Page 49 of Faith and Fury

I hesitate. Tall, brawny, larger-than-life alpha with dark red hair and steely grey eyes? I can think of a few.

The conversation presses on, though Jaxon does most of the talking, almost all of which is about how Maverick should piss back off to the military—maybe they’d be able to teach him some goddamn manners.

I keep my eye on the time. Caleb said he’d be back by eight. That’s good. Gives me a couple hours to get my thoughts straight.

This isn’t a problem that’s just going to go away. Faith is only going to get more involved in our lives. Jaxon is only going to become more infatuated.

And I’m not going to be able to walk this line between psychiatrist and alpha much longer.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Caleb

“Faith?” I call out from the foyer. “You ready?”

She emerges from the kitchen, thrusting a piece of toast into my chest. I’m guessing it’s courtesy of Micah.

And I don’t need to guess why he’s not giving it to me himself.

Faith, Jaxon, and I get in the elevator. No-one speaks the whole way down.

So that makes two packmates who are still pissed with me.

My nose wrinkles, noting Faith’s pheromones. Lavender. Chocolate. Lemon. They’ve been scent-marking her. The only reason I haven’t called them out yet is because Faith must’ve consented, though somehow I doubt she knows what she’s signing up for.

“She needs us, Caleb,” Micah’s words circle my head from last night. “And we need her.”

I sighed and told him that wasn’t his decision to make.

“Faith has made incredible progress. She’s communicating. She’s trusting us more and more. All signs suggest she wants this, wants us—”

I cut him off. So he chose a different track.

“Listen,” he said, “I’ve worked with a lot of rogue omegas. Most of them were squashed down to nothing, forced to be completely dependent on their alphas. When they were rejected, the biggest shock was simply learning how to walk on their own two feet.”

I remember his expert pause, giving me a chance to process, before he continued.

“But Faith depends on no-one. Not even her own mate.”

I understood then what he was doing. Whatever way you slice it, he was telling me—personally, professionally, or otherwise—this is the best outcome for everyone.

I wanted to let him down gently. But that’s not how the words came out.

“You of all alphas are not ready to be courting anyone. Let alone Faith.”

The look on his face—the hurt—made me want to gut myself.

This morning, before he got up to take a shower, I tried to tell him I was sorry. All I meant to say was that I didn’t want to see his heart broken. Not again. This puppy love might be enough to erase his memories of the feral omega who tore him apart, but it sure as hell doesn’t erase mine.

Jaxon helps Faith into the car. His wrist lingers on her sleeve, pumping out more of that thick, possessive scent.

“Stay safe,” he grunts.

She nods.

With that, he shuts the door and puts on his motorcycle helmet.

Speeding up the driveway like he doesn’t trust himself to stick around a single second longer.

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