Page 158 of Sweetheart: Part One

There was a rather uncomfortable silence between the pack. I glanced at Drake, who had a furrow in his brow as he watched Ebony.

“Rook, mate,” Ebony said, seeming happy to break the tension. “I would have rode your family’s notoriety until we were known, then ditched you. Unfortunately, we needed three for a pack. I told him I’d let him keeponeof you—but I’d rather watch it burn than be stuck with both. Since he’s soveryattached to me…” He shrugged. “He picked.”

“She told me she didn’t want a pack,” Rook said, glancing between them both. Love was more pale than I’d ever seen.

“Love broke her heart,” Ebony said. “And she lied to everyone so her career didn’t end up in tatters.”

Rook’s face twisted into something nasty as he looked at Ebony. “If that’s true, you didn’t wreck her career. You made it. She only got more attention for being a lone alpha.”

Ebony grinned. “Sure. Because, unlike you, Prey is competent. Do you think that discrimination pity party PR was something you could have come up with?” he asked. “You’d have been crawling back to your dads a crying failure.”

“You’re full of shit. If that was true, he—” Rook looked at Love, “—Youwouldn’t have chosen me.”

Love’s scowl was cold. “It was complicated.”

The painfully awkward silence after that was broken by someone else entirely. “The Crimson Fury pack!” a familiar voice exclaimed. “It’s been too long!” I turned, and then my mouth popped open.

Khloe.

That was fuckingKhloe Robbins, omega singer and actor. She was a worldwide sensation most recently known for playing Lilah Darling in the hit movie, Pack Darling: Part One. Today she had her dark hair up, and was against the edge of the booth, rooting around in her handbag. She was wearing a ridiculously sparkly golden dress for the occasion.

“Khloe,” Love said with a nod, cold expression fading quickly, though he was still tense.

“Hold up!” she held a finger up to him, still digging in her bag. “Now,” she said at last, pulling out a slip of paper. “It was your idea on set that got me auditioning for that one, Drake,” she was saying. “I held a pack booth for you in the early showing. It’s yours if you want it.”

I stared at the ticket she was holding out to Drake, mouth open in shock.

No.

Way.

Literally-no-fucking-way.

“Come on, a romance?” Rook chuckled. “There are better packs for—” I elbowed him so hard in the ribs that he grunted.

Then I was clambering over him and tumbling from the booth. I swept the ticket from her outstretched hand and cradled it like it was my firstborn. “We’re going!” I declared before any of them could argue with me.

If Ebony burned my life down tomorrow, I’d steal it and go by myself.

Alastor could get fucked. A million dark bond commands wouldn’t stop me.

I. Would. Be.In. That. Booth.

Rook snorted, but they didn’t understand.

None of them did.

That cliffy… it hadkilledme dead. The barrel.The fucking barrel.Oh, I’d cried for days. “I need the grovel!” I hissed. “It’s non-optional.”

“Who’s your favourite guy from the Wyvern pack?” Khloe asked me.

Me?

She wanted to knowmyfavourite?

“Finn!” I said, instantly. “Hands down, no contest.” Although, come to think of it… I glanced nervously at Ebony. Turned out having a psycho for a mate was much cooler in concept than real life. “Uh…” I looked back to Khloe. “What about you?”

“I’m an omega’s girl.” She smiled. “Orion all day—and you know they say he’s a diva, but Romeo issolovely to work with.”

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