Page 102 of Zoinks! Nice Pack, Bro

“Brat.” He mutters the nickname into her hair, arms around her as she melts into him.

It is obvious he is her safe space. The way she just let her tension ease as he wraps himself around her. His neck moves, carefully scent marking her like he needs to make it known that she’s his. It makes me realize again how good we were doing this together.

That we were all in.

Paxton looks around and then back at me, watching as I nod at him and he understands that she is doing okay. He knows her well enough to know Sadie wouldn’t just talk about what had happened yet. He just wants to make sure she’s not still breaking down.

But we all want to get her home, in a place where we feel like we have some control.

With their hands entwined, Cam finally starts leading her towards us, out of the store and looking around the mall.

“Do you have more shopping to do?” For someone who was just freaking out, Cameron seems to have this all under control.

I thought he was going to demand that we head home with her right away. He must be doing it for our omega. He wants to put her at ease, like this is all just a planned shopping trip and not a rescue mission.

But there is relief on his face when Sadie shakes her head.

“I’m tired.” She’s traumatized and hiding it, “I just want to get home and take a bath.”

She shivers once. A sign she’s not doing great but recovers when Cameron pulls her so she’s under his arm as he rubs down her arm. The touch is soft, soothing strokes as he does a purr for just her to hear.

Paxton is tense and Jace wants to touch her but he’s been quiet since he came up with a plan. Neither of them are going to try and get Sadie away from Cameron. They know he needs her right now.

The pair of them are starting to spiral and I want them to stop freaking out.

We have Sadie with us now.

We’re headed home.

We have all weekend to talk with her and to work through this.

Sadie’s hand grabs my elbow, sandwiching herself between me and Cam. I look up to see the way Jace looks at us, how he looks away too quickly and I can see it starting to happen already.

We all want Sadie.

We all talked about sharing Sadie but the reality is this isn’t always an even split.

At moments like this it just feels a little more uneven. And I worry that it’s going to be too much.

CHAPTER 27

I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND

Paxton

The logical part of my brain knows I can’t take Sadie over my knee and spank her for damn near giving me a heart attack with her disappearing act.

The logical part of of my brain knows that I can’t tell her she needs to tell me who the fuck scared her.

The logical part of my brain knows that I can’t just lock her up in the house and never let her leave again because I’m afraid of the world interacting with her.

But after the night I’ve had, the fear that has my hands almost trembling after seeing her curled in a ball under my desk through a security app footage, I’m not feeling as logical as I should be.

Sadie nudges me as we get inside our house, her smaller body beside mine as she looks up at me with those show stopping eyes of hers. She could solve wars with those doe eyes or maybe just start them like Helen of Troy.

Her scent is still off but I don’t want to push her too much.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” And just like that I’m less angry, chest all puffed with pride as I relish the feeling of being her protector and her safe space from the nightmares.

---