Page 57 of Banished From the Pack

As he rolls his cigarette—something he explained to me when I asked—none of us speak. Warrick lights it and takes a long drag, releasing the plume of blueish smoke over his head. “Get me an ashtray, will you, Callan?”

Callan rises, heads to the cupboard, and retrieves a small, chipped bowl. He sets it before Warrick, pours coffee into the three cups on the table, and then adds one in front of me before resuming his seat. My heart swells with the warm feeling of home. I get the same coffee, the same kind of random mug, the same as any of them.

Warrick taps the ash from the end of his smoke before balancing the cigarette on the ashtray’s rim. “It’s true you brought conflict between my brothers.”

He directs his dark gaze at me before picking up his cigarette and taking another pull on the smoke. As he exhales, he goes on. “We’ve always lived together, just the three of us, since we’ve been old enough to call ourselves men. And I’m man enough to admit we were pretty damn lousy at dealing with the addition of a woman.”

I take a tiny sip of my coffee, peeking at him over the rim.

“When you left the other night, my brothers were pissed,” Warrick goes on. “I admit I was a little relieved. I don’t like the chaos. It’s my home, and I want to be able to kick back and relax. But as they pointed out, just because I’m the Alpha, that doesn’t mean it’s only my home. It’s their home, too. And sometime in the last month, it became yours, too. So I told Callan if he could track your ass down, you could come on home and stay.”

I sit at the edge of my seat, waiting for him to speak again. When he nods at me and takes another drag on his cigarette, I smile. “Thank you. I appreciate the chance to prove myself. No more chaos. I promise.”

His eyes meet the eyes of each of his brothers before coming back to me. “And we agreed that none of us will touch you again of our own choosing. If anyone breaks this rule, they’ll be out on their ass. It’s up to Luna and Luna alone if she wants to go to one of you. Understood?”

Callan and Ethan nod solemnly. Ethan raises both hands and mutters, “Hands off.”

Warrick turns back to me, his gaze penetrating mine. “If you want one of my brothers, it has to be your decision and your move, Luna. There won’t be argument or conflict about it. No sneaking around behind each other’s backs. The decision will be final, and we’ll all respect it.”

I nod, too. “I understand.”

Warrick stands, picks up his smoke between his fingers, gives us a final nod, and takes his coffee to the front porch.

I sit in silence with the others, overwhelmed by the impossible choice in front of me. Both men are wonderful, but they’re not the same. I want what they both offer.

Callan is kind and patient, takes me into the woods and gathers plants and set traps with me, stops and looks when I point out dragonflies circling the water. He taught me to cook and always gives me a reassuring smile and says it’s delicious even when it tastes all wrong. He makes a deep, aching warmth grow in my belly when he takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze for no reason.

Ethan laughs while he teaches me, letting me know it’s okay to mess up, that it’s okay to laugh when I make a mistake. He winks at me when his brothers aren’t looking, like we’re in on a little secret. One rough touch of his calloused hand on my elbow or hip makes me know everything is okay. And he gave me that bliss in the bathtub like nothing I’ve ever felt except from Axel, and that time was followed by pain. With Ethan, there’s no pain.

How can I ever make a decision when I want both of these men equally?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Luna

The guys are between jobs, so we all stay home for the rest of the day. Things are relaxed but subdued and quiet. I wonder if they’re all waiting for me to choose. It sits funny in my belly, having the power in this dynamic, the power of this choice. It’s up to me. No one is making choices for me anymore, saying I’ll be their mate and part of their pack, or that I’m no longer their mate or part of their pack. It’s up to me.

I don’t like the weight of it on me. I don’t want to draw it out, make them worry and wonder and want. I don’t want to make either of them jealous of the other. After lying awake for an hour going back and forth about what to do, I know I’m never going to sleep with the decision hanging over my head. I have to make it now.

So, I do.

In the dark of night, I slip from beneath my covers, ease out the door of the bedroom and tiptoe across the hall. I’ve never been inside Warrick’s lair—I was always too scared before. But tonight, I step past the threshold of his door and head for his slumbering form. Quietly, I crawl beneath his covers and press my naked body to his massive back.

He startles, then relaxes and stays quiet for a few minutes.

Did I make the wrong choice? Warrick said I could choose, but maybe he didn’t mean him. He told me to choose between his brothers. Maybe I’m not supposed to choose the Alpha. Maybe an Alpha makes his own choice, dominates his mate into submission.

After a few minutes, he sighs and rolls onto his back. “What are you doing here, baby girl?”

“Do you want me to leave?” I ask, biting at my lip.

His large hand lands on my thigh, his calloused palm covering my soft skin. “No.”

I cuddle closer to his body, and a soft growl rumbles through his giant form.

“I’ve always admired you, Warrick,” I say, caressing the soft hairs that cover his powerful chest. “You’re everything an Alpha should be. You’re so strong, and you only want what’s right for your brothers. You put them in their place when they need it, but you set aside your own needs and wants if it serves the pack.”

“What needs and wants?” he says, rolling to face me.