Page 27 of This Pack of Ours

Reality snapped back, the nirvana evaporating, and I pulled out, not caring if I made a mess because I was already a disaster. Coated in coffee and blood and Juniper and guilt.

I’d just fucked my scent match’s best friend. Surrounded by the bodies of these fucking alphas, still bleeding out.

She looked around at the bodies on the ground, then down at herself. She took a deep, shuddering breath as she sat up, her shoulder hunched.

“My home isn’t far.” Her eyes narrowed at me, and she sniffed. “You should come in. Get cleaned up. I’ll find you some spare clothes.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, grabbed my phone, and dialed Jhin.

“Vander? Everything alright?” he asked. I almost laughed. No, everything was not fucking alright.

“Need damage control. Austin park. East corner. Four alphas down.”

“Juniper? How is she?”

I looked down at Juniper, who was struggling to her feet. She looked like some last girl from a horror movie, covered in dirt and blood, the whites of her eyes glinting as she glared at me.

“She’s good.”I mean, she can walk.“I’m taking her home.”

I heard him relay this information to Kit, and then Kit saying he’d bring her stuff home.

“On our way," said Jhin, speaking to me again.

“Whatever.” I hung up the phone and took Juniper’s arm.

“I’m not hurt, but maybe you should ask before speaking for me?" she snapped.

“If you’re well enough to mouth off, you don’t need my pack’s help. Unless you want to be here when they come?”

“No.”

“Right. Heard Kit say he’s got your stuff, so you’re good.”

“Did you call them to get rid of the bodies?" she asked, chewing her lip.

“Nah, those fuckers aren’t dead. Yet. The pack will come to stitch ‘em up, and call an ambulance.”

Christ. I guess it was a stroke of luck for them that the guy who took them down was also a paramedic. I had no regrets though. That scum deserved it.

We walked, leaving the park and then going another block or two. Juniper led us down a narrow street lined with storefronts. She stopped as we approached one that had ‘The Glass Berry’written in shabby-looking paint along the top.A mishmash of items were displayed in the windows; crystals and stones, various herbs and hanging plants, an assortment of teas, and some small bottles that had fancy soaps and shampoos.We have odourless too!proclaimed a small sign underneath them. I looked around as she peered into the shop window, looking for something. We were getting a couple of stares from passersby. She better have a reason for leading us to this little oddity store.

“Good. Kit’s with Emery in the store. He hates being alone," she said, walking to the innocuous residential door set to the side.

Kitwas here? Why the fuck was Kit here? Hadn’t they just had a massive fallout? I followed her out of view of the window quickly. Wasn’t ready to deal withthoseconsequences yet.

She climbed the two steps and pulled on the door. She let out an annoyed sigh when it opened.

“He alsoalwaysforgets to lock the door," she said, and then we were climbing the stairs to the apartment above the shop. As the mixed smells of cherries and almonds hit me, I came to a jarring realization.

Kit and Juniper wereroommates. Not just heat buddies and friends, but literally living together.

This was so much worse than I’d initially thought.

The front door opened into a kitchen and living room space. It was old, but fairly clean. There was a large couch and a love seat, both piled with blankets next to a fuzzy rug beneath a large TV. The living area opened to a corridor where I assumed the bedrooms were. It was fairly small, honestly.

She shoved a garbage bag at me. “For your clothes.”

“I’m not an idiot,” I replied, snatching it.

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