Page 86 of How to Lose a Pack in 10 Dates

She laughs properly for the first time since Wes opened his damn mouth, and I relax around her.

God, I love that sound. And Ireallylove having her here.

“I thought it might be funny,” she explains, her voice small. “I thought… if I can’t fix things with him, I could at least make him laugh.”

I sigh. “He doesn’t deserve that much effort from you.”

She sniffs, then pauses. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” I say, holding her tighter. “Because you deserve better than what he said. You’re not manipulative. You’re not a problem. You’re part of this pack.”

“You mean that?” she asks. “Even if we’re not bonded yet?”

“Especiallythen,” I say. “I never thought that going on that dating app would actually do much for us as a pack, but… But now I believe it. You’re our scent match, Aims. And we don’t need an official bond to know it’s right. You’re mine.Ours. That won’t change.”

She presses her face into my chest. “Thank you.”

“I’ve got you,” I murmur, nuzzling into her hair. “Always.”

We lie there for a while, her body tucked against mine, our hands laced together. I can feel her breath slow, her heart still fluttering but steadier now, and I press another kiss to the top of her head as I let my eyes close.

The door creaks open gently a few minutes later. I don’t need to look up to know it’s Cam.

I hear the soft thud of his boots coming off, the quiet sigh as he steps inside. There’s a pause as though he’s waiting for permission, even though he doesn’t need it.

“She’s okay,” I murmur, just loud enough for him to hear. “We’re just resting.”

He nods, then crosses the room and climbs onto the other side of the bed. The mattress dips under his weight, and a second later, one of his big arms slides around her waist, his body curling up behind hers.

Aimee lets out the softest little sigh, like the tension’s melting from her bones. Her fingers grip mine just a little tighter.

“Hi,” she whispers.

“Hi,” Cam says quietly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “Sorry I took so long.”

“It’s okay,” she breathes. “You’re here now.”

He rests his forehead gently against the back of her neck. I feel the way her body relaxes completely between us, warm and safe; and yeah—this is new.

We’ve never done this before, the three of us in one bed, holding each other like it’s the most natural thing in the world. But itis. There’s nothing weird about it, nothing that doesn’t feel exactly, completely right. She’s ours, we’re hers, andthis—this is pack.

“I wanted to punch him,” Cam mutters. “I still do.”

“I know,” I say. “Same.”

“I didn’t think he’d go that far,” Cam admits. “Not toher. Not like that.”

I feel her shift a little, almost as though she’s trying to make herself smaller.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Aims,” Cam says, soft but firm. “You made this place better the second you walked in. You’ve madeusbetter.”

“I just wanted to fit,” she whispers. “And I… I wanted you to want me here.”

“We do,” I say immediately.

Cam nods against her. “We do. So much it scares the hell out of me.”

She sniffs. “Even if I keep putting things in the wrong cupboards?”

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