Page 17 of Enticing Little Omega (Twisted Little Tales #5)

Christa

I was nervous. Again.

You couldn't really blame me.

I had this amazing date with William and Annerly, and a night I would never forget after.

And every day since then the entire pack has been in the diner for every meal, sitting in my section, tipping me huge and flirting with me mercilessly.

But we've not done anything else, because they didn't want to push .

I never thought I'd want a bunch of Alphas to be more pushy, yet here we were.

Only after I'd made a snarky comment about feeling a little neglected did Anton kind of... snapped and demanded that they be allowed to pick me up for a date with them.

I clutched my camera bag a little tighter as I stepped out onto the gravel driveway, my Nikon bumping softly against my hip.

The evening air was crisp and carried the scent of pine and something smoky from a fire pit I couldn't yet see.

The sun was beginning to dip, casting gold over everything like the world itself was on fire.

Drew's smile hit me like a warm breeze when I finally saw him. "Hey, pretty Omega."

I flushed at the easy compliment and how easy it rolled from his tongue. Even more at the fact that I actually believed him when he called me pretty.

It was heady.

"Hi."

Anton stood behind him, hands in his jacket pockets. His nod was subtle, his expression unreadable. But there was something warm in his eyes, and it steadied my nerves.

We set off on foot, the camera bouncing softly against my hip with each step.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Bonfire," Anton responded gruffly.

"You always bring that thing with you?" Drew asked, tipping his chin at the strap across my body.

My grip tightened. "Um. Yeah. Kind of."

His brow lifted, but he didn't push.

"I'm not like a professional or anything... obviously." I bit the inside of my cheek. "It's just a hobby. I used to spend hours in a darkroom my dad had built for me. I was actually thinking of converting Honey's old room into one. I enjoy working with film."

Drew looked completely taken in, his smile wide and eager. "Oh, it shoots film? You're a badass, aren't you pretty girl."

I laughed, surprised. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. That's art. Real patience and vision. Will you show me your stuff sometime?"

I hesitated. "Maybe. But only if you show me yours."

His expression shifted.

I pointed to the sketchbook rolled up and tucked in his back pocket. "That thing's never far away from you. It only feels fair."

Anton made a soft snorting noise behind us, and Drew rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, yeah. Deal."

We finally made it to the lakeside beach, where a huge fire pit was set up with a bunch of blankets and a cooler. Drew offered me a seat, and I lowered myself onto the log beside him. He instantly grabbed one of the blankets and wrapped it around me.

Even if it wasn't really cool enough for one, I tucked it close because it smelled like him.

When he cracked open the book, I leaned in and immediately forgot how to breathe.

Each drawing was of me.

Sketch after sketch.

Charcoal. Pencil. Colour. Some of them were loose and light, others painfully detailed. My face turned in profile. My hands wrapped around a coffee mug. The curve of my back as I reached for a plate at the pass-through window.

And then, more intimate somehow, my smile, the crease between my brows, my expression when I bit my bottom lip.

I blinked, throat tightening. "It's me."

"What else would I draw, pretty girl?" Drew asked quietly. "It's all I've been able to paint and draw for years now. You stayed under my skin, even after only meeting once."

Goddess.

I had no words. Only a strange, aching warmth that spread from my chest all the way to my fingertips.

Anton, silent until now, shifted beside us. I glanced over, found him watching me. Not with jealousy, but with something more like hunger.

Hope.

I didn't want him to feel left out. I didn't want him to be the third wheel on a two-person date.

So I leaned toward him, nudging him gently. "What about you?" I teased. "What secret art form do you keep hidden away? I bet you knit. You look like a hardcore knitter."

His brow lifted, clearly trying to pretend to be unimpressed, but I saw the twitch of his lips.

"I play poker. And enjoy weapons training."

"Oh! Dangerous and broody. Should have guessed."

"I'm not broody," he muttered.

"Oh, Alpha... I have news for you. You're so broody. You've been doing nothing but brood since I met you."

Anton turned fully then, eyes narrowing just a fraction. "Careful, little girl."

My breath caught.

Not because he looked angry. He didn't.

No. I'd poked something that stirred and rose in him like a bear rearing its head. And I loved it.

And obviously he shared something else in common with his pack mates. It really shouldn't have surprised me.

Anton leaned in just enough to brush his thigh against mine, his voice low. "You think you can brat with no consequences, sweetheart?"

I flushed. "Maybe. Especially as we've not discussed limits yet."

Drew laughed low beside us, clearly delighted. "Oh, she has you there, brother."

I giggled in response before Drew draped an arm around me.

"I wouldn't suggest poking the bear, pretty girl. He has a mean spanking hand."

"I like poking bears," I said defiantly, even as my breath went a little breathy.

Anton reached out then, not to touch, but to hover his fingers just beneath my chin, not quite making contact but the near touch doing way more to my insides than it would have if he'd actually gripped me. "Keep going and you might find yourself bent over that log over there."

I swallowed. My thighs squeezed together.

Message received, Sir.

He pulled back, like nothing had happened, calmly opening the cooler and handing me a bag of marshmallows before taking out a couple of long sticks.

I took it with trembling fingers, my heart thudding like a drum.

And yet. I felt safe.

Seen.

This was the closest I've come to feeling like I belonged in a very long time, and I was starting to hope that maybe, this pack business was everything it promised to be.

"So," I ventured after taking a deep breath. "Does that mean I have to call you Daddy too?"

Anton growled, Drew laughed, and I giggled so hard I nearly fell off the log.

I wouldn't have had it any other way.