Page 6 of The Pack Next Door (The Wolfverse #4)

Briar

“Briar, can I have a quick word with you before you go?” Dr. Stanton asked.

“Why?” Mum looked back at him over her shoulder. “This isn’t about putting me in an old person’s home again, is it?”

“Supported living facility,” Stanton corrected smoothly. “And no. I haven’t seen Briar in years and just wanted to catch up.”

“I’ll wait outside,” Mum said before walking out.

“So obviously there’s nothing wrong with her mind,” I said with a rueful smile.

“It wasn’t your mother I wanted to talk about, Briar.

” That look of pity. I hated seeing it on anyone, but somehow it was worse when doctors did it.

I wanted to say nope, I’m not your patient, but instead I just smiled and listened.

“The Crowe Institute sent me your files. I’m assuming because at the time, I was the last doctor you saw. ”

“I’m sorry they sent that to you.” I was trying so hard to keep my voice steady and failing utterly. “But I have a new doctor now, so you won’t get anything more sent to you.”

“Briar…” Dr. Stanton had given me all my childhood immunisations, seen me through illnesses, and even helped me through the medical side of my transition into becoming an omega.

He was there for so many of my milestones, but I didn’t want him here for this.

“I wanted to call you in the city, see how you were coping.” His hands rose and fell.

“I wasn’t sure how to contact you, or if I should. ”

“It’s OK.” I placed a hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. “It’s very sweet of you to be worried about me, but you don’t need to be. I can’t have children.”

Why did I feel a flash of shame at saying those words? When I got the news, it all made sense. Why I’d never found my fated mates. Alphas needed heirs, or they were stuck in the situation Damien and the Harts were in, having to relinquish control of the town to some stranger pack.

That didn’t explain the way I’d felt.

Relief, that was the first reaction, the truest one, when I got the news.

Maybe it could be explained by the fact I was an only child, but really, it was this.

Mum’s friends would all coo over me when I was younger, saying I’d be a great mother one day.

That only intensified when I revealed as an omega.

People looked at the unmated alphas and tried to guess what our children would look like, and each time, one word would sit there on the tip of my tongue.

No.

No, I wouldn’t have kids. No, I wouldn’t make a great mother. Just… no.

In Moon River, I was some kind of aberration: an omega who didn’t want to bear children.

But at home? I was successful, strong, capable, talented, and it took everything I had to stand here and let the doctor finish, because all I wanted to do was get in Mum’s car and drive all the way back to the city.

“I can’t have children,” I said finally, “and I’m perfectly happy with that situation.”

“Oh.”

Dr. Stanton jerked as if I’d hauled my hand back and slapped him, and this was the bit I hated.

Somehow, I became responsible for other people’s feelings about my fertility.

I was to be saved by the bell, though, because before I could go into damage control, my phone started to buzz.

I glanced down at the screen and then smiled when I saw who it was.

“I need to take this, but thank you for checking up on me, Dr. Stanton.”

Before he could say anything more, I was walking out of the surgery while putting the phone to my ear.

“Biiitch!” Candy’s shout had me jerking the phone away from my ear. “You, me, a bottle of tequila, and another bunch of university boys to lick, sip, and suck.”

“Absolutely not,” I replied, then raked my hand through my hair.

“I had no idea they were that young.” The last time we went out was kinda hazy, but every now and then, I got flashes of kissing one or more of them.

Drunk me thought it was great fun. Sober me was mildly horrified at the thought of corrupting today’s youth.

“Needing to see a guy’s ID before pashing him is not happening going forward. ”

“So you wanna go looking for daddies?” I could almost hear her grin down the line. “Or GILFs? Get ‘em to pop a couple of blue pills and then ride ‘em until their hearts give out. Alright, I’m in.”

I laughed despite myself, then looked across the road. People were starting to arrive, and my mother was hobbling over the road, making sure she got a good seat.

“Yeah, molesting senior citizens is not on my dance card this week,” I replied.

“Why? It’s not work again, is it? C’mon, girl. All work on no play means Briar gets sticky fingers.”

