11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

Genesis

G enesis kissed Orlando feverishly, for several reasons. First, because she was touched by his vulnerability, and honored that he’d shown her something so sacred. Second, because she believed what he was telling her. It was clear Pack Rossi had loved their omega, and that they respected her memory. After her fathers’ behavior, it meant a lot to Genesis to be around men who knew how to mourn their past love properly.

Most importantly, she kissed him to shut him up because his words scared her shitless.

Their incredible physical chemistry was one thing, but considering an emotional connection was another beast entirely. She enjoyed Pack Rossi’s company far too much already. Knowing they might feel similarly put things in dangerous territory. She’d counted on the widowers being determined bachelors. If they were open to more, Genesis would have to make some tough choices that she wasn’t ready to face. The taste she’d had of life with Pack Rossi made it clear that she could easily grow hungry for more.

Luckily, after the picnic, Orlando hadn’t said anything else about feelings or possibilities. Over the next week, the four of them began to find their rhythm. Genesis spent her mornings working, usually over some divine breakfast goodies from Marco.

She would walk before lunch, exploring the farm on her own, or joined by Gabriel, who always seemed to be strolling the grounds in search of inspiration. Sometimes, she returned to the cottage alone for lunch, but others were spent watching Gabriel work in his studio or sitting somewhere picturesque with Orlando—and the property had a lot of picturesque spots.

In the afternoon, Genesis typically returned to the cottage to work, but sometimes she took her laptop to the main house to read and write in its beautiful library or in amicable quiet with Orlando in his study. Occasionally, when she felt a bit more adventurous, she’d let Luke convince her to help him with outdoor chores. Her favorite activity turned out to be helping groom the horses, even though Gabriel was right that they were kind of terrifying with their huge teeth and powerful bodies. Many of Genesis’s schoolmates had taken riding lessons, but she’d never been interested.

At first, she didn’t know why Gabriel disliked the cows—they seemed like big dumb puppies to her. Of course, like puppies, the things pooped everywhere, and, unlike puppies, they produced massive poop. After a few missteps, and a ruined pair of sneakers, she understood Gabriel’s aversion a little better.

In the evenings, they dined together, and Genesis had to admit it was her favorite part of every day. They always seemed to have so much to talk about, and Genesis usually laughed herself to tears, or ended up in a heated debate, which she enjoyed almost as much. Sometimes the discussions ended with the threat of a spanking but, after that first night, the alphas seemed determined to take it slow. Aside from a few lingering kisses, there was no more hanky panky during her first week.

Genesis was a little disappointed.

She was sure the guys were waiting, letting her pace herself, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember why she’d requested such a thing. The more time she spent with Pack Rossi, the more their scents, their voices, and their touch called to her. Her body seemed constantly abuzz, and she was wearing out her toys every night…and a few times every day.

“It sounds like you’re driving this boat, Genie,” Avery said over virtual mimosas the next Sunday. “If you want things to speed up, you have to say so. They’re obviously following your lead and obviously want to bone you, but they don’t want to overwhelm you.”

“How am I so smart about so many things, but so clueless about sex and emotions and shit?” Genesis sighed and buried her face in her hands. “How do I explain that I want to be absolutely railed by each of them immediately, but need to take the emotional intimacy at a glacial pace?”

“Oh my god, I have never seen you like this. You’re a fudging wreck!” Avery cackled laughter, cutting herself off abruptly when she turned away from the screen. “What do you want, child? And I clearly said fudge so get that look off of your face.”

Genesis tried to compose herself while Avery and Noah haggled over how much more screen time he could have. She made herself another mimosa, internally scolding herself for not trying temporary packs out sooner. Maybe if she had more experience with alphas, she’d know how to wrangle all the hormones and feelings and such. Maybe then she’d know whether her biology and her libido or her head and heart were in charge.

“Anyway, as I was saying, you’re a fucking wreck!” Avery said cheerfully. “Noah and Xavey have a swear jar now, and they get to split the money when any of us parents slip up. They’re constantly lurking around trying to catch us, so believe me when I say the situation is serious if I’m risking incurring a fee to get my point across.”

