Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Wilder
“This is your car?” she asked, her eyes dancing with amusement. Lana was gorgeous, and I had to remind myself to breathe around her often.
Which only brought in more of that sweet and tart raspberry and white chocolate scent.
“It’s so fancy,” she gushed. Her amusement was the reaction I got from most people. My two-door sports car wasn’t exactly a pack car.
It was my one indulgence with the insane money hockey brought in.
“I’m a sucker for a fast car,” I admitted.
She let out a soft laugh, the kind that affected me every time I heard it. It was a sweet sound that came a little easier these days. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
She said it as if it was a good thing.
That wasn’t the general reaction I got from people outside of Conrad and the pack. Maybe a few guys on the team.
Everyone else wanted to comment about all the ways I wasn’t ‘typical’. Whatever the fuck that was supposed to mean.
Truth was, some people simply had bigger bodies. I was one of them, beta or not. I bulked up to keep up with the others in the league. It was my way of matching up to the alphas and earning my place.
If I didn’t work out, I might have less muscle, but I always carried a little extra weight than most betas.
Add in my love for reading and shyness, and it was enough for most omegas to turn up their noses at me.
But not Lana.
The assholes who fumbled her were insane. If she gave me half a chance, I would worship this omega like she deserved. And I knew damn well the pack felt the same.
Kieran had noticed that shift in her scent, and I didn’t realize until today what he meant until I was next to her.
She was sweeter now, the scent more decadent than before. Just being closer in the kitchen had my heart racing like a fucking teenager.
My body wanted her as much as I did.
“So, which book are we after?” she questioned, turning the music down so she could give me her full attention.
“It’s the second book in this fantasy series I’m reading. About a pack of dragons taking on a dark dragon king.” I shrugged. “I know shifters aren’t exactly a typical read for a dude, but I’m a sucker for the paranormal.”
“You don’t have to do that, you know,” she said gently.
She reached over, her hand finding mine. I swear, one touch and the rest of the world seemed to fade away.
“Do what?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably.
“Hide from me. Make excuses for not being what others expect you to be, I guess.” She tried to find the words for it.
“Lennon was the same way. He assumed my mind was made up from the time I got here. I don’t want you guys to feel like that about me.
Hell, I was the pathetic one who showed up on your doorstep, literally being forgotten by her supposed mates. ”
“There’s nothing pathetic about you,” I argued, indignant. “That was their mistake. Not yours. You were loyal. They bonded you, and then abandoned you. The dicks should be in jail.”
As much as we were paying for it now, that last game was worth it. There was no satisfaction quite like slamming a smug alpha into the glass, something I planned to do again the moment I had the chance.
Seriously. Fuck that pack.
“Now, back to the series,” she said, eyes bright as she shoved those feelings away again. I hated that she had to do that. Maybe one day, with enough time and half a chance, we’d be able to drown it all out completely. “Tell me about book one.”
“Oh, it was fantastic,” I said, going full nerd mode. I started breaking down the plot for her. “The pack was rejected by their original clan. Leading was supposed to be their birthright, but because they refused to settle for an opposing dragon omega, they were shunned.”
“Wait, I think I read this one.” She perked up, turning in her seat to face me, tucking her hair over her shoulder. “Wasn’t one of them almost feral, but it was because he was the true bloodline?”
“Yes!” I said, excitement building. “Their true omega was from a poor clan.”
“Oh my god, yes!” she exclaimed. Her excitement was fueling my own. I never got the chance to truly talk about books like this. “Ugh, that pack was perfect.”
“They were. I really liked the way they stood up for what was right, even if they lost everything,” I said. That was the kind of man I wanted to be.
“It was books like that that got me through the more stressful times. The long stretches when my pack wasn’t home, especially. Having a pack like that around, as utterly and unapologetically devoted as she was, sounds like a dream.”
“You’ll have that someday,” I promised, barely holding back from offering myself as tribute.
She didn’t need some big beta drooling over her. Though, I had a feeling we were inevitable. Her scent alone told me that.
“Did you already read book two?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I got the first when it released, so book two wasn’t even out yet. Maybe I’ll have to get a copy too, and maybe book one to read again. We can compare notes as we read.”
“I’ve got one at home. I love that idea. Nothing’s worse than getting to a part that completely shifts everything you thought you knew and then having no one to talk about it to,” I said.
“Tell me about it,” she agreed with a grin.
“The guys indulge me,” I admitted. “They listen when I just need to rant about it, but I can feel their attention slip the moment I start explaining the plot and characters.”
“I’ll listen next time,” she said. “Even if I haven’t read it.”
“I’ll always listen,” I vowed, referring to more than just about books. If she needed me, I would be there in a heartbeat.
She froze for a second before looking away quickly, as if she couldn’t handle the depth of the moment. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one affected.
“Oh wow,” she breathed out as we pulled up in front of the bookstore. “It really has changed.”
“The old owners ended up having to sell,” I explained. “The couple that bought it are fantastic.”
I quickly climbed out of the car and rushed around, opening her door for her and offering my hand. She didn’t even hesitate to put hers in mine.
She also didn’t let go.
The moment she was steady on her feet and out of the car, she simply shifted our hands, locking our fingers and letting me lead her inside.
I swear it changed something in me. My confidence boosted and some of my shyness fell away.
Like her, I’d read these books as an escape. A way to reassure myself that someone out there would be made for me.
