Page 25 of Pack Obsession

His laugh rumbles through both of us. "Casey." The way he says my name leaves me shuddering. "Look at me."

I do and immediately regret it. The heat in his eyes makes my bones melt.

"If you want to go back to your room right now, I won’t stop you." His words contrast with how his fingers tighten in my hair. "If you want to pretend this night never happened, we can do that, too."

"And if I don’t want either of those things?"

"Then we’re both in trouble." He’s close enough now that I can feel his breath on my lips. "Because I really want to kiss you."

My heart stops. Restarts.

"That’s... probably a terrible idea."

"Definitely." But he’s leaning closer. "Tell me to stop."

I should. God, I should. Instead, I slide my hands up his chest, feeling the way his breath catches.

"What if I don’t want you to stop?"

Reality crashes back like a bucket of ice water. What am I doing? Curled up with an Alpha I barely know, wanting things I shouldn’t want, forgetting everything that brought me here.

"I should go," I blurt. The words hurt coming out, but I force myself to untangle from him. "This is..."

"Don’t." His tone holds an edge now, something primal.

When I dare to meet his eyes, the heaviness in them steals my breath. Every line of his body screams predator, screams Alpha, screamsmine. But he doesn’t move.

"Axel..."

"Go." The word comes out rough. "Before I forget all the reasons I should let you."

I take a step back, grab the snacks, except for the chips, and clutch them like a shield. "I’m sorry."

"For what?" Now, his smile holds something dangerous. "For making me want impossible things? Or for wanting them yourself?"

"Both. Neither." I’m babbling, but I can’t stop. "I don’t know. I just... I can’t."

"Can’t?" He stands in one fluid motion, and suddenly, the room feels very small. "Or won’t?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes." He stays where he is, though everything in his stance says he wants to follow. "It matters very much."

"Goodnight, Axel." I back toward the door, hating how my body protests with each step away from him.

"Sweet dreams, my little thief." His words wrap around me like dark silk. "Try not to steal any more hearts tonight."

I flee before I can do something stupid like run back to him. The hallway feels colder, emptier, but it’s safer than drowning in those ice-blue eyes that promise things I’m not ready to want.

Back in my room, I press my forehead against the door and try to remember how to breathe normally. Try to forget the feelof his hands, the heat of his skin, the way he looked at me as though I was something both precious and dangerous.

Chapter

Eight

CASEY

Ifind Logan waiting by the back door as I finish my last spoonful of Frosted Flakes. It’s barely seven a.m., and the house is eerily quiet, with no sign of Axel or Nash anywhere.

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