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“You should be.” Paige’s voice gentles. “My brave Alpha.”

Angel glances between us. “Now our Omega is encouraging you.”

“I don’t need encouragement.” Smugly, I kiss the top of Paige’s head. “We are both alive. We beat the storm together.”

Angel shakes his head. “I guess that I just have to accept I have a pack of thrill seekers. You’re both out of danger. Your dominant pheromones without the patch were enough to pull Paige away from the coma. In fact, not only won’t you need to go to the hospital, beautiful, you’ll likely come out of the heat early. Luca’s fool feral rut sped up your heat. You’re already rising out of it. You probably only have one day left.”

“Can I spend it with you?”

Angel leans on the side of the tub, closer to her. “I’ve been patient, although it’s been hell when all I’ve wanted has been to take you into my nest. But I’m not last. Luca talks about love but…Rhett will kick my ass for this because I swore I wouldn’t say anything. He told us to keep things professional. But we’re past that. It doesn’t feel honest to spend time in this heat with you without telling you how I feel. Do you want to know my secret?”

Paige turns, and I can see the concerned outline of her face, as she studies Angel. “What secret, Halo?”

Angel looks like he’s shaking apart.

Does he feel the same as I do?

I can’t tell.

If he loves this Omega and needs her to stay in this pack as fiercely as I do, however, then I understand why he has become ashen.

He risks a sideways glance at me.

“I’m not angry,” I say. “Tell her how you feel. Be honest. I was.”

How hard did he reckon it was for me to tell Paige that I risked my life out of love?

I’ve never told an Omega that I have feelings for them before.

I never thought that I would.

I don’t talk about my feelings usually at all.

Paige didn’t tell me back that she loved me, but then, I didn’t expect she would.

The look in Angel’s eyes is tormented, as he sits straighter, worrying his bottom lip.

“The secret is that I am falling for you, beautiful.” His voice catches. “Hell, I reckon that I have been falling for awhile.”

Paige squirms like she’s trying to move toward him, but she’s still caught on my knot. The water slops over the side of the tub.

“Careful,” I warn.

“I ain’t asking for forever. It wouldn’t be fair when we both know how this ends.” Angel’s head is bowed, and his long, butterfly lashes rest on his cheeks. He swallows hard. “After everything you’ve been through, I also ain’t asking you to pick me as your Alpha. But when I help you out of this bath, dry you off, and brush your hair…” He raises his head, meeting Paige’s eye. “Choose me then. Just for one day.”

“Halo…” Paige chokes out.

“Let me have one day where I love you as my Omega.” Angel’s smile trembles at the edges of his mouth. “I’ll treasure you. Treat you like I’ve been dying to and give you everything I’ve been wanting to my entire life. Then when the contract’s over and you still want me to walk away, I will. We all will. But please, beautiful, before I spend the rest of my life knowing what it’s like to lose you, let me know what it’s like to have you. To make love to you. Just once.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Acorn Inn, Oak Hollow

Angel

I dry Paige’s hair with a fluffy towel, careful to catch the last water droplets that are trickling down her neck. I hum happily, kneeling behind her in the center of a pillow sanctuary of a nest, which I built for her.

This is what I’ve dreamed about my entire life.