“I’m so sorry, Devlin,” she breathes. She genuinely looks anguished, her face pale. “Where did you go?”
I clear my throat, swallowing the lump down. “They placed me with a beta couple. I was part of the early adoption program. There were a lot of kids in the same position then.”
Trey and Alicia were nice people, but they weren’t my mom and dad. And they didn’t really know what to do with me, especially as I grew older. It was a miracle I had my pack around me. I check on them every so often, but we’re not close.
“I didn’t know that,” she whispers. “That there were children left behind when everything happened.”
I shrug. “Why would you?”
I mean it. She wasn’t even born then, I guess. Then she would have been a kid, and then she awakened. And she had her own battles to fight.
I run my hand through her hair, admiring the glints of copper in the light.
“When you first got here, I was scared,” I confess.
It’s pulled from the deepest part of me. But she deserves to hear it.
“The moment I saw you in that office, I had thisfeeling. It was like I’d always known you, even though I’d never seen you before. It pulled up a lot of memories, but I should’ve handled them instead of taking them out on you.”
I should have called Ezra straight away and talked it through. Ace’s grandpa is a retired doctor, and he’s been a huge support to me over the years.
“I understand, though,” Harper whispers. Her shoulders slump. “How could you not feel that way about me, after what happened to your parents?”
She tries to pull away from me, but I hold onto her. “Wait, princess.”
She stills, looking away. “Why do you call me that?”
My voice is hoarse when I reply. “Because you deserve to be fucking worshipped, Harper.”
I’ve been an idiot, letting my past affect the way I feel about this girl. No more.
Her slim shoulders start to shake, and I pull her back to me. Fucking hell, I’ve made her cry again.
“I’m sorry,” I say, trying to wipe away her tears. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She half-laughs, waving me off as she wipes her cheeks. “You really didn’t. I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“I think I have some work to do then.” I’ll tell her every day for as long as she’ll have me. I pull her down next to me as she squeals slightly, the heaviness of our conversation passing and leaving me with… hope.
We lie peacefully for a few minutes. The way Harper nestles against me settles something in my chest. It feels… right. Her breathing calms and hot little breaths flutter against my skin as she gradually drifts back off to sleep.
I’m not far behind her, my thoughts slowing as I drift off. One final thought sneaks through, though.
Keeping Harper at a distance? Yeah. Not a fucking option.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Gabe
Devlin slips quietly out of Harper’s room, his nostrils flaring when he catches the scent of three, very pissed-off alphas.
Rogue, Ace and I lean against the wall, arms crossed in identical expressions of annoyance. I mean, what the fuck?
Yesterday, he didn’t want anything to do with Harper. He wantedallof us to have nothing to do with Harper. Then this morning, we all wake up to a house absolutely saturated with the intoxicating scent of an omega in full arousal. And Devlin? Right in the damned middle.
I’ve never been so hard in my life.
Rogue stalks towards Devlin with murder in his eyes. Dev at least has the good sense to back up, looking slightly sheepish. Dominance is flooding out of Rogue in waves, making me want to bare my throat. I’m not sure how Devlin is even still standing.
