I bark out a laugh before I can stop myself. “For a night?”
“For forever.”
That stops me dead, melting my brain for a few seconds.
“You said-”
“I know exactly what I said. All of it; we don’t need to repeat it. We were wrong; I was wrong. We are your alphas, and you are our omega. And I’m not letting you go.”
I shake my head. “Sadly, that ship has sailed.”
“No, it hasn’t,” Vale grinds out. “I refuse to believe that.”
I wave as my latest campers get into cars and drive away.
“Well, believe whatever you want. But the facts are, you can’t make me be yours anymore than I could have made you mine back then.”
Vale lets out a frustrated growl that has my pulse accelerating and slick pooling between my legs.
I stand up and walk away from him, only to find my way blocked by Cyn.
I huff and stare up at him.
“What do you want, Cyn?”
“I missed you.”
“Did you really?” I snap defensively.
“Of course. I thought we were close after the last trip. Friends. More.”
Friends.
More.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Meg and Desi watching us. They aren’t interfering, but I think these guys won my best friends over.
“You were my client. I was your guide. It wasn’t friendship; it was a job.”
Cyn flinches as if I've struck him, and I feel a moment of deep regret.
My stomach churns, and I put a hand to my lower abdomen. Confusion morphs into absolute mortification.
My heat’s coming. I reach my hand up and feel the suppressant patch on my upper arm, just to make sure it’s there.
It is.
Fuck.
I need to get everyone out of here. I need to get out of here.
“Hey!” I call out to Meg. “Tater tots.”
“What?” Cyn says, confused.
But Meg isn’t confused. Her expression tightens, and she whispers in Desi’s ear and starts getting people moving. Tater tots became my heat code word when we noticed that every time I get my heat, I crave tater tots before. It’s a giveaway signal to the rest of the family.
“What’s tater tots mean, Bonnie?” Cyn says, following me.
