Page 47 of In Doubt

“Yes. The bond between them is so strong.”

“Exactly, the bond. That’s the thing that’s hard to find. A real, genuine connection with other people. It’s hard to find because like I said most alphas are giant arses.”

She laughs. “You know I don’t think I’ve ever heard another alpha admit that.”

“Probably because they haven’t tried to form a relationship with one. I’ve dated my share of knobs.”

“Can I ask you something personal? You won’t be offended?”

“Depends what it is.”

“Are you gay?”

“Bi,” I say, holding her gaze.

“Doesn’t that get kind of complicated when there are four of you?”

“I guess it could. I guess it did with some of the other guys I hooked up with for a while. But so far it works well with Jake and the others. We have this connection I’ve never felt before. I finally feel like I belong.”

She smiles at me warmly, hugging her arms around her legs, resting her cheek against her knees. “But how can you be so sure? It’s so new?”

“It’s a feeling deep down in my gut.”

“But feelings can be wrong. The other guy, the journalist, you trusted him.”

“I did. You’re right.”

“So how do you know this time it will be OK?”

“I don’t. And I’ve been stung many times. My own parents …” I shake my head. “But I can’t live my life never trusting anyone again. At some point you have to let that fear go.”

She chews her lip and adjusts her glasses. Beyond her, the digger scrapes its teeth through the ground, dust spiralling up into the air.

“Are you …” she hesitates.

“Am I what?”

“Sleeping with Jake?” She can’t quite look at me when she asks that question.

“No,” I tell her simply. “Jake is only interested in girls.”

I swear she lets out a little sigh of relief. Interesting.

“How does it work in your brother’s pack?” I’m curious to know. We all want a pack omega. In the future. When we’re settled and established. The idea excites me, has me glancing towards this omega. Her skin soft, her eyes bright, her chest rising and falling as she breathes. I wonder. I wonder what it would be like. To have an omega for our pack. An omega like Giorgie Martinelli.

“Oh God,” she says, screwing up her nose and making her glasses wobble, “It’s my brother. I don’t ask and he doesn’t tell.”

“They have an omega?”

“Yeah and she’s expecting a baby.” She grins proudly.

“You’re going to be an aunty?”

“Already am – the best aunty.” She swipes at her brow. “It’s funny. I didn’t really think they would ever find an omega. They seemed pretty happy as they were. They’re incredibly close. But now they have Connie, I see that there was something missing. They are all walking around in this sort of blissful bubble.”

Something missing.

I glance at her, thinking about the way she’s stoked Jake up. He’s usually so calm, so considered. The man had the wind knocked out of his sails by his stupid parents. It left him all feelinged out. But Giorgie, she stirs all sorts of emotions inside him.