Track 10 So American

Tuesday morning, the sun is climbing the sky when I step out of my little cabin. I'm not embarrassed to admit I was watching the road for the Cordova pack and Gage. As soon as I see the familiar black SUV, followed closely by a familiar figure on a motorcycle, I leap up and gather my things, bolting for the door with excitement bubbling in my stomach.

The back door of the car opens as I step off the porch and there's the omega who's shaken up my life in the last week. I run toward him like I haven't seen him in ages, when really I had a late dinner with all of them last night. They surprised me at the Shack with pizza and we ate it under the Edison bulbs on the dock.

It was nice, peaceful. Conversation flowed. Even Gage seemed more at ease with them.

Liam laughs as he catches me, spinning me around with my feet off the ground. His hands press into the skin of my back, left bare by the lacy white halter top I'm wearing. I'm dizzy by the time my feet touch the ground again and flushed and laughing.

Or at least I am until Gage growls, "no. You aren't wearing that. Go back and change. Put on more clothes."

I look down, frowning. "What's wrong with my outfit?" I'd felt downright pretty when I put on the top, loving the way the white lace contrasted with my golden skin.

He jabs a finger at me. "Your shorts are so small I can see the bottom of your ass cheek. And your tits are about to spill out of that top."

I roll my eyes at the obvious exaggeration. "That's not true, Gage." And it's not. The shorts are cut-offs, but they cover my butt and I used tape on the shirt to make sure it won't slip. But he doesn't need to know about that.

"It's covering more than a bathing suit," Rafe points out.

"I like it," Liam says, stroking a finger down my bare spine. "Let's me touch all the skin I want."

Gage growls something I can't make out as the omega pushes me toward the car, bending close to murmur in my ear, "you look so fucking edible, lovely." A shiver works its way over my spine even in the heat of midday. Though it's always a little colder here by the lake, then it is further down the mountain. "Gage thinks so, too. He just hates that anyone else is going to see you like that."

I turn my head to pop a kiss on Liam's cheek. "Thank you," I breathe against his skin.

I swear he blushes and ducks his head. "Only speaking the truth, Sor. You're delectable."

Grayson moves up next to us, a bouquet in his hands, all soft pinks and whites. Beautiful, but…

"She doesn't like cut flowers," Gage growls out. "I told you that."

"Gage!" I protest. "Stop it." I reach to take the bouquet from the other alpha. "They're lovely. Thank you."

He doesn't release them into my grip, staring at me intently. "Do you not like flowers, sweet thing?"

I hesitate. "No, I do." I try to take them from him again. The sooner I get them inside and into some water, the sooner we can move on from this awkwardness.

"Liar," Gage huffs grumpily. "She thinks they're too expensive for something that's just going to die in a week and would rather be given a plant in a pot."

Grayson frowns down at the flowers in his hand.

Liam chuckles. "She's got a point. You spent, what? A hundred and fifty dollars on that bouquet?"

I nearly swallow my tongue as my eyes bug out of my head. "What? You can't-That's too much money!" He glares at the flowers now, and I quickly back track, reaching for them again. "But they're gorgeous, so I'll just…"

"No," he says, stubbornly refusing to release them to me. "I'll get you something else."

I roll my eyes. "So what are you going to do with those, then? Toss them in the trash? You might as well take two hundred-dollar bills out of your wallet and set them on fire." My fingers tighten, making the craft paper crinkle. "I'll take them. Please. It was so thoughtful of you to get them for me. I'd like to enjoy them."

He finally lets go, and I turn back toward my cabin, kicking Gage in the shin as I pass by him. Asshole doesn't even flinch, just arches a brow at me like, is that all you got? My glare intensifies and the corner of his mouth twitches.

"I'll just put these in some water," I say to Grayson with a smile, leaving them by the car to converse among themselves.

Although they've apparently been hanging out without me.

When they came to pick me up from the restaurant last night, I noticed that all of them had split knuckles and the beginnings of some bruising. Even Liam.

