Page 93 of Depraved
It sinks in then, how much this pack means. How I’m part of something so much larger than myself.
But that—that was the easy part. I take one step forward, away from the comfort of my mates, as I say the next thing that needs to be said.
“I’m an omega. Some might call me helpless. Some might call me needy. But that’s because they only see my pack status instead of who I am—my woman and wolf combined. We need pack status; I’m not here to destroy it. But I’m here to point out the flaw of only measuring one another by pack rank alone. If there’s one goal I have as luna, it’s to help everyone see that we’re all more than just our pack rank. Jonah, our beta elite, isn’t just an amazing mechanic; he’s the most thoughtful person I know. And our Alpha Maddox isn’t just the most badass fighter in the room. He’s the guy who will set aside his own happiness for the good of others. I’m in love with both of them. And they’ve both marked me.” I pause to let that sink in around the room, well aware of people gazing at the collar of my blouse, trying to see if they can discern two marks.
I don’t say anything else. I’ve laid out the truth for them. I’m not apologizing for it. I’m not going to change it. I’m marked. My men are both marked. All pack members know that means this thing is permanent.
I have to fight the urge to tremble in the silence that follows. Fluffy appears and paces anxiously near the floor in my line of sight. Will more people in the room be like my mother? Or like Jonah’s parents?
The tense whispers that start up make me worry that it’s the latter.
Finally, from the back of the room, a female voice calls out, “Luna, just looks to me like your heart’s a little bigger than most. And personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
Applause erupts around the room because someone finally chose to break the silence.
I know her opinion isn’t universal but hearing the swell of support as others in the room start to clap fills me with confidence and gratitude.
Tears erupt from my eyes as the woman makes her way forward.
It’s Engine, the alpha my mother loathes. The one who bossed us at the bomb site and even bothered me later. I had her pegged as a bitch, but I have to revise my own theory now. Because she’s not just an alpha.
She yanks off her sweats and shifts in front of me.
And then she exposes her neck.
Behind her, others in the room do the same. The elites quickly strip and shift with military precision, their necks all canted at the same angle.
Jonah’s parents give a whoop of delight before they shift and do the same.
The entire room fills with wolves granting me the gift of their submission, accepting me as their luna, even though I’m the weakest wolf among them.
I look over at Jonah and try to blink away the tears, but he’s no help because a lone tear is streaking down his face. I turn to Black, and his expression is so full of pride that my heart cracks in two.
The alpha walks closer and smacks my ass, making me jump. “Told you this wouldn’t be a problem.”
I laugh. And then I turn to the crowd. “Okay. Enough with this sappy shit. Let’s fucking run!”
Wild howls flow like a wave through the crowd as the wolves turn and start to bolt for the front doors. Matthew can hardly get them open in time for people to spill outside.
“Elena,” Jonah says, once most of the wolves have poured outside into the night. “You’d better be fast.”
“Yeah, little wolf, you’d better run like the wind …because when we catch you, we’re going to do very bad things to you.”
A delighted shiver lights me up. I let my bones heat and melt, merging with my wolf. She prances on her toes, her nails clicking against the floor as she expresses her excitement.
Run?she asks me.
Run,I tell her. Though, for the first time ever, I have zero intention of running as fast as I can. My wolf and I can’t wait to get caught.
