Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

P art of my employment deal with my father is that I watch all games from the box. I’m only allowed to leave the box if I have an escort. It’s honestly a very micromanaging move on my dad’s part.

But at least Charlotte and Piper are both here for the game. That hardly ever happens.

Charlotte is sipping on a fancy cocktail and hums as she swallows.

“Fuck, that’s good.”

“Aren’t you breastfeeding?” Piper says.

“We’re going to pump and dump tonight. It’s my first night without a twin attached to my tit. I’m going to enjoy my night,” Charlotte says, and I smile.

“That’s oversharing, Kulta ,” her Alpha Anders says.

He’s a little distance away from us but clearly eavesdropping.

“Oversharing would be telling them we have a room rented for the night and all the deplorable things we’re going to do without interruption with your parents in town watching our children.”

Anders clicks his tongue.

“She’s got you there,” Piper says.

“Tell me more,” I say, resting my elbow on the table and my jaw on my chin.

Charlotte laughs and shakes her head. “My life is amazing but relatively boring these days. You should be the one telling us your salacious stories about finding a pack.”

I lick my lips and lean in closer, causing both of the women to do the same.

“Three words. Finnegan the Fox.”

Piper tilts her head. “In or out of the uniform.”

“Out, you fucking weirdo,” I reply, and she shrugs her shoulders.

“Ethan, right?” Charlotte asks, and I nod with a smile.

It makes me happy when people can see him as the guy under the mask.

“I saw the kitten video. Well, I think everyone with a phone saw the kitten video,” Piper says, and I grin.

Five million views for the Humane Society video with Ethan holding the kittens. I got a pat on the back from my dad and kudos from upper management on the decision to give him a makeover.

“He deserves the recognition. He’s crushing it,” I say, and Piper whistles.

“Oh, she’s got it bad.”

“Damn. I miss those early days,” Charlotte says with a wistful smile.

I look around the box and lower my voice. “I know they are your scent matches, but how did you know that they were the ones?”

“There’s no denying a scent match. But with Anders and Eli, it was nearly instant. Mikael took a little more time, but it was a bit of a whirlwind. I fell in love with them over my college summer break,” she says lovingly.

“And you?” I ask Piper.

Charlotte snorts, and Piper lightly pushes her friend.

“It took me a lot longer to realize I wanted Alexi and Owen in that way, but once I did, there was no stopping that train.”

The word “train” has Charlotte laughing, clearly the one cocktail hitting her already.

“Oh my God, Charles, grow up.”

“Well, we’re all adults who’ve been through a heat before,” she says.

That has me leaning down and taking a sip of my own drink.

“Wait, really?” Charlotte asks, and I shake my head.

“Not yet. But I know it’s going to be sooner than later.”

“I told you to come by the clinic,” Piper scolds.

“I know, I’ve been meaning to. I just… I’m not sure how to go about this whole thing.”

“You have Alphas in mind?” Piper says with a raise of a dark brow.

I nod my head. Well, Bram. I know I want Bram for my heat. There’s this nagging in the back of my head about Max, but we’re just friends. It’s what Max needs, and Bram has already told me he doesn’t like him.

I’ve already asked so much of Bram, I can’t ask to have Max too.

“Write up a heat contract. Have them sign it for your peace of mind. They also need to be aware of everything beforehand, Sloane,” Piper says in her no bullshit Alpha voice.

“What am I missing?” Charlotte asks, holding up her drink for her Alpha to fetch her another.

“Well, I have a lot of particular rules I’d like followed,” I say, and Piper gives me a look that reads I’m full of shit. “And I’m not on birth control.”

“We could do the implant next week,” Piper says, and I shake my head.

“I’ve tried going on all the forms. It makes me depressed. I gain weight. I don’t feel like myself.”

“Get a diaphragm,” Charlotte says.

“What? Are those still a thing?” I ask in shock.

“Yes, they’re still a thing. Anders and Eli got the snip snip. Mikael, well, we haven’t decided yet. So we live life on the edge, but I wear one of those during my heat since that’s when I’m most likely to get pregnant anyway,” Charlotte says as Anders drops off her drink. “Thanks, honey,” she singsongs.

“Diaphragms are like eighty percent effective,” Piper says. “The Beta should wear condoms too.”

“Why not the Alphas?” I ask, and Charlotte laughs.

“Because their big fat knots rip those little bitches anyway,” Charlotte says.

“Christ,” Anders hisses from the corner, and Charlotte laughs.

“She’s knot wrong,” Piper says, and we all begin laughing like a bunch of idiots as we take our seats as the game starts.

Piper leans down to whisper to me. “Seriously, if you need any preheat planning, you’ll come and see me. You can’t put this off any longer, Sloane.”

I nod my head, knowing that time is really running out.

“I will. I promise.”

“The more you have in place, the better things will be. We can get you sized for your diaphragm and get some condoms and spermicidal lube.”

My nose scrunches when I think about it.

