Page 69 of Fragile Heart

As he returns from putting the dirty cloth in the washer, he says, “It’s either the shirt I wore in here or the sweatshirt I haven’t washed from camping. And I figured the shirt was a better bet.”

He grabs it from the floor and tucks it into my hands. I can’t help but bring it to my nose and breathe in. The cinnamon is so strong I moan. He cups my cheek as he chuckles again. It’s almost enough to ease away my growing nerves.

“We should probably talk about him and how I kissed him,” I whisper.

Caleb hums. “I never expected to be exclusive,” he says. “Omegas aren’t built like that.”

He presses his thumb into my lips.

“He hasn’t talked to me since,” I admit.

His mouth tightens. “Yeah, I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. Ethan’s phenomenal at keeping his head up his ass.”

My laugh is tired.

“I’m not a stranger to being in a pack, Brielle,” he says, abnormally humorless. He moves his hand until he cups the nape of my neck. His kiss is light yet utterly serious. “All I ask is that you let me know about anyone else.”

“I can do that.”

“Good.” He kisses me again, this one longer. “Tell Hudson if you need something, including smuggling scents out of my house. He’ll understand.”

He eases away from me, and I hop off the counter, leaving his shirt behind. I lace his fingers with mine as he heads to the front door.

As he starts onto the porch, I whisper, “I love you.”

He pauses, his lips quirking up for a heartbeat. A lump settles in my throat. I hadn’t actually meant to say that.

“Yeah?” he asks, squeezing my hand.

When I nod, he closes the distance between us and presses me into the threshold. This kiss is deeper, hotter, and it has me whining before he pulls away.

“Love you, too, Omega,” he whispers. A thrill shoots down my spine. “I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter Thirty-One

BRIELLE

“We’re about ready, little Omega,” Carter says as he presses a kiss to Faedra’s temple. “Much later and we’ll mistime Dahlia’s nap.”

She smiles and looks away from the small embroidery project in her hands, focusing on his retreating form. He cocks an eyebrow as he opens the back hatch of the large SUV and adds another hiking backpack to whatever is already in it.

I tuck the small needle into the corner of the fabric before folding the project around the small hoop. Faedra organizes the various skeins of thread, wrapping them around small flat cards numbered in a thin, scrawling handwriting that is definitely not hers.

“Which colors did you need for yours?” she asks. “Ochre and amethyst, right? And one of the greens.”

She sets the two colors on top of my project.

“I can order some,” I say, pushing them back to her. “It’s not like I’m short on spending budget.”

Faedra’s lip ticks up in a half-smile. “And so can I. Take them. All I have left of this pattern is the cherry red, and your snapdragons don’t use it. The rest will just be taking up space in the backpacks and, honestly, will probably get dirty anyway. Not much tends to survive these long hauls.”

I relent without much fight. “All right.”

She grins and grabs my tote bag off the chair’s back, easing the entire organizer into it along with the extra aida cloth. I tuck the project on top of it all and then hug Faedra, closing my eyes and breathing deep.

“It’s going to work out,” she whispers. “Trust me. If Dominic and his brothers can figure it out, Ethan can, too.”

I can’t help but laugh. Dominic and his brothers are practically infamous for being stubborn and bullheaded. It took a forced heat and a nasty altercation with Violet’s parents for them to figure out their own dynamic several years ago. I’ve only met Dominic in person once, but it was enough.

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