“My sisters taught me all the important life skills,” I said. A lump formed in my throat at the familiar sadness of being separated from them after we left North Woods.
“The omegas?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah,” I responded.
“Do they all have packs?”
“They do. The youngest one, Lilah, tried to hold out for a while, but, well, you know. She bonded with her pack after we’d already left North Woods.” I hated not knowing if Lilah had found a good pack and it killed me that she would never get to meet my mate.
Josie hummed in response. I finished drying her hair while Cam and Theo packed the rest of her things, including a small stack of books on her nightstand.
“Are these all romance books?” Cam asked as he placed them in a duffel bag.
“Um, yeah,” Josie said, sounding shy.
“You and Theo have a lot to talk about,” Cam said with a chuckle. Now it was Theo’s turn to blush.
“You read romance?” Josie asked, her eyes popping open. Theo threw Cam a dirty look as he grumbled out a yes.
“What’s your favorite?” Josie asked, her voice perking up. Theo noticed the change in her tone and smiled, moving closer to where she was sitting on the mattress.
“This is actually one of my favorites,” he said, picking one of the books out of the duffel.
“Wait, really? Mine too. I can’t stop re-reading it.”
Josie and Theo looked like they were about to launch into a long book conversation.Fuck, she’s perfect for us. A book nerd who loves to bake and is sexy as hell.
I met Cam’s eyes over Josie’s head. He wore the biggest shit-eating grin, and I knew he was feeling it, too. Just then, Josie shivered, and her teeth started chattering again.
“You done with her hair?” Cam asked me gruffly, his smile falling. I nodded, throwing the hairdryer in the duffel.
“Okay, sweetheart, you and Theo can talk about books when we get home.” Cam leaned down and scooped Josie up, taking her blanket pile with her. Theo and I looked around to make sure we’d gotten everything before zipping up the bags.
“I didn’t know it would feel like this,” he said softly, staring after Cam and Josie. His eyes were filled with longing, and I knew he was taken with this sweet omega.
“I know,” I responded. “The idea of her not being with us is painful.”
Even now, I felt like I was being pulled to follow her and Cam. Theo looked at me with understanding, and we swiftly followed them out of the apartment and down to the car.
ChapterNineteen
Cam
Holding Josie in my arms as I headed back to the car felt like heaven, but her suffering felt like hell. I was still kicking myself for growling at her back in her room. I was stressed as fuck that our mate was in pain. I had the overwhelming urge to comfort her, protect her, fuck her.You are not fucking her. At least not yet.
I carefully maneuvered us into the backseat of the car, keeping her held tight to my chest.
“How’re you feeling, baby girl?”
“It’s hurting again,” she whimpered.
“You’re breaking my heart,” I murmured, wishing I could draw her pain into my body.
I barely looked up from her as my brothers joined us in the car.
“Josie, gorgeous, how’re you feeling?” Ben asked as Theo peeled out from the curb faster than usual.
Josie was beyond speaking. Her breaths were getting more labored, and her whimpers intensified.
