Page 132 of Broken Dreams

“Again, I’m poking my nose where it doesn’t belong, so tell me to fuck off. It really won’t bother me,” she says with a shrug. Her electric blue hair is in wild curls in a ponytail to stay out of her face, and I watch her as she pans the expansive club for signs of trouble. We have her attention, but so does everyone else. “What do you feel from Linus?”

“He’s not ready yet for the bond,” I say easily. “His reasons are his own so I won’t share those, but Duncan and I are content to go at their pace.”

“That’s very fair,” she says. “Christian really freaked him out. Linus was whiter than a sheet. I was across the room by the bar where I keep my bat, but I swear I did everything in my power to grab it and ran to him. The man has a fierce right hook. I’d usually beat the fuck out of anyone that touches my dancers, but Christian looked dazed.”

“It’s not every day that your scent match punches you,” Duncan says with a dark smirk. “I just want to know that they can defend themselves if we’re not around for some reason. Fuck it, maybe we’ll add some target practice in the woods tomorrow.”

“I don’t know if that’s my idea of a date, but whatever works,” she says with a grin. “Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to go relieve one of my bartenders. Here, I’ll take those glasses.”

She doesn’t allow us to tell her that we’ll do it ourselves, she merely grabs them and bustles away.

“Thank you,” I call out, knowing she can’t hear me. Shaking my head, I tip my head back against the wall to continue to watch our omegas. “Fuck, they’re gorgeous together.”

“Are weapons not a sexy component to a date?” Duncan asks morosely, making me snicker.

“In my opinion, there’s nothing hotter than either of them with a gun in their hand,” I admit. “We’ll pack them and some targets and play it by ear.”

The most important thing is spending time with them, having experiences, and building new memories.

CHAPTER 26

QUINN

Ihate everything in my closet. It’s an exaggeration, but seriously, what does a girl wear for her first date with her pack?

“Quinn, you’re still naked,” Linus teases me as he steps inside our nest and closes the door behind himself.

I’m wearing a cute bra and a thong, that’s hardly naked. My glare at him makes him laugh as he walks over to me.

“We’re going to be outside on a hike, baby. Do you want me to dress you like my gorgeous doll?” he asks. It’s our joke, because he often would.

“Yes,” I say, pouting. Linus’ eyes widen slightly, but he doesn’t make a big deal about it.

“Hang out in the swing and let me work my magic,” he teases me.

Rolling my eyes, I smirk as I climb into the monstrosity of a swing that he picked out. God, this thing is like laying in a fluffycloud. I can see why he wanted it, even though I give him shit about it.

Linus looks through our shared closet before choosing a few things to come show me.

“Yoga leggings because they won’t be able to stop staring at your ass, but your mom will say you look cute,” he states, showing me a bright red pair. “Next this sports bra has a zipper and will keep you from bouncing uncomfortably. This white top is open along the back so it’ll show off the bra, yet still be perfectly suitable as a peekaboo option. Add the gray and white sneakers and you’re good to go. I’ll braid the top of your hair and let your curls go wild.”

Fuck, I love this man. I really, truly do. I launch myself at him in a hug, forcing him to catch me as he grins.

“I’ve always got you, Baby Girl. Even when it comes to wading through our closet,” he says. “Now go get changed.”

Since I have a direction to run in, it doesn’t take long for me to get ready. Linus fixes my hair while I moisturize my face and put on my sunscreen. Funny enough, my skin appears dewy just from that, so I don’t bother with anything other than a fruity lip balm.

Linus doesn’t have to worry about all of this. He’s wearing a pair of gray cargo pants, a black tank top with large arm holes that show off his torso, and sneakers. Men have it easy.

“Stop being grouchy,” he says. “You’re way too pretty for that shit. Let’s go before you second guess what you’re wearing.”

Shaking my head as I smile at him, I stand and walk out of the nest with him at my side, his fingers linked in mine.

“They were sending me up to come find you,” Mom says as she stands in the hallway. Her lips are spread wide in a smile, and I swear it’s so nice to see it.

I think I was afraid to miss my mom for all of these years, because I never thought I’d see her again. It’s also why I tried so hard not to think about the Kelly boys as well.

“I solved the crisis,” Linus says, huffing as if he fixed something so much worse.

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