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“The dress Isolde has on is cheap on purpose. So it can get messed up.” I saw the gleam in his eye.
“You want to do the chase?”
“I’d like to try.”
“What do you need?”
“Why only Rowan?” Hawk asked, leaning in the doorway. “I’d like to help Isolde have some fun.”
Vaughn raised an eyebrow. “Are you all listening?”
“Obviously.” Joel was the next one out the door. Vaughn winced. “Sorry. I just know it’s not your thing.”
Early on in our pack life, Joel had misunderstood Vaughn’s interest in primal play for something darker. He’d walked in halfway through the conversation, and his Alpha reacted first. One black eye and a lot of apologies later, things had been fine. But Vaughn still tried to be subtle about it.
I knew it ate Joel up that he’d made that kind of mark on one of his packmates, but I was hopeful Vaughn would realize how sorry he was. Joel went straight to him, palming the back of his neck, faces close. The signal. We chose it a long time ago as the way for the others to know we weren’t fucking around.
“I’ll apologize as many times as you need me to. I’m the one who fucked up. There is nothing wrong with you or what you enjoy, and it’s my biggest regret that I ever made you doubt it. Please don’t hide.”
Vaughn nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing. We hadn’t had to address anything like this in a while, but we werehuman. We all had insecurities and fears, and while we were in such a tenuous place trying to figure things out with Isolde, it made sense that they would be at the surface.
“Besides, this is perfect. You promised Isolde you’d chase her, and I promised her I’d show her my brand of comfort. You’ll do this tonight, and I’ll do the rest tomorrow.
“Now,” Joel stepped back. “How can we help?”
“I was thinking about using the beach past the cliff, and the caves. Low tide has almost perfect timing tonight. She has a safe word, and I’ll make sure she remembers it, but I need help getting her there, preferably without tipping her off, and I need to make sure no one gets curious or decides they need a nighttime stroll on the beach in that direction.”
Hawk chuckled. “Yeah. Wouldn’t want Ellie and Warren getting in the middle of that.”
A snarl grew in my chest. “Or Beau.”
Vaughn’s face went flat. “Is he back?”
“Not as for as I know, but fuckers like him tend to come out of the woodwork at the worst time.”
“I’d like that,” Hawk said, smile turning sharp. “Will give me an excuse to finish what he started last time.”
“If he does show up, let’s try not to get ourselves kicked out before the wedding,” I said.
Cade smirks. “Something tells me no one would complain ifhewere the one kicked out.”
“Isolde knows this is coming?” Joel asked.
“She knows it’s coming. I asked her if she wanted to plan it out or just take her, and she asked for the latter. But I’ll make sure she knows it’s me before anything happens. But if any of you tell her to go meet me, I think it will tip her off.”
I leaned back against one of the pillars. “I’ve got an idea for that. But I can help head off anyone coming from the house. Linger on the lawn or something.”
Cade nodded and stepped forward. “I’ll stay closer and within hearing distance in case you need me or in case something doesn’t go to plan.” He chuckled. “Not like I have rut to worry about.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s getting harder not to just tell her,” Hawk said. “Yesterday I mentioned having Alphas willing to practice…” He shook his head. “She made a point of saying we need to do things before the wedding. We need to tell her soon. I don’t think I can make it all the way to the wedding without her knowing she’s ours.”
I nodded. “I agree. And I do think she’s more open to it.”
“The day after tomorrow. After the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties,” Vaughn said quietly. “That leaves enough time before the wedding for us to leave if she wants us to, and not disrupt things. And it gives us a few more days to show her.”
Show her how deep in we already were. Because wewere. Isolde felt like a spot of sunlight. She lit things up wherever she went and made them more beautiful. Even when she struggled, she was so open, her Omega desperate to give her vulnerability to someone who would cherish it. Those moments in the library with her would stay with me forever.
