Pucking With The Enemy (Knotty Puckers #9)

Chapter 1

Addison

The thin piece of paper feels heavy in my hand. I stare down at it, tears springing to my eyes. I can’t believe this is really happening. After years of living in Nashville, going to school with my best friend, Cae, it’s all over.

She’s gone, moving on with her life. I’m happy for her, I really am. She was offered her dream job, something she’s wanted for so long.

I just didn’t realize how much it would hurt to be all by myself after she left.

We were so codependent, living together, going to school together.

.. spending every single day together. So it’s been an adjustment being on my own.

At first, I thought some space might be good, give me some time to figure out who I am, what I want to do with my life.

Spoiler alert, it didn’t.

I’ve been bouncing from job to job for the last few months, but nothing sticks.

What Cae didn’t know is that my mom cut me off financially a few months after we graduated from college.

When she found out that I spent years in college with nothing to show for it or any career plans lined up, she said I wasted my time and her money and that she wasn’t going to allow it any longer.

Reality hit me hard when I had to start paying for all the bills out of my own pocket, and I quickly began to drown. Nashville is not a cheap place to live. When Cecilia was here, we split everything, and it was doable.

My workforce skills are lacking, which is why I’ve been fired from every job. The easiest ones to get were working at restaurants and bars, but apparently, I can’t even do that right.

I don’t even want to think about the amount of food I’ve dropped or the dishware I’ve broken. All of which came out of whatever little paycheck I managed to earn.

In the few months since Cae left, I’ve gotten so behind on rent and bills that the electricity was shut off last week.

A few days ago, I went to take a bath because nothing helps stress better than taking a nice, long, hot bubble bath.

But when I went to turn the tap, nothing came out.

At first, I thought something was wrong with the plumbing and called our landlord.

Then I found out that it’s only my apartment that is without water, and that’s because I was behind on paying for that, too.

After sobbing my eyes out for a few hours and wallowing in self-pity, I did the one thing I didn’t want to do. I called my mom and asked her for help.

She flat out refused. Said this was my own doing, and if I’d bothered to get a useful degree, I’d have a job and be making enough money to live.

My stepfather tried to reason with her, but she shut him down fast.

I pity the man. To this day, I have no idea what he sees in her.

She offered me another solution, though. I could move back home to San Diego and live with her and Elliot, my stepfather.

When she told me, I perked up a bit. But moving home wasn’t really something I’d ever wanted to do. There are reasons that I moved across the country in the first place, fleeing her and the life I grew up in.

While moving back home sounded better than being homeless, I knew it was too good to be true. This offer came with the condition that to live under her roof and that I’d have to actively search for a pack.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against finding a pack. It’s my dream to be with men who’d love me, take care of me, cuddle me, and adore me. There’s just always been something holding me back. Something no one knows.

I don’t want to be with just any pack. Knowing my mother, she’s going to try to set me up with some prestigious pack. A group of rich, prim and proper men with more money than they know what to do with.

Money is nice, but it always comes with a cost. I already had to give up so much growing up, held back on who I was and the things I enjoyed.

Moving here, starting over, and meeting Cae gave me the chance to finally be myself. I didn’t have to worry about what I wore, how I spoke, or how I was perceived.

I was just unapologetically me.

I can’t go back to hiding who I am. I won’t.

She can’t make me.

She might have twisted my arm into agreeing to her terms in order for me to move back, but that's all she’s getting from me.

My phone starts to beep, an alarm letting me know it’s time to leave. My heart starts to race as panic fills my veins. Swallowing hard, I look around the empty apartment.

The years spent building this place up, turning it into a home and making memories that will last me a lifetime, are gone. Like they never happened.

After I got off the phone with my mother that day, I knew a lot needed to be done fast. I called a few organizations to see if they could come get the bigger pieces of furniture so I could donate them to people in need.

They happily came and took everything, and the last of it was picked up this morning.

Now, I’m left with only bags of clothes and the most important belongings I’ve accumulated over the years.

Crumpling up the eviction notice, I toss the wad of paper to the ground and grab my bags. “It was nice knowing you,” I whisper to the empty apartment before closing the door behind me.

