I lifted her chin so I could see her face. “Never say that. Do you understand? I came here because I wanted to.” I shut my eyes, the fear of losing her and my pack taking root again.
There had been moments in the past few months when I started to believe everything was going to be okay. I let myself have hope, and now with this, what if they kicked me out of the pack?
Her fingers brushed over my eyelids. “You aren’t going to lose me, Avery.”
I hoped for all of our sakes she was right.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Kara
Maybe it had been a bad idea coming to their bus.
Now that my mind was a little clearer, I could already see the pack was having issues. It was ridiculous if they were mad at Avery for following his instincts, but it probably ran deeper than that.
We didn’t know what would happen if we were caught together without being matched. It couldn’t be good, though.
My phone buzzed in my purse, and I wiggled my hand under the pile of blankets to find it, Avery still knotted inside of me. He’d been quiet for the past ten minutes, and I’d nearly fallen asleep.
I didn’t even need to look at the screen to know it was Ella calling.
“Hi, Ella. I was just about to call you.” I tried to sound normal and not like a whiney omega during heat.
“Kara,” she yelled in a hushed whisper. “Where are you? Please tell me you did not run off again.”
I flinched, and Avery stroked my cheek. “I can’t tell you where I am, but I’m safe. Could you, um... just say I got a ride back to the compound because I wasn’t feeling well if anyone asks?”
“I’m asking!” I could hear giggles and talking in the background. “We’re headed out to the buses right now and you aren’t here!”
Avery’s knot was starting to deflate, and I wanted to whimper at how empty I already felt. I was going to need another knot pretty quickly.
“Please, Ella. You know I wouldn’t put myself in harm’s way.” That wasn’t necessarily true anymore. I was going through some kind of phase where I just didn’t care about the consequences. Twenty-two years of near perfection did that to a girl.
“Who are you with?”
Avery’s chest rumbled in a purr, his body reacting to my unease over the conversation with Ella. I put my finger to my lips, and he gave me a look like he couldn’t help it.
“If I tell you who I’m with, will you cover for me? I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.” I bit my lip and rested my cheek on Avery’s chest.
“Is that purring?” If Ella wasn’t in a room with others, I was sure she’d be shrieking. “Are you in heat?”
“Yes, and before you freak out, I came to them. I know them and we’re going to match.” I just didn’t know exactly when that was going to happen.
“If OPS finds out...” She sighed heavily and the noise in the background stopped. “It’s not you that will deal with the consequences, it’s them.”
Avery’s knot was completely deflated, and I lifted off him, wincing from both the wetness and the slight tinge of pain from being without him inside me.
“Well, if I bond with them, then there’s not much they can do.” I grabbed a small towel from a stack of towels Anya had supplied and held it between my thighs as I stood on wobbly legs.
“They can still take you away from them. I’ve seen it happen and it isn’t pretty. If you’re going to do this, promise me you won’t bond with them until you go through all the correct channels to have them be your pack... whoever they are.”
I dropped my towel in the plastic storage container that was acting as a hamper. “I can’t promise anything.”
“Check in daily or....” She didn’t say it, but I knew she was threatening to call OPS. I would have done the same if I was in her position.
“I will. Thank you. I have to go.” I hung up before she could ask me any more questions and set my phone on the shelf under the mounted television. “That’s one hurdle crossed.”
I turned to find Avery still lying on the floor, watching me. His dick was already hard again, and I licked my lips, wanting to sink back down and never come up for air.