Page 119 of Pack Rivals, Part One

I nod, lowering my glass. Her eyes flick down to my mouth.

"Oh …" she says, "you have …"

"What?" I ask.

"A bit of shake."

I hold her gaze. "Where?" I ask, "show me."

She leans over and swipes the pad of her thumb over my lower lip, her touch electric. When she reaches the corner, I snap my head forward and capture her thumb between my lips, sucking.

"Too good to waste," I whisper, watching her own lips open on a sigh and her pupils swim large. I take a hold of her chair and drag her closer. "I brought you something."

"What?"

I dig into my pocket and tug out the parcel wrapped in tissue paper.

She frowns as I place it on the table. "I can't accept this."

"Open it," I tell her.

Her hands hesitate, but I just gave her a command. It's difficult for her to refuse it. She unfolds the layers of paper, finding a keyring inside.

She holds it up, letting the wooden dolphin dangle from the chain. "This is beautiful," she says, capturing the creature in her palm.

"I made it," I tell her.

"You did?" She leans forward, squinting at the detailing I've carved onto the tiny dolphin. Then she reaches over and grabs my wrist, lifting up my hand. "You made this with these?"

I chuckle. "Yeah, it's sort of a hobby. I like to carve shit." It keeps my hands busy. Keeps me out of trouble. But I don't think I'll tell her that bit. "I noticed how you always tuck your key into your pants when we run and it gives me a freaking heart attack every time. Now you have a chain for your key and you seemed to like dolphins, so …" Her eyes lock on my face as I talk and then drop back to the gift.

"No one has ever made me anything before," she whispers.

"Omega," I growl, "I'd like to spend my days spoiling you. I'd make you whatever the hell you want."

She shivers, stroking her finger along the dolphin's back. "I'm going to accept this key chain because it's the darn cutest thing I've ever seen. But I can't accept the apartment, Hardy."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't."

"Look, the house belonged to my great aunt. She passed a few months ago–"

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

I nod. "We haven't had a chance to sell it or rent it out yet. It's not costing us anything, but it's not being used. You moving in there would help us out. Prevent any squatters from invading."

She peers up into my eyes. "Really?" she asks.

"'Course," I lie, guilt suddenly swirling through my gut. I push my milkshake away. I've never cared about lying before. Definitely not to a girl. But when she looks at me with those eyes full of trust, full of vulnerability, I feel like an asshole. I consider telling her the truth. Then remember it's for her own good and if I don't do this, she'll be staying at Pack York's place. Right in their laps.

I'm not handing her over to them like that. Not without a good goddamn fight and yes perhaps a few lies here and there.

"We'll move you in today," I tell her.

25

Bea

---