48. Willow #2
Alessandro chuckles and passes me a spoon to serve myself the sour cream. “She is just starting to realize we plan to treat her well.”
“Well?” Joel scoffs. “This is just the basics.”
He leans over and lifts my chin. “I meant it when you said you just needed to wag your finger and we’ll go running. So don’t be shy about speaking up. We’re all here because of you, little omega.”
Well shit. Now my pussy joins the other parts of me warming up under his summer heat.
“Stop talking and let her eat,” Jeremy says around a mouthful of casserole.
Everyone digs into the food, probably with no idea of the epiphany dawning inside my heart. I load several big spoonfuls of sour cream onto my food, and then dash salt on top, my chest fit to burst. I thought I had to be on my own to be able to enjoy things the way I like them.
Turns out, that’s just the basics.
Joel clears his throat. “Well, now that she’s eating, I call to order the first family meeting of the Willow’s Dog Pack—”
I choke and hold up both hands. “Absolutely not!”
When Joel smirks, I realize he was just stirring me up. I slap him with the paper napkin on my side plate, which is of course totally harmless.
Jeremy snickers and Alessandro smiles at the twins with affection.
“I don’t even know your last name,” Joel admits sheepishly, plucking the napkin from my fingers.
“I don’t think you need to be known by my name,” I say, floored he’s even suggesting it.
“Oh,” Alessandro wilts. “I thought we’d be the Boss Pack.”
Reminds me of our conversation when he said he started following my accounts and I freaked out. I cover his hand on the table with mine and squeeze. “You were thinking about it?”
He nods, eyes widening with hope.
“Hey, I like that.” Joel nods thoughtfully.
“It’s cool, but why “Boss” for the pack name?”
Alessandro whirls around to answer Jeremy. “Because that’s Willow’s online brand. Haven’t you seen it?”
“Get out of town!” Jeremy’s eyes snap wide open. “She’s famous? How did I not know this?”
Of course, Alessandro won’t settle until he’s whipped out his phone and shown the others my media empire. The twins marvel over it and would’ve spent the next hours watching my videos if I didn’t call them back to order.
“Well, that settles the name then,” Alessandro says, grinning ear to ear.
I shake my head. It’s not like anyone’s changing their names, so let them have their fun.
“What’s next on the agenda?” Joel asks, attention hooked back on me.
“Wait,” Jeremy says, brows furrowing. “Do I need to be writing minutes for this meeting?”
I shake my head, laughing. “Let’s just eat. Thank you for the food, Jeremy.”
Joel tousles Jeremy’s hair roughly. “Yeah, nice work, bro.”
Jeremy shakes his hand off with a huff of annoyance and smooths his hair back into place.
I fight a smile with zero success as Alessandro passes me the dish of crunchy fried chicken. It smells so good, I take a bite before placing the drumstick on my plate.
Crunchy batter and super tender chicken soaked in buttery herbs melt on my tongue.
“Hot dang,” I mutter. “Thi’ iz so good!”
Jeremy grins. “It’s our mom’s recipe.”
I put another piece on my plate, and then a third, growing bold. Alessandro adds a fourth when he thinks I’m occupied. Within a minute, my plate’s so loaded up I’m afraid the dishware might snap.
I stare at the pile and clear my throat to get rid of the quiver. Any more kindness and I might fall apart completely. “What is this, feed the omega day?”
Alessandro looks me dead in the eye and says, “You’ll need your strength to handle us, cara mia.”
I drop my fork.
Joel glares across the table as he collects my fork and fits it neatly back into my grip. “Only if she wants to handle anything.”
A dangerous gleam enters Alessandro’s dancing eyes, and his perfect lips tweak up. “Hmm. From what I’ve seen, she very much likes to handle things.”
I set my fork down and blink at my plate. Is this what they call spoiling an omega? I’m not used to it. My heartbeat pounds loud in my ears.
Mr Shares bounds up and drops his head in my lap, nuzzling at my hands.
“Oh shit,” Joel hisses. “Did we make her cry?”
I cuddle my dog’s head. “A week ago, I hadn’t eaten a meal at a table with anyone but you in about seven years. And now I have three alphas vying for my attention and treating me like a queen. What do you think of that, Mr Shares?”
I’m thinking aloud by talking to my dog, which is an old habit from living in isolation.
Jeremy leans his chin on his fist. “Aren’t you a lucky girl then?”
I chuckle wetly. Trust him to strip away the tension building inside me. “Yeah,” I muse. “I really am.”
“Do you prefer to eat in silence?” Joel asks.
I chuckle and release Mr Shares. Loading my fork up with the delicious food, I purposefully stretch the silence as a test run. Which results in me hearing myself chew.
“No, I think I quite like the chatter. I’m just saying, it’s new for me.” I pick up a chicken piece and point it at Alessandro. “As is sex.” The chicken swivels Jeremy’s way. “And pretty much everything else that’s going on right now.”
“We’ll take things slow,” Joel promises, offering to pour from the gravy boat for me.
Somehow I doubt that will be the case. Nothing about this past week has been slow, but taking action was always the way I improved my life. Now the action happens to include three very fit alphas falling over themselves to please me.
Who am I to complain?
I wipe the grease on my bruised napkin and link my fingers together. “Well, I’m a businesswoman at heart, so how about we get the hard stuff over with first?”
All three men swivel my way.