“If you don’t make an appointment in the next week, I’ll bring the appointment to you, Sloane.”

I flutter my lashes at her. “Okay, Alpha.”

She lets out a breath and shakes her head. “What am I going to do with the two of you?”

“Share some of those chips,” Charlotte says, taking a handful as we watch the start of the game. I get my phone out, and I can’t help myself as I gather clips of Max and Bram. When the jumbotron flashes to Ethan, I get clips of him too.

I’ll figure it out. I totally have enough time.

It’s my date with Bram, and to say he better fuck my brains out or I might lose my mind is an understatement. Though I guess if he did fuck my brains out, technically, I would lose my mind anyway.

I’m really pulling out the punches with this tight navy blue dress, no deodorizers, and making sure my eyeliner is sharp enough to kill.

There’s no way Bram Nilsen stands a fucking chance.

I’m putting on my lipstick when there’s a light tap at my door.

“Come in.”

My mother Rosemary steps in, her heels clicking against the hardwood. She whistles, and I glance at her in the mirror. She looks spectacular, and I can’t deny every bit of fashion I got from her.

“Date night?” she asks.

She makes sure to not go through my things or invade my space.

“Yes,” I reply quickly.

“With a pack or with an Alpha?” she asks.

“An Alpha,” I reply, trying to keep it short.

I can lie rather easily with the big picture. That I stayed on with the Foxes because I wanted Bram and how I can’t seem to quit, even though I have him, is another story.

“What’s he do?” she asks.

“He’s, uh…”

“Oh, save it, Sloane. I already cracked Henderson like an egg,” she says, and I groan.

God, my moms have their Beta wrapped around their fucking finger.

“Oh yeah, well, he was smoking a cigarette,” I snap back.

“I’m sure he wished he could’ve smoked something a lot stronger that week,” she says and then covers her mouth. “That was rude.”

I shrug my shoulders and go back to doing my makeup.

“Are you going to tell Dad?” I ask.

“No,” she replies easily, and I glance back at her.

“So let me get this straight. The three of you are okay with keeping a pack secret from him?”

My mother steps forward and brushes a piece of hair off my face.

“When you’re ready for this relationship to be out in the open, it will be. Kristoff is stressed, and as much as he hides it, he’s dealing with his mother’s death in his own way. I trust you, we trust you.”

Great, well, now my eyes are welling up with tears, and I just put on the most symmetrical eye liner of my life.

“You do?”

“We raised you. If we didn’t trust you, it would be our own doing. You’ve always been someone who goes for what they want. Your dad will adjust. But I think it’s best you give him a little more time,” she says.

I blink a few times. “Did I mess up my makeup?”

“No, honey, you’re perfect,” she says, wrapping her arms around me. “Just keep us in the loop, okay? As much as we trust you, we want you to be safe. You sneaking around and not telling us where you are is unacceptable. You need to turn your location back on for me,” she says.

My cheeks heat as I pull back, and I nod.

“Okay, yeah. I can do that,” I agree. Especially because I know she’s right. I know I’ve been trying to keep this all a secret, but safety comes first.

“Have a good date. Let me know if you won’t be home,” she says, squeezing my shoulder before leaving.

I swallow thickly and grab my phone.

You little traitor.

Dad H

I’m a weak man. They cornered me!

Likely story. You owe me, Dad.

Dad H

Well, we’re all keeping your dirty secret from Kristoff.

Ugh, having four parents is too much.

Dad H

Love you too. Have fun on your date.

Jesus, a girl really can’t keep a secret when she has this many prying parental figures around. I fix my makeup and drive two blocks in the neighborhood where Bram’s white SUV is waiting for me.

He gets out of the car and opens my door. As soon as he’s in my space, his massive hands are wrapped in my hair.

His kiss is nearly feral as he pushes my back against the car, and he kisses me like he’s taking his last breath between my lips.

It’s a cold ass night, and I can feel goosebumps on my legs, but all I really want to do is ride my skirt up and have him fuck me on the side of my car.

He suddenly pulls away and looks me up and down.

“You’re gonna kill me, you know that?” he asks, and I roll my eyes and grab his hand.

“So are we going out, or are we going right to your house?”

“Seems wrong to not take you out when you got so dressed up,” he says.

“This,” I say, waving my hand at myself, “was all in an effort to get knotted tonight. Please, for the love of God, take me back to your house.”

He scoops me up, his forearm under my ass as he carries me over to his passenger door, holding me with one hand and opening the other. He moves me gently into the seat, adjusting my dress and putting my seatbelt on before kissing the side of my head and pointing at me.

“You sit here, don’t talk, and let me focus on the road. If you’re good, I’ll give you what you want,” he says sternly.

Oh God. It makes me perfume, and he huffs out a breath.

“Fuck’s sake,” he says, shutting my door and rounding the front of the vehicle.

I think I may have broken Bram Nilsen, and I don’t think I ever want him to be put back together.