The airport is busy, but thankfully, the line to check in isn’t long, at least not for me. My mom must be happy to have me back, because she bought me a first-class ticket home.

Once I’m through security, I regret coming hours early because it’s so packed that there’s nowhere to sit. Damn me and my paranoia of missing a flight. The last thing I wanted was to miss this one and have to listen to my mother ream me out.

After searching for a place to sit and coming up empty, I decide to head to one of the bars and get a drink. Maybe it will help me relax.

“Rum and coke please,” I tell the bartender.

He nods and gets to work.

I’m leaning against the bar top, waiting for my drink, when I feel eyes on me.

When I turn my head, I see a man dressed in a nice suit. From his smell alone, I can tell he’s an Alpha. And he’s looking at me. No, not looking, staring.

“Can I help you?” I cock a brow, not appreciating being gawked at.

He lifts an amused brow, eyes still on me, as he sips his drink.

“Just admiring,” he murmurs.

A shiver of unease runs down my spine. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve traveled alone.

I haven’t been back home since I moved away at eighteen.

That was not long after I presented as an Omega.

My family isn’t exactly close. I was pretty much raised by my father until he moved to Australia for his dream job.

He wanted to take me with him, but of course, my mother said no.

Not because she couldn't stand being without her daughter, but because she couldn’t live with the idea that my father made it out of their divorce with anything of value. Even if that meant I was unhappy.

Her pride was hurt because he wasn’t happy and wanted a divorce. So, she did everything in her power to make him pay for it.

“Could you not?” I shift uncomfortably. I know why he’s staring, and it’s not just because I’m an Omega.

I have a kind of unique style. I’m short, no more than five two. My long, nearly white blonde hair is dyed a bubblegum pink.

The best way to describe it would be kawaii gamer girl style. I love light colors, pinks and purples mostly.

I hardly ever wear pants, preferring cute dresses and skirts, which makes me stick out like a sore thumb.

Moving to Nashville gave me the chance to start over and be myself. Cae was the perfect fit for me. The moonlit night to my sunshine. While I’m bright and bubbly, she’s more on the dark and moody side. Her closet consisted of mostly black, while mine was mostly pink.

I’ve never cared about what people thought about me in Nashville because Cae helped me become comfortable in my own skin. That is, until now.

He lets out a mocking laugh. “Aren’t you a little too old to be dressing like a child?”

Anger bubbles up within me, causing a scowl to form on my face.

“Aren’t you too old to be eye-fucking me? If I resemble a child to you, then why can I smell your arousal? Are you a fucking pedophile or something?”

His face shifts from amusement to outrage.

“Watch your fucking mouth, little girl,” he growls.

Part of me knows I should watch my mouth. He’s an Alpha, a big man. I’m a small Omega, traveling on my own. Anything could happen to me.

It’s just not in me to let fear control me. I’ve been told I have a big mouth and don’t know when to shut it. I guess that’s true. I’m blunt, and I don’t have a filter. I’m sure one of these days it’s going to get me in trouble, but I’ll be damned if I cower to an Alpha.

Just because I’m an Omega doesn’t mean I’ll be disrespected.

“How about you go fuck yourself?” I sneer, taking the drink the bartender hands me and downing it in two gulps before slamming it back down on the countertop.

I suck my teeth, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and then smile at the bartender.

“Drink’s on him.” I wink, then turn around and leave the Alpha gaping at me in shock.

If you want to be a dickhead, then pay for my drink, asshole.

Knowing that I’ve potentially—probably—fucked up with that little stunt, I make sure to hang around the gate agent's desk for the rest of my wait.

Ignoring the feeling of eyes on me, I take a seat on the floor, pop my pink cat ear headphones on my head, and play a game of Mario Kart on my Nintendo Switch.

I sit for a good hour before my ass starts to get numb. Thankfully, it’s almost time to board, so I dip into the bathroom real quick before our flight is called to board.

The flight isn’t a long one, so once I’m settled in my seat, I take a nap to pass the time. When I open my eyes again, we’re landing.

It’s not until after I grab my bags and call an Uber that a sinking feeling twists my stomach.

We pull up to the front gate of my parents' mansion, nestled in the cliffs of La Jolla Farms.