“She what? So she can…” Blake’s face transformed then, a flush of pleasure washing through him. “She can have Blue’s baby?”
“In theory,” I said, grinning myself. “We’ll have to look at what needs to happen next, but…”
Blake cut me off, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me close, the lunchbox pressed hard into our chests.
“You did it, Riley. You did it.”
Actually, Janine did. We were just trying some therapies using different alpha hormones to see if we could trick her reproductive system into thinking Blue was an alpha. We’d talked about sperm donation, but they were reluctant to introducing anyone else’s genetic material in the mix until they were forced to, but now… I gave myself just a second to enjoy Blake’s warm embrace before pulling away.
“Call her, please,” I said to Colt. “I know it’s probably stupid o’clock over there, but…”
“She’ll want to know,” he said with a nod, walking out of the living room into one of the bedrooms with the computer.
“C’mon, milady,” Ryan said, wandering out with my suit in a dry cleaning bag. “Time to get that gorgeous arse into your suit. It’s getting close to go time.”
“Right, right…” I said, all the elation going and being replaced by sheer freaking terror. I tried to hand the lunchbox back to Blake, but he wasn’t having it.
“You need to eat,” he insisted.
“And if I do, I’m gonna vom.” I clicked the lid onto the box. “I’ll take it with me, then eat something after the presentation, I promise.”
“Riley…” Blake’s voice was a low growl, one that vibrated all the way through me, making me shiver in response. “You better.”
“Nerves getting to you, love?” Haze asked, strolling in looking very dashing in a suit of his own. “I’ll be there in the audience. Just imagine me below the podium, sliding down your zipper and working my tongue right into your tight little—”
“How the hell would that help my nerves?” I asked with a shake of my head.
“It wouldn’t,” he replied with a shrug. “It’d just be super hot.”
I let out a frustrated little snort, grabbing the clothes, but Ryan pulled me in close when I did. He held me against him, nuzzling his nose into my neck, and then said in the most persuasive of alpha commands, “You’ve got this. You’ve always had it, you just need to demonstrate that to other people today. Show them what we know—that you’re fucking amazing.”
“Brilliant,” Fen added, walking in wearing his own suit, since he and Haze were the ones to escort me today. “Accomplished, and what did Gideon say the other day? Visionary.” He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss on my lips. “You’re visionary, Riley.”
“I’m just fucking lucky,” I said, the fear creeping back in. “Any other researcher who was given free rein with a pack of alphas would’ve—”
“But they didn’t,” Haze said firmly. “You did. You could’ve lolled around at home, riding the high of endless multiple orgasms without a care in the world, and you didn’t. I admit, I’m slightly disappointed by this, but—”
“Shut up, Haze,” Blake said with a sigh.
“Yeah, shut up, Haze,” Ryan said. “Now c’mon. You’ve practised and practised this. You know what to do. You just need to do it.” It was his turn to kiss me now, just a soft thing. “And do it knowing every fucking one of us is proud of you. You’re amazing, Riles. Every day, I’m proud to call you my mate, but none more than today.”
A sharp knock at the door broke our focus, and Blake went over to open it, letting in a flustered Candy.
“You’re not dressed yet? Bitch, stop pogoing on alpha cock for five seconds and get your arse dressed!”
“You wonder why I’m nervous,” I said to the guys as I disappeared into the bedroom.
I pulled my clothes on with careful precision, feeling like a knight donning his armour before battle or something. As I put it on, I wasn’t Riles or omega, I was Riley Taylor, one part of the team presenting for Crowe Corp. I brushed my hair, twirling it up into a professional-looking bun, and then walked out.
“So afterwards, I’m thinking we all come back here and get pissed on Gideon’s dime, because oh my fucking god…” Candy babbled. “Though maybe we should go clubbing, see if they have any free-range alphas looking for some strange. I heard they don’t tend to form packs in the city here.”
“Candy, let’s just get the presentation done first,” I said. “Then we can plan ways for you to land yourself in the A&E for vaginal trauma.”
“Vaginal trauma…” she said with a hum, her eyes fluttering like it sounded like the most delicious thing in the world. “If we ever started a punk band, that could be our name!”
“Fuck…” I hissed, looking back at the others.
When I got nervous, I got quieter, but when Candy did, words came flooding out, with little care for meaning or volume.