Now I knew I’d found her.
The only issue was she wasn’t truly available. Not yet. Not one of us could make a move while Conrad was breathing down our neck, and she was still moving past her exes. No matter what possessive proclamations Cade made, the decision was hers.
“Wilder!” Valerie yelled out as we pushed open the door.
Her wife, Tracy, joined her at the desk, waving me over. “We got it in stock,” she said, holding up the book I was after.
Their enthusiasm was unmatched, and generally people like that made me nervous, but they really didn’t give me a choice in the matter.
Honestly, I preferred it that way. As an introvert, being ‘adopted’ by extroverts was the best.
“Actually, I’m going to need two copies,” I said.
Both of their eyes widened comically as they seemed to take in Lana for the first time.
“Oh, who’s this?” Tracy gasped before Valerie not so subtly elbowed her into silence.
Lana took it like she did everything, with that same easy smile on her face and a slight shake of her head.
“My name is Lana,” she said, giving them nothing more, and I knew it was driving them crazy.
“Let me grab that for you,” Valerie offered, rushing off through the stacks to find it.
Tracy continued to look at us. I could see the questions all over her face, but somehow she managed to keep it locked down. For now.
“So, you’re a reader?” she managed, settling for a safe question. “What kind of books are your favorites?”
“I’m typically an anything kind of girl,” Lana explained. “I think that’s what I love about romance. You get incredible packs that make you swoon, and then any kind of plot you want mixed in.”
“See, exactly!” Tracy said, throwing her hands up. “This is exactly what I try to tell people. The genre gets a lot of flack, and if anyone would give it a chance, I bet they’d find things they love about it.”
“So true,” Lana agreed. “My brother used to tease me for reading it, but now that one of his best friends does, he can’t say anything anymore, can he?”
She had no idea that she’d just given Tracy ammunition.
“Brother’s best friend, huh?” Tracy said. “That’s a trope, isn’t it?”
Lana bit back a grin and nodded.
Thankfully, we were saved a moment later when Valerie came back with the second book in her hand and set them aside.
“Do you want to browse or just buy?”
“I’d love to look around,” Lana admitted. “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to shop for books. We’ll be back up here to get those, though.”
This time, she led me away, finding her way through the stacks like a pro.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said to me, keeping the conversation going easily. “Romance isn’t the only thing I read. I’m a sucker for the whole Lovecraftian vibe.”
“Don’t tell Lennon,” I said. “One of his favorite games is a play on Lovecraft.”
Her eyes lit up, and I could practically see her making a mental note to talk to him about it later.
I’d heard that when a pack found their omega, there would be signs that it was right. Simple things that fell into place so there were no doubts left behind.
She thought she’d found it before, but that was the funny thing about scent compatibility. There had to be personality and commitment compatibility too, something her old pack seemed to lack.
With us, the chemistry started right away.
I could feel the looks my packmates gave her, the way they interacted with her.
She somehow brought Lennon out of his hate for omegas.
Mason wasn’t just flirting, but showing her pieces of himself.
Kieran shared his grief. Cade, our quiet leader, had even made it clear she was his mate against her brother’s wishes.
There was just a giant roadblock in our way, and I wished there was a way I could solve it. For now, I’d have to be content spending time with her like this.
“Have you read this one?” I asked, plucking a book off the shelf as we passed through the thriller section. “The twists in it were wild.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve tried to get into thrillers, but it gives me so much anxiety that I end up reading the last page first.”
I let out a real laugh, which only made her laugh too.
“Don’t get me started on movies,” she said. “Suspense is just not my thing.”
“You’re telling me you’ll watch the end of the movie first?”
“Maybe,” she said, hiding her face. “An omega has to do what she has to do.”
“What about horror movies?” I asked. “Is that different?”
“I love ghost-themed horror,” she said. “Books like that, too. I just can’t do the running-from-a-killer ones. That suspense ruins me.”
We went on like that, going through the shelves and pointing out our favorite books. I snagged a few she said she hadn’t read, and she did the same, insisting I had to read one she lost her mind over last year.
We might just have to build an extra shelf in the hockey house if this became a regular thing.
Valerie and Tracy were practically vibrating with excitement by the time we walked back up. Lana was completely oblivious to it, placing the books on the counter.
I didn’t give them a chance to question us as I passed over my card.
Lana gave me a look that said she would absolutely be paying me back one way or the other. I had a feeling it would be a game between her and any of us.
“I could really use a coffee,” she said as we stepped out of the store, a full bag in each of our hands.
“Let’s load these in the car first,” I offered. “There’s a place just down the block.”
I hit the button for the trunk. It slid open and we dropped the bags inside. Now that our hands were free, she took mine again like it was second nature.
Her body relaxed the moment her hand was in mine. As if my touch alone soothed something inside of her.
She’s touch-starved, I reminded myself, trying not to get my hopes up. She needed this contact and I would give it to her.
God, I hope she stayed and let us show her what a real pack could be like. Watching her walk away would absolutely gut me.
I’d never found anyone that felt so right. Even conversation came easy.
As we walked, Lana told me about her childhood here in Westgrave.
She even opened up about moving away for college.
Even when she brought up her exes, it didn’t feel like she was struggling to talk about it.
Now, it felt like she’d accepted they were part of her past, and that was all they’d ever be again.
The hope that sparked in my chest with each passing moment was dangerous as hell.
But I’d risk it all for her.