Page 215 of Lonely Alpha
None of my alphas were especially pleased with that decision, and I determined it wasn’t me who was having trouble with this conversation. It was them.
Hypocrites.
Faking a yawn, I stretched my arms overhead and glanced toward the sewing machine. “I think I’ll come back to that later. Can we leave it out?”
I pursed my lips in a pout, and everyone was quick to agree. Then Ambrose swept me up in his arms and carried me back to my nest. There was an extra layer of comfort blanketing me now, with the knowledge that I was truly safe.
My alphas had kept me safe.
They’d take care of me until the end of time, and they were the ones I’d chosen—and who’d somehow chosen me right back.
EPILOGUE 1
LEIGHTON
About a week later
Marlowe had arrived first to the small downtown cafe. It was one of many we cycled through for our monthly meetings, and there was already a croissant sandwich waiting on a plate for me, along with a coffee. He was halfway through a pastry, with a second lined up and ready in front of him.
“You’re alone today,” I commented.
He spun to face me, beaming. My brother was up from his chair before I could sit down, wrapping his arms around me.
“I’m allowed to go places alone,” he said, his voice muffled against my shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. No, he wasn’t. I was willing to bet one of his pack members was across the street watching his every move through the large glass front windows. He had some very overprotective alphas.
Returning the hug, I detached him from me and took my seat. The coffee was still hot, the way I liked it. His blended drink was half gone, and I bet he’d order another before we were done catching up. We had a lot to catch up on, after all.
I’d gone and gotten myself an omega and a pack since the last time we had one of these meetings.
Not to mention almost dying, but I wasn’t going to let Lowe in on how close of a call that had been.
“How’s everything with the pack?” I asked casually.
Marlowe scoffed, running a hand through his fluffy black hair. He had green eyes that matched mine—they ran in the family—and a face full of freckles. More than I had. “We’re not here to talk about me.”
“We always talk about you,” I countered.
“That’s because you never have anything interesting to say. Until recently, you had no life,” Marlowe said.
It may have sounded like a harsh comment, but he said it good-naturedly. And it was true. My life before Kiara was governed by Soren and my mother. I should probably tell Marlowe about our mother’s years of blackmailing me, but it would only make him feel guilty for no reason. I know he would have done the same for me or a member of my pack.
“Now you have a life and a pack. Is Dash happy?” Lowe’s tone turned worried, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip.
My only remaining bone to pick with Dash was that he’d made Marlowe feel guilty for so long. I’d mainly forgiven him for it, and I knew Marlowe would never have a bad word to say about anyone in the Loranger pack.
Trust my brother to worry so deeply about the man he’d unintentionally broken.
“Dash will be happier when it’s all official,” I said. “But he is thrilled.”
Marlowe perked up. “Official? Have you not all bonded yet?”
I shook my head. “Kiara went through a lot when she was kidnapped by her brother. We had to wait for her heat to break, and she’s been recovering since then.”
Her neck bruises were almost entirely gone, the would-be bondmark from Cordian scabbed over and fading more every day. She was extra tired, the same way she’d been before her heat, and spent most of the days and nights sleeping. Only time would tell if that happened every heat, or was only because of the stress associated with this one.
“You’re going to, right?”
