Chapter 37

Ava

I smoothed my shirt down in front of the mirror, biting my lower lip in anticipation. Even now, standing in my own bedroom with no one else in sight, I couldn’t help but feel a red tinge creep into my cheeks.

Normally, I opted for a more bohemian style: long, flowy skirts and dresses, tops suitable for the heat and humidity, that sort of thing. But Chris had texted me this morning to let me know that we were going on a hike, and to wear something appropriate.

As I looked at my reflection now, I felt my heart do a flip inside of me. I wore tight cargo pants that hugged my curves in all the right spots and a white tank top. My hair was partially covered with a paisley bandana, and although I hated to admit it…

I had even put on a little makeup.

It was nothing too extraordinary—just some mascara and a little blush, which was even less than what I would have worn on a regular outing—but it was the reason behind putting it on that was getting to me.

“This is wrong,” I muttered to myself as I turned this way and that in the mirror. I shouldn’t have agreed to a date with him. I should have told him no, laid down my boundaries, reiterated that this was inappropriate and that it would never work between us.

But I hadn’t. And now I was going out with him.

With a deep breath, I finally turned away from the mirror and padded downstairs, where I slipped on my usual lace-up boots and headed out the door. It was a hot yet breezy day, my favorite type of weather; just hot enough so that the sun felt good on my skin, but the cool island breeze kept me from getting too hot.

Chris had chosen a good date for a day like today. I hated to admit it, but I was looking forward to wherever our hike might take us. He had promised that no one would find out about our date, too, so I hoped that that was true.

Not that knowing that our date would be secret would make me feel any better; if anything, it made me feel worse that we were hiding it and lying to our pack. But at the same time, it made it more exciting.

Was it so wrong of me to feel that way?

When I arrived at the Packhouse, I was met with a bustling atmosphere. I stepped into the foyer with a furrowed brow, narrowly ducking out of the way of a nearby worker carrying a large stack of boxes. When I rounded the corner, I was met with Chris conversing with a group of Omegas.

“Here’s your payment,” he said, pressing money into their palms. “Thank you for your work this morning.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, stepping up beside him.

Chris turned and opened his mouth to respond, but words seemed to fail him as he took me in. His eyes slid down to my tight-fitting pants, and I swore his pupils dilated ever so slightly. When he finally regained his composure, he simply shook his head.

“Just some spring cleaning,” he said, gesturing around. “The Packhouse feels so dark lately. I wanted to spruce things up.”

I let my gaze follow his hand, taking in the activities around me. Old and dusty paintings had been removed from walls, dark, heavy curtains were being replaced by lighter, sheer curtains, and the old carpets were being rolled up. I turned to see a nearby Omega rearranging a table, taking painstaking care to polish the table and adjust the flowers in a shiny porcelain vase.

“Is this costly?” I found myself asking.

Chris shook his head. “Hardly. And…” He leaned in, lowering his voice so that only I could hear. “I wanted to use it as an opportunity to jumpstart the Omega plan. Small jobs, good pay, you know?”

I nodded slowly as I took in his words. It was a smart idea, to create small jobs like this so that the Omegas could get paid. It would be good for the local economy, too, with the Omegas finally having the money to purchase things in town.

“Well, well,” I said. “Another brilliant move from our Alpha.”

“Alpha for now,” Chris corrected me, then looked my outfit up and down again. “I take it you’re ready…” He cleared his throat before continuing. “...For our trip to survey the pack’s border?”

I blinked for a moment, then realized what he was going for and quickly nodded. “Of course. I’m looking forward to giving you a tour.”

Chris’s lips twitched upwards ever so slightly into a smirk. He took a step back and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve just got to grab something from my office. Wait here?”

“Sure.”

Once Chris’s form had disappeared around a corner, I turned to take in the activity around me. It did look much nicer in here, actually; much lighter, more airy and ever so slightly modern without being tacky. It had been a long time since any of the decor inside the Packhouse had changed.

Ethan hadn’t cared about such things; he had always said that it was a ‘woman’s job’, but frankly, I had been too busy with taking care of our home and small pack matters all by myself to have the time to care about the Packhouse.

I wasn’t standing there for long when I heard footsteps approaching. Turning, I smiled and called out, “Ready to—” But my voice cut off when I saw that it wasn’t Chris who was headed my way, but rather…

“Olivia,” I said, straightening my shoulders out of instinct. “It’s good to see you.”

“Wish I could say the same.” She stopped in front of me and folded her arms across her chest, eyeing me up and down. “You’re all dressed up. Where are you headed?”

“Chris and I are surveying the pack’s border,” I lied, maybe a little too quickly. “We’ll be out all day.”

Olivia let out a small hmph and finished eyeing my outfit before she took a step closer. “Dressed like that?” she murmured.

I quirked an eyebrow. “It’s a hiking outfit,” I said. “Something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing.” She leaned back a bit and twirled a bit of hair around her finger. “It’s awfully seductive, though, isn’t it? Those tight pants?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but no words would come. Truthfully, Olivia was right; part of me had chosen this outfit to impress Chris, even though I didn’t want to admit it. Before I could come up with a response, she brushed past me, her shoulder knocking into me as she did so.

“Watch yourself, Ava,” she hissed as she passed by. “I won’t have you seducing my brother. It’s… unbecoming of you.”

Without another word, Olivia sauntered out of the Packhouse and let the door slam behind her. I felt my stomach clench as I stared at the closed door—Goddess, she was right. It was unbecoming of me to be going out with Chris, and even more unbecoming of me to put on a show for him.

It was as I was standing there, wondering if I should cancel the date, that I heard the soft footfalls of leather boots approaching. I turned to see Chris headed my way, looking as handsome as ever in a pair of cargos, a well-fitting t-shirt, and an unbuttoned shirt.

“Ready?” he asked.

Goddess, how could I say no?