This time, I stop dead, remembering the gentle way his hands roamed over me, the sure way he found my clit, and the three heartbreaking words he whispered into my ear.
I back up a step and then another. Because in the cold light of dawn, those three words could be the end of all of us.
I get in the bathroom and close the door, going through my morning shower really quickly.
All right. I have a plan.
I just…need a new date. Someone special. Someone I will pick out. I’ll just be a bit more particular about what I’m looking for. No fuckups this time.
I sneak out, seeing that they are rousing, and get the laptop. Several people have messaged, but I take my time.
I find one that looks good and send him a message asking if he’s free tonight.
I close my eyes on the pain that brings me. The lump in my throat, the burn in my eyes.
It’s the worst I think I’ve ever felt. Even that experience when I was younger, of being raped. They took from me all hope and broke me. It took years to rebuild who I am. And I’ve been alone since then, and then I found them, and now I have to give them up? I have to go back to empty and alone with nothing but memories to ruin me?
Why can’t I keep them?
I bite my lower lip to hide the tears. Angel comes into the kitchen; his greeting dies on his lips. He just walks over to me and wraps his arms around me.
“It will be okay.”
I shake my head. “You can’t promise that, Angel.”
“I guess I can’t. But I believe that. Because I know how strong we all are. I trust that fate won’t screw us. It’s given us a chance; now we need to fight for it.”
“What if we choose the wrong path?”
“There is no wrong path. Only the one we walk,” Angel murmurs. “Let’s just stay like this. It works.”
“We can’t.”
“We can,” Khaos says calmly.
I jerk my head up and see the four alphas standing there, smiling.
“Forget freedom. We’re yours anyway. I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here with you.”
“What?” Hazard yelps. “Do you mean it? You’d give up your heritage for this life?”
“Yeah, I would,” Khaos says with complete conviction. “I do.”
And the happiness that bursts into my chest completely buries the thread of unease.
I throw myself into Khaos’ arms and cry.
“Really?”
Khaos laughs and steals me, kissing me hard. “Yes, really. We want to stay.”
“So, we’re going to accept the fated mates?”
Riot grins. “Yes.”
“We’ll be pack. Family. Mates,” Hazard whispers and kisses the side of my head.
I look up at Angel. “Are you sure?”
