“Of course.”Temporarily forever, I think in my head.
“And you will help me hide it all?”
She’s so anxious to hide. I don’t remember her ever being like this. Did the city teach her anything but how to regret and fear?
“I will help you do anything,” Elijah murmurs and drops his face to hers, kissing her lightly. It’s a chaste kiss, the kind you’d give a family member. Just a touch to her lips. “A promise sealed with a kiss.”
Her scent explodes around us, and she lets out a teeny squeak that is smothered by Elijah pulling her into a hug.
When he pulls back, Mack leans in and kisses her cheek. I could happily kill the pair of them.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asks anxiously.
Mack grins. “I have been wanting a for the last nine years.”
She blinks but turns her attention to me when I approach. I pick up her hand and roll my thumb over her knuckles before I kiss them.
“Devon, Sebastian is going to be so mad.”
I laugh. “Sebastian is a full-grown alpha with bigger problems than his friend dating his sister. Don’t you worry about it.”
“But-” she whips around. “Danger!”
Mack lifts his fingers to his mouth and lets out a shrill whistle, and the little dachshund comes racing back, yapping his heart out, sending a flock of seagulls into the air.
We have her cornered, and she knows it. We are her best chance.
“Yes, I’ll do it.”
I slide my hand up her back and grip the nape of her neck. “Okay, now you should tell us exactly what happened in the city.”
Her face pales. “I—uh.”
“Hey, Sofia. Come on, we’re catching up!” Cordelia shouts, saving her from telling me exactly who I’m murdering.
Rebel pulls away from me, giving us a reluctant smile and snatching up her dog as she backs away.
“Talk later?”
I let out a grumpy sound that makes her laugh, and then she’s gone.
“Did that really just happen?” Elijah murmurs. “Are we fake dating our Smitten match?”
“No,” I say firmly. “She thinks we’re fake dating her. As far as I'm concerned, we’re really dating her. We have a couple of weeks to convince herto date us for real, and, in the meantime, we can find out what happened to her and why she’s so desperate to hide from her family.”
Mack sighs. “What do you think she’s going to say when she realises we’ve changed the terms of the agreement we made?”
I shrug. “If we do our jobs right, it won’t matter. Now, excuse me, I need to go see my best friend and break the good news to him in a way that doesn’t upset our omega.”
Our omega. All three of us stiffen hearing those words out loud, but it’s the truth; it always has been. I’m not losing her again.
Mack snorts a laugh. “Have fun.”
I grit my teeth. Sebastian is smart, stubborn, and completely irrational when it comes to his sisters. This conversation is going to go brilliantly.
Chapter 6
Sofia
