Page 97 of This Pack of Ours

And here I was, some broken, sorry excuse for an omega pining after him. I’d been lying to myself, pretending to still have a place in his life.

What the fuck was I doing?

KIT

Juni’s gaze left mine, and then she was running down the street, fast, as if she couldn’t wait to get away from what we’d done. WhatI’ddone.

There was no way to deny it either, not when I could feel her misery and regret like it was my own. I wrapped my arms around myself as she left, trying not to cry.

For a moment, I was back in the car, hearing her beg for me, her lovely face fixed on mine, making those beautiful sounds as she came apart beneath me. We’d fit together perfectly, her body and mine tangled together as we guided each other toward ecstasy. When my teeth had sunk into her neck—for a moment we were one; her pleasure and mine were the same thing, surging through both of us together as I poured out into her. Something I’d always dreamed of.

But it was all wrong.

I’d been her only option, and she’d regretted it. So much so that she could barely look at me, the feeling so strong it had made me feel sick to my stomach. In the moment, biting her had felt so natural, but I’d obviously gotten carried away and taken things way too far. She’d just needed a release to settle her heat spike, and I’d forced something much more intimate onto her.

I hugged myself tighter, swallowing past the lump in my throat, blinking my eyes furiously.

She was moving out.

Leaving.

This temporary bond I’d given us was the closest I’d ever be with her.

I was losing her.

I climbed into the front seat and started the engine.

JUNIPER

I hugged myself as I stared up at the fancy, shiny skyscraper. Around me, people parted, giving me room and a couple of funny looks.

I checked my phone, chewing my lip.

I’d heard nothing from Jhin.

Me: I’m here.

Me: Just by the fancy fountain-pool.

Me: Are you close?

Me: Meeting starts in 5. I have to go in.

Me: Can you call me?

I bit my lip as I looked at the last one I’d typed.

Please.

I deleted it.

Ineededhim to be here. I was gold pack, and now I didn’t have an alpha present to back me up. The backup clothes I’d kept in the car consisted of an ancient pair of spare yoga pants with a hole in the knee, and a graphic tee with a vaguely sexual carrot plastered on the center, and I had a fresh bite mark on my neck.

My skin was crawling with discomfort just standing here on this street, let alone thinking about walking into one of these fancy buildings like I belonged. And now, on top of everything else, I had Kit’s steadily devolving misery seeping into my head through the temporary bond.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I had to do this. For all the other gold pack omegas who were relying on me. If the Safe House closed down, it could cost them their jobs. Their chance at a safe life.

When I opened my eyes, Jhin still wasn’t there.

---