It doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines: Nothing to rip head alpha’s head off about.
Faith seems utterly unconvinced. She keeps glaring at me. Warning me.
And right when I thought my hard-on was finally under control, I had to see that—a gorgeous, naked omega, baring her teeth to protect my packmate.
Why the fuck is that so hot?
I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until Micah sweeps her off her feet. To my astonishment, she doesn’t resist as he carries her back to bed. He emerges a couple seconds later, standing in front of me with a stern expression.
“As you can see,” he says, quietly, “this is about more than sex. I care about her. I—” he stops himself. “I can make her happy.”
I fold my arms, fighting the urge to cover my still-hard cock. “I don’t doubt that.”
His eyes light up. “You … don’t?”
“It’s beside the point.” I sigh. “We’ll discuss this later. I need to get to HQ.”
“Later?”
I quirk a brow, not missing the challenge in his tone.
Micah’s jaw clenches. “Please, just … tell me you saw it. Or sensed it, at least.”
I did. We did, my inner alpha cries out.
“Caleb,” my packmate insists, “she’s stable. Grounded. More than she’s been since …” he shakes his head. “Since ever.”
“Because of the sex,” I say dryly.
“No—because I love her.”
He might as well have punched me across the face—jarring enough on its own, let alone from someone as gentle as Micah. I don’t move, eyeing him carefully.
Lowly, I ask, “Is that what you told her? In those words?”
“I did.”
My god. I’ve known Micah to be a lot of things. Loved and supported him through it all. But I never thought he could be so damn …
“Selfish,” I whisper. “That was a stupid, selfish fucking thing to do.” I shake my head. “And I think you know it.”
Now he looks struck, his eyes glistening. “Caleb—”
“Like I said. We’ll discuss it later.”
I hate myself as soon as I’ve spoken. Even more when I turn away, storming into the bedroom.
I could turn around. Take the words back, tell him I’m sorry.
But I can’t do that. Not when I know, as much as it breaks my heart, that I’m right. Micah has no place confessing his love. He can’t promise Faith anything.
He’s not the head alpha of Pack Wilder.
It’s my job to make sure my packmates are taken care of. To make sure we do the right thing by ourselves, by the mission.
And by Faith.
Chapter Thirty-Seven