Page 48 of Pack Obsession

"He arranged all of it—the kidnapping, the crash." The words taste like ash. "Had these three Alphas I’m with orchestrate the whole thing and steal me away."

"Son of a—" His hands tighten on my arms. "I’ll kill him."

"No." Fear races through me. "You can’t go near him. Promise me."

"Case—"

"Promise me." I grip his shirt, my hands trembling. "I can’t lose you."

Something shifts in his expression. "And these Alphas, they’re the ones who kidnapped you but also brought you here? Can you trust them? Are they?—"

"It’s okay, I give you my word." The words tumble out as I explain everything—how they’re protecting me, letting me lie low, calling off their deal with Julian.

"And then what? What about Nexus?" The familiar worry line appears between his brows.

"I don’t know yet," I admit. "I’m trying to just survive now..." My breathing hitches, and he pulls me close, murmuring that it’s going to be okay.

The restaurant bustles beyond our door, the aroma of food drifting in, but all I can focus on is the weight of uncertainty.

"Maybe," Kai starts slowly. "You can pretend you’re matching with one of the Alphas. Tell Nexus you’re taken, get them off your back. Maybe even Julian would get the message..." He runs a hand through his light hair, the tribal tattoo on his neck peeking above his collar. "Fuck, that’s a lot to ask, and they seem like seriously scary dudes. And I don’t want you in that kind of situation, in fact… Not a great idea." He lifts my chin, hazel brown eyes full of heartache.

"I-I–" The idea settles in my chest, complex and heavy. Submitting a matching to Nexus means legal documentation—breaking it could land me right back where I started, with them trying to assign me another Alpha while I’m still of age. I can’t exactly ask the guys to pretend for five years...

Except...it wouldn’t be the worst thing, having one or more of them as my Alpha. The way they drive me wild with desire, with need. How I feel closer to them each day, seeing them change the more time we spend together.

I sigh. "Maybe. I don’t know..."

He wraps me in another hug, and I cling to him, my brother, the one constant always in my life. It’s surreal, standing here with him after Nexus took me from home. For a moment, I let myself believe we’re okay, that maybe we’ll find a way out of this mess together. But the relief is short-lived, eclipsed by the gnawing worry that’s been eating at me since the bus. That I won’t be left alone by Nexus, by Julian.

I pull back just enough to look up at him, my throat constricting. As much as seeing him fills a void I thought would never heal, it only sharpens the ache of not knowing about my friends too.

"Danica, Kayla, and Jess," I ask, my voice quivering. "Have you heard anything about them?"

He shakes his head, and my stomach hardens. "Nothing. No one has. Families are so worried. But Case, these guys..." Heglances at the shut door behind him. "They’re really protecting you, right? They’re not hurting you, taking advantage?"

"They saved me. Could have turned me over to Julian but didn’t." My fingers fidget with my braid as I try to make him understand. "They’re teaching me to protect myself. I actually think they care."

The door suddenly slides open, and I flinch.

Nash slips inside, his expression grim enough to make my stomach drop. "We need to wrap this up. Julian’s men are outside the building, clearly following you."

Kai’s arms tighten around me protectively. "I’ll go back out there, show them I’m alone."

"Takeaway food’s ordered and paid for." Nash explains. "Act natural. Collect it from the front, then head home."

"Having you look after Case means everything to me. Thank you." Kai’s voice breaks slightly. "But you gotta give me your word that you won’t let anything happen to her. She’s my fucking world."

Nash meets his gaze without hesitation. "I swear on my life... no way will she be harmed." He catches my eye, winks, and my heart does that stupid flutter thing, even through my fear.

The warmth of his words tangles with the ice in my veins. Kai pulls me into one final embrace, and I breathe in his familiar scent—motor oil and the coconut shampoo he’s used since we were kids. My fingers clutch his shirt, and suddenly, I’m a child again, the two of us against the world.

"Stay safe," I whisper against his shoulder. "Please stay safe."

"You too, Case." His lips press against my forehead. "I love you."

Then he’s gone. The door slides shut with a quiet finality. My hand reaches out unconsciously, touching the space where he stood. The room seems colder, emptier. Bigger. The same hollow feeling spreads through me that haunted our house after ourparents’ funeral, when every room felt too large without them in it.

"Casey." Nash’s words come soft, gentle, his hand warm on my elbow. "We need to move."

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