Page 37 of Mark & Don't Tell

“Please, call me Kai.” I clear my throat, hoping I don’t mess this up again. “Daria, will you allow us to court you?”

As expected, her answer isn’t immediate. Daria studies my face, trepidation bleeding into her hazel eyes. She’s been hurt. I clench my fist to keep from demanding a name. That’s my alpha instinct rearing its head. Gliding her gaze over to Linc, she takes his measure the same way she did mine, as if searching for a reason to say no. Or, perhaps, she’s searching for a reason to say yes.

I don’t know what she’s been through, but I hate that she’s already hesitant to trust us. That’s the work of a shitty pack. A good pack will take care of their omega, not hurt them. It’s dumb to be jealous of whoever came before us. Especially unwarranted, given the fact that we were with someone else before and had a kid with her. Even so, the little voice inside my head whispers about how Daria’s already been fucked the way I want to fuck her.

And that makes me mad.

I want to erase everything that came before. I want us to be the only pack she’s ever had, but that’s not how life works. If we can’t be her only pack, we’ll be her fucking last. That is, if she accepts us.

Daria’s features don’t soften. She remains wary but finally nods. “Okay. I’ll come to one dinner with your pack.”

“Does tonight work?” Does that sound desperate? Fuck it, there’s no reason to drag it out.

She raises her eyebrows. “Um, yeah, I can probably pencil you in.”

Linc chuckles beside me, and she glances at him, but a small smile tugs at her lips when she sees he’s simply appreciating her rather than laughing at her.

“How does The Crystal Chandelier sound?” It’s the nicest restaurant in town, and she deserves the best.

“No,” she says quickly, too quickly. “Anywhere but there.”

Why doesn’t she want to go there? Does someone from her past work there?

“Okay. Mystique?” If she doesn’t like that place, we’ll find another.

“That works. What time?”

“Six-thirty. I’ll make the reservation under Pack Kelly.”

She nods. “I’ll let you know about the job after dinner,” she says before leaving the room and strutting down the hall. Her hips sway and her ass jiggles in her skirt.

“Well, that was interesting,” Linc murmurs.

“She’s perfect,” I tell him.

“She’s intense.”

“Yup. And that means she’s not going to hide her feelings, which is exactly what we need for Vic. An omega who isn’t afraid to make her likes and dislikes known is perfect for us.”

For our pack’s sake, I hope Daria likes Vic because I’m already imagining her stripped down to a lacy bra and thong, tits nearly spilling out as she crawls toward me, lips wet and ready to wrap around my cock.

I hope our pack is what she wants, because Daria is exactly what we need.

Fourteen

VIC

After canceling all my appointments today, I find myself standing outside of Daria’s apartment with a leather collar weighing my pocket down. The means by which I got here are less than honorable. My thoughts have been out of control since Kai and Linc called me. They think they found our scent match.

The possibility has stirred up some vulnerable feelings, but more than that, my first thought was: What about Daria?

That brat who dropped to her knees and had me in the palm of her hand?

Yeah. I’m not ready to give her up for some unknown scent match. Sure, I’ll go to dinner and play along, if only for my friends, but if it means giving up Daria, I’m out. It’s a little unhinged to already be so possessive. I’m crossing so many lines by stalking her. It’s probably a lot of things, but here the fuck I am.

I’m not leaving now. I scan Daria’s floor before I use my tools to quickly unlock her door and slip inside. Heart thundering against my chest and muscles twitching with adrenaline, I rest against the closed door and take the first breath inside her space.

My pulse jumps, and a low groan slips past my lips as lavender rolls over me.

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