Page 118 of Bonding the Band

“You go shower,” Clover instructed. “I’ll go with the football boys to bring them up.”

They were here.

My alphas had come for me.

Chapter 45

Meadow

Peeking through the window, I saw them all standing in the parking lot, hovering around a sleek, pink, sparkly sports car, Arlo sitting on the hood. I watched Clover arrive, the entire fucking football team in tow. I loved her, but her ability to get alphas to do whatever she wanted was, frankly, a little terrifying. In a protective circle of uniformed jocks, my pack was hustled into the dorm, Clover at the lead.

I held my breath once they had all disappeared inside, waiting for their inevitable arrival.

Clover slipped inside first, shutting the door behind her. “You ready?”

“Nervous, but yes.”

“Okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.” Clover gave me a quick hug before opening the door for my pack to enter and closing it after them, so she could wait in the hall with the football team.

What was I supposed to say to them? My brain turned instantly into mush at the sight of my alphas, and the only thing that came out was “Uhhh, what is that pink monstrosity in the parking lot?”

Hendrix chuckled. “Thatis how Arlo chose to bribe your best friend.”

“Oh.” I nodded. Thatdidsound like Arlo.

With that explanation, my attention settled on my pack. We had only been apart for a few days, but somehow, I had forgotten how devastatingly handsome they were.

They were wearing the same clothing they’d had on in the press conference, so they must have come to me right away. I resisted the urge to laugh at the bizarre situation I found myself in. A year ago, I hadn’t the hope of a relationship, and now I stood with four alphas in front of me, who just happened to be rich and famous and had announced to the world they were madly in love with me.

When my gaze landed on Hendrix, tears welled in my eyes. I threw myself into his arms, breathing in his woodsmoke and citrus scent. “I’m sorry. I should have talked to you instead of running!”

Hendrix held me tightly. “No! You don’t owe me shit. I saw how those photos looked, and I can’t blame you for not trusting me after we failed so spectacularly to protect you.” The scent of him overwhelmed me, and I buried my nose into his chest, inhaling deeply. I’d missed that scent so much.

“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling back and looking up at him, tears hot on my cheeks.

“I’m fine. Well, as fine as I can be, given everything,” he assured me, laying his palm on my stomach. “How about you and Nugget?”

“We’re both okay,” I promised. “Clover’s been taking good care of us.”

“Good.”

“Are you feeling okay after the detox?”

“I’ve definitely felt better,” he confessed. “I’ve got a lot of appointments to keep up with to make sure I stay healthy, butall the doctors and therapists know I want to be here for you. I’ll wrangle as many schedules as I need to, so I can be the person you and Nugget need me to be.”

A fresh wave of tears filled my eyes.

“If I try telling you that I love you, will you yell at me again?” Hendrix asked.

I shook my head, the tears making their escape down my cheeks.

“Good, because you’re my omega, and I love you, everything about you, and I want to be with you forever.”

I kissed him deeply, whispering against his lips, “I love you too.”

Hendrix sighed, hugging me tightly. “Fuck, Meadow, we’re never going to let any of this shit happen, ever again. The second you get a bad vibe about someone, they’re gone. We’re not taking the risk. We’ll figure it out, no matter how complicated it gets.”

I burst into full sobs, and the rest of the pack crowded around, Beckett rubbing my back lightly. I must have looked like a teary mess. Oakmoss and fresh leaves hit my nose, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning over, rubbing my face along his chest, scent marking him.

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