Simpler Than Most: The Stars of the Pack, #1.1

By N.J. Lysk

Sergi has stopped lying to himself: he's had a crush on a guy for a while.

 

Things seem to be looking up when the guy turns out to be an omega and he agrees to take Sergi as his bondmate. But it isn't as simple as alpha meets omega and they live happily ever after. 
For one thing, Ray has four other alphas. For another, one of them seems intent on ignoring every one of the conventions alphas are meant to live by. Sergi should be angry and he's certainly worried, but the more lines Iesu crosses, the closer he gets to the person Sergi has always been afraid to be. 
Is Sergi brave enough to face himself and does Iesu have the patience to wait him out while he does?

An interlude in The Stars of the Pack series. It can be read directly after "Omega for the Pack" or at any other point in the series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palm Hearts
• Release date: Sep 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386690931

N.J. Lysk

N.J. Lysk spends the day in an office with the heavy burden of a wandering mind. Nights are spent more enjoyably as that mind is let to wander free and darker desires to take hold in the form of these steamy forbidden tales.

Book preview

Thanks to Alna, for the title and all the great feedback. Toni and Dana, for making sure I don’t forget any words. And everyone who has reviewed other books or let me know what they liked. Hope you enjoy this peek behind the scenes!

Blurb

Sergi has stopped lying to himself: he’s had a crush on a guy for a while.

Things seem to be looking up when the guy turns out to be an omega and he agrees to take Sergi as his bondmate. But it isn’t as simple as alpha meets omega and they live happily ever after.

For one thing, Ray has four other alphas. For another, one of them seems intent on ignoring every one of the conventions alphas are meant to live by. Sergi should be angry and he’s certainly worried, but the more lines Iesu crosses, the closer he gets to the person Sergi has always been afraid to be.

Is Sergi brave enough to face himself and does Iesu have the patience to wait him out while he does?

The Stars of the Pack - Chronologically

Midnight Encounters*

1) Omega for the Pack (also in audiobook format)

2) Simpler than Most*

3) Alpha for the Pack (cut scene*)

4) Protectors of the Pack

5) Beloved of the Pack (Shock Therapy*)

6) Betas Aside

7) Around the Hearth

* = Interludes/extras free for newsletter subscribers, get them here!

Companion series:

Runt of the Litter

Paper Kisses

Also available in German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese and bilingual learner editions.

Prologue  

S o, are we going to do something about it?

Sergi looked up from the cement he was laying down on a line of bricks and glanced around, trying to figure out if they’d messed something up. Gabriel had given them the easiest job he could because neither of them had any experience with construction. There was nothing out of place, Iesu had completed about as much of the next layer of bricks as he could—neat and straight like their foreman had asked. About what?

This crush you have on me, Iesu said. Except he couldn’t have. Sergi stared at him, hoping the words would start making sense. Iesu still had a bit of an accent and sometimes he’d use strange words—not wrong, really, just not quite the ones Sergi expected.

What? he said again when Iesu didn’t rephrase or repeat.

The other alpha wasn’t smiling for once, but his lips were still slightly curved upwards as if on the cusp of laughter. And Sergi probably shouldn’t have noticed that. Iesu sighed, then took another brick and placed it precisely right, pressing it slightly against the cement underneath. He was relaxed, heartbeat steady and unrushed. And then he did repeat it, equally unbothered. This crush you have on me. I just wondered if you were planning on ever acting on it. At that, he glanced up at Sergi through his dark eyelashes, not in defiance, but... Was that a challenge? Did he want to fight?

Are you crazy? he blurted out, too shocked for politeness. Why... I don’t... He stopped talking and Iesu straightened at once, dark eyes sharply attentive.

You don’t have a crush on me? he inquired very politely, but it was a dare, of course. Because if Sergi said it and it wasn’t true, they both knew his body would give away the lie.

And it was stupid because Iesu knew. And he wasn’t acting anything like Sergi had imagined. He wasn’t freaking out and he wasn’t punching him. But none of that meant it wasn’t crazy. Just... stop. I don’t know what you expect to accomplish with this, but—

Orgasms, Iesu interrupted. It was against protocol, and combined with the rest of this absurd conversation, enough insult to throw the first punch. But Sergi was