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CHAPTER THIRTY

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Charlie Amor: Lennon crosses the line, and it’s P-4!

Geoff Askew: Absolutely outstanding race from the rookie that everyone is watching this season. Just beautiful.

Charlie: And if anyone isn’t already aware, that’s a career best finish for Vanessa Lennon in Formula 1. This early in the season? I don’t doubt that she’ll be finding her way to podiums and victories very soon.

Geoff: It seems like Vanessa’s been fighting to prove to everyone she has a right to be here and that her initially controversial choice by Paragon was the right one. I think she’s done that. Maybe too early to call it, but I think Paragon is very much not regretting their decision.

Vanessa peeked her head through the door to the archery range I’d found and booked, seeing if we were alone, and we were. Well, the five of us were. We’d rented the space and made it very clear that we weren’t to be disturbed for any reason.

“There she is,” I said. “A Formula 1 racer with a career high of P-4.”

My Omega rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Earlier today she’d come fourth in the race. And though she had to be tired, she’d agreed for our date night tonight, because we hadn’t found the time until now. Formula 1 was a brutal schedule.

Closing the door carefully behind her, she looked around the room and down the space to where the targets sat. And then to the bench where the others were toying with the bows we’d be using.

“What are we doing here?”

At first I’d wanted to do some cliche date night shit, like making pottery or a painting class or something. But those were hard to find with the privacy we needed, and I’d come to this place with friends a couple of years ago. So here we were.

I tugged her against me and kissed her, grateful she was now in simple clothing that I could feel and scent her they way I couldn’t in her racing suit. My girl was hot as fuck in that suit, but there was something about yoga pants on Vanessa that turned me on. I didn’t bother to hide it, gathering up a handful of her ass as I kissed her.

“Just a bit of archery, love.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Archery?”

“My original plan fell through. Had to think on my feet. But there’s a twist.”

“What’s that?”

“This.” Elias came over and held up a little box. It was a card game designed for couples and packs to get to know each other. This was the tame version. They had other versions that would lead to the bedroom, but we didn’t have any problem with that. What Vanessa—what all of us—needed was to learn about each other when we weren’t fucking each other’s brains out.

Vanessa laughed. “All right, how does that relate to archery?”

“Every time you hit the target you get to ask someone a question from the cards. Or, in this case, you can ask all of us one.”

“Just me?” She frowned. “You guys should play too.”

“We will, little one.” Grayson picked up a bow and held out a hand to her. “But we also know that getting to know four people is much harder than getting to know one person.”

“That’s fair. But I don’t promise to be good at this.” She took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the starting line. Her scent strengthened in the air, which made all of us grin. There might be a point in our lives when our Omega perfuming simply because we were closer didn’t seem like a miracle. But right now? I’d take it every damn day of the week.

Gray pulled her in front of him and placed the bow in her hands as River leaned back and smirked, waiting for his turn. We all wanted a turn, because being wrapped around her was a dream come true. “We’ll help you,” Gray said.

He helped her pull the string back, though she didn’t need his strength. Our girl was strong as hell. Still, he guided her. The arrow flew and struck the outside edge of the target. Not a perfect shot, but it still hit the target.

“Pick a card,” Elias said, fanning them out in front of him like he was a magician. “Any card.”

Vanessa smiled and blushed as she did so. She had that reaction sometimes, and I’d noticed it when things were lighthearted and fun and easy . It made me think about how hard it must be for her to simply exist in our world. Elias had mentioned what she’d said about making jokes, and she was right. It was so much harder for her. Which was why I was determined to make sure she had fun. A place to be silly and free and without judgement.

If we, as her pack, couldn’t be that place for her and each other, then what the fuck were we doing?

She pulled a card and laughed. “Well, it’s an easy one to start. Favorite food?”

“I’m assuming we’re not allowed to say your pussy,” River said.

She flushed bright red. “Real food. I’ll go first. I can put away some pasta. You haven’t seen it yet, but give it time.”

Reaching out, Elias snagged the card back before spinning Vanessa under his arm. “I’ll remember that. We can eat the same piece of spaghetti and meet in the middle. As for me, I’m a classic Brit. I love a good fish and chips.”

Vanessa wrinkled her nose and Elias stuck his chest like he’d been shot. “I thought you’d be on my side, beautiful.”

“I’ll help you eat the chips,” she said, “but fish isn’t my jam.”

Sighing heavily, he danced her around in one more spin. “Fine. I’ll split my chips with you. More fish for me.”

“ All the fish for you.”

“Sugar,” River said. “I know that’s not technically an answer, but I have a sweet tooth the size of the ocean. Which is probably one more reason I’m obsessed with your flavor, baby. I have to hold back so much sugar during the season, but I can always have you.”

I grabbed the bow from Grayson. “It’s true. River can eat an impressive amount of sweets. Well, impressive to some, gross to others.”

River snorted. “Call mine gross again once she hears the name of yours.”

Vanessa looked at me with big eyes. “What?”

“He means my favorite dessert. Spotted Dick. For a meal I always love a good steak.”

Laughing, Vanessa handed me another arrow. “I’ve had Spotted Dick. It’s good. Not my favorite, but it’s good.”

I lined up my shot while she turned to Grayson, who spoke quietly. “If you’d like a category, it would be bread.”

“Really?”

“I could eat a different kind of bread every day and be happy if I could live off it. I also love trying local kinds while we travel.”

My arrow flew straight, hitting the target just off center. I snagged a card and smiled at what it said. “Favorite type of music? I’m a rock man.”

Vanessa made a face like she was thinking. “I honestly have no idea what the genre is called. Like electronic, but not fully electronic. Has all the melodic vocals and stuff? Those kinds of songs.”

“That crosses a lot of genres, so I think that’s a fine answer,” Elias said. “I’m also a rock man. But older, classic rock.”

River loved R&B, and though we teased him for it, Grayson loved his classical music. Though there was a time at a late night party where we’d convinced him to do some karaoke, which he nailed. But I’d leave that revelation as a surprise we could show her later.

I held the bow out to her. “Your turn.”

“I just had one.”

“Four people to one, remember? You get more turns.” As soon as she grabbed the bow I used it to pull her closer and kiss her again. I’d take any time to kiss my Omega.

When I pulled back, she was dazed, and if she looked at me like that for the rest of our lives, I was a lucky man.

River laughed and guided her back to the shooting line. “Come on, baby. Let’s do this.”

I winked at her, enjoying the new flush on her cheeks as she went. Now I’d be fighting a boner while we did this.

Fucking worth it.