"That's not helping."
"You're right. Sorry." She leaned closer to the screen, her green eyes serious. "Listen to me."
"I'm listening." I needed all the help I could get.
She inhaled a deep breath and said, "Yes, you'll be out of your head. Yes, you'll feel like you're burning from the inside out. But you'll love it, Pres. You'll be begging for them. Remember all those heats you've had stuck in a caravan with two dildos and a lot of hope?"
My face burned. "Maeve—"
"Those dildos are going to pale in comparison to what you're going to get. Trust me."
Despite everything, I laughed. It was shaky and half-hysterical, but it was a laugh.
"But you need to promise me something," Maeve said, her expression going serious.
"What?"
"Don't bite any of them. Don't let them bite you. Don't present your neck." Her voice dropped, urgent now. "Because if you do, Presley, you'll end up like me."
My stomach dropped. "And what exactly is that?"
"On the run." Her smile was bitter. "Because being claimed changes everything. It's forever. And when the alpha is wrong, when they're cruel, you're stuck. Do you understand? You're stuck until you can afford to have it severed, and even then, part of you will always be tied to them."
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, the heat rolling through me in waves.
"I don't want that," I whispered.
"I know. So keep your neck covered, yeah? No matter how good it feels, no matter how much you want it at the moment. Promise me."
"I promise."
She nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Good. Now stop panicking. You're going to love it. I think you have three gorgeous alphas who are clearly obsessed with you?"
"Obsessed. Are you on something?"
She laughed. "You're going to have the time of your life."
"You're definitelyinsane."
"Maybe." She grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes. There was something sad there, something broken that she tried to hide behind humor.
I saw it anyway. I always saw it.
"Maeve," I said quietly. "In twenty weeks, I'll have one hundred thousand pounds. I want you to be happy. I'll pay for your bond to be severed."
The words hung between us.
Maeve's face crumpled. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
"No," she choked out. "No, Pres. I can't let you do that. I can't let you give me every penny you have."
"I've never had it," I said. "I never expected so much. And what am I going to do with that kind of money anyway? Buy a slightly bigger caravan?" I leaned closer to the screen. "I want to share it with you. You're my best friend. You're my family. Let me do this."
"Presley—"
"Please."
She sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "You're too good. You're too bloody good for this world."