When I asked about it, Gage had simply grunted out that they'd done some sparring earlier in the day. I'm both excited at the prospect of them getting to know each other and also experiencing a major case of FOMO, worse than ever before. Though I suppose that is to be expected, given that the situation involves literal celebrities and my best friend.

All last night I kept thinking about them asking Gage to be a part of their pack, whisking him away to the city and leaving me here in Lake Kilrose, tied to a dream that isn't mine. Gage and Sadie and Sylvie can meet up and hang out and be friends and I'll just be here, alone and struggling to get out from under a debt that was never mine.

Needless to say, it was a big ol' pity party.

When I woke up this morning, I laid in bed rearranging my thoughts and feelings, determined to find the good.

If Gage joins the Cordova pack, I'll be happy for him. He deserves it. I don't think anyone could deserve it more.

And they deserve to have a pack member as solid and steady as Gage, loyal and true, even if he is a little growly. Once he decides likes you, trusts you, you're in for life. I'm forever grateful that he decided that about me when we were eight and he's been my friend for the last eighteen years.

When I step back outside, the four of them straighten, keep their eyes on me as I mosey down the stairs and back to the car. "Are we ready?" I ask, breathless from having too many handsome men look at me.

Liam grins at me, drapes his arm over my shoulders and guides me to the car, opening the back door for me. "I hope you don't mind. We're going to need to squeeze into the back seat."

I arch a brow. "I suppose you want me to sit in the middle?"

"Of course, lovely," he purrs into the side of my head, nuzzling my temple. "The better to touch all this glorious skin you have on display."

I roll my eyes, blushing furiously as Gage grumbles something I can't make out. Ignoring him, I climb into the back seat of the SUV, settling myself in the middle and clicking the seatbelt into place as there's a scuffle outside of the car.

I arch a brow as Gage puts Rafe in a headlock and growls something too low for me to hear. Rafe nods, and taps his arm, face red, and Gage releases him before sliding in next to me. Liam opens the door on the other side and joins us.

"What was that about?" I ask as Gray and Rafe take the front seats.

"Nothing, biscuit," Gage says, lacing his fingers with mine and tugging my hand onto his lap, the back of it resting on his muscled thigh.

Liam laughs next to me as I stare at the place where Gage and I are connected, a furrow in my brow, accompanied by a flutter in my chest. He's never been this tactile with me before. Ever. I don't know if it's because he's just happy to be back and I'm familiar or something more.

Oh, God. I hope it's something more.

"This is the country fair?" Liam asks, eyes practically bulging out of his head staring at the entrance to the fenced off fair grounds. He's got his ball cap pulled low over his forehead and sunglasses perched on his nose. Trying to go incognito, but I would recognize him anywhere, even in a pair of navy blue shorts and a soft gray t-shirt with pink palm fronds on it.

Grayson and Rafe are just as dressed down, wearing t-shirts and shorts, sunglasses on and sneakers on their feet. All three of them are so freaking sexy like this that it literally makes my mouth water.

Gage is in black jeans and a muscle tee. Showing off his… well, muscles . And tattoos and oceans of golden skin, marred by a few scars I've never seen before. While the other members of our little party try to blend in, Gage is standing tall, just a pair of sunglasses on his nose, his buzzed blond hair glinting in the sun.

"Yep," I say to Liam, grinning at him. "This is it. Bigger than you were expecting, huh?"

He looks over at me. "Um, yeah, a lot bigger."

"That's what she said," Gage mutters, holding out a hand to me. "Come on, biscuit. Let's get you filled up on funnel cakes and fries and then ride the tilt-a-whirl so you can throw up again."

I scowl at him, even as I slap my hand into his. "That happened one time when I was seven, Gage. You don't have to bring it up every time we come here!"

He laughs and tugs me after him, toward the entrance. Liam falls into step on my other side, lacing his fingers through mine and swinging our joined hands between us. Grayson and Rafe fall into step behind us. I pretend not to notice the three extra guards behind them blending into the crowd.

They do a pretty good job of it too.

