Page 130 of This Pack of Ours

The omega disappeared from view, and I glared at Vander. He leaned forward, his hand coming up to cup my chin.

“Now I can tell you how sexy that glare is,” he said, leaning closer. I flushed, and his eyes flicked to my lips.

“You are intolerable,” I said before I kissed him.

We went and had lunch at the overpriced food stand, and I insisted he let me feed him the French fries. He took it well, with just an eye roll, and then I dragged him back to get front row seats for the show.

“We’re in the splash zone,” he pointed out.

“You can leave if you want,” I said airily, raising an eyebrow. “Iwant to see the dolphins properly.”

He grumbled but gave me his jacket, so my dress didn’t get wet, which earned him a kiss. He did end up getting quite wet from the dolphins, and I apologised by pushing him into a corner behind the otter cage and furiously making out with him.

“You gonna take that off?” I asked, nodding at his wet shirt.

“I will if you do,” he said, tugging at my dress and I laughed. He eventually started moving me toward the cafe, his expression sobering.

“Jhin?” I asked nervously. He’d been avoiding me since the hospital, and when he was around, he’d focused on Kit or Vander. Vander rolled his eyes.

“He’s got all in his own head about this,” he said. “Barely slept last night.”

Oh. That didn’t really sound promising.

Jhin was waiting at one of the metal tables at the cafe, his back straight. Vander squeezed my hand and then nudged me forward. I crossed over and slipped into the chair opposite him.

“Hi,” I said, folding my hands on my lap and offering him a tentative smile.

“Juniper,” he replied, but he didn’t smile back, and my heart sank as he pulled out a stack of papers. He hadn’t met my eyes yet, but now he cleared his throat and looked up at me.

“I would like to start with an apology,” he said, resting his hands on the pile of documents between us. His intense, black eyes were boring into mine, and I couldn’t look away.

“I’m truly sorry, Juniper. I know I failed you and endangered the Safe House when I missed our appointment with the Aisha Foundation. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that the Safe House can continue to operate.”

I looked hesitantly down at the papers on the table. Oh. This wasn’t really what I was expecting.

“Is that even possible?” I said hesitantly. “I don’t have any money left to keep it running. I used it all for my scent match.” I mean, I had a lot of regrets about going to the Valentine Division, but hastening the Safe House’s impending demise was the biggest.

Kit had been heartbroken when I told him, though he’d been relieved when I admitted I didn’t actually want him to not work with me.

“Yes,” Jhin replied. “I’m looking into whether we can get your money back for that. Matching you with a pack that tried to dark bond you is bad press, even if it was technically legal.”

His mouth pressed into a thin line of disapproval before he continued.

“Kit helped me get the files for the budget and expenses. You mentioned his aunt managed to balance the business before, so I’ve been playing with the numbers, and I think we can make it work if I contribute some funds as well. I know you didn’t just want it to survive, but also be better. So, I’ve been preparing a plan for improvements with a bigger budget. You’ll have to work with me to make sure it’s what you want.”

“But we don’t have the Foundation’s support.”

“There are other ways we can try and raise funding—I’ve started some plans for that as well. It’s all here.” He patted the stack of papers. He looked at them for a second, then sighed. His eyes remained on the papers as he straightened them.

“The other thing I wanted to apologize for is—” His voice wavered as he cut off, his breathing shaky “—how I hurt you.” He swallowed, and I could see tears brimming in his eyes. I stiffened, blinking at him.

“From the start, I made decisions that caused you to suffer. I saw you, Juniper, a bright star coming into our lives. I admired you for your work at the Safe House, and how you were fierce enough to match Vander.

“The right thing to do would have been to let you go as soon as we matched Kit. As soon as you made your wishes clear. But I… couldn’t. During our first date, when Kit said he wanted to try to ask you again, I desperately wanted that. And that night, when he offered to host us—if it had just been him, I would have said no. I would have had the pack court him properly. But I selfishly wanted to see more of you, so I let us come.” He met my eyes briefly.

“As I got to know you, I found someone who understood what it was to lead. To take care of those that rely on us. I told myself that we were becoming friends, and continued to let us stay, ignoring the signs that you were suffering from our presence. So much so that you eventually cracked and wound up in danger. And even in that danger, I abandoned you at the mall to go to Vander. I was supposed to protect you, and I failed you when you needed me most.”

He dropped his head into his hands, still staring down at the papers, his face wet with tears.

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