Page 172 of Sweetheart: Part One

There wasn’t anything between me and Prey anymore—hadn’t been in a long time. But, I would always care about her. Iwouldn’tbe dragged into this. “Just… take us to her,” I said through gritted teeth.

If Prey wanted to see me take care of my Sweetheart, I’d do that, and she’d have no reason to believe any of the shit Vex might have told her.

* * *

The scene that met us was an odd one.

Ebony and Vex were in the same equipment room I’d left her in, and there was something strangely affectionate in the way he was holding her so close.

She looked…fuck.

I drew up. She looked… awful. The sunglasses and hat Prey had forced into my hands on the walk over suddenly made more sense. Her usually pristine makeup was now racoon smudged around her eyes. She was shaking, I could see that from here—and again, that tapped into my protective side, putting me on alert. I shoved it away, unable to cope with it.

All because I’d told her I didn’t want her?

Prey’s friend, the chestnut-haired gold pack omega, was rattling off a list to Ebony. To my surprise Ebony looked to be listening intently, even though I knew he could come up with a dozen reasons to tell her to get fucked.

Drake was at their side in a moment. “Vex are you—?” He cut off as she shrank away from him, frightened eyes finding me for a moment.

I felt Prey’s weighted gaze on me. But what was Vex playing at? Getting my old friends involved and making me look like a fucking prick.

“…Hot tea,” Prey’s friend was saying, “Get some good movies on—she said she liked rom coms—or music. And also, you need to check the sheets. You know some of us definitely do better with certain fabrics—it’s great for sleep—”

“She’s not an omega,” Rook huffed.

The gold pack spun on him, rainfall and firewood suddenly a raging storm in the small room. “Because she’s a beta she doesn’t deserve to be taken care of?” she demanded.

Rook stiffened in surprise, eyes narrowed.

I noticed Prey’s aura change in the space, always an ongoing pull and push in the air, unlike ours, right now it became territorial. This omega might not be Prey’s by bond, but we all got the memo.

“Let’s go,” I muttered, handing Vex the sunglasses and cap. She took them from me quickly, not meeting my eyes. The omega looked worried as Ebony began leading Vex away. “You have my number. I have a spare room, Prey does too, and she’s nearby now—” She cut off at the growl that rose in Ebony’s chest as he turned back to her. That wasdefinitelynot an act.

The omega’s eyes narrowed and, for a moment, I expected her to take a step back. Instead, she did the opposite, planting her hands on her hips and squaring Ebony up.

“If you want her to stay, do fucking better.”

Prey shifted, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder, eyes scanning all of us. “Come on,” she said.

Before I could follow them, Prey stopped me, lowering her voice. “I don’t know what happened between you, but you need to drop it tonight. And fix things with her.” She swallowed, glancing back to Vex, something worried in her expression. “Soon.”

Soon?

What the fuck did that mean?

I tugged my arm from Prey, trying to contain my scowl. This was getting out of hand, and I was the only one who knew the truth.

I wouldn’t be fixing shit.

There wasn’t anythingtofix.

We managed to get out of the event without too much difficulty, Vex tucked beneath Ebony’s wing with hat and sunglasses.

She pulled away from him in the limo, though, and spent the drive huddled up in the corner, rejecting Drake when he tried to comfort her. He looked back to us with worried eyes.

So concerned.

So unsure.

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