“Why’re you here?” she asked, lips pressed close to my ear.
“Fuck, princess, we lost our fucking minds finding you gone.” My hands flexed against her lower back.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“You should’ve been happy I was gone. One less thing to worry about.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye,” she finally said.
I reared back, taking in her eyes, glassy with tears. My heart raced and my skin felt clammy. “What the fuck do you mean?”
But she didn’t say anything else.
Some asshole came up behind her and tried to grab her ass. I pulled her out of the way in time, shoving him back.
“It’s time to go.” I pulled my omega close to my side and pushed through the crowded dance floor. We made our way to the side exit, the humid night air hitting us. We were in the alley beside the club. The door slammed open as Henry, Liam, and Bear joined us.
I could finally take Westin in. She was wearing a tiny black crop top and black shorts, her hair damp against her flushed face after the heat of the dance floor.
She wouldn’t meet any of our gazes.
Bear was the first to speak. “What the fuck are you doing sneaking out? Don’t you realize how fucking dangerous that was?”
Westin bit her lip, seemingly at a loss for words.
“No, you don’t get to be quiet right now,” Bear said. “Explain yourself.”
“I don’t know.” Westin pressed her hands to her face. “I couldn’t just lie there anymore.”
“Then you should have walked the ten feet out to the fucking living room,” Bear said. “You think I wouldn’t have come out here with you if you asked? You promised. You promisedmeyou would be careful.”
“Careful for what?” she yelled as she fisted her hands at her sides. “Whatever life you thought you would have with me isdown the drain. So I thought it would be easier for you if I just left.”
“How the fuck would that be easier for us?” Bear shouted. Then a look of realization crossed over his face. “Were you planning on hooking up with someone else?”
I couldn’t breathe as I waited for her answer. Westin shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I’d never be able to do it, but I thought maybe if you thought I had…”
“Then we would leave you? What the fuck, Westin?” Bear snarled. “Why are you pushing us away? I fuckingloveyou, and you do this?”
“Because I don’t fucking deserve you,” she screamed. “I’m fucking broken. I amnothing, a worthless burden of an omega. And you’re all acting like that’s not a huge fucking deal and everything’s going to be happy and perfect. Well, news flash, it’s not.” Tears were streaming down her face, and she looked so fucking small and vulnerable. “All of you kept saying we would do all these amazing things once I was better, but that is never going to happen. You need to let me go before…” She trailed off, her eyes wild as she pulled at her hair.
“Before what?” Bear snarled, stepping forward so he was crowding her against the side of the building.
“Before your alphas fucking realize we’re mates and you’re stuck with me forever,” she shouted.
We all froze.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“Fuck, fuck.” She sank to the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs as if she was trying to make herself as small as possible.
Liam didn’t hesitate. He sat down next to her, pulling her into his chest. He scowled at Bear, who looked like he was about to start shouting again.
“What did you say, sweetheart?” Liam asked softly.
