their reputation. Unfortunately, I think that may have made me a target.”
The pieces started coming together. “Because it seemed like you were just a lone Omega with no family…”
“... and no one to miss me. You catch on quickly.”
“Trust me, I’ve been thinking about this non-stop since I figured out what Anton was up to. Black market Omega auctions? You’ve got to be kidding me. I knew I was in the devil’s lair when I was trapped under his roof, but I never realized the extent of his vileness. The entire pack is rotten from the inside out.”
“I don’t know how you lived with them for so long.” Pity poured off Adeline like water down a waterfall. I felt the unseen barrage of it.
“Me either,” I whispered, pushing all the bad memories to the background when they tried to surface and steal my joy. “But that’s all over now.” I smiled at the distant sound of masculine laughter that filtered to us from inside.
Julie smirked and waggled her dark eyebrows suggestively. “What’s it like to have a pack full of sexy Alphas?”
“And a Beta,” Adeline corrected.
Waving a hand through the air, Julia blew a raspberry. “Semantics. Betas can be just as ‘alpha’ as Alphas. And they have the benefit of not having a knot.”
Adeline looked truly confused. “That’s a benefit?”
I giggled, smiling to myself behind the rim of my mug. And despite my flush, I answered, “Oh yeah. There are definitely benefits to being a Beta. Don’t get me wrong, Alphas knots are… phew—” I fanned myself.
“Orgasmic?” Julia offered helpfully, with a wicked smile.
My blush deepened, but I didn’t let that stop my nod. “Being knotted is incredible. But Betas—” I bit my lip, wondering how much to share. “Let’s just say they’re not hindered by having to stop because they don’t lock into place.”
Julia made an obscene little gyrating wiggle in her seat. “They just keep going, like the Energizer Bunny!”
Adeline’s mouth popped open and her face went as pink as mine. “I never thought about it like that before, but holy hot damn.”
We broke into giggles and it felt… nice. It’d been a long, long time since I had girlfriends to laugh with.
Finally sobering, I answered their original question. “But seriously? Being with the right pack is unlike anything I ever expected. We’re so in tune with each other. They’re sweet and protective. They lift me up and show me what life is really supposed to look like. Where I’m weak, they’re strong, and I like to think I compliment them in the same way.” I sighed happily. “Each one of them is so different, and yet we fit together like a puzzle—every piece important to the overall picture. I grew up outside of a pack.” Though I didn’t like talking about my past, I forged forward, “My father was an Alpha and my mother a Beta. I used to think I’d be content with that kind of relationship. That was before I became an Omega, obviously, and now I realize how wrong I was. I wouldn’t be happy without each one of my men. They all complete a part of me that was missing.”
“That’s beautiful.” Adeline sniffed.
“It is. I know there will be challenges. Any relationship has ups and downs, but we just… fit. We’re all committed to working through any disagreements or hardships. Luckily, they’re all excellent communicators.”
Adeline blinked back her tears. “That’s what I want. So,sobadly.”
I reached across her chair and squeezed her forearm supportively. “I know you’ll find the right pack. Don’t give up hope.”
I looked at Julia, who had a pensive look on her face. “You too.”
“Thanks.” She smiled softly, but it didn’t seem like she took my words to heart. I understood. I couldn’t promise her the same kind of love I’d found, but I hoped for it. For each of them. I’d do whatever I could to help them find similar happiness.
“So,” Julia cleared her throat, and the mischief I began to realize she wore as a mask came rushing back. “How are they in bed?” she grinned unabashedly.
