Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
August
T he plan started at a diner. Not just any diner, though—the one I’d told Llew about in passing one night while we were sitting around watching movies. Rio had dropped us off, telling me he’d wait outside.
Polly looked beautiful, her sundress so soft that it fluttered around her thighs as she walked. I wanted to put her on my lap and kiss her until she was as breathless as I was. We ordered and cuddled on the same side of the booth while we waited for the food.
“How are you feeling?” I asked softly into her hair. I could see the long glances of the Alphas in the diner around us; our combined Omega scent was a delicious mix. But no one made any move to come closer, and I knew that Rio would be watching the room like a hawk from wherever he was. I trusted that Alpha implicitly with our safety, even if I couldn’t see him right now.
Polly shrugged. “Like this is the rightest thing I’ve ever done? And that you smell so good. And that I’m kind of glad we’re in public, because I want to climb beneath this table and—” I placed a finger over her lips, because if she finished that sentence, I was going to drag her to what was definitely a gross public bathroom and fuck her on the sink. My Omega panted at the idea, but I’d seen how excited Polly had been for today’s events, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.
They didn’t need to do this. I didn’t need to be courted, because I’d committed to them a long time ago. I never went on dates, convincing myself I was just too busy, when in reality no one had ever measured up to Rio and Max, and the way they made me feel.
Polly and Llew were just the icing on the cake. A fate-given reason to have waited.
I removed my finger from her lips. “If you finish that sentence, this day is going to end really quickly. I’m way too close to my heat to resist you, pretty girl.”
The harried Unshown waitress appeared with armfuls of plates and two large mugs of hot cocoa. “I hope you two are hungry,” she chirped, and I snorted a laugh. I was starving, but it wasn’t for the stack of pancakes in front of me.
Polly smiled at her happily. “Thank you!” She looked at the meals in front of us. “I saw a man on television who tours around the country trying food, and I wanted to try this one when I saw it.” She pointed to the sausage gravy and biscuits. “I’m so glad it’s on the menu here.”
Sometimes I forgot that she was just experiencing the world for the first time, especially now that she’d been with us for a while.
I grabbed my fork and got the perfect mouthful of gravy and biscuit. I fed it to her, trying not to think about her mouth wrapping around other things, and she moaned. My cock immediately hardened in my jeans, and I internally grumbled that I was wearing these torture devices in the first place. Poor planning on my behalf.
“Good?”
She nodded and had another bite. “So good. Maybe I should become a cook?” She took a sip of her cocoa. “Now everything else is… done.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking about what I actually want to do or be. There’s a whole world out there to explore.”
She was so fucking beautiful. As we fed each other breakfast and went over different careers and hobbies, I fell more and more in love with the woman in front of me.
I was stuffed full when we left the diner at exactly 10:05. Stumbling into the parking lot, I saw Rio on his phone, a smile on his face. When he saw us, he hung up and climbed from the car. “How was breakfast?” he asked, leaning down to kiss my cheek, then Polly’s.
“So good! Have you ever tried sausage gravy?”
He chuckled. “Yep, sweetheart, I have. Come on, we have fifteen minutes to get to our next spot.”
As if summoned, Max rolled up in a Mustang convertible, his smile warm. “Hey, fancy meeting you here.” He climbed out and kissed me softly on the lips. “I’ll see you soon. I’m here to collect this Omega for phase three of the plan.” He scooped Polly up, but not before she snagged my shirt and pulled me in for a messy kiss.
She was definitely picking up on my Omega hormones. There was no chance we wouldn’t sync our heats, because she already smelled divine.
Rio cleared his throat. “You better whisk Polly out of here. It’s been an exercise in restraint the entire morning, and I’m not sure how much more I can take.”
Max slapped Polly’s ass cheek, making her squeal as he put her in the passenger seat of the car. Making sure she was buckled in, he climbed into the driver’s seat, threw me a wink, and pulled out of the parking lot.
We watched them go, then Rio threaded his fingers between mine, pulling me toward the car. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
We stood beneath a large Ferris wheel. Rio was talking to an elderly man, who was looking between us with a goofy expression on his face. Finally, he nodded, and they shook hands.
