Page 46 of Pack End Game

If anything, I'm wondering if the house will tattle on me if I sneak out early and skip the rest of the tour.

I know Spencer probably doesn't want Rufus to feel like we wasted his time driving all the way out here, but this house is no longer checking all the right boxes.

"Why don't we take a look upstairs before I show you the formal dining room and bonus rooms on this level?" Rufus suggests. We begrudgingly follow him upstairs, and he leads us to a room at the back of the house that he proudly announces has "great nest potential."

I might agree with him if a speaker in the ceiling didn't call out, "Privacy optimization activated," the moment I stepped inside. The windows automatically tint, and the lights in the room dim.

"Nope. Don't like that," I say.

The house doesn't respond to my displeasure, which somehow feels smug.

"We don't need to see anything else," Spencer tells Rufus, pressing himself against my back as if to reassure me he's capable of protecting me against the evils of the smart house.

I breathe a sigh of relief that we can end this charade. I'm obviously not living here.

This place even makes their current house seem more appealing.

"I completely understand, and I already have a few other places in mind for you all that might be a better fit." Rufus nervously fiddles with the sleeves of his sweater, tightening the knot at the base of his throat.

He leads us back into the hallway, but we stop short when yet another wall panel beeps to get our attention. Freddie curses the house out under his breath. The panel beeps again.

"What's it doing now?" I ask, looking at Rufus, who seems to be as clueless as the rest of us.

The panel lights up with white text against a blue screen.

THERMAL SCAN COMPLETE.

OMEGA WITH SLIGHT TEMPERATURE ELEVATION DETECTED.

IRRITABILITY MAY CORRELATE WITH EARLY HEAT ONSET.

RECOMMENDED COMFORT ACTIONS AVAILABLE.

My eyes skim the text in horrified silence that gives way to rage. This house is really threatening my bodily autonomy by impersonating a gynecologist with absolutely no bedside manners.

"Would you like support protocols initiated for omega pre-heat wellness?" the house asks in its overly pleasant voice that I find more grating than soothing.

Absolutely hell to the no.

I push past the others to hurry toward the stairs. I'm getting the hell out of here before the psycho house finds a way to follow us home. I'm already shivering imagining that voice coming out of the car's speakers on the way back to my apartment.

I'm halfway down the steps when I hear Freddie tell Rufus, "We're gonna need a much dumber house."

We’re nearly home when Spencer glances at me in the rearview mirror.

"I wanted to wait to mention this until after we did today's tour," he says in a casual tone that sounds forced. "The team would like to meet you."

I blink. "The team?"

He nods. "One of the guys on the team is part-owner of an Italian restaurant downtown. He's shutting the restaurant down for a private dinner party this weekend, and most of our teammates are planning to be there." He glances at me in the mirror again, checking my reaction. "Would you come?"

Before I can answer, Zak says, “Maybe we should wait.”

“Wait for what?” Spencer’s frown shows in the rearview mirror. Questioning the other alpha’s decision is dangerously close to Zak stepping on Spencer’s toes as the head of the pack.

Zak must realize it too because he sinks down in his seat a few inches before mumbling, “Wait until she has her bite marks.”

“I know that it’s not ideal introducing our unmarked omega to a bunch of other alphas, but we’re close enough to the guys on the team that I trust them not to try anything stupid.” Spencer shakes his head with a small smile, like the very idea is laughable. “And if we go ahead and get the introduction done now, while we’re in the middle of our season, maybe we can get away with taking an extended break from everyone when the season ends. That way, we get to bond as a pack in peace without everyone trying to be so nosy.”