As we line up at the ticket booth, I tug Liam closer to me. "Do you all have code names? Like the president and her pack do with the secret service?"

He laughs and presses a kiss to my forehead. "No, lovely, we don't have code names. We're not that important."

"You are that important." I frown. "You should all have code names for your safety, Liam."

He hums and taps a finger on his lips. "What would my code name be if you picked it?"

Oh, Jesus. "I don't know… um… The big cheese."

He laughs, tipping his head back to the sky. A fair number of people look over at us, but no one says anything. No one recognizes him, or maybe they do and they just don't care. That would be shocking. "Because I smell like cheesecake?"

I shrug and move forward with the line, taking him with me. "And because you're so goddamn cheesy, it hurts, Liam."

He gasps in mock outrage. "How dare you, Sorrel Forbes? I am not cheesy."

"Oh, you absolutely are, mi amor . But that's part of your charm." Rafe kisses his omega's cheek while Liam beams at him.

"Okay, fine. I'm a little cheesy."

I nod my agreement as Gray steps up to the ticket booth and purchases our entrance tickets, and more ride tokens than we'll ever need. But I guess that's the beauty of being a billionaire. The teenager behind the counter lazily hands over five paper bracelets with the date stamped on them that allows us to exit and reenter the fair grounds at our discretion.

Not that I think we'll need to leave and come back for anything. But it's nice to have the option.

The game and food booths are mostly at the front of the grounds, with the rides closer to the back. There are buildings scattered throughout where people have submitted their quilts, animals, pies and cakes for judging. And over on the far left is a concert venue where sometimes semi famous musical artists perform.

Not anyone close to Liam Cordova, of course, but still pretty big names for our small little town.

"What should we do first?" I ask, glancing around.

I've been here before, so has Gage, though the last time he was in town for the fair was seven years ago, just before he left to join the army. So I'm content to let them figure out what they want to do. I'll just go along with it.

"Rides?" Liam suggests.

"Food," Gage counters.

"I wouldn't mind checking out the animals," Gray says, making all of us eye him with surprise. He shrugs. "It was recently pointed out to me that pigs are stinking cute. I'd like to verify that for myself."

Rafe chuckles and shakes his head as Liam leans up and kisses his prime alpha. Even Gage seems to be in on the joke, but I don't get it. I have a moment of feeling on the outside. An inside joke I'm not a part of. The four of them have obviously been spending with together without me, and I should be happy about that. Maybe Gage has finally met his pack. I want that for him.

I just want it for myself too.

You're being ridiculous, Sorrel. You did this to yourself by needing to work, by refusing to take the time off.

"It's nothing." Rafe drapes an arm over my shoulder and kisses my temple. "Don't worry about it, conejita ."

I shrug and force a smile to my lips. "I'm not worried. It's cute Gray wants to see the cute animals."

The alpha all but draped over me hums. "I think we should do games first. I can win you all the prizes."

I laugh and pretend like my cheeks don't flush with delight at the offer.

"Maybe we should wait until the end of the day to play any games," I say, glancing around at the crowd around us. "If you win, I'll have to carry the prize for the rest of the day."

Liam slings his arm over my shoulder. "Who says you'll do the carrying? That's what we have three big strong alphas for."

I giggle at the image that brings to mind of each of them holding an oversized stuffed toy or one of those giant inflatable hammers for the rest of the day. All the men around me smile in response.

"I'll gladly carry it for you, sweet thing," Gray says, knuckles brushing over the dimple in my cheek.

"If we wait too long, all the good prizes will be gone for the day," Liam wheedles.

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Fine."

Rafe claps his hands together, surveying the options before he strides over to one with moving targets and an air rifle.

"Oh, he just wants to show off for you," Gray murmurs, lacing his fingers with mine and urging me to follow.

"Come on, bodyguard," Gage says, folding his arms over his chest as we stop behind Rafe. "Let's see what you can do."

Rafe smirks, pays five dollars and then shoulders the rifle, sighting down the barrel. What happens next is… well, so damn sexy.

