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“I think we could mount a swing off this thing,” he muses. “What do you think, Nina?”

“A swing?” I squeak. “Like for sex?”

“Oh that would be fun,” Ethan agrees. “Weightless fucking is always a good time.”

“A father and son who share their kinks, that’s somehow unsurprising,” Riley mutters. “I’m definitely down for a swing, though. This bed set is sturdy and probably weighs a ton. Are we going to a sex shop next?”

“Your mother is dead and gone, and she’d be so upset to see you like this,” a voice says snootily. Ugh, of course one of my mother’s friends would be here. Glancing over, I see she’s with a group of women who are all wearing black.

It’s like a cult of Stepford Wives. How wonderful. I’ve always hated my mother’s friends, and I realize that the snooty one is Carli.

“God, what’s wrong with her hair?” Toni asks. “Did it all fall out? Nina, wigs exist for a reason.”

My mother’s friends titter and laugh as if that’s the funniest thing ever, while my cheeks burn. Sitting up, I gaze at some of the worst people I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.

“My mother did this,” I state, looking them in the eye despite their veils of mourning. Stupid fucking posturing. “I’m shopping with my pack, and I would appreciate it if you went away. I don’t care what a dead woman would think either.”

Cooper sits up and glares at the group of women, and Toni gasps as she recognizes him.

“Nina, why are you here with him?” she asks. “Your reputation will be in shambles.”

“Don’t care?—”

Riley and Ethan sit on either side of me like bookends and they each take my hand as Riley interrupts me.

“Actually, Nina has a wonderful reputation in Savannah, and is friends with several packs that have higher status than you do,” he says. “We are scent matched to her, ladies. The best way to piss off her pack would be to continue to insult our omega.”

“Or end up six feet under too,”Cooper whispers through the bond to me.

It’s a struggle to keep myself from smiling, but I manage.

“It’s hard to mourn someone who never loved you,” I add. “Please go away before I have you removed by the manager.”

I know that the cold, clipped words are something my mother would say, and one of the women flinches as if I had slapped her. I can channel with the best of them.

“Ladies,” George practically growls from behind the women as he stalks up to them. He’s a beta, but he looks pretty pissed off right now. “Can I help you, or do we have a problem?”

“They’re just lounging on the bed,” Toni sniffs. “It’s unseemly. Why can’t they shop normally? It really sets a bad precedent. Next, you’ll be chasing out the homeless!”

I roll my eyes as I tug my hands away from my alphas and get off the bed. She’s being completely ridiculous.

“Honestly,” Cooper rumbles as he stands. “That’s quite the assumption, Toni.”

The woman’s eyes widen while he looks smugly at her. She hasn’t changed very much over the years due to medical intervention, but it shows that Cooper doesn’t forget a face.

Just like he didn’t forget me.

“What’s wrong with your voice?” Carli asks, taking a step back.

Feral alphas give off an aura of danger, and Cooper is definitely giving ‘fuck around and find out’ vibes.

“What’s wrong is that you’re upsetting my omega,” he growls. “Vivian kept me from her daughter for a year after we found out we were scent matched, and let’s just say it didn’t go very well for me.”

“Feral,” Toni whispers. “Oh my God, ladies. Did you hear that?”

Cooper gives a slow, dangerous smile that I think is roguish and hot, but probably scares the shit out of them. Ethan’s hand rests on my lower back as we watch Cooper work his magic, because he’s always had a way with words.

When Cooper snaps his teeth as if he’d bite them, they scream while I suppress a smile. He’s also a bit theatrical.