“Duly noted,” Genesis replied, rubbing her temples. “So, what do I do about it?”

“First, you chill out a tad,” Avery instructed, giving Genesis her ‘stern mom’ look. “You do not need to approach this with Gen V level intensity. These men are literally contracted to please you physically and have no problem executing the hell out of said contract.” Avery lowered her voice to mock Genesis’s husky alto. “Oh no, I’m Genesis and I have three hot alphas who want to give me multiple orgasms every day! I’m actually enjoying myself for once and giving my body what it needs and feeling things ! What do I do?”

Genesis snorted. “You bitch. Okay, fine. I’ll stop being weird and ask for the orgasms, but I’m not happy about the feelings.”

“Color me surprised,” Avery deadpanned. “You’re going to have to learn to accept that you’re not a robot, which means you have to deal with human stuff like emotions and vulnerability and trust. You let me in, then Everett, and now Greyson, and you’re happier with us in your life. Is it such a horrible thing to discover there might be room in your shriveled little heart for a few more people? Are you really surprised to discover that they also have space in their hearts for another omega?”

Genesis scowled, annoyed with her best friend for giving her the blunt honesty she needed and valued. She didn’t want to be vulnerable and trusting, even though Avery was right about how much she loved her small circle. Orlando had already shown some of that same vulnerability, and so had Gabe in smaller ways. Didn’t she owe them a little trust in return?

“That’s not why I’m here,” Genesis protested. “That wasn’t the plan!”

“Fuck the plan!” Avery shot back.

“Swear jar!” screamed a boy’s voice.

“Get away from my room you little gremlin!” Avery yelled. She turned back to Genesis with a groan. “F-bombs are five bucks, thank you very much. You can CashZap me.”

“Your potty mouth isn’t my responsibility,” Genesis grumbled with a halfhearted glare. “But I’ll send you ten if you tell me how to make sense of all this.”

Genesis picked up her phone, fully intending to send Avery the money. Instead, she froze, caught by a text notification. It was from one of her fathers.

“You’re an overachiever in everything, so I shouldn’t be surprised that the very first pack you entertain would be perfect for you—mature, accomplished, intelligent, and hot.” Avery sighed, rolling her eyes. “Could you just try not to worry so much? Take it a day at a time and don’t put pressure on yourself to have all the answers. This really isn’t a disaster, Gen. Or, if it is, it’s a disaster most people would be delighted to have.”

“This is absolutely a disaster,” Genesis said hollowly, looking up from her phone.

Avery’s face screwed up in concern. “It’s really not that bad–”

“No, not that.” Genesis cut her off, holding her cell up to the laptop’s camera.

“Fuck!” Avery exclaimed.

“Swear jar!” chorused Noah and Xavier.

Genesis stared bleakly at Avery’s sympathetic face. “So now I need to communicate to Pack Rossi that I want fast sex and slow intimacy, but if anybody—especially my fathers—asks any questions, they need to give the impression we’re really courting. So, they need to get to know me enough to fake it, but not enough to freak me out. Easy.”

Avery winced. “Yikes. Maybe have the sex first and then discuss the rest. I bet talking will be much easier when you’ve been thoroughly fudged.”

Avery suddenly dropped from the frame. After some giggles and squeals, Avery reappeared with her youngest son in a headlock. He grinned widely at Genesis from beneath his mother’s arm.

“I was hiding under the bed, Auntie Gen!” Noah cackled. “I wasn’t trying to listen to your boring girl talk, but it sounds like you like like these new guys. You should tell them. I didn’t know Zoe liked me until she told Samantha to tell Chris to tell me, and now she’s my girlfriend and she gives me her yogurt every day. Her moms buy the good kind with the fruit at the bottom.”

“ Girlfriend ?” Avery screeched. “You are in elementary school, boy, you don’t have a girlfriend! You better start paying some bills before talking that kind of nonsense.”

“I’ll pay the bills once you put ten bucks in the swear jar!” Noah replied cheekily.

