Chapter 1 #2
“That was weird,” Olive said, cocking her head.
“Yeah, it was.” Summer inched up beside me, a bowl of noodle soup in her hands. “Did something happen between you two?”
I shook my head. “No. He’s always kind of like that with me.”
“What, super awkward because he’s clearly in love with you?”
I scrunched my nose. “What are you talking about? I’m not sure he even likes me.”
“Lucy,” Olive said, her eyebrows furrowed with reproach. “You can’t possibly believe that. Everyone loves you.”
My heart was too raw to have this conversation. I’d been nursing my secret crush for months, and I couldn’t handle false hope.
I opened the paper bag and grabbed a handful of the nut and dried fruit mixture. “Let’s get food.”
Olive and Summer looked like they wanted to push it further, but Ivy put her arm around my shoulder. “Excellent idea. There’s a kebab food truck over there that’s calling my name.”
I popped a pistachio in my mouth and made a wish.
After we’d eaten, I wandered through the rest of the booths, stopping at one with a goldfish tank. They were surprisingly mesmerizing as they swam around. Maybe I needed a pet.
“Lucy!”
The second Azad sibling of the evening bounded toward me.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” Parisa engulfed me in a tight hug, her bright citrus scent swirling around me.
“Thanks for inviting me. This is all so cool.”
Her eyes sparkled. “It is, isn’t it? It’s amazing to see my town show up and be so supportive.”
A large alpha with brown skin and short-cropped black hair joined us. I didn’t recognize him, but the possessive way he pulled Parisa to his side made it clear that he was one of her alphas.
“There you are,” he said with relief. “Don’t go running off again.”
Parisa pursed her lips and shook her head. “Overprotective alpha. Amir, this is Lucy, the friend I was telling you about.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Amir’s voice was deep and kind.
“Oh, and there’s Sloane, my other alpha.”
I turned to see a blond woman with a tray of food headed toward us. Amir took the tray from her when she got closer.
Sloane kissed her omega on the forehead and introduced herself. “Are you getting a goldfish?”
I peered back at the tank. “I’m trying to decide if Felix would eat it if I brought one home.”
“I’m really hoping Felix is your cat and not your roommate,” she said with a grimace.
I burst out laughing. “Yes, my cat. Well, not mine. He’s too powerful to belong to any one person. He’s Starlight Grove’s mayor.”
The two alphas stared at me, clearly trying to figure out if I was joking or not. I just smiled sweetly.
Parisa snorted. “Better not risk the goldfish’s life, especially since they represent rebirth. Might be a bad omen if Felix eats it.” She took my hand. “Come over here. I want to introduce you to my family.” She led me over to a picnic table, her alphas following close behind.
“Parisa, azizam, come sit down.” An older woman with curly gray hair held out her hand.
Parisa leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I want to introduce you to my friend. Lucy, this is my grandma, my Bibi.”
Her grandma’s eyes lit up and she reached out to take my hand, pulling me down to kiss my cheeks. “It is very nice to meet you.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” I murmured. This woman radiated warmth and immediately put me at ease.
“And this is my maman, Tara, and my baba, Mahmoud.”
Her mom was stunningly beautiful, with golden skin framed by curly black hair and deep brown eyes. She drew me into a firm hug. “I’ve heard so many good things about you, Lucy, from both of my children.”
My cheeks flushed. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Azad.”
She patted me on the cheek. “Call me Tara, please.”
Her husband stood and put his hand over his heart. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
I was surprised to realize Parisa’s family members were all betas. I knew she hadn’t grown up in a pack, but I’d assumed one of her parents was at least an alpha. It was exceptionally rare for an omega to be born to two beta parents.
Amir set the large tray of food in the middle of the table, where there were already several dishes.
“Join us, Lucy,” Tara said.
“Oh, I’ve already eaten.”
She waved off my protest. “Nonsense. You can always eat more.”
“Don’t argue with a Persian mom trying to feed you,” Amir quipped as he took a seat and pulled Parisa down beside him.
I grinned. “Well, if you insist.”
Being around this family felt like a warm hug. They were sweet and affectionate with everyone, including Parisa’s alphas. Her father asked me questions about my shop, and it wasn’t long before he’d set up an appointment to have me make a custom suit for an upcoming event.
“Where’s Leo?” Tara asked.
I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, especially when Parisa’s knowing gaze landed on me.
She’d hinted heavily at how great she thought it would be if her brother and I dated, and my omega wholeheartedly agreed.
But I’d experienced too much heartbreak to chase after a guy who wasn’t interested, no matter how much I wanted him.
“I texted him where we were,” Amir said. “Maybe he met up with someone.”
A shock of bitter jealousy filtered down my spine. Met up with someone? I shoved a huge bite of chicken in my mouth to hide my reaction.
Bibi tutted and patted my hand. “Do not worry, azizam.”
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to clarify her statement, but she just smiled.
“Are you going to jump?”
My heart skipped a beat at Leo’s low voice and the gentle wave of his sweet cardamom scent. It was so intoxicating it made me want to wrap myself around his body…or at least steal his clothes for my nest.
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask where he’d been earlier, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
“I was planning on it. I’m just a little nervous. Which is silly,” I hurriedly tacked on.
“Nah, it can be scary if you’ve never done it before. Do you want help?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll hold your hand as you jump. Keep you safe.”
My cheeks flushed, and it had nothing to do with the heat from the bonfires.
“Okay.” Sparks of electricity shot through me when his warm, strong hand surrounded mine.
He led me over to a bonfire—one of the smaller ones—and squeezed my hand. I tilted my head back to meet his gaze, my fingers itching to run through his dark curls.
“When you jump over, you leave all the burdens of the past year behind. They’re burned away, and you enter the new year cleansed.”
“That’s what I want.”
He nodded. “Together?”
“Together.”
We took a running start, and it was only Leo’s hand in mine that kept me from stopping when we approached the fire.
I let out a little squeak and leapt. It only took a second, but when my feet hit the ground after clearing the flames, something had shifted inside me.
The heaviness I’d been carrying, the grief at the unexpected ways my life had turned out, faded into the curls of smoke.
I beamed at Leo, but my smile faltered at the flash of pain on his face. He quickly masked it, but he was standing at an odd angle, with one knee slightly bent.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He smiled, but it was strained. “Of course.”
I opened my mouth to push further but completely lost my train of thought when he reached up and tucked a lock of my windswept hair behind my ear.
It took everything in me to stop from jumping up and down at his attention.
I perfumed, my scent filling the air, and I hoped his beta sense of smell wasn’t strong enough to pick it up.
“You made it over,” he said.
“Thanks for helping me be brave.”
His fingers skimmed along my jaw. “You’re always brave, Lucy.”
Later that night, when I was curled up in my nest, his words echoed in my mind. You’re always brave, Lucy.
It wasn’t true, but for Leo, I wanted it to be.