Page 42

Gwen

M y head thudded, but not as much as it could, considering how much I drank last night, which had been a great time. I was so grateful Clark was there to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid.

Lunch and mani-pedis with the MASOs helped a lot too. It had been fun to spend time with them all, especially Celine before her wedding, and Janessa, given her mates Elias and Winston had just retired from the team and they’d moved away. The MASOs included me in things sometimes.

I set off across the lobby, so I could meet Clark by the lake where the animal tour was departing from. The lobby bustled with people checking in and out, and vendors bringing in things for events.

An older woman walked by and I frowned. Did I know her? Shrugging, I walked past the check-in desk toward the door that led to the porch that looked out to the lake.

“Buttons?” a male voice said.

Oh shit. My belly twisted as we made eye contact. My ID had been flagged and now someone had come to fetch me like a lost puppy.

That was part of the problem–my family still thought I was a teenager

Putting my head down, I ignored the voice and hurried out the door of the lodge.

“Buttons, please wait,” the male voice called.

I shook my head and kept walking, past the people on the porch, watching the deer on the lawn or enjoying a snack. Almost to the steps.

“Please. Buttons, Gwen,” Matty called as I rushed down the steps.

I turned around, and there stood my older brother, alone. He still looked the way I remembered, only he now had a beard. Dark hair. Olive skin. Hazel eyes. The two of us looked the most alike of me and my siblings. While he wasn’t wearing a suit, he was dressed nicely and his watch could pay my tuition.

Anger bubbled up inside of me. It also hurt. Matty was my favorite brother. He attended university and law school locally, so he’d lived at home, and stayed in the area after. Some of my favorite memories were of doing things with his pack.

Unlike some of my sisters, his omega always made sure I was included.

“I don’t know how you found me, but I’m not going back with you to Vancouver,” I snarled, careful not to yell, since there were people around. “The dads can fuck off. I have a life. I’m happy. Also, really, you? While you’re sort of a sock puppet given you work for them, I never figured that you’d do something like this.”

Turning, I took off, trying to put as much space as possible between us.

“Buttons, wait,” Matty called, running after me.

But I was fast. Matty must skip cardio often, because by the time I reached the caged golf carts, he was gone. Still, my heart pounded as I flung myself into Clark’s arms.

“What’s wrong?” Clark asked, wrapping his arms around me.

“The dads sent Matty after me.” My body trembled. “I… I should leave, right? Go back to New York?”

“Gwen, breathe. Who’s Matty?” Clark stroked my hair.

“One of my brothers.” My heart pounded. “I knew I shouldn’t have come. I’m so stupid.”

“Can people even do that legally? Both track your ID and come after you? I mean, you’re not missing, you’re not a runaway, you’re an adult,” Clark said.

“That didn’t stop them last time.” Okay, that was out of context. In hindsight, they had a good reason to want me to stay in Vancouver.

At the same time, I hadn’t wanted to drop my classes, leave Austin, New York, hockey, and move back into my old room, because they thought it was best, without regard to my wants and needs.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t trust them to not do it again.

Clark looked around. “Last time?”

“When I crawled out the window. I… I should go back to New York, I…” I began to hyperventilate.

“Can they not go to New York? Would you be safer there?” Clark led me to a cart, rubbing my back. I noticed someone with a clipboard herding us into the carts.

I shook my head. “Not really.”

After all, he’d found me in New York. Not that I had to worry about my stalker anymore, but I pushed that thought away.

“Let’s go on the tour, see some animals, take a breath, and we’ll go from there. You’re an adult. They can’t take you and make you go with them,” he assured, as we got into a cart. “I’ll keep you safe, so will everyone else. Stay close to me.”

I leaned my head on his shoulder as someone closed the cage–it was so the animals didn’t get too close. Usually people did this trail in their cars. “Okay.”

“How many siblings do you have again?” Clark turned on the radio that would broadcast the guide.

“Seven. Four omega sisters, two of which are twins, and three alpha brothers. Matty’s second oldest. I’m the youngest. Maricella’s the oldest–she’s nineteen years older than me.” And had always resented me.

