Eve Tellus had been told her entire life what it meant to be a beta. Despite wishing to one day have a pack, she knew it was unlikely given her designation. That is, until she finds a new job with the Wilder Pack.
Atlas, Everett, and Oaks Wilder aren’t a normal pack. They break every stereotype, ignore biological designation rules, and even more strangely, they’re willing to court Eve, a beta.
Just when Eve thinks she might accept their offer, she learns that she’s being charged for omega harm. It’s a lie, but if she loses this case, Eve won’t just be facing jail time, she’ll be blocked from ever joining a pack with an omega.
Now she has to choose: Leave behind the Wilder Pack or fight for them.
Be Warned: reverse harem, menage sex (MMMF), m/m sex, knotting
I’d never met a pack like Wilder before. And I’d met plenty of packs. None of them had called to me like this one had. Their scents, their sweetness. It was more than just their looks. It was the way they cared for me, giving me so much attention, that we didn’t feel like strangers. The texts and the meals together and the gifts and their flirting and the kisses and the way they were excited to see me every morning and disappointed when I left each night.
“Stay here.” Atlas was up, off the bed before I could even ask where he was going. He didn’t leave the room completely, going to the large walk-in closet that looked like it might have been the size of my entire bedroom in my apartment.
I got up, looking around for my pants and underwear. The former was easy, although the latter took a moment. I was tying the fabric around my hips as Atlas returned, a box in his hand. A jewelry box.
I stared down at it, not recognizing the brand’s name. I didn’t reach for it.
“What’s that?” I couldn’t stop staring at the box. It wasn’t ring size, not that I’d think that two alphas and an omega would do the beta tradition of marriage. It looked like it would be perfect for a necklace—large, but thin.
“You’d have to open it to find out, pet. That’s what a present is.”
I shook my head, disagreeing with him. “Why would you have a present for me?” Was I making a big deal out of this? After all, I hadn’t opened the box yet. Maybe it wasn’t even a necklace. I had no idea what else would fit into that small box, though. Decorative coasters? Decorative potholders? Those were gifts I could accept.
I grabbed the box, careful as I lifted the lid.
I was right, it was a necklace. It was gold, and dainty, not that either fact made it less expensive. I couldn’t look away, as if a single glance up at Atlas and the necklace could fall out of its box and break.
“Do you see it, pet?”
Atlas’s question had me frowning. I was literally looking at it, obviously staring at it.
“Take a closer look.” His finger came to point at the front where the gold twist and turned. It was difficult to make out, but I swore the gold spelled out ‘Wilder’ along the length. The word didn’t dangle like a charm. It was a part of the necklace, the same as the rest of the material. Not quite a choker, it would probably rest just over my collarbones. Their name on the side of my neck. Like a claim.
My jaw dropped open as I simply stared at it.
This was a claiming. Granted, a less permanent claiming than being bitten by the omega in front of me. Nonetheless, it was very clearly a claim from pack Wilder.
“Atlas?” His name was all I could manage. I finally pulled my gaze away from the jewelry to look up at his face. He was already staring at me, watching me. “I don’t understand.”
“We want to court you.”
“Court me? You can’t court me.”
“Why not?”
I looked around, hoping someone would suddenly appear to help me explain. Where were Everett and Oaks? I gave it a moment in case the alphas wanted to make a dramatic appearance. They didn’t. “I’m a beta. You don’t court betas.”
“You can court anyone. It just so happens that most packs court an omega before they settle down. We’re just going to court you as the last pack member. Designation has nothing to do with it.”
“Courting is specifically designed for omegas. The dates and gifts—”
“All of which an omega might appreciate, sure. But are you telling me you don’t like dates? You don’t like gifts? You don’t like the idea of wearing this necklace, so everyone knows you’re mine?”
My body gave a weak attempt at arousal. I had been thoroughly satiated, but it was willing to try and restrike the match at his words. This was probably the quickest recovery time I’d ever had. “I do.”
“And if our intent with giving you this gift is to court you, then I don’t see what the problem is. What designation has to do with any of it.”
“Because!”
“Because what?”
I groaned. “Even if I do accept this … courting gift,” damn, that was hard to even admit out loud, “what then? I just become a part of your pack? You don’t need a beta.”
Atlas growled, tossing the necklace onto the bed as he stepped closer to me, fisting my hair in his hand as he pulled, forcing my gaze to meet his. “Enough with the designation shit. We want you, Eve. Not some random beta. Not anyone else.”