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at that, but seeing the crowds beginning to mass stopped that cold.

“No, I’m down at Moon River.”

“Oh gods… Oh gods! What the hell are you doing back at Rejectsville? Bitch, you are way too fine a piece of omega arse to be wasting your time down there. I’ll jump in the car and drag you back to civilisation. How far away from the city is Moon River?”

“About five hours,” I told her.

“Damn, so why would you drive halfway across the state to the site of all your trauma?”

One night, when we were both way too drunk, I’d told her what had happened.

The way she gasped and then her eyes welled up with sympathetic tears was what cemented our friendship.

Candy was a ride or die kinda girl and I wished to hell we were trawling assisted living centres right now rather than this.

“Mum had a fall, and I came down to see if she’s OK.

She’s as stubborn as she always is, but I’ve got to…

” I swallowed hard. “I need to see if I can get her into somewhere a bit safer. She fell down and couldn’t get up, and if it hadn’t been for the delivery guy, I’m not sure if anyone would’ve found her. ”

“Holy crap… I’m guessing she doesn’t want to chase granddaddies with us?”

“Not even a little bit.” I scanned the street, not seeing it with my eyes this time, but hers.

“She loves this place. Our family has been here for six generations. The house, it contains a lot of history, and…” I frowned as I saw the Hart pack take to the stage, multiple massive men forming a line off the side, obviously ready to wait their turn. “Alphas…”

“What?” Candy’s shriek broke the spell I was under, forcing me to jerk the phone away from my ear. “I’ve changed my mind. You are staying right there until you’ve found your mates. Briar and the alphas…” she sang. “K.N.O.T.T.I.N.G.”

“I’m not?—”

“Did I tell you about the time I tried this dildo that they make for omegas? Riley made knotting sound pretty good. Well, after I pestered her for a whole week for the details under the guise of scientific research. So I ordered one off the internet, because G-spot stimulation is totally my jam.”

I watched Damien step up to the microphone, testing it only to recoil when it squealed. One of the enforcers ran up and started tweaking the PA system.

“Turns out, getting a knot in is a whole lot easier than getting it out. Alphas’ knots deflate after the fun is done, but when I woke up after blacking out from multiple orgasms, I just had this big lump of silicone stuck in my va-jay-jay.

I thought I was going to become one of those horror stories ED nurses talk about, but I called Riley and she came around and said she’d help me if we never spoke of it again.

I lied and agreed and after she got it out, I cleaned it up, put goggle eyes on the knot and left it on her desk. ”

She cackled madly.

“Riley threw it in the bin, but I made a deal with the cleaners that they hand it over each time it’s thrown out, so I can clean it up and then place Mr. Knotty somewhere else to surprise her.”

“So, you’re a truly twisted human being,” I said. “Pro tip, omegas use ones with deflatable knots. Some even have the ability to squirt fake jizz.”

“Ooh, I am off to Google that,” she said.

“Good luck with that, and try to stay out of trouble until I get out of town.” Mum turned around and waved me over, some of her friends turning around to check me out. “But I am being summoned. And Candy?”

“Mm...?”

By the distant sound of keyboard keys clattering, it was obvious she was googling new sex toys.

“Introduce me to Mr. Knotty. I’m pretty sure we can stick him to the dashboard of Riley’s car; let it flop around like a bobblehead while she’s driving.”

“See, this is why you’re my best friend!” she said, right before signing off.

As I walked over to join Mum and her friends, I clung to Candy and her crazy. I’d need some of that to get me through this visit. Within a week, I’d be back home, though, I reminded myself as I sat down.

“Hello, Briar!” Jacinta had known Mum so long, I thought of her as an unofficial aunty.

“Look at you, beautiful as ever.” My whole body tensed as she looked at the stage, then back at me, the squeaks of the PA system a perfect externalisation of how I felt.

“But what’re you doing over here with us old ducks? ”

“Speak for yourself,” Mum said with a snort.

“Shouldn’t you be up on stage?” Jacinta said. “Along with all the other omegas?”