It's ridiculous really how watching Rafe hit target after target with sublime accuracy is such a turn on, but by the time he's done, I'm practically panting and my thighs are clenching together.

Lips whisper against my ear as a hot breath ghosts over my skin. "That turn you on, biscuit?"

I jerk, my eyes flying away from Rafe to Gage, standing far too close to me. His eyes are hot and I have the brief thought that he can smell my arousal… but that can't be right. Betas don't perfume the way an omega does or release pheromones the way alphas do. I must have given something away by the way I'm behaving. I force my legs to stop rubbing together and give him a smile. The fake one.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

A low, harsh laugh puffs over the side of my head. "Sure you don't, Sorrel." He edges closer, as the rhythmic pop pop pop of the air gun sounds from the booth. "You should see what I can do with a gun, biscuit. I'm bet that would get you nice and wet."

I blink up at him… I didn't hear that right, did I? No. No, Gage doesn't look at me like that. He doesn't think of me like that. He never has. He never will.

But then he leans down, until our noses are almost touching, our lips far too close. "Get you aching between your legs for me, hmm?"

I guess he does think of me like that.

I have no clue what to even say to that. None.

So I just stand there staring at him with red cheeks and wet panties, lips parted.

"Sorrel!" A hand tugs on my arm, dragging me away from Gage and over to where Rafe is waiting, brow cocked.

"Should I be hurt that you weren't watching?"

I try to speak, but my voice doesn't work at first. So I swallow and try again, licking my lips first. "No, I was. You were. It was super impressive. Very… accurate."

"Accurate!" Liam cries. "Accurate? That's the best you can come up with? My man is so fucking sexy when he shoots things, gets me all hot and bothered." Liam pauses and looks closer at my face. "You should see him at a range. He can hit a bullseye with anything."

I make my tongue unstick and physically shake my head like that will dispel the physical ache I'm currently feeling.

"Gage can do that, too." I glance over at my best friend to find him glaring at all of us. "He's a sharpshooter."

" Was , biscuit. I was a sharpshooter." There seems to be something else that follows that statement, something he leaves unsaid, but I don't know what it could be.

"They'll have to have a shoot off sometime," Liam says, nuzzling into my neck and inhaling. "See who's better."

"Me," Gage says at the same time Rafe states, "I am," before continuing.

"Regardless, I've got the highest score here." Rafe smirks over at Gage, who narrows his eyes in a glare. "What do you want, conejita ?" The bodyguard asks me, draping an arm around my shoulders and tugging me into his chest.

I scan the items that the attendant points out to me. "The purple unicorn, please." He's fat and soft and squishy, like an off brand Squishmallow, and I adore him as soon as I have him in my arms.

"He's going to look so cute with my teal blankets on my bed." I pop up to my toes and brush a kiss against Rafe's cheek. "I love him. Thank you."

Rafe turns his head and brushes a gentle kiss against my lips. "You're welcome, conejita ."

"I could have gotten that for you," Liam says, sounding like he's pouting.

"Yeah, okay," Gage growls in his pissed off voice. Though I don't know why he'd be pissed off. Surely he's not upset that Rafe got the high score?

Liam lifts his sunglasses off his nose and eyes Gage. "What about you growly? You wanna catch me a unicorn?"

I laugh. "Gage is banned from any of the games requiring hand eye coordination." The guy behind the counter nods and jerks a finger at a board with a picture of my best friend on it. From seven years ago, but still undeniably him.

"He wins every damn time. Repeatedly."

Gage folds his arms over his chest, looking smug. "I won nearly every stuffy for Sorrel when we were seventeen. Isn't that right, biscuit?"

I nod and hug my unicorn closer. "Yep. And ever since then, he's been banned."

Liam eyes the picture of a seventeen-year-old Gage. "Huh. I never realized this is a thing that people actually do. Put pictures of ne'er-do-wells up to keep them from ne'er do welling."

I laugh and squeeze my new unicorn plushy. "I've only ever seen them do it with Gage."

The big growly alpha shrugs. "What can I say? I'm special that way."