Page 16 of Pack Obsession

"Thank you," she says finally, barely above a whisper. "I know I’ll be out of your way soon. I... I’m kind of stuck right now."

"You’re safe here. We’ll figure out the rest."

"Safe?" A harsh laugh escapes her. "With three strange Alphas in the middle of nowhere?"

"Safer than with Julian."

She flinches at the name, and I curse myself. She rallies, lifting her chin.

"The devils I don’t know?"

"Something like that."

Silence falls again, heavier this time. She’s studying me, really looking, and I force myself to let her. To not react to having an Omega’s full attention or admit that I enjoy it a bit too much.

"You’ll need to learn some basic self-defense," I say finally. "In case things go wrong."

"Things meaning Julian?"

"Among others." I clear my throat.

She nods slowly, but her hands have started shaking again. "He won’t stop looking."

"Let me worry about Julian."

"That’s what everyone says." Her voice cracks slightly. "Let me handle it. Let me protect you.But in the end..." She trails off, but I hear the rest, anyway. In the end, you can only count on yourself.

"Get some rest," I say, standing. "Nash is setting up a room for you in the east wing and will show it to you."

"Above or below the forbidden basement?"

I chuckle and move toward the kitchen, needing distance from the way she’s starting to feel less like a delicious complication and more like something inviting.

"Let me put dinner on."

"Logan?" Her voice stops me at the doorway. Smaller now, less certain. "Thank you. Really."

I glance back, and for a moment, I see what Julian must have seen—a rare Omega, one so bright that he tried to possess, to break—but where he saw something to control, I see something to protect.

Damn it.

I head into the kitchen without responding, her quiet presence following me like a shadow. It’s only temporary, I remind myself.

But as I dive into the fridge, that combat-honed instinct whispers a warning—nothing about this situation is temporary. And nothing about this girl isjustanything.

Chapter

Six

NASH

The knife trembles slightly in her hand as she cuts into the steak. I pretend not to notice, just like I ignore the fact she’s barely touched the expensive cut of meat. Across the table, Logan methodically works through his dinner while Axel pushes vegetables around his plate, his usual restless energy making the silence even heavier.

"This is good," she says softly, as though testing the waters. "Thanks."

"Our housekeeper stocks the freezer." I’m not sure why I offer this information. Maybe to fill the crushing silence, maybe to see if she’ll relax those tense shoulders even a fraction. "She comes once a week."

Axel cuts me a stare, and fuck yeah, I know I said too much.

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