“Yeah,” I told her. “Yeah, I know.”
She looked a bit steadier, so I didn’t immediately pick her up and carry her. She let me lead her to my bedroom and pull the covers back on my bed. I’d thought she might balk, but she climbed in without complaint and curled up in a tight comma shape with her back to me.
I could guess the kind of shit she’d been through, so I smoothed the covers over her and sat down on top of them, swinging my sock-clad feet up and scooting in behind her with the sheets and blankets acting as a barrier between us. In a situation where not a single goddamned thing about it was acceptable, I had no idea what would be okay and what wouldn’t.
“Can I hold you?” I asked, my arm hovering.
She was silent for long enough that my triceps started to ache.
“Yes,” she said eventually.
My arm settled over her waist, making her the small spoon.
“I want to pretend like I chose this,” she said. “Just... just for a bit.”
“That sounds nice,” I said, not sure why my throat had started to ache all of the sudden.
“Goodnight,” she murmured.
“Goodnight,” I agreed.
Her breathing was congested from crying, but her body went limp within minutes. Snoring cut through the silence of the house, the storm both within and without now long past.
I want to pretend like I chose this, she’d said... and I got it. I really did.
Because somewhere, there was a world where Jez was our scent match, and the four of us were happily mated, and she’d crawled into my bed for comfort because she was scared of storms. I bet that world was pretty fucking awesome, too.
It might not ever bethisworld, but right now, it could be. Just for a few hours, anyway. So, I kept watch like an alpha was supposed to when they were protecting their omega. And I liked it. A lot.
I like the way she felt curled up against me, and the way her caramel coffee scent mixed with mine. I liked how completely relaxed she was, like she knew she was finally safe because I was here with her.
I didn’t like it nearly as much when a door opened and closed down the hall, and Heath’s exhausted footsteps trudged closer, punctuated by a brisk knock.
“Gage? What are you doing in there? You know you need to keep watch and make sure that she-devil doesn’t try to get out...”
I rolled into a sitting position just as the door swung open, Heath’s broad figure silhouetted by the hall lights. Beside me, Jez snored on, oblivious, even as a wedge of illumination fell across the bed.
Heath froze in the doorway.
“Oh,fuckno,” he said faintly. “You havegotto be kidding me. Gage—what the ever-loving, cock-suckingshit?”
THIRTEEN
Heath