Smirking as he came back over to me, Rio grabbed my hand and pulled me toward one of the little gondolas. “The old guy was a romantic, but he made me swear no dirty business on his ride.” I snorted.
A bored teenager hit a button and held open the gondola door for us. “Don’t climb out of the cage. Don’t spit over the side…” He gave a monotone spiel, and I tried not to roll my eyes. Rio led us onto the ride, then pulled me close.
This was almost adorably cheesy. “This is nice. Not what I expected from you, though, I’m not going to lie.”
Rio shook his head. “Polly’s been watching a lot of rom-coms to catch up on the world outside, and she has in her head that a Ferris wheel is the most romantic thing an Alpha can do to show someone he’s serious. I didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise. It was either this or me rowing you into the middle of the lake. You can blame Llew for the regency romance ideas, though. He showed her Pride and Prejudice, and she’s watched it seven times in a month.” I laughed at the idea of that giant Alpha being a Jane Austin fan.
As the Ferris wheel reached the pinnacle, I could see all over the nature preserve that doubled as an adventure park. There was a lake, and trails that had people horseback riding, and a hedge maze. It was truly beautiful out here.
“We should bring Polly out here one day too. That lake looks nice for her Mr. Darcy moment.”
“We will.”
The ride shuddered to a stop when we were at the very highest point. It was like we were on top of the world.
“August?”
I turned to Rio, and in his hand was a small velvet box. I sucked in a breath. “Yes?” My voice sounded rough, and he chuckled.
“This might feel fast from the outside, but to me, it’s felt like the slow culmination of something that was almost inevitable. The second time I met you—once I was over my pricked pride and stupid belief that I couldn’t be a man and go to therapy—I knew you were special. I didn’t think I deserved you then, and even now, I’m not sure I do. You’re kind, and so smart, and so fucking handsome that you make my balls ache.” I snorted a laugh, because that was so charming. “I dreamed about making you my Omega back then, though I could never have guessed how truly lucky I would end up being.”
He gripped my hand. “August O’Hare, I swear on my very life that I will love and care for you until the end of my days. I will treat you with the respect you deserve, the challenge you crave, and shower you with all the love I have to give. Will you accept my courting gift?”
Apparently, it wasn’t just Polly who was pulling out the old-style romance. I swallowed the large lump in my throat. “Absolutely.”
I took the velvet box and opened it. Inside was a set of dog tags. The top one said Pack Barrie and on the flip side, everyone’s name was inscribed, including mine. The tag underneath had a quote:
There’s nothing as strong as gentleness.
“It’s part of a longer quote that wouldn’t fit. ‘There’s nothing as strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength’. I thought it would fit our little Pack well.”
I swallowed hard, feeling seen by these men, these Alphas, in a way not even my family truly saw me. At home, with my family Pack, I was their coddled Omega in a family of mostly Alphas. They loved me, but treated me like I was breakable.
These guys saw me, saw what it took to shoulder the burdens of veterans every day.
“I love it. Thank you.”
He leaned forward and kissed me once more. It was a promise, just as much as the dog tags were. The promise of something long-lasting and special. His lips were smooth and firm, and his tongue dipped out to taste mine as we deepened the kiss. I groaned, my heat surging up, demanding we fuck this Alpha now. We needed to bite him, bond him, make him mine.
I pushed the urge down, drawing away, panting. His eyes were wide, lips parted, and I knew he was as affected as I was. I could smell his desire on his skin. I could taste it on my tongue.
He groaned, looking up at the sky and huffing in deep breaths. “I swear, this day might be a divine punishment.”
Finally, the ride continued, and I held out the necklace. “Help me put it on?”
His fingers were deft as he placed the tags around my neck, his fingers brushing over my nape. I snuggled close to his side, and we sat silently, bodies pressed together. I rubbed the tags on my neck, resting my head on his shoulder.
Polly was right. Ferris wheels really were peak romantic gestures.