Thistle balled her fists, vibrating with excitement as she declared:“Mine!”
Well.
I mean, if there was a way to convince them that Ace was thoroughly cowed, that wasprobablyit.
“So… do you wanna stay?” Thistle asked, almost breathless as she looked around at them. “I could make food?”
Knight, at last, lowered his gun, though I noticed he didn’t tuck it away—not that I blamed him if he’d been on the wrong side of Ace before. But as long as they weren’t pointing straight at my pack, I was more relaxed.
“They don’t want to stay,” Ace said through gritted teeth.
Zed grinned, and he, at least, put his weapon away properly. “What’s for lunch?”
“Poptarts?” Thistle asked.
I stifled my snort. She had told me last week that she thought Poptarts were the best food in the universe, so I supposed it tracked that she was offering them to guests.
“We’re in,” Zed said.
THISTLE
“I’m leaving,” Ace snapped.
“No, you’re not!” I hissed.
The Alphas had helped me set the table for guests, and Rogue had gone on ahead to start toasting the Poptarts.
Ace was not going anywhere.
I glared. “Sit down.”
Glade was here. All curves and pretty eyes and perfect glossy thick hair. I had to show her I had a whole pack—one that worked.
She had to know I was good at being an Omega now!
And he was trying toembarrassme.
In a flash of annoyance, I shoved him off the edge of sanity. He growled, eyes going distant as he curled his fist around the back of my neck. His breathing sped up as he looked around the room at all the visitors, pupils constricting as if they were threats.
“That’s okay, Bunny,” I told him, wrapping my arms around him and pushing him back a step to the seat. I heard Zed smother a laugh with a cough behind us.
I cupped his cheek, and Ace’s gaze drifted down to me.
That was better.
He lowered himself onto the armchair, and I clambered onto his lap, pressing my lips to his as he held me. I could feel the eyes of the whole room on us.
“He, uh…” I glanced back at them all, cheeks burning as I laughed nervously. What were they going to think if I couldn’t manage my own Alpha? “I got him like this.”
I almost smacked myself in the face.
They knew that.
“Oh my God,” Glade muttered, eyes as round as moons as she watched us, and I thought there might be a spark of feral delight in them.
I looked back at Ace. “Good boy,” I said, bringing him back to reality. “See.” I turned again, and sure enough, they were all staring.
Ace stiffened as he woke, a low growl of fury rising in his throat.