Cat stepped back a little, calves hitting the sofa behind her. “Calm thefuck down!” She shouted, words cracking so badly that the intimidation factor hit zero.
I hated that we’d frightened her.Dammit, she was family.
“Sorry,” Dixon, Ryder, Tray and I mumbled nearly at the same time.
“You should be,” Cat rebuked. “Do you want to scare Tessa away immediately? Is that what you want? I have known you boys for years. Years! You never stumble at the finish line. You always finish the concert even if it’s storming. Oblivion Haze doesn’t fuck up when it matters.”
Her words made shame flood my body. I didn’t need to look at the others to know her words struck their targets too.
“Now,” Catalina took a deep breath, “I want you all to stayexactlywhere you are while I finish opening this. I mean it. Do. Not. Move.” She didn’t look down, instead using her hands to feel for what she was doing. I worried she was still too freaked out to take her eyes off us. She finished tearing the plastic bag open with a quick jerk.
It was probably good that Catalina hadn’t fully unleashed the power of Tessa’s scent in one go. A small rip was enough to send us into a frenzy. The entire gown exposed to the air was like hitting a nitro boost during a street race. The air exploded with Omega perfume. It wasn’t just intoxicating now; it instantly rendered us mindlessly drunk.
Tessa. Tessa. She would stop the misery. She would stop everything. Would I even care if I broke it all to have her?
Yes. No.
Goddammit, I couldn't think.
This pack as my family.
The guys had saved me more than once.
But I needed her like I needed air to survive.
A tempest was building inside of me again. The beating of my heart synched with the throbbing in my head.Bang. Bang. Bang.I was about to lose control in a way I never thought possible. Yes, I had always imagined it would end badly. That the Alpha needs, the Alpha rage, the Alpha madness, would destroy me in the end. Would destroy all of us. I knew the clinic visits were just a temporary bandage, delaying the inevitablefinal stage which would send me to a government facility to live out my days in a mindless, incurable mania.
I heard something smash.
A crash.
Splintering wood.
The mantle was ruined. Dixon cradled his fist, blood dripping to the floor.
Tray, to his credit, had fallen to the sofa instead of physically lashing out. The cushions were darkening as they absorbed the rainwater still clinging to his clothing. He covered his face with his hands, body shaking.
Ryder was back to clawing at his arms, fresh wounds forming.
Goddammit, why had no one warned us that our pack might face this challenge before the cure could work its magic?
22
TRAY
1 DAY AGO...
I didn’t knowwhat to do.
I didn’t like this feeling.
Being out of control. Being angry. Feeling like I should beat the shit out of my brothers, because, if they didn’t exist, then Tessa would be mine.Only mine.That wasn’t like me. I didn’t operate that way. I followed attraction. I embraced lust and love, and I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought about me. Sharing was in my DNA.
Had I ever wanted to belong to one person?That question... today... I couldn’t answer it with confidence.
Yesterday, I’d have said no. Zero hesitation. Sure, I knew my family was right when they said I needed to settle down. Anytime mom had pestered me about finding a mate, I’d counter that I was still young and years away from any chance of feral affliction. Even as time sped past me, I kept clinging to that. I’m young. I’ve got years left. Truth was, it wasn’t the college exams giving me headaches. It wasn’t a ten-page paper sending me into a spiral that could only be solved by a casual fuck and a five-hour fantasy flick marathon. I knew it was stage one; I just couldn’t face the truth.
Dropping my hands, I slammed my palms against the cushions.Someone sucked in a breath; the sound was quickly followed by footsteps. Probably Cat. Shit, we’d terrified her. The woman who’d stuck by us through thick and thin. We were monsters. We’d stay monsters if we didn’t sort out our bullshit. I didn’t open my eyes. I didn’t want to see the other guys. They’d looked so wild, ready to attack at any moment. Even I’d jumped on the bloody bandwagon, unable to control myself.Was finding our fated mate going to be the end of Oblivion Haze?That wasn’t the plan. That wasn’t what was supposed to happen.
