Page 69 of Talk About… History

I loved watching him light up as he talked, showing off the new things he’d been working on and answering any questions I had. There were a few times he stumbled over his words, looking unsure that I actually wanted to know.

But I did. I wanted to know everything, to listen to him gush about what he loved to do, and to see his work come to life.

This wasn’t a wasted afternoon, this was another glimpse into the mind of my mate.

This was what being part of a pack should be like and I’d never take that for granted.

Avery

"What are you doing here?” Maverick’s harsh voice had me pausing my music and turning, mixing bowl in hand. His eyes dropped to the bowl then up to my face. “Oh god, that bad?”

I glanced around at the muffins and three trays of cookies I’d already made so far in my baking frenzy. Sometimes it was just easier to process everything while your hands were busy.

“Did they do something?”

I shook my head and sat the stainless steel mixing bowl down, letting out a sigh.

“No, they’re perfect. The guys are all moving in to Cohen’s house so they can be a stronger pack for me,” I admitted.

“Okay, then why are you here?” he asked, not letting me smooth talk my way out of actually answering him.

“Because it’s too fast,” I said, busying myself with scooping the brownie mix in the pan. It was a weak argument and his scoff had me rambling more. “Look what happened last time I thought I found a pack. It backfired in the worst way and shit is still popping up from it. I was reckless with my heart and I’m trying to save myself some heartache this time around.”

He frowned. “They are your scent matches, though. You said it was different with them, right?”

“It is,” I agreed. How could I deny it when the differences were so glaringly obvious?

Maverick must have sensed the arguments resting on the tip of my tongue.

“Does this feel real?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. If Maverick was here challenging me and giving me life-advice, I might truly be a mess.

“Yes, it does, and I’m fucking terrified, Mav,” I admitted, sitting on the stool so I could actually look at my brother instead of avoiding him.

His expression softened. “Look, I get it. I’d love nothing more than drive back to your old place and fuck those guys up for you. But I saw the way those two at the contractor’s office looked at you. There’s something real happening here and if you keep running away, you’re going to miss out on time you wish you hadn’t wasted.”

“I had plans of building a house out here on my land, but they’re all happy at Cohen’s… what if they don’t want to leave?”

“Do you want to?” he asked bluntly. “Is this really about them?”

“Why are you being mean?” I whined, glaring at him before getting up and putting the brownie pan in the oven.

He let out a laugh. “I’m not. You’re being a dumbass and it’s my brotherly duty to call you out on it. I don’t want another Cameron situation.”

“That’s not the same and you know it,” I argued, turning and crossing my arms so I could stare him down. He was completely unrepentant and not at all bothered by my protests.

Maverick was officially in ‘dad’ mode now and wasn’t going to let this subject drop. Maybe his harsh delivery was what I needed to get my head out of the sand.

“Isn’t it? He found a reason to push his scent-matched mate away. Now he’s a miserable fuck making us all just as miserable any time he can,” he said. “You’ve been hurt, Avery, and I’m so fucking sorry that happened to you and we didn’t help sooner.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I said gently. “They effectively isolated me and I was too blind to see it.”

“I just don’t want you to close yourself off, Avery. That’s not good for you as an omega or as a person in general. We’re meant to be in packs, to have support. These men were mostly strangers, you happened on them by chance, this wasn’t an orchestrated plan like before,” he said, voice even and strong, confident in what he was saying.

He was right. I remembered the night I met Travis and Brad far too vividly and now that time had passed and I knew their true colors, I could count the red flags in that first encounter.

After a long day at work I went to my favorite Thai restaurant. I would go at least twice a week, generally every Friday like clockwork.

My order was already in and paid for, two men walking up to me as I took my to-go bags and turned around to find out why someone would pay.

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