Page 70 of Claimed By the Band

I'm on a bus. Not just any bus.

Wild Honey's tour bus.

The events of last night come crashing back. James. The concert. My breakdown in front of the entire pack. And...

Oh god.

I fell asleep on Asher.

Actually fell asleep cuddled up against him like some touch-starved omega. Which I am, but that's not the point. The bed beside me is empty now. He must have gone back to his alphas once I passed out.

The thought sends an unexpected pang through my chest, which I ruthlessly squash down. Of course he went back to hispack. Where else would he go? I'm just the weird beta they're temporarily stuck with.

Even if I did sleep better than I have in... well, possibly ever. No nightmares. No waking up in cold sweats. Just peaceful, dreamless sleep wrapped in honeyed comfort.

The door creaks open before I can spiral further, and there's Asher, somehow looking unfairly gorgeous despite the early hour. He's balancing a drink carrier and what looks like takeout bags, his violet eyes lighting up when he sees me.

"Oh good, you're up!" he chirps, cheerful as ever at the butt crack of dawn. "Dante brought croissants and coffee from the only chain that's remotely reliable across the country."

I can't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. "You sound very passionate about that."

"Oh, you have no idea how seriously we take breakfast," he says, waggling his eyebrows as he sets everything down. "It's practically a religious experience around here."

The laugh escapes before I can stop it. A real one, not the careful chuckles I usually allow myself. Asher's whole face lights up at the sound.

"It's good to hear that," he says softly, those violet eyes going gentle. "You had us all worried last night."

I look down at my hands, heat creeping up my neck. "Pretty sure only you were worried," I mutter. "The rest of your pack is probably wondering what kind of crazy person their omega brought home."

"Hey." His voice is firm enough to make me look up. "That's not true at all. They were all worried. Even Knox, though he'd probably rather eat his own guitar than admit it."

The memory of falling asleep in his arms hits me again, making my cheeks burn hotter. I shouldn't have let myself be so vulnerable. Shouldn't have let him get that close. But something about Asher makes all my carefully constructed walls crumble like wet paper.

"I'm sorry," I say, not quite meeting his eyes. "About last night. About falling asleep on you. You didn't have to stay."

"I wanted to," he says simply, and the sincerity in his voice makes my chest tight. "Besides, you're cute when you sleep. You make these little snuffling noises?—"

"Oh god," I groan, hiding my face in my hands. "Please stop talking."

His laugh is bright and warm, filling the small room like sunshine. "Never. Now come on, drink your coffee before it gets cold. And fair warning, if you don't eat at least one croissant, Dante will be personally offended as if he baked it from scratch."

I peek through my fingers to find him holding out a cup of coffee that smells absolutely divine. And it tastes even better. "Thanks."

"Stop thanking me for the bare minimum," Asher says, waving his hand dismissively. "Basic human decency isn't something you need to be grateful for."

"It's not the bare minimum," I argue, setting my cup down carefully. "I'm not... I'm not even part of your pack. You don't owe me anything."

His eyes soften again as he looks at me, and something in my chest tightens painfully. "I meant what I said last night," he says quietly. "You could be. Part of the pack, I mean. If you wanted to be."

A wave of longing hits me so hard it nearly takes my breath away. To belong somewhere. To have people who care about me, who want to protect me. To wake up every morning to coffee and croissants and Asher's bright smile.

But the guilt follows immediately after, crushing and cold. He wouldn't make that offer if he knew the truth. If he knew what I really am.

Would he?

The tiny spark of hope in my chest feels dangerous. Sure, Asher's known for being unconventional. He's openly attracted to both alphas and omegas, which is rare enough. And his pack seems surprisingly accepting of whatever he wants.

But this would be different. This would be betrayal. Deception on a level that goes beyond just hiding my secondary gender. I've been living as someone else entirely for so long, I'm not even sure who I am anymore.

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