Page 139 of The Piece You Stole

It isn’t as if I haven’t considered it, only to reject it a second later. She might see me in a better light. But she could also think I’m telling her she owes me for saving her life.

That isn’t going to be the way to earn her forgiveness.

I step inside and head for the stairs. Halfway there, I catch Saige’s jasmine scent, sweat, and sex in the air. My cock stirs back to life.

Too much temptation lays that way.

I stop. Spinning on my heel, I head for the kitchen.

“Something stopping you from going upstairs?” Kade calls out, a smile in his voice.

I angle my head to face him. “You know, Kade. One day, you’ll push me too far.”

Grinning, he claps me on the arm. “Doubt it. I’m going to bed. If you need me during the night…” his voice trails off as if a thought just struck him. Knowing Kade, he probably came downstairs with one intent and one intent only. “Something has me curious. That wolf of yours. You don’t seem to be foaming at the mouth recently. Any clue why that might be?”

Yeah. He came downstairs just to gloat.

I walk away, managing two steps before his hand grips mine, halting me.

“You can’t keep fucking up, Dariel.” Kade’s voice is missing the taunt I’m used to.

When I turn to face him, I see that I was wrong. He didn’t come downstairs to rub my face in his and Aden’s night with Saige. He came downstairs because he needs me. Just as I need him, and Aden needs the both of us. We lean on each other, and when one of us isn’t there, the rest of us fall apart.

We needed you, and you walked out on us.

That’s what he would never admit.

Grabbing his arm, I squeeze. “I won’t. Now go to bed.” I shove him toward the stairs. “It’s past your bedtime.”

He goes with a snort of laughter, and I head for the kitchen, not smiling but feeling just a little lighter than I have in days. I have a long night ahead of me, and no idea how an alpha apologizes, but plenty of time to figure out how.

CHAPTER 32

SAIGE

Hot male skin warms every inch of me. But that’s not all it does.

It makes me feel.

Safe.

Protected.

Loved.

As if no one could get to me with Aden and Kade wrapped tight around me.

I wish I could stay and keep feeling those things, but a tightness in my chest and a creeping breathlessness warns me of what’s coming.

Something bad.

I peel Aden’s arm from around my waist, wriggle a little to get away from him, and take a second to absorb Kade’s hand cradled at the back of my head, pressing my face against his heart, before I pull back and scoot to the edge of the bed.

I stretch my toe to the hardwood floor.

“Angel?” A whisper and a brush of fingers across my back makes me halt.

I peer over my shoulder to smile at Kade, trying not to pull away because he’s touching the whip marks Felix cut into my back. “It’s still early.”I think. “I’m going back to my room.”

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