“I’m sure Omen will have a whole playlist curated to introduce you to real music. She fell in love when Bea dragged her to a Candy Courage concert for the first time. They’ve attended different shows every few months since.”
Hannah hums, and her fingers tap against the back of mine. I hold my breath as she slowly intertwines them, not wanting to breathe too loudly and startle her into pulling away. “I have listened to music from outside the cult. In secret.” Rich pools of melted chocolate blink up at me, and pink spreads across her cheeks, barely visible in the dim light. “I really enjoy Skye Pierce.”
Of course, my angel would enjoy the whimsical melodies of an artist like Skye. The soulful emotion she imbues in each of her songs, from the lyrics to the instrumentals, speaks deeply to her fanbase. “We should definitely go see her in concert then.”
“Maybe one day,” Hannah hums, squeezing my fingers tight in hers. “After the baby is here.”
The intimacy of our hushed conversation hangs between us. It’s impossible to resist the urge to lean closer, to take up more ofher space. My lips brush against hers, as soft as butterfly wings. She leans closer, pressing harder.
It isn’t a deep kiss. We aren’t left breathless and so turned on we can’t function.
No, this is a kiss of admission.
My silent ‘I want you’ and her wordless ‘I want you too.’
Chapter Seventeen
I’mready to let go of my reservations. It’s a decision I’ve been ruminating over throughout the past several days. Ever since the night Colin showed up and tried to force his way into the apartment.
Shepherd cracked the wall around my heart when he went Alpha on Colin, pinning him to the wall for daring to touch me. He would have laid my ex flat if I hadn’t intervened. No one has ever stood up for me like that. Remembering the protective growl he’d loosed when he stormed into the living room has arousal pulsing between my thighs.
But it was Foster who dealt the final blow that shattered the walls around my heart. He spent hours arranging pillows and blankets to build a fort in their living room. His reason? Kaitlin. Noticing that nightmares had woken her several times the night before, he’d stepped in and created a safe space for her to rest. A place she would know she was protected because we were all there with her.
How can I continue denying the pull I feel to them when they constantly put in the effort to make sure we’re taken care of? These men have more than proven they are ready to accept all three of us, baggage and all.
Now, it’s my turn to give us a chance. No more using my marriage to Colin as an excuse. We’re legally separated with a divorce pending. I need to stop hiding behind my fear and live again.
My pancakes lose their perfect circle shapes when a phone rings through the kitchen. The sound is shrill in the otherwise quiet space. I turn, pressing a hand to my chest to calm my pounding heart, and spy Shepherd’s phone on the table. He appears a moment later, giving me an apologetic smile when he sees how frazzled I am.
It’s silly that something as simple as a loud noise can startle me. Colin’s appearance four days ago did more damage to my anxiety than I originally thought. I can’t shake the fear that he’ll come crashing back through the front door to take me away.
Breakfast is ready and waiting when Shepherd returns. Pursed lips glare at his phone before he slides it into his pocket and scrubs a hand through his strawberry-blonde hair. When he glances up, he gives me a tight smile. “I’ll grab Foster. There’s news you both need to hear.”
Nausea churns in my already sour stomach as I call Kaitlin into the kitchen and help her wash her hands. She’s settled in her seat and already eating when Foster saunters into the room. He’s shirtless—his favorite way to sleep, apparently—and grinning. “Good morning, Little Princess!” He ruffles Kait’s hair as he passes by, beelining for where I stand at the other end of the table. I’m barely breathing as he stops right in front of me, the lemon notes of his scent strong this early in the morning. Lips brush my ear as he leans closer, wrapping me in a loose hug. “My bed wasn’t nearly as warm without you in it, Angel.”
“I-I’m sorry?” I stammer, my brain failing to come up with a flirty retort.Fates,I’m going to be awful at this! I haven’t tried to flirt with anyone in… well, ever.
“Let’s eat,” Foster declares, stepping away from me with a wink that raises gooseflesh on my arms and down my spine. I let him pull out my chair and pile food onto my plate, enjoying the way his free hand rubs tiny circles into the skin above my knee. The sparks from our connection seem to jolt from that innocent touch straight to my core, building my desire to an agonizing peak.
Plates are cleared and piled by the sink before Shepherd sits us down to talk. “Donovan called.” I swallow thickly, fingers pinching the hem of my t-shirt as I await whatever bad news he brings. “After the concert last Friday, someone tried to break into Bea and Omen’s apartment.”
Foster sucks in a sharp breath, and his scent sours, turning astringent with his worry. Instinct has my hand slipping into his and squeezing tight. “Are they okay?”
“They’re both fine. The security measures at their place were enough to prevent an actual break-in. As a precaution, Donovan moved them both into temporary lodging. Bea is with her boss, and Omen is with Pack Graves.”
I can’t help but frown, hearing my sister has been forced to stay with the mates who rejected her. Even after hearing from Foster about their ambush and apology at the concert, I doubt Omen is ready to be stuck sharing space with them. She’s fragile. A situation that those jerks caused. What if being there is too much, and she spirals again?
“He spoke with her doctor, who agrees this is the best place for her to be. As much as we’d love to say she can move on and find a new pack, the reality is she can’t. She needs them,” Shepherd explains. “We won’t let them hurt her again, I promise. I’ll kick their asses myself if I have to.”
Nodding, I try to calm my rising fear for my sister’s life. If her doctor thinks this is for the best, I have to give it a chance towork before I demand they move her elsewhere. “Was the break-in a random act of violence, or were they targeted?”
Shepherd slides a hand across the table to claim my free one. His palm is warm and rough as it engulfs mine. “Lex, the bodyguard who was assigned to Omen over the summer, installed cameras outside the apartment. They caught the attempt on camera. It was your brother, Ben.”
“Wait,Bentried to break into her apartment? Why would he do that?”
They don’t answer. No one will know why my brother is after Omen until he is caught and interrogated by the police.
While I don’t understand his reasons for targeting our sister, it isn’t surprising. Ben’s wife, Jacqueline, hates Omen. She always has. Going as far as to drug my sister with black market heat inducers.Twice.That woman is as twisted as my parents, but she doesn’t have the same backing they did.