I wasn’t sure why. When I was born, she’d been away at an omega academy, so it wasn’t like she had to watch me. I wasn’t given her room. She never got less due to me. If anything, she got more of the parents’ attention–and was the reason I spent so much time with my nonna. Mom always said it wasn’t me, but it still hurt.

Especially when she was no longer there to tell Maricella to stop.

“Isabella is the second youngest and is eight years older than me. All of my siblings were graduated and mated before Mom died. Well, except for my brother Joe.” I kept my head on his shoulders, but I opened my eyes. “I was the oopsie beta that just wanted to play hockey.”

The parents had been disappointed when I’d tested as a beta in middle school. Given Mom’s family’s disposition to have omega girls and alpha boys, it had been expected I’d be an omega like my sisters.

I’d been delighted to be a beta. But I’d naively thought it meant I could do what I wanted, which was attend school instead of being tutored and be able to focus on hockey instead of figure skating.

Sadly, they didn’t agree, thinking it was a mistake. At fifteen, they’d still figured I’d be an omega–and at nineteen were surprised I wasn’t. Most omegas blossomed between eighteen and twenty-one, a little earlier or later not uncommon.

“I adore that oopsie beta that just wants to play hockey. She’s one of my favorite people,” Clark said. “You haven’t talked to any of them in years?”

“It’s better that way.” I sighed and leaned into him. He pet my hair like he often did. Why was that such a turn on?

The guide began her narration over the radio as we drove the cart down the path with all the other caged carts, going all the way to the end of the trail. On the walk back, we ran through the treetop course with the bridges. Then we stopped off at the ‘Wolf Den’ where a keeper gave a talk about the wolves.

The one I’d been watching yesterday, and this morning, came over to the fence. He got close and sniffed me. I yearned to pet him, but the keeper warned us about putting our fingers through the fence.

If not friend, why friend-shaped?

The wolf whined. I squatted down. “Hi, Wolfie. I wish I could pet you. Do you want to come home with me? Just don’t eat my cat.”

“He likes you. Huh,” the keeper told me. “He lost his mate and pups about a year ago and has disliked all women, to the point where we kept him away from the public for a while. Even now, he only really likes widows. Glad to know he’s working through his grief.”

It was a dagger in my heart. How did Wolfie know?

“Hey. It’s hard losing someone, isn’t it, Wolfie?” I asked, sitting there in the dirt.

Clark sat there with me, and I leaned against him, watching Wolfie, who laid down there with me, ignoring Clark.

Finally, we headed back to the lodge to meet Carlos and Dimitri at the bar. I kept looking around warily in case Matty came back.

“There you are.” JP appeared in the lobby. “Peter’s here. You need to meet him.”

Clark looked at his phone and his brows furrowed. “Peter?”

“My friend from university, he’s a goalie. He and Ladybug will be great friends.” JP dragged me to the bar where a bunch of people were drinking.

Including a guy in a cowboy hat?

“Peter!” JP called. “This is Ladybug. You’ll love her.”

Cowboy hat spun around. A giant grin broke out on his bearded face. “Babybug. I’m so happy to see you.”

“Cooter!” My heart exploded.

Cooter swung me around, like we’d been friends forever, instead of people who’d only ever talked on the phone and insta-chatted.

“Of course you know each other.” JP laughed.

“He’s besties with Bucket,” Dean joined us. “Hey, Cooter, is Bucket your date? Or did you bring your wife?”

“It’s Double-D-Cup! The wife didn’t come, she’s too busy wrestling bears,” Cooter laughed. “Tenny may not have realized who’s wedding we’re at. He’s up in the room, texting this one, because he’s a big sap.”

Awww. Cooter brought me Tenzin and didn’t tell him. Adorable.

Mmmm. Would Tenzin sleep over in our gigantic bed?

“Oh, Cooter, this is Clark,” I added, hauling both of them toward me. I took a picture of us, then sent it to Tenzin, who had texted me more than once.

Me

At the bar. Come down.

Tenzin

I’m going to kill Cooter.

Relief flowed through me. While I felt safe with Clark, I’d be even safer with both of them.

“Will someone tell me who Bucket is?” JP looked perplexed.

Dean laughed. “No, find out when you meet him like everyone else did.”