Page 148 of All Packed Up

That stopped Wendy in her tracks. “What?”

Wendy lifted her leg up, staring at the pattern stretching across her thigh and looking for the—

“Oh my god!” she said as she finally spied it.

It was a muted floral pattern, but tucked away in the random pattern were… cats! And some of them were turned around, little X’s drawn where their buttholes would be.

“It’s perfect,” she announced.

Griffith arched a brow at her. “They’re kinda ugly.”

With a dramatic gasp, Wendy spun on him, sarcastic retort loaded on her tongue, but she paused.

She was having fun with this alpha. Why the revelation hit her so suddenly, she wasn’t sure. All she did know was that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such simple fun.

College Wendy had been so naïve, thinking the fancy dinners and too expensive dresses were fun.

But she’d had more fun with this mismatched household over the past several days than she’d had in years with the Sterling Pack.

Clearing her throat, Wendy motioned to the overalls and replied to his comment several seconds too late. “These are coming home with us.”

Grif hooked a single finger around the shoulder strap of the outfit and tugged. “Whatever the omega wants…”

The smile he lifted toward her made her feel a little lightheaded. “The omega asks nicely and hopes Nic’s card has room?”

His teeth were white as he grinned, barking out a laugh, the sound following her into the dressing room.

* * *

“I wanted to say thanks. For today and for last night,” Wendy said, angling herself in the seatbelt so she’d have more room. The words felt funny on her tongue, but she continued anyway.

“What about last night?”

Wendy cocked her head to the side. “Uh, how you seemed to know…” How did she articulate it? He’d kept his distance even though the others had crowded around her. He’d respected her boundaries but had still been there for her.

“Not to crowd?” he suggested.

“Yeah,” she said. “It just really showed how good of an alpha you are. I know we don’t know each other like super well, and—”

“Wendy,” Grif said softly with a firm under note that made her pause and look up at him. “You don’t have to thank me for anything. Any decent person would…” He trailed off with a huff.

With a wry smile, Wendy looked back out the front windshield, watching the neighborhoods pass by. “You know, up until this moment, I thought those kinds of people were hard to find.”

A moment passed before he responded. “Maybe we are, don’t ask me. I’d pass for a hermit at this point.” He was quiet for a moment, the rumble of the car the only noise. “I think you just met the wrong people at the wrong time,” he finally said.

Wendy let that statement digest for a moment, wondered if she should let the thoughts in her head out.

“Is that how you feel about Nic?”

“No… no, not quite.”

Wendy smirked. “So he’s the right person, just the wrong time?”

He huffed.

“You want Nic back,” she stated plainly, insistent to get her point across before they arrived home.

Grif eyed her in surprise before turning back to the road, and she watched his fingers tighten and release on the wheel. “I don’t want him to leave again without at least trying.”