Page 99 of Faith and Fury

The expressions on my packmates’ faces … the acidity in their scents … I can’t place it. I’ve never seen this complex side of them—a side that loves me, no matter how upset they get, but that could just as easily bare its teeth.

And maybe they would, if they had another couple seconds to react.

The bedroom door bursts open. Stark, distressed omega pheromones flood the room.

Faith stands in the doorway, half-dressed, breathing heavily. There’s a sickly, feral gleam in her eye.

“Oh, god,” Micah murmurs, “Faith. H–how much of that did you—?”

She starts singing before he can finish—sharp, violent motion in her hands I don’t understand. Micah stumbles like he’s been struck.

“No,” he moans. “Hey, angel, please, let’s just talk about this.”

Faith signs something else. Something harsh and definitive.

“No,” Jaxon blurts, “no fucking way.”

She’s glaring at me now, her lips parted like she wants so desperately to speak—to scream—as she signs more words I don’t understand.

“What?” I demand. “I don’t know what you’re saying, omega.”

Shakily, Micah thrusts open one of the bedside drawers. He rummages frantically, pulling out a regular notepad and pen. “Here,” he says, handing them to Faith. “Show us, angel. We’re listening.”

With an enraged hiss, Faith smacks the notepad clean out of his hands.

I grab Micah’s shoulder and pull him behind me. All his grand talk about making Faith stable fizzles away the second anyone brings up her—

“Is this because I mentioned Fang?” I ask. “You heard that, didn’t you?”

Faith snarls.

“She said she wants to leave,” Micah says, his voice breaking. “She doesn’t trust us.”

“Guess what, omega?” I snap, my protective instincts on high alert. “I don’t trust you a whole lot right now, either. You show your teeth in front of my packmates again, and I’ll put you down myself.”

Jaxon and Micah glare at me with horror. “Are you crazy?” Jaxon shoves past me. “She’s not gonna hurt us!”

He’s still covered in her, my inner alpha reminds me. No matter how feral Faith gets, all he’ll smell is lavender.

I put my hand on Jaxon’s chest. He vibrates against me, growling furiously. Before he can say something he’ll regret, I speak, firmly, “She asked for space, didn’t she?” I check her over my shoulder. “I think Faith knows as well as I do that she’s not in full control right now.”

“And whose fault is that?” Jaxon snaps. “Goddammit, Caleb—we were finally getting somewhere!”

At this, Faith scowls in question. She signs, making both Micah’s and Jaxon’s scents thicken with concentration. I don’t know how much they can actually read before Micah steps forward.

Signing as he speaks, he tells her, “I … want … you. I love you.” His hands fall. "Of course we want you to join our pack.”

Her pheromones take a sharp drop. She starts to sign, then huffs, hastily retrieving the notepad off the floor. We all watch her with a laser-like focus as she scrawls—

YOU’RE NO DIFFERENT.

Micah and Jaxon share a frown. “No different from who?” Micah prods.

SPEAKING FOR ME, Faith goes on, LIKE I CAN’T DO IT MYSELF.

“Of course you can,” Micah gushes. “I never meant to—”

YOU DON’T OWN ME. NO-ONE DOES.

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