Page 15 of Pack Plus Three

“What sorry excuse for a sperm donor—what alpha in their right mind—would leave an omega alone to fend for themselves in the first place, let alone a pregnant one?”

As much as I disliked the situation, I had to agree with that. The motherfucker that had abandoned a pregnant omega was absolutely a waste of the air they breathed.

“While I agree, it’s not your job to look after her,” I said, but the words felt hollow.

Jeremy turned to glare at me so fiercely, I almost shrank back. “It may not be my job, but I want to help her. I’m not going to flaunt her in front of you, but I’m not going to lie. I like her, a lot. I fully intend to date her.”

“Even though she’s a single mother?” I asked, and I knew the words were total bullshit.

“Fuck, yes. She and the squirt are a package deal. You know I want kids. This just escalates the timeline, and that makes me insanely happy.”

I started to grasp at straws. “But what if the father makes an appearance?”

“If I’m bonded with Daisy, her kids essentially become mine, legally speaking. Considering the sperm donor split, I highly doubt he’ll be around to sign the birth certificate, so he won’t have any rights.” Jeremy shrugged, a dopey grin on his face.

Bonded. Jeremy was already thinking about bonding. The fucker was head over heels, and there was no talking him down.

Fuck.

“Dude, you’re talking about bonding and adopting her kid... Have you even asked her on a date yet?” Devon laughed.

Jeremy shook his head. “I can tell she’s attracted to me, though. There was a...moment recently. She smells so fucking good, like apples and brown sugar. I don’t see how anything between us could be wrong.”

“I just want you guys to stay safe,” I said, dread sticking to my gut like glue. “We can all date without bonding. That way, you guys aren’t at risk of going through everything I am.”

Severing sickness. My bonded omega had died less than twenty-four hours after we solidified our bond. To die so tragically and violently so soon after bonding.. it had destroyed a part of my soul and left me physically sick. Leaving me with medications that cost an arm and a leg and a deep emotional pain that would never ebb.

Jeremy sighed. “Look, I know how badly the severing sickness has fucked you up, man, but having an omega around could be a good thing.”

I shook my head. “You guys can do whatever you want, but keep me out of it.” As I took a bite of sweet potato, I couldn’t help the sinking sensation in my stomach.

Was this the beginning of the end for our little pack?

Chapter 8

Jeremy

Trudging up the stairs to the apartment, I slowly pulled out my keys. Nate hadn’t exactly been angry with me, but I could see his disappointment and fear clear as day when I told him about Daisy. Not that I blamed him; what Jilly’s death put him through was rough.

Once inside, I didn’t even get a chance to take off my shoes before there was a knock on the door. Without even looking to see who it was, my face broke out into a smile. There was reasonably only one person it could be.

Daisy stood in my doorway, panting slightly, a big grin on her face.

“Raincheck cookies!” she declared as she thrust another Tupperware in my direction. “I had a craving and decided to—What the hell happened to your face?” she cried, eyes roaming over me as she noticed the bruises on my face.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I said, opening the tub and inhaling deeply. It was floral. I didn’t know that cookies could be floral. Hopefully, this was one of those nice cravings, and I wasn’t about to eat a cookie that tasted like grass clippings.

“That is most certainly not nothing! Jeremy, you have a cut on your eyebrow!”

“It’s a light scrape.” I did my best to keep my voice soothing.

“It’s still bleeding!” Her face reddened, and I paused. The last thing I wanted was for her to stress herself out. That wouldn’t be good for the baby.

“Oh, crap, it must have reopened?—”

I was cut off by a tiny pair of hands shoving me in the chest, pushing me back inside the apartment.

“Sit your ass down. I’m going to clean that mess and then you can tell me how you managed to royally mess up your face.” Daisy growled—she actually growled—and I had to resist the urge to coo at her because it was so damn cute.

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