“I mean, it’s your lives. It has nothing to do with me.” She shrugs, and I hate how closed off she seems.
“But it does.” I scoot closer to her side. “Our fathers wanted the three of us to form a pack. Patrick and I are half brothers—we have different fathers, but share the same mother. However, Malachy has a different mother and father.”
“You’re not biologically related at all,” she whispers with wide eyes. “I’ve heard about that happening before in packs, but I’ve never known anyone that it was true for.”
“Our family history is…” I frown, trying to pick the right word. “Messy. After everything our fathers put our mothers through, they realized far too late how they ripped the family apart. They wanted better for us. The three of us bonding different omegas could make things tricky when it comes to inheritance and succession rights. Would Patrick’s sons inherit the family one day? Or would it be Malachy’s? He’s technically the oldest, but Patrick has been running things for him.”
“That is a lot,” she says softly. “You still should have warned me that you’re engaged.”
“That wouldn’t have come off as presumptuous?” I ask, tilting my head. “Did that sound sarcastic? I didn’t mean it to. My intent was to point out that you’ve only been here for a few days, and you’re in a vulnerable situation. Assuming you might be interested in us romantically seems pushy. At the very least, I think it would have been ill-timed.” I frown, shaking my head. “God, why can’t I stop talking? I don’t think I’m actually making anything better.”
“I get what you mean. It makes rational sense when I try to see it from your point of view,” Charlotte says. “But it still seems…sneaky. I don’t like it.”
“In a perfect world, I would have sat down with you at some point over the next few days to explain the situation. The very first time I scented you, I knew I wouldn’t be able to bond Vanessa.”
“You never even asked for my phone number,” she says, snorting.
“Yes, I did fumble that quite badly, but you were skittish. I thought it would be better if we kept casually running into one another.”
“So, you were stalking me?” she asks, quirking an eyebrow.
“I’d like it if we could view that more as meromanticallyverifying that you were safe.” My entire body freezes as I realize what I admitted to.
Chapter Nineteen
Charlotte
“Oh, I was just kidding,” I say, leaning away as I try to process what that means. On one hand, that’s kinda scary. On the other, it’s almost reassuring to my senses that he wanted to ease me into getting to know him.
Damn.
My instincts must be in full control.
“I would never hurt either of you,” Cormac says, palming my cheek.
I can’t tell exactly what the look on his face means, but my stomach tightens. I don’t enjoy sensing his anxiety.
“I wasn’t worried you would,” I say before I can stop myself. “I just really don’t know how I feel about being in your house when the three of you are engaged. If I was her, I’d beroyallypissed.”
That’s an understatement.
Patrick would be smitten because he would get to see me go “scorched earth.”
“You saw Vanessa’s reaction. There are no attachments on either side. We’ve been focused on keeping the peace, but I believe I can speak for both my brothers when I say we have a new focus.” He smiles, brushing his thumb over my skin in a waythat’s addictive. “Not to change the subject, but are you okay? You seem feverish.”
“I forgot to pack my suppressants. It’s what I was talking to Patrick about,” I say, nuzzling my face to his wrist. “Mmm, you smell good, Cormac. Petrichor is one of my favorite smells.”
“I’m unfamiliar with that word.”
“It’s an earthy scent that pops up after a hard rain. It comes from plants releasing oils and minerals into the soil, or that’s what I read. It’s not like I’m an expert in the subject.”
“B-But you like it?” he stutters. He’s so handsome, but not nearly as confident as Patrick. It makes me ache to kiss him to prove exactly how attracted to him I am.
“I do.” I nod, licking my lips. “I’m less enthused about the fiancée, and Patrick telling me you have someone from the Demons in a torture dungeon. Who even uses that term in an unironic way?”
I force a laugh, but Cormac’s face twists into something terrifying. Thankfully, that glower doesn’t feel directed at me.
“Okay, based on the look on your face, I’m going to assume he wasn’t just trying to scare me…” I swallow thickly. “Will you tell me about that?”
