The tension in my body becomes unbearable. I push myself up from the chair and begin pacing the length of the enclosed porch, my footsteps echoing against the glass. My erection is painful now, straining against my pants, and every movement sends a fresh jolt of awareness through my body.
Elias watches me pace, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“You know,” he says conversationally. “It’s okay for us to take on an omega. It’s natural.”
“Don’t,” I growl, the word ripping from my throat.
“Don’t what? She’s an attractive omega who might be compatible with our pack.”
“It’s never going to happen,” I say, wanting an end to this ridiculous conversation.
Elias sighs, the sound heavy with disappointment. He stands, straightening his shirt with meticulous care.
“You can’t keep running from this, Kieran,” he says quietly. “We need an omega. The pack is incomplete without one.”
“We’re doing fine. We don’t need one.”
“But are we?” Elias challenges, his voice suddenly sharp. “We know Rowan barely sleeps. Drake is desperate for a real connection. I’m… We’re not whole, Kieran. You know that.”
I close my eyes briefly, fighting against the truth in his words. Of course, I know it. I feel the physical ache, a hollow space in my chest where our pack’s heart should be. But I have to protect Nora, especially after what happened to our parents.
“We’re not having this conversation right now,” I say, turning away from him.
“You’re going to have to face this eventually,” he says, striding towards the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. “Before one of us decides, we can’t wait any longer. And you know Drake isn’t one to wait.”
The door slides open and closed, leaving me alone with the chill air and the weight of his words. If I don’t move forward and allow us to become a complete pack, I might lose my brothers. They might leave, form their own packs, and find their own omegas.
The thought sends a spike of fear through me, cold and sharp. They’re all I have left after our parents died in the fire. Them and Nora. I can’t lose them too.
The distant sound of tires on gravel pulls me from my thoughts. I move closer to the windows, watching as the black limo glides up the circular driveway, coming to a stop at the main entrance.
Francine is back, and my heart immediately pounds faster.
Drake emerges first, his movements fluid and confident. Then he extends a hand into the car, and Francine appears, her red hair catching the late afternoon light like a flame.
Something twists in my chest at the sight of her. Even from this distance, I can see the nervousness in her posture, the way she clutches her coat around herself as she looks up at the mansion. So vulnerable. So alone.
And then Drake places a hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the door, and that twisting in my chesttransforms into a hot spike of jealousy that takes me by surprise with its ferocity.
Fuck. This is exactly what I was afraid of. One unmated omega in our midst, and we’re already possessive of her. Already losing control.
I straighten my shoulders, smoothing a hand down the front of my suit jacket. I need to establish rules. Clear, firm boundaries that will keep us all safe while she’s under our roof. No touching. No flirting. No letting our guard down. Professional distance at all times.
I stride toward the door, my decision made. I’ll speak to her tonight, lay down the law before things get out of hand. Before my brothers or I do something we might regret.
I stand outside her door, ready to knock, but listening as she’s moving stuff around.
I realize my hand is already shaking.What the fuck is wrong with me?I’ve faced down real-estate rivals, negotiated billion-dollar deals, and never once lost my composure. Yet here I am, trembling like some inexperienced pup at the thought of being alone with her.
I shouldn’t be afraid of being alone with her again.
I take a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to relax, my face to assume the cool, detached expression I’ve perfected over years of business dealings.
I knock once. Firmly.
“Come in,” she says, her voice light. God, her voice sounds like music to my ears. I open the door, and I see her.
Francine is bent over her open suitcase on the bed, her back to the door.
