Page 27 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

Now I was sitting at Nora’s kitchen table on a Friday evening, enjoying my first girls' night while Evangeline kept piling more of her homemade cookies onto my plate and Nora filled our glasses with wine. It was awesome.

Nora’s house was small and cozy, in the same omega-friendly neighborhood as my apartment. She had great style, with flowering plants on every windowsill and probably almost ten cozy throw blankets on the various chairs and couch. She even had her own little garden out back, where I could smell the night-blooming jasmine.

Puff had been invited too, naturally. He stayed beneath the table waiting for one of us to drop something, although I suspected Evangeline had already slipped him several pieces of cheese when she thought I wasn’t looking.

“I saw that handsome alpha again last night,” Nora announced casually.

I looked up from my food. “Who?”

A smile spread across her face, and she leaned on the counter. “The alpha in the enormous black SUV. That one who showed up looking like a hit puppy despite being twice the normal size of a man.” I nearly choked on a piece of bread.

Evangeline laughed into her drink while Nora gave me a wink.

“He’s not mine,” I said, my cheeks heating.

Nora lifted an eyebrow. “No? Because I ‘haven’t heard you complain once about him sticking around watching guard each night.”

“I mean, it’s not a bad thing,” I hesitated, not entirely sure how to explain Ronan’s history with me. “He’s just keeping an eye on things. Ever since my fathers stopped by unannounced.”

Nora nodded. “That’s nice of him to do,” she noted.

“I appreciate it,” I admitted. “After what happened with my family, it’s nice knowing someone is paying attention if they try something again. I know we have neighborhood security, but Ronan knows what they look like. He knows what they’re capable of.” I said.

Nora’s teasing expression softened. “That makes sense.”

“That doesn’t mean anything else is happening between us,” I added quickly.

Evangeline leaned her elbows on the table and took a sip of her wine. “Good. Packs are overrated anyway.”

Nora laughed. “All packs?”

“Every one of them,” she said, and raised her glass. “I could do without them.” There was humor in Evangeline’s voice, but something in her expression changed for the briefest moment. Her fingers tightened around her glass before she seemed to notice and deliberately relaxed them. I’d seen that happen before whenever conversations turned toward bonding or alphas, although she always brushed it away so quickly that I’d never felt comfortable asking about it.

“Too many people making decisions at once,” she continued. “Then somehow one person always ends up having to adjust to everyone else. No, thank you. I like having my own bed, my own schedule, and no alpha asking where I’ve been.”

Nora shook her head. “There are good packs out there,” she said.

“Where are they then?” Evangeline asked.

I laughed. “I think I’m with Evangeline on this one.”

Nora looked between us with exaggerated disappointment. “Two cynics at my own dinner table.”

“Says the omega who dissolved her bond!” I protested. Nora just smiled and shook her head.

“Well, I’m not giving up. But I am content living here, single, unless I find a pack that worships the ground I walk on.”

Evangeline lifted her glass again. “To a good life, pack or no.” I tapped my glass against hers.

Nora sighed before leaning back in her chair. “You can both swear off packs forever if you want. I’m certainly not going to argue that anyone needs a bond to be happy.” She paused and glanced at me again, a sly smile on her face. “But that man sitting outside the gates is very good-looking.”

I groaned, and they both started laughing. Puff crawled out from beneath the table and put his paws against my leg. I scooped him into my lap, and he made big eyes at Nora until she gave him a piece of chicken. After a moment, Nora’s expression softened again. “I am teasing you, Ivy. You know that, right?”

“I know.” I sighed. But they had a point - Ronan was here guarding, something alphas only did for an omega that they were truly interested in. And I hadn’t told him to leave.

“If you told me tomorrow that you never wanted to see that man again, I’d support you. If you wanted me to tell him to move his ridiculous car somewhere else, I’d march out there myself.”

Evangeline nodded. “I’d come with you.”