They ended the videochat a few minutes later, Genesis promising to update Avery via text with any new developments. She closed her laptop and immediately began to pace the cottage, her brain kicking into problem solving mode. Sex, feelings, fathers. Which to tackle first?

Genesis looked at her father’s text, bristling at the tone. He wasn’t asking, he was demanding, as if he had some right to her time and attention. She was thirty years old, not a wayward child. They hadn’t bothered visiting her in ages, but expected her to jump at their slightest command? Absolutely the fuck not.

On the other hand, her dads had been pushing for an introduction since she’d met Pack Rossi, and she’d been ignoring their requests for a videochat. They’d been decent during Greyson’s mating ceremony festivities and had hinted at wanting her to come to London for a visit. That was before she’d even considered taking on a temporary pack, so maybe they really did want to see her more. Her fathers weren’t in Smyrna City often, so this was a rare opportunity. Plus, considering Genesis had never dated any alphas before, or even been in any serious relationships, was it so strange that her parents wanted to meet her new boyfriends?

Genesis suppressed a little thrill at the term. While it was hard to imagine distinguished Orlando or gruff Luke Wyatt being called someone’s boyfriends , it rang truer than temporary alpha . Which was stupid, since they were temporary alphas and not her boyfriends.

“Grow up and focus, Genesis,” she said aloud, giving herself a little shake. “We can worry about the semantics later.”

Fine. One of the most appealing things about this entire arrangement was the chance to get her fathers off her back about her unmated status. Dinner would be her chance to set them at ease so they could stop worrying and, more importantly, quit bothering her about it.

Still, they didn’t get to control the situation. She typed out a quick reply, then scheduled it to send in a few hours. Regardless of how this went, she didn’t want her dads to start expecting her immediate attention. They hadn’t earned it.

That taken care of, Genesis’s thoughts returned to Pack Rossi. She needed to be an adult about this, and that meant communicating her needs and intentions honestly. She would tell them her concerns and be clear about what she wanted—whatever the fuck that was. It would be fine.

Maybe she’d start with the sex after all.

At half past six, Genesis started to second guess herself.

She stood in her kitchenette, chopping cucumbers and trying to listen to an audiobook, instead of oscillating between staring at the clock and the mirror. She’d invited Pack Rossi to the cottage for a meal, appeasing Chef Marco by asking him to handle bread and dessert. He’d promised to make both from scratch.

Genesis was a good cook, and she usually found it calming. Today, however, she couldn’t seem to settle down. Her stomach was full of butterflies, her imagination running wild with lewd fantasies. She felt like a teenager.

Again, she found herself in front of the mirror, fretting over her appearance. She’d dressed in her sexiest bra and panty set, stilettos, a frilly apron, and her new cowboy hat. While Genesis knew Pack Rossi would like what they saw, she wasn’t sure if she was doing too much. During her limited sexual history, she’d never actively tried to seduce anyone. Did people only do stuff like this in porn and romcoms? Should she be more subtle and slip into a little black dress?

Genesis jumped at the sound of a timer, then scampered back to the kitchenette. The pasta sauce was thickening nicely and everything else was ready to plate. She’d asked the guys to bring a white wine to pair with the meal, mostly because she thought a little liquid courage would come in handy that evening. Maybe she should’ve had some sent over early to take the edge off.

Avery was right. She was a fucking wreck.

But at least she could own it. So what if she was anxious and excited and too horny for her own damn good? She looked and felt sexy. Furthermore, she was taking chances in her personal life, and that was a big deal. That was growth. Genesis straightened her posture, taking a few deep breaths before turning back to her meal.

She skipped her audiobook back a chapter and made herself focus on the story and the task at hand. The book was a steamy romance novel—perfect to get herself in an amorous mood, had she needed any assistance in that department. It was easy to get lost in the story while she finished throwing together a salad and putting the finishing touches on the main course. She set her little table, tidied up some of the cooking mess, and gave herself one last once over. Everything was ready.

Genesis was ready.

Or so she thought, until there was a firm knock on the cottage door. The butterflies in Genesis’s stomach rioted. Heart pounding, she squared her shoulders and opened the door for her temporary alphas.