Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Crew
“So how do we want to do this?” Adrian asks as Tyler yanks the rolling door of the truck up.
I shrug. “We don’t really have much furniture. We bought cheap stuff after college and decided we’d just get new stuff once we find a place. So it’s mostly boxes, but a lot of them are books, so they’re kind of heavy.”
Christopher chuckles, flexing his arms. “Don’t worry about that, Crew. We’re here to be your muscle.”
I roll my eyes, knowing he’s just screwing with me. At nearly six feet tall, I work hard to keep in shape, but I’ll never have the natural muscle mass that alphas like Christopher have.
“I’m going to tell your omega you don’t think an omega can be strong enough to move stuff,” I start, snickering at the look of horror that crosses over all three men’s faces.
Christopher shakes his head. “No. That’s not at all what I said or meant. Come on now, Crew. Please don’t get us in trouble with Ruby.”
I wrinkle my nose and grab a box before heading down the ramp. “Be glad that I don’t want to deal with a pissed-off Ruby.”
I hear their collective sighs of relief as I round the truck, a smirk tugging at my lips.
They’re so fucking whipped.
But who am I to comment on being whipped? I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Kiara if she asked me to, and she’s not the omega in this equation.
I think it has less to do with designation and more to do with love, but if Pack Hart thinks I won’t hold this over their heads, they’re sadly mistaken.
When the sounds of low voices reach me, I pause because one of them is distinctly male. Considering Ruby’s pack followed me onto the moving truck, there shouldn’t be any men around.
“Mason.” Kiara’s voice is quiet, a slight tremble to it, worrying me. “What are you doing here?”
“Did your dad forget to tell you?” Mason’s voice is low, almost a growl, and a shiver runs down my spine.
He sounds sexy as hell.
But I already know how sexy he is. After all, Kiara’s been sharing pictures of her stepbrother and his pack for years. I completely understand why she had such a crush on them when she moved here.
Had a crush? Who am I kidding?
She still has a crush on them. Something that would make a weaker male feel threatened, but I know what Kiara and I have is forever.
We’re written in the stars, and I won’t allow anything to tear us apart.
I can’t imagine my life without her in it.
Well, that’s not completely true. I know exactly what it’s like to not have her at my side, and I fucking hated every moment.
Kiara hums as I start toward the front of the truck once more. “What? That you, Alexander, and Davis decided it would be a great idea to finish your pack house renovations right when Crew and I were moving in? Yeah, he remembered to tell me about thirty seconds ago.”
Mason chuckles. “That sounds about right.” There’s a pause. “Are you mad that we’re here?”
There’s a hint of hurt in his tone, but I don’t know if Kiara will catch it. Mainly because I know her mind is probably going a million miles a minute—just like mine is now.
We’re going to be living with a pack? The pack that Kiara’s been crushing on for years? This is either going to go spectacularly, or it’s going to blow up in our faces.
I know which option I’d prefer.
Edging around the front of the truck, I get my first glimpse of Mason in the flesh.
The pictures I’ve seen of him really don’t do him justice.
Hot doesn’t even begin to describe him.
His dark brown hair is perfectly gelled away from his face and a five-o’clock shadow.
He’s already sporting a tan, even though summer’s just started.
The white tee pulls tight across his shoulders as his arms flex.
I can’t see his eyes from this distance, but I know from the pictures that they’re a cool blue-gray.
He stands at least a foot taller than Kiara’s five-two petite stature.
“Of course I’m not mad, Mason.” Kiara runs a hand through her shoulder-length black hair before moving in to hug him. “You know I’m always happy to see you and the guys.”
My heart nearly stops at the smile that lights up his face, revealing the dimples in his cheeks and making him even more attractive.
But what really surprises me is the look of adoration on his face as he pulls her close and holds her against him.
Holy shit. Is he into her too?
That would make shit a hell of a lot easier on all of us.
My eyes meet Ruby’s as the pair pulls apart, and I smile at the knowing look in her eyes.
I can’t believe she didn’t tell me that Mason was just as in love with Kiara as she is with him.
Hell, yes.
It looks like we might have already found our pack. Now, I just have to convince Kiara.
“Who’s this, Kiki?” I ask as I step away from the truck.
She glances back at me with a grin. “Like you don’t know. You’ve seen more than enough pictures of Mason to know who the hell he is.”
I have, but that doesn’t mean she’s getting out of introducing us.
“Crew, this is my stepbrother, Mason. Mason, this is my best friend—”
“And boyfriend,” I cut her off as I set the box on the ground. One of my arms goes around her shoulders, while I offer the hand of the other to Mason.
Kiara giggles. “Yes, best friend and boyfriend, Crew. Mason and his pack will be staying here too. Apparently, the renovations being done now require them to be out of the house.”
“Oh, that’s ni—”
My eyes go wide as Mason’s scent slaps me in the face—leather and wood warmed by the fire.
No. No. No.
This can’t be happening.
I shouldn’t be able to scent him…unless we’re scent matches.
Fuck me.
I can’t control my body’s reaction to his scent, my perfume filling the surrounding air—peach and bourbon.
Mason freezes, his eyes flashing between me and Kiara as he tries to fight against his instincts, but there’s nothing to be done.
There are times when our designations run the show and meeting your scent-matched mate is one of those times.
A growl rips from Mason’s lips as his eyes lock with mine. “Mine.”
A whimper falls from my lips, my head tilting to the side to present my neck to him as Kiara stiffens in my hold.
Unable to tear my eyes away from my alpha, tears fill them as Kiara steps away from me.
“Oh,” she squeaks, horror and panic warring in her tone.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I grind my teeth, forcing my eyes away from the man who’s fated to be mine to the woman I’ve been in love with as long as I’ve known what love is.
Her eyes are tear-filled as she glances between us, her posture stiff as she takes another step away from us toward Ruby. The horror on her face almost undoes me—not just the tears in her eyes but the wavering of her lips as a frown marrs her beautiful face.
This is what she’s always been afraid of—me finding my scent matches.
Not only have I found at least one of my scent matches, but it’s someone she cares for.
This isn’t going to go well at all.
Emotions war within me.
Elation bounces around me at finding my scent-matched alpha, while fear presses down on me as I watch Kiara pull away from me—both physically and emotionally.
What good is finding my scent matches if she isn’t at my side?
I try to bite back another whimper, my omega unhappy with our mate distancing herself.
Because even though we haven’t bonded, that’s exactly what she is to me—my mate.
Mine.