Page 107 of Mark & Don't Tell

I know what he’s doing, making it about all of us and not only me, pulling on my omega instincts that demand I nurture them. When it’s about all of us, the air mattress is almost laughable. “Okay,” I say, eyes still closed. I sag and rest my head on his shoulder. “Okay.”

“Good girl,” he purrs into my ear, threading his fingers into the hair at the base of my neck. “Letti’s dinner is soon. Are you still up for that?”

“Yeah.” I sniff and swipe at my cheeks. “I’m embarrassed, but that won’t stop me from going to dinner.” Mustering up courage, I lift my head and look at Kai and Lincoln. “I’m sorry for arguing.”

“We’re sorry too, bunny,” Linc says. “We didn’t mean to make you upset like that.”

I shake my head. “You guys were trying to be nice. I just...I don’t know how to live the way you do. I don’t know how to buy things without wondering if money will suddenly dry up.”

“It’s okay,” Kai says. “We were being pushy.”

“Should we hug?” I ask, pulling out of Vic’s hold and moving toward them. “Do you still like me?”

Kai smiles. “Trust me, Daria, it’ll take more than that to scare us off.” He scoops me into his arms and peppers me with kisses for a few seconds before Lincoln snatches me away to do the same.

My stomach flutters, and while the nagging worry about money isn’t totally gone, I don’t feel as horrible as I did before. I don’t know that spending money will be any easier for me, but the guys do deserve more than an air mattress.

“We should probably get ready for dinner,” Kai says.

My eyebrows jump. “We?”

He grins at me. “Letti invited me and Linc too.”

“And how, exactly, are we going to get through dinner without them suspecting something?”

“Some of us can control ourselves,” Linc murmurs, nuzzling my neck. “But if you want to have a quickie in the bathroom, I’m game.”

“Absolutely not,” I say, wiggling out of his arms. “I don’t even know how to tell them about this...and I’m not sure I’m ready to do it tonight.”

“We weren’t planning on saying anything until you were ready,” Vic assures me. “It’ll be okay.”

I frown but keep my doubts to myself. I guess we’ll find out.

Thirty-Seven

DARIA

I push through the garage door, breathing in and practically moaning. Whatever Letti is cooking smells delicious, and since I didn’t get through all my snacks earlier, I’m so hungry.

“You’re here!” Letti rushes over to greet me, and I tense, half expecting her to scent her brother on me or realize that we drove over together. But before she can hug me, Vic and the guys clear their throats. They were meant to wait in the truck for a few more minutes.

“Oh, sorry,” I say, quickly stepping out of the doorway and into Letti’s waiting arms.

She hugs me and my chest warms. Letti would’ve been a good mom. “Have you met Vic’s pack yet?” she asks, releasing me to hug Vic and the guys.

“Um—”

“I’m Lincoln, and this pretty fella here is Kai.” Lincoln claps his hand on Kai’s shoulder.

“Don’t you tease her,” Letti warns with a grin. “You three are too handsome for your own good.”

“Eh, they’re okay,” I say and try not to burst out laughing when Linc narrows his eyes on me.

“Who’s this?” he asks, side-stepping Letti to come toward me.

So much for playing it cool. This is like playing with fire, but I can’t resist teasing him.

“I’m Elenor.”

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