I need to get out of here before I end up in there. I don’t think Ava or my brother would appreciate me barging in on them.
Bursting out of the front doors, I take in a bracing breath of fresh air and try to push down the jealousy making a twisted mess of my intestines.
Nik approaches, eyeing me curiously, and I hold up a hand.
“Donotgo in there,” I warn. His brows fly up as he stares from me to the door.
“Why not?” he asks cautiously.
Swallowing hard, I gesture wildly behind me. “Bastien is with Ava.”
Nik’s eyes grow wide, a flush trailing across his high cheekbones.
“Is she all right?” he asks, a thread of anger in his words. “She hasn’t recovered enough—,”
“Trust me,” I grit out. “She’s fine.”
At least, judging from the sounds I heard.
Nikolai eyes me, and I roll my eyes at him, pushing down the hint of hurt in my chest.
What made you think she’d come to you for comfort anyway, asshole?
Swallowing, I walkpast Nik, ignoring him when he falls into step next to me.
“You’re jealous,” he notes softly.
I scoff. “I’m not jealous. She can be with whoever she wants.”
I mean it. I’m so fucking glad that she’s exploring her own pleasure, and not letting those bastards keep her from it. I just…I wish it was me.
Fuck. I’m not just jealous, I’m bright green with fucking envy. My fist lifts, rubbing the space over my heart. This damn omega has me twisted up in knots. Nikolai kicks at the leaves as he walks, drawing my attention to him.
“Maybe I am a little jealous,” I admit. “I like her, Nik.”
He side-eyes me with a smile. “I know.”
“Asshole.” I push him, and he snorts with laughter.
“We’re a pack, Luc,” he says. “Maybe it’s time we start acting like it.”
I stop, turning to face him as hurt lances my chest. “You don’t think we act like a pack?”
Nik shrugs. “We do, most of the time,” he notes. “But the last few years…,” he stops, swallowing. “I haven’t helped.”
I stare at my pack brother. “When I made you part of this pack, I knew what I was asking,” I say roughly. “I never expected you to give us your all, Nik. Not when you didn’t have it to give.”
He nods. “I know. But maybe it’s time for us to put the pack first.”
“What do you mean?”
He swallows. “Ava. If we’re going to do this… then we should offer her a real pack, Luc. All of us. All in. We already know Max is, and it sounds like Bastien’s the same. I don’t want her to worry about who’s in, or who’s out.”
It sounds perfect. All of us, together. The way that a pack should be. But…
“This’ll be different to before.” Nik and Emery were a couple outside of the pack structure. Unusual, but it worked for them and for us, especially with her being Max’s cousin. There was never even a question, the relationship too familial despite their adoption status. Having our whole pack focused on one omega… god, I want that.
He nods. “I know. I think I’m ready for it, Luc.” Hesitating, he looks behind us, to the omega we’ve left behind with my brother. “She makes me want a future again. I think I felt it when we needed the nest. I thought it would feel wrong, like she wasn’t supposed to be there, but it didn’t.”
