Page 32 of Omega Alliance

And then later, me.

"Take these for now," Levi says and hands back a thick pair of shades. I eagerly accept them, thankful for the distraction from my thoughts of the past.

Dani pushes them up my forehead and back into my head with a smile. "Let me finish your makeup first," she says with a giggle.

And then she begins to hum a song as she works. It's the same one she sang for me that day, the same one that's been replaying in my head ever since.

what was ours is gone

what was started is done

what was beautiful is dead

what was here has fled

fly away, little bird, fly free

just promise that one day you’ll fly back to me

"Dani?" I ask gently when she reaches the end of the chorus. "Why does that song remind you of me? And why did you sing it that day?"

"Why, you're my little bird, of course," she says, her eyes holding mine in a playful yet intense gaze. "And I made it my mission to set you free."

KIERAN

My eyes probe Sin's reflection in the mirror. I should be the one back there with her, the one caring for her. But Dani puts her at ease in a way that I haven't been able to yet.

I watch as she and Dani exchange grins and giggles. God, I hope she looks at me like that one day.

But even as Dani keeps her occupied with their impromptu makeover, Sin's eyes can't help but seek out mine. She recognizes my alpha command, but will she ever cede to it? Is that even what I really want from her?

When she ran away from us, I blamed myself. I was too harsh, too forward. But it's also true that she's better off sticking with us and that I've claimed her in all ways but one.

Of course, she was never given a choice before, and me stating how it was going to be between us sent her running. And yet to me, it's all so obvious.

Sin is already a part of Pack Thorin. She has been ever since we began planning her escape so long ago. We've been thinking of her constantly, learning about her by watching the OA feed, but to her, we’re still relative strangers.

We've been so focused on keeping her safe that we haven't been able to show her anything about ourselves.

That ends now.

I turn on the stereo system and flick through my playlist, using the large display on the dashboard. She seems to enjoy Dani's singing, so maybe she'll like mine.

I find the track I want and tap my fingers through the intro, then spit out the lyrics in a fast and smooth flow. I grew up in a well-to-do pack, full of insane and overbearing rules for every possible social situation. It's why I was initially meant to be the pack provider rather than the lead role I've settled into now.

But honestly? I hated that shit and acted out at every possible juncture. The thing that boiled my parents' blue blood most though? Yup, you guessed it. My love of hip hop. And their obvious disdain only fueled my passion for it. I even recorded my own album once. It was an immediate flop, making it clear that my minor skills would never pay the bills, which is when Jax approached me about letting him take over as Thorin's provider.

I always marched to my own beat. My parents said that often as a criticism, but actually it's what makes me great at leading this pack. It's also what will make me great at taking care of Sin. If she'll only let me.

When I reach the chorus, both Dani and Levi join in, eliciting a huge grin from our Sin. Her eyes find mine, and she bops her head along to the tune.

More moments like this…

That’s what we all need.

And that’s what I will deliver whenever I can.

"Why are you all so crazy talented?" Sin exclaims when the song has finished and I've adjusted the volume to a lower level. "You should like start a band or something."

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