her flat stomach on display. She had wavy black hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Her lips were blood-red, her breasts perfect, and her hips curvy and wide.
He felt all the blood in his body rush to his cock, and all he could think about was running over and rutting like an animal. Jason had seen plenty of beautiful women, human and shifter, over the years. But this one was something else.
And more than that, she looked strangely familiar.
“Jason?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as she spoke.
Then it hit him.
It was little Lexi Blackclaw, the awkward omega he and his friends had teased constantly when they were younger.
And she’d grown up.
Before he could say anything, a few other women hurried over and began talking to her, the group moving away from where she’d stood.
Lexi looked at Jason over her shoulder as she left, and all he could do was stare.
Then a grin formed on his lips. He had a feeling his time back was about to get very, very interesting.
CHAPTER 4
LEXI
She couldn’t believe it was him.
Had that really been Jason Rainbringer?
He’d been gone for years, some members of the pack wondering if he would ever return. Gone to Seattle—that’d been all she’d heard.
But that morning, she was certain she’d seen him.
And he looked as hot as ever. Tall, built, that cocky smirk on his face that she’d seen a million times before back when she was younger.
It had to have been him.
Lexi was conflicted. On the one hand, she was attracted to him like crazy. Jason had always been gorgeous, but the years that had passed since she’d seen him had only done him favors. Rather than the lean, boyishly good-looking kid she’d known back in the day, he was broad and built and handsome—like a man should be.
But there was the little detail that back when they were kids he’d been nothing but a total prick to her, always making fun of her and Shana with his friends, calling her gawky or awkward or whatever other cruel names they could think of.
She sighed as she stepped back into her house, her parents on the couch. Her father was reading, her mom, Melody, folding laundry on the coffee table. Both glanced up as she entered.
“Hey,” she said, planning on hurrying past to her room.
“Hold up, Lex,” said her father, Sharpe, his voice stern and commanding. She knew right away that he had something to talk to her about.
And she knew without a doubt what it was.
“What?” she asked, putting on her best innocent tone.
“Kiddo,” he said, pointing to the chair across from him. “Sit down.”
Busted. She wasn’t supposed to have been out last night and had hoped when Rick had brought her home, she’d be able to slip in undetected. It was looking to her like this wasn’t the case.
Lexi sat down, the eyes of her parents on her, Mom folding the clothes without breaking her stare.
“What time did you get home last night?” asked Sharpe. Her dad was big and brawny, all alpha. Her mother was long and lean, like Lexi.
She decided not to beat around the bush, to get right into it.
“It was Chad.”
Sharpe scoffed. “It was Chad who made you go out to Marley’s last night?”
“Wait, how did you know about that?”
“Lexi, sweetie,” said her mother. “We’re a big pack, but word gets around fast.”
“I only wanted to go out for one drink,” she said, protesting. “But Chad told me to come over to his place.”
The looks on her parents’ faces let her know right away that this excuse hadn’t done her any favors.
“You...went to Chad’s house last night?” asked her mother.
“I mean, it wasn’t like that. Nothing happened.”
“I should damn well hope it didn’t,” said Sharpe. “You two aren’t even supposed to be talking until the ceremony.”
“And that’s what I said,” Lexi went on. “But...”
She stopped, knowing that what she wanted to say next—what had actually happened—would likely cause a stir.
“Sharpe,” said her mother, a small smile on her face. “They’re kids in love—you can’t blame them for wanting to sneak off and be with one another.”
Lexi had to hold back the bile that rose in her throat at that comment.
“Doesn’t matter,” said her father. “They’re not supposed to see one another until the day of. I don’t care how crazy they are about each other.”
The next words blurted out of Lexi’s mouth, almost as if beyond her control.