Page 18 of Dawn of the Pack

“It’s impossible,” he whispers, but the certainty he had a moment ago is gone.

I cup his cheeks with my hands, kissing him again. “Milo, it changes nothing between us. I love you, and Jared, and Landon. I’m claiming all of you at the ceremony. But I know in my gut, in my heart, that Derrek is also meant to be my mate.”

“How do you know?” His sorrowful eyes search my face for answers.

“I feel… the same way about him that I felt about you three. As soon as he came to Smoky Falls, I realized there was something more to our connection than just our history. It kept calling me to him, and I think it was driving us both crazy because we couldn’t figure it out.”

“But you kicked him off of pack lands. You wouldn’t do that to one of your fated.”

“Wouldn’t I? I thought he had betrayed me, and he wasn’t even a wolf. Then he came back and saved me from Azalea, and I felt it again, like a… like a cord between us. And then we found out he’s the Montrose alpha’s heir. And that’s when it all clicked into place. I was so hung up on knowing that you three were my mates, I didn’t recognize the feeling for what it was. I didn’t even consider it.” Emotion wells in my throat and creeps into my voice. “But now my heart aches for him. It’s killing me he’s not here with us, safe, where he belongs. The way I feel… it’s more than just concern for a friend. It’s been ripping me apart since they took him away,” I admit, my voice breaking. The emotion I’ve held back spills from my eyes in a trickle of hot tears that run across my nose and soak into the pillow.

Milo pulls me against his chest and tightens his arms around me. “It’s okay, I’m sorry, Lily. It’ll be okay.” His murmured reassurances are peppered with kisses to my forehead. “If he’s your fourth mate, that makes him part of our family. We’ll get him back. You know better than any of us. I’m sorry I questioned you.”

He waits until my sobs quiet, then gently pulls me away from the safety of his chest. His eyes lock on mine. “I’m sorry I reacted so poorly. For some reason, it felt like him being your mate meant that we weren’t good enough… that I wasn’t good enough. I know that’s not how it works. But I’m over it, I promise. Okay?” He ducks his face to gaze up at me from beneath his lashes.

“Of course it doesn’t mean you’re not good enough, silly. All of you are probably far more than I deserve. I-”

“Well, now you’re just being ridiculous,” Milo growls, pushing his fingers under my arm and tickling my side. His other hand joins in and elicits peals of laughter from me as I try to fight him off and regain my dignity.

Once he’s certain my mood is lifted, he stops tickling, and leaves me breathless with a goofy smile on my face.

“Come on, princess.” He sits up and tugs at my hand. We’d better get you back to Harridan House and figure out how we’re going to rescue my new brother.”

MILO

After the epic highs and spectacular lows of the last few hours, I’m not sure I can take another confrontation between Lily and Dom. Connected as we are now, I could easily lose my shit the second he so much as looks at her wrong. I’m half in a rage just imagining it before I realize what’s going on. Focusing on the calm I feel from her touch, I bring myself back down to earth.

We dress quickly and get back in the car. The scent of her clings to me, my senses filled with it, and I realize I don’t need to hold her hand to feel connected anymore. The sky is darkening, the sun already behind the mountains, but I can’t help stealing glances at my gorgeous mate while I drive. Lily’s dark hair is absolutely wild, her lips swollen and glossy from so much kissing.

As if she feels me watching, her gaze drifts from the road ahead to my face. A smile curls her lips, adoration clear in her emerald eyes. I return the grin and refocus on the road, filled to the brim with satisfaction.

“So, do you think Dom will still be there, or do you think he’ll be gone?”

She’s quiet for a moment, thinking. “I hope he’s still there. I don’t think he’ll leave; he obviously cares about the pack. If what he said was true, he only left in the first place to search for a way to break the curse, and he came back.”

“What if he only came back for Roxanne?” I suggest gently.

“Then… they have to do what’s best for them.”

“You could order her to stay.”

“I couldn’t do that to her. I know how much she cares about him, and I think it’d be pretty shitty of me to force her to choose. Besides, they haven’t even worked through all of their issues yet.”

“That’s certainly true.”

“So, I think he’ll be there. I hope the ultimatum knocked some sense into him, or if not, that Roxanne knocked some sense into him.”

A chuckle rumbles in my chest. “That’s my alpha. Not concerned about him being right anymore?”

Her tone turns flirtatious. “Well, I seem to remember someone telling me he deserved to be put in his place.”

A smile curls the corner of my lips. “Sounds like a wise person.”

“I agree. I think I’ll keep him around.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea.”

Abruptly, the playful tone drops. “Regardless, I can’t be constantly worrying I’m making the wrong decision at every turn. I have to consider my options, listen to input from the people around me, and choose. If I choose wrong, I have to deal with the consequences.”

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