Page 70 of Broken Dreams

I know they’re giving us the space to acclimate, but I find myself wanting to be close at all times. I’m sure that’s partly the scent match wanting to throw us together, yet it’s more than that.

“Ever feel as if they’re giving us too much space?” Linus asks as we walk up to the nest. At my eye roll, he chuckles under his breath. “Yeah, me too. How about we put a stop to that.”

My arms wrap around him as I nod, his body barely moving as I lean into him. He may be thin, but there’s so much strength in his body. We danced together while Duncan was making breakfast, and Callum pushed the furniture out of the way for us so we could.

It managed to work, but my core strength feels ignored. Would it be odd to ask for a pole? I used to enjoy seeing how far I could push my body while dancing around the pole. It’s been my exercise for so many years, it’s difficult to imagine my life without it.

“What’s up?” Linus asks, looking for a shirt in the closet in our room.

I can tell him anything, so I grab the pad and pen and fight to explain it.

I miss the pole. I can’t feel a decent burn while dancing otherwise.

Linus’ eyes move across the page and he nods.

“Callum!” he calls out as the alpha walks past. It’s too late to grab him as he puts on the shirt, though he’s only wearing boxers still.

“Yeah?” the alpha asks, peeking his head in. My cheeks burn as I toss the pad to the side, biting my lip.

“Quinn has a very specific set of muscles she’s worried are going to atrophy without the proper care,” Linus begins.

Oh my God.I can’t imagine what Callum is going to think, pressing my overheated cheeks with my hands. Please don’t think he’s talking about my cunt.Please.

“I think I’m going to need a bit more context,” the alpha says, as I slowly die from embarrassment. His gaze moves down Linus’ body, while my best friend remains oblivious.

He's having too much fun, and he doesn’t notice men’s attention now that we’re outside of the club unless it’s blatant.

“She needs to dance on a pole,” Linus says, smirking. “Maybe not where anyone but us can see her, but it works muscles nothing else really does.”

“Looks like we’re installing a pole in the house. I’ll add it to the list!” Callum says, winking at me before slipping back into the hallway to continue on to wherever he was headed.

Linus walks over and tackles me, picking me up to swing me around while I squeal wordlessly. Gasping as he puts me down, I kiss him before I pull on a sage green crop top that grazes the bottom of my ribs and a high waisted white pair of pants with a floral pattern.

Brown sandals complete the outfit, and then I begin to brush out my hair before arranging it into two braids and making space buns with them. Leaving my face bare feels amazing after so many nights of slathering makeup on.

Turning to Linus who is wearing a pair of linen pants that look comfortable and an open blue button down over an undershirt. Holding out his hand, I take it, ready to start the day.

Watch out, Minneapolis, here we come.

Bret kept our whereabouts a secret from us as we traveled, so I never really knew where we were unless someone mentioned it. City to city, I’m sure I’ve been to so many places in the United States and even Canada and Mexico. The accents changed over time, but there were days I’d disconnect to get through it.

A sleek black SUV surprises me as we walk outside with Callum and Duncan, very different from their truck.

“I wanted there to be room for everyone,” Duncan mentions as he opens the back door for us to slide inside. He says it as if it’s not a big deal, but no one has cared about my comfort in a long damn time.

The drive to Minneapolis is spent listening to music as I look outside the window, wondering how much things have changed since I was a kid. My parents live about thirty minutes away from this house, but I haven’t allowed myself to think much about them.

It’s too hard, the memories filled with ugliness and regret. I wish I hadn’t been such a people pleaser back then, and that I’d refused to be a pawn.

A notepad is tucked into the pocket of the seat in front of me with a pen, and my lips press together to hide a smile. They show so much care for me, my ability to be able to communicate. I’m in awe of them. I haven’t been given that in a long time.

The mingling scents in the SUV help me relax despite the busy day, and helps my soul settle. These men are mine, just like Linus is mine. Our fingers link across the seats as we ride into the city, a solid link of where our pasts have been, and the knowledge that we’ll always be together.

“Shopping first, then Club Serenity,” Callum says. “There’s a dance shop that has the pole I’ll need in the city as well. It actually may be a good idea to make the sunroom into a dance room. We never use it, the light is fantastic, and it has really good acoustics. Grandma Diedre loved to have her coffee there.”

“Won’t she be upset if she comes over one day and sees it?” Linus asks, reading my mind.

“Nah,” Duncan says, shaking his head. “Our grandmother has been hoping and praying for the day we completed our pack. She’ll be tickled at the sight of the pole.”

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