Page 98 of Pack Fever

“Maybe,” I tease, starting to really sense the sting on my neck where I know his teeth left a mark. “Why did you bite me?”

Seth stares into my eyes, his gaze steady and sincere. “Sometimes, when the heat comes over an Omega so intensely, their minds can slip into a haze they can’t easily escape from. A bite... it’s a way to anchor you, to make sure you don’t lose yourself to that confusion. It brings you back, reminds you that the heat is just a physical reaction, not the sum of who you are.”

I blink at him, the memory of that overwhelming fog in my mind vivid and unsettling. The wildness, the sense that I was no longer in control, had been terrifying.

“I-I didn’t really know that,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “We were told we’d lose control, but I never knew a bite could pull us back from staying lost in that haze.”

We stay locked together in silence for a while, the weight of his words sinking in.

“Thank you,” I finally say. “Next time, I’ll bite you so you don’t go too crazy.”

He laughs, the sound warm in the cold night air. “That’s not quite how it works, but you’re welcome to bite me anytime.”

After some time wrapped in each other’s arms, the chill of the wind bites into my skin. Seth carefully shifts, still holding me, to sit in the passenger seat of the car. I snuggle closer to him, seeking the comfort of his presence as a new wave of worries washes over me.

“Do you think those chasing us before were Nexus? I think it was. What if they hurt my sister and my mom when we lost them?”

“Don’t worry.” Seth shakes his head, a gesture meant to reassure, but it doesn’t. “I’ve already arranged for guards to be stationed around their home to follow them discreetly. It’s a precaution to see how Nexus reacts. And who knows, the ones after us could have just been my overly enthusiastic fans.” His attempt at a lighthearted smirk doesn’t quite reach his eyes, a clear sign of his own worries.

I lean forward, resting my head against his shoulder, the fear and adrenaline of the night making me tremble.

“I couldn’t have gone through any of this without your support. It means the world to me,” I murmur.

As he wraps his arms around me, his embrace a haven from my thoughts, he whispers back, “How could I not do everything in my power when I love you?”

I gasp…

Chapter

Twenty-Four

DANICA

He loves me.

The words echo in my mind, a song that seems to still the world around us. I’m frozen in the passenger seat of the car, locked around him, his gaze on mine, a depth of emotion swirling in his eyes I’ve never seen before. Tears well up in mine at the depth of what he’s just revealed.

“Y-You don’t have to say that if you think I want to hear it,” I murmur, the shakiness in my voice revealing my vulnerability, my fear that he’s just teasing me.

He stares at me for a long pause, a strange silence between us.

“Is that your way of saying you love me, too, Danica?” His voice grows gentle, laced with a serious undertone that tells me he meant every word. “Because I don’t say those words lightly. Or to just anyone. You have no idea how much those emotions have been bouncing around inside me, how much you mean to me. I can’t imagine a life without you, and I’m keeping you as my Omega. And yes, I love you so damn much. I mean every word, and I hope you realize that.”

His declaration sends another jolting shock through me. A tear rolls down my cheek as my chest fills with a warmth so profound, so all-encompassing, it’s like a cure to all the wounds I’ve ever felt.

“You have no idea how much I love hearing you say that,” I confess, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I’ll be honest. I’ve been trying to resist my feelings for you, but when you lay it out like that, it’s like you’ve opened up a door in my heart, in my mind, telling me I no longer have to hold back.”

“So, you wanted me to say it first, is that it?” Seth chuckles, and the sound vibrates through me. He cups my face in his hands. “What are you saying then, sweetheart?” he asks, hanging on my every word.

I grin back at him, and the realization of what I’m about to say makes my heart dance.

“I love you so much, Seth. I don’t even know how it happened, but it hit me as fast as the heat that comes over me. I can’t help but wonder if it’s so intense because of how I feel about you.”

Before I can say another word, his lips are on mine, a soft, stealing kiss that seems to draw the breath from my body. I melt into him, the world around us fading into insignificance as I give myself over to the kiss, to the moment, to the man who has captured my heart so completely.

Did I just tell Seth, the lead singer of Fever, that I love him? Oh my God, I did.

His arms wrap around me, full of love and protectiveness. Then, softly, he starts humming a tune. His warm breath plays against my ear. I recognize the song as the melody he was playing back at his place, the one I overheard while eavesdropping on him in his room. The song envelops me, cocooning us in our own world.

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