Page 58 of Scent of Home

“Yes. It’s the only logical course of action,” I say, and there is more than a twinge of regret.

“Okay.”

I wait, but she doesn’t say anything. At all. I stare at her carefully blank expression, the way those brown eyes seem to hold all the answers I need in my life, and it bubbles up and out of me before I can stop it.

“What does that mean?” I snap at last.

“If I lived here in this town with you and Bray and Finn. And we had one week of sex, amazing, glorious sex, and then it all just ended. I think I might be a bit sad.”

“Sad?”

“Well, hurt, devastated. I’d be pissed, to be frank. Hell, I wouldn’t want to be a booty call with you three. I’d want more.” Erin glances at me with a lazy, confident grin. Her eyes twinkle, streaks of honey in the chocolate. How is she this beautiful?

My gaze drifts to Bray. He’s thrown his head back and is laughing at something Locke is saying. They look so incredible together. Locke with his golden colouring and smaller body leaning into Bray. I don’t see that carefree expression on Bray’s face. Ever.

More? Is it possible? No, she’s got to be wrong. I glance over at Bray, and the way he pulls Locke between his legs, one hand placed possessively on Locke’s hip. I imagine our lives, Locke between us. Would he look at me that way, too? Would Locke be able to make me smile like that? Could we be happy forever?

Have I been wrong all this time?

That thought weighs on me like a mountain on my shoulders.

But this thing between us isn’t…it wouldn’t work without Erin, Locke, and Finn. We’re a jigsaw that doesn’t fit.

It worked today.

I can suddenly feel him in my mouth, deep in my throat. What if Erin is right? What if he doesn’t want things to end? Do I? I hadn’t even thought about it. I just assumed that it would end.

Have I been wrong? The question is louder now.

Erin wriggles in my lap, drawing my attention back to her. She tilts her head back on my shoulder, giving me a view of her cleavage that has that heat rising inside me again.

“Erin,” I growl.

“Mmm?”

“Tell me what happens during a heat.”

Erin stills. “We fuck, copiously.”

“That simple? What if I hurt-”

“You won’t,” she says sharply.

“You won’t, Shane,” Finn says confidently like he knows it. And maybe he does. “We’re friends. If it helps, I’ll keep them safe.”

But will that keep you safe,I wonder. The beta could be overpowered by an ill-timed alpha bark.

Erin twists her head towards me and slaps a kiss to my cheek. “You’re a big, giant stress head. It’s cute.”

I snort, torn between offense and amusement.

Have I been wrong?

We’ve been here for hours now, but Erin pushes to her feet and glances at Locke. They communicate something with their eyes, and she shrugs.

“Not tonight,” Locke says. He grabs Bray and pulls him up. “Time for you all to go home. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?” Bray asks and grips Locke’s hips, dragging him back to him.

---