"Vee," he says.
"We need to talk."
"Yeah. We do."
I cross to the couch and sit on the opposite end, far enough that we're not touching, close enough that I can see his face clearly. Those hazel eyes I used to love. His scent hits me—citrus and sunshine, except it isn't. It's flat and lifeless, like the brightness has been drained out of it.
From the hallway I hear a sound. Low, barely there. Rhys.
I don't look. Drake doesn't seem to notice. But the sound relaxes me. Just from knowing he's there even if he won't intervene, knowing that if something truly goes wrong the hallway is ten feet away.
"Ask me," Drake says. "Whatever you need to know."
There are so many questions, but one sits heavier than the rest.
"Did you claim Marie during her heat?"
His brows furrow like the question surprises him. He shakes his head, adamant. "No. Of course not."
"Why 'of course not'?"
"Because we weren't going to bond her in after finding out about her lie. None of us wanted that. We were only helping her through her heat because that's what alphas do. Ragon had custody of her and she needed—"
He stops. Realization crosses his face and the color drains from his cheeks.
"Vee—"
"Because that's what alphas do," I repeat. Voice flat.
"I didn't mean—" He reaches for me and I pull back. "Vee, I'm sorry. That came out wrong."
"Did you know about my heat?"
He goes very still.
"Did you know I was in heat while you were with Marie?"
"We didn't know." His voice breaks. "No. We were wrapped up in rut. The scent match pull was so strong we couldn't think past it. The pheromones in the room were too thick to smell anything else."
"But you found out."
"Not until you were gone." His hands are shaking. "We were going to check on you. Eli surfaced first, I watched him put his clothes back on to leave. He tried. He tried to get to you. Ragon used his alpha bark on him. Ordered him to stay. Said that you'd be fine, you weren't in heat, they'd make it up to you after."
"I wasn't fine."
"I know." Tears track down his face. "I know you weren't. And that's on us. On me."
"You tried to leave too?"
"Later, when I came to my senses for a minute. But the rut was still strong and Ragon—" He stops. "He wouldn't let us go."
"But you came out for snacks. We talked, remember?"
His face crumples. "I know, Vee. God, I should've stayed. I wanted to. But it was early in her heat still, and after learning we'd violated your nest because of her lies—" He looks away, jaw working. "I couldn't face what I'd done. So I hid. Told myself I needed time to figure out what to say to you. It's unforgivable, I know that now."
"What about Jasper?"
"Jasper almost walked out. He asked more than once. But Ragon threatened to kick him out of the pack. Out of the house."
