Chapter 8
parker
All four of them are already mated, funnily enough from the previous auctions that Knotlocke Academy holds. Every time we congregate, I’m reminded how scandalous this campus is and how strange we are for auctioning off Alpha athletes in order to raise money for our sports.
It works but it always ends with someone mated.
Usually multiple.
If Fox or Arlo ever fucking... I stop myself and straighten my face.
Milo leans in before I even get my notebook out. “Parker, you smell like a walking dessert cart again. Pineapple-caramel and cedarwood all over you. Arlo and Fox?”
My cheeks heat instantly. “It’s just fun.”
Avery bumps my shoulder with his. “That’s what I used to say about Declan. Remember? I told everyone it was just a stupid stepbrother crush until I was literally bidding on him at the auction and realizing I was in love.”
Kit snorts. “I mated my fucking bully. So yeah, ‘just fun’ is a bold claim.”
Milo grins, his whole face scrunching up with the movement.
“So? Me and my brother mated our coach’s daughter.
Besides, isn’t your bookkeeper mated to one of the players?
” He nods toward Harlow, who’s now openly laughing at whatever Theo texted her.
“Harlow and Theo didn’t start with a polite little dinner date either. ”
Harlow glances over and winks. “He’s right. Sometimes casual turns into ‘I can’t breathe without you’ faster than you expect.”
I fidget with my pen, heart thumping hard against my ribs.
The truth is clawing at me. Every night I spend tangled between Arlo and Fox feels less like casual fun and more like the only place I want to be.
I keep telling myself it’s just sex, just comfort, just the three of us blowing off steam after games.
But then I see Harlow sitting on Theo’s lap at team hangouts, or Avery curled into Declan’s side like he belongs there, and something ugly and jealous twists in my chest.
I want that.
But what if they don’t want the same thing?
“It’s different for me,” I whisper, voice tighter than I want it to be. “I play with them. That’s all it is. We agreed on casual from the start.”
Milo raises an eyebrow. “You already smell like them. All the time. And they look at you like you hung the damn moon. If you don’t say something soon, you’re going to break. An Omega who feels discarded or rejected doesn’t fare well, Parker. Trust me on that.”
The words land like a fastball to the sternum.
I’ve been pushing the fear down for weeks, the quiet terror that one day they’ll get tired of sharing me, or decide casual is better, or find someone who doesn’t come with all my baggage.
The thought of them pulling away makes my stomach churn so hard I have to grip the edge of the desk.
“Maybe I should just break it off,” I mutter, the words tasting like ash. “Before it gets messy. Before they decide to end it first.”
“No!” All four of them say it at the exact same time, loud enough that Professor Lang actually pauses mid-sentence and glances back at us with a raised eyebrow.
Milo recovers first, flashing that bright, mischievous grin. “Absolutely not. Just tell them. The worst thing they can do is say it’s still just casual… but at least it happens because you brought it up and not the other way around.”
Avery nods, softer now, his voice full of understanding. “You deserve to know where you stand, Parker. You’re already in deep.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep my scent from spiking, but it’s so strong I’m surprised the whole lecture hall doesn’t smell like a peach orchard in full bloom. The bell rings a minute later, saving me from having to answer.
I shove my notebook into my bag and stand up fast. “I’ll… think about it.”
As I head out the door, Harlow calls after me, “You’ve got this, babe!”
My phone is already in my hand before I even reach the hallway. My fingers hover over the group chat with Arlo and Fox for what feels like forever. I’m terrified of losing what we have. But I’m even more terrified of waking up one day and realizing I never told them how I really feel.
I type the message before I can talk myself out of it.
Me: Hey. Can we talk tonight? After your late class?
I hit send and then stare at the screen as three little dots wave across the screen.
Arlo: Yeah, we get out at 7.
Fox: Everything okay?
Me: Yep. Yeah. See u then.
I shove my phone in my pocket and take a detour to the cafeteria. I need to distract myself and food always seems to work.