Page 167 of Psycho Pack

"Because you're bi-alpha?"

"What?" I choke out, a laugh forcing its way out of me in spite of the tightness in my throat. "That term doesn't even make sense."

"I don't know the word for it," he protests.

"I don't think there is one," I admit, still laughing a little. "But… yes, that was part of it. It was more than that, though." I look out over the serene scene, sighing. "I never wanted to rule. Never felt comfortable with the idea of having that much power over people's lives. I just wanted to help. To heal."

Whiskey's hand finds mine, his fingers intertwining with mine. The simple touch keeps me from spiraling into the oldpain again. "Seems to me like you found a way to do that anyway," he says. "Maybe not in the way you expected, but still."

I stare down at our joined hands, marveling at how natural it feels. How right. "I suppose so," I murmur. "Though I'm not sure how much good I've actually done, in the grand scheme of things."

"Hey." Whiskey's voice is uncharacteristically serious. He turns to face me fully, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek. His palm is rough against my skin. "You've done more good than you know. You've saved all our asses more times than I can count. Especially our omega."

Heat floods my face at his words. "If you knew half the things I've done…" I trail off, unable to meet his gaze.

"We know who you are now," Whiskey interrupts. "That's what matters."

I pause, considering his words. Is that really all that matters? I want to believe it is. I want to believe I can be free of the past that feels like it's suffocating me, and when I look around at the home that once felt like a prison, it feels like I'm not the only one who's different.

If Surhiira has changed, maybe he's right. Maybe I have, too.

"I killed him right here," I whisper, the words tearing from my throat. "Adiir. My best friend. The man I thought I loved." A bitter laugh escapes me. "And now here I am, ten years later, standing in the same spot with another alpha. History has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it?"

Whiskey's quiet for a long moment, digesting this, his palm still resting on my cheek. "You're not the same person you were then," he finally says, his voice soft. "And I'm not Adiir."

I lean into his touch despite myself, starved for the comfort I've denied myself for so long. "No," I agree. "You're not."

His thumb strokes along my cheekbone, sending little sparks of electricity through me. "I'm not going to betray you," hemurmurs. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here because I want to be. Because I..." He trails off, swallowing hard.

I meet his gaze, my heart racing. "Because you what?"

Instead of answering, he leans in and kisses me.

It's nothing like Adiir's kiss.

There's no desperation, no hidden agenda.

Just warmth and tenderness.

I freeze for a moment, overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions surging through me. But then Whiskey starts to pull away, uncertainty flickering in his eyes, and I can't bear the loss of contact.

My hands come up to tangle in his hair, pulling him back to me. I kiss him like I'm drowning and he's air, pouring ten years of loneliness and longing into the press of my lips against his.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard. Whiskey rests his forehead against mine, his hands settled on my waist where our bodies fit together.

"Why are you being so…niceto me?" I ask, hating how vulnerable I sound.

Whiskey laughs a little, the sound vibrating through me. "Don't think anyone's ever asked me that after a kiss."

"Do you kiss a lot of people?" I ask pointedly.

He gives me a lazy grin. "Are you jealous?"

"Maybe," I admit softly.

Whiskey's hand comes up to cup my cheek again. "Because you deserve it, dumbass," he says softly. "And because I..." He hesitates, uncertainty flashing across his features. "Fuck, I'm no good at this mushy shit. I care about you, okay? More than I probably should."

My breath catches in my throat. I search his face for any sign of deception, any hint that this is just another one of his jokes. But all I see is raw honesty.

---