“They could.”
“And alphas could stop obsessing over their knots,” she adds, making me snort.
“Now, we both knowthatis never going to happen.” I take the final bite of my cinnamon roll, the flavor doing little to calm my nerves. “I guess I’m…” I trail off as my phone lights up with a new message. My brother’s name scrolls across the screen, causing my stomach to dip. “Fuck.”
I pick up the device to read what he’s written and feel my heart stop in my chest.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I breathe, reading and rereading his words. “You didn’t even give me twelve hours!”
“Lark?” Lexi’s familiar voice drifts through the bakery, making my shoulders stiffen.
I love all my omega sisters here—the Widows I escaped Henderson estate with—but I’m not sure I can mask my mounting fury.
And fury leads to questions.
Which leads to me having to reveal secrets or lie. And Ireallydon’t want to lie.
Not sharing the full truth of why Widows Peak was a safe location for us all to run to… was a choice I made to protect my friends. However, not sharing my past—myrealname—was a choice I made to protect myself.
“Everything okay here?” Lexi asks as she walks toward us. She must have heard my tone when she opened the door.
Shit.
“Oh, yeah,” Luna replies, waving a dismissive hand. “Lark’s just annoyed about a message someone sent her. Probably work related or something.”
She shrugs and pushes her plate to the side.
“I need a cappuccino,” Luna adds, intercepting Lexi. “I assume you’re here for a box of maple donuts?” Her dark eyes lower to Lexi’s belly, where a baby bump has started to show. “Pregnancy cravings?”
“Ughhh,” Lexi groans. “Yes. All I want to do iseat.”
Luna’s lips twitch. “Good thing you came to the bakery, then.” She loops her arm around Lexi’s neck and guides her away from the table. Then she glances back at me to ask, “Want another coffee?” Her voice and tone are even, but her eyes show a hint of concern.
She didn’t get a chance to read my brother’s message, but she clearly knows it wasn’t good.
“No. I… I need to pack.” Because I have thirty minutes before a driver namedNoahis coming to get me.
“Pack?” Lexi echoes, looking at me again. “Where are you going?”
“New York City,” I mutter, standing. “I… I need to deal with some family stuff.” I wince at how lame that sounds. Then cringe when I see her blue eyes light up with interest.
“Family stuff?” She frowns then. “I… I don’t think I know anything about your family.” She looks at Luna. “That’s weird, right?” Her eyes widen now. “Oh my God, I’m a bad friend. Areallybad friend.”
“No, you’re not,” Luna inserts before I have a chance. “You’re an amazing friend. The best. And you need to eat, remember? Maple donuts?”
Lexi glances between us, her eyes welling with tears. “These pregnancy hormones arekillingme.” She swipes furiously at one of the drops that falls down her cheeks. “All I do is eat, cry, and…” Her cheeks pinken. “Well, that part I don’t mind.”
By the way her peaches-and-cream scent heightens, I assume she’s now thinking about sex with her new pack.
Two sexy alphas and a sinfully handsome omega.
Yeah, Lexi hit the jackpot with her men. As did her twin, Silva. Both omegas only recently found their packs, making it all pretty fresh and new.
The law enforcement links with both their pack mates made me a little nervous at first, but their presence here only bolsters the security of the town. And it’s not like any of them specialize in wire fraud or property deeds.
Not that I left any evidence behind of my tampering,I think. It was all legal… on paper.
Clearing my throat, I stand and walk over to give Lexi a hug—because she looks like she needs one—and meet Luna’s gaze. Idon’t say anything out loud but promise her with a look that I’ll be in touch when I can.
