AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Look, I don’t know what happened to you before, Kellan, but I do know that the guy who carried me to the helicopter, the guy who gave me his shirt, the guy who made me feel protected, is part of my pack.” I looked at each of them. “My pack.”
Jude grinned at me.
Kellan looked lost, desolation etched on his features. “You’re safer without me around, sugar.”
“Without you around I was kidnapped and sold to a cult. I was abused, starved, and terrorized for years.” I shrugged. “But sure, I can see where you would think a little growling and holding me tightly is worse than that.”
Kellan couldn’t have looked more stunned than if I’d whipped out a taser and zapped his balls.
“Damn,” Crew murmured, giving me an appreciative nod. “There’s the girl I remember.”
“I just want you safe,” Kellan tried again, this time his argument noticeably weaker.
I threw up my hands with an annoyed growl. “I’m safer with you. With all of you.” I forced my jaw to tighten. “Unless you’re saying you don’t want me anymore?”
That question shattered the last of Kellan’s resistance. He pushed past Crew and came straight at me. I expected him to hug me, but he stopped short and collapsed to his knees before burying his face against my stomach and clutching the backs of my thighs.
“I’m sorry, Hazel,” he rasped. “I didn’t… I’m just so damn sorry. There’s a lot you don’t know, and what happened tonight brought up old shit.”
I threaded my fingers into his soft, messy bun. “You can tell me, or not. What happened in the past doesn’t affect our future. You keep telling me to trust you, but you need to trust me, too. Trust that I can handle all of the bad shit. Because I can, Kell. I’m not broken.”
He kissed my belly before tipping his head back to look at me through wet lashes. “You’re so fucking strong, sugar.”
“He’s right,” Rhett added, kissing my shoulder.
Jude and Crew nodded and smiled at me.
“Freaking badass, pretty girl,” Jude commented, winking.
“We don’t deserve you,” Kellan finished.
“Pretty sure it’s the other way around,” I drawled, lightly scratching his scalp. “You guys saved my life in every way a person could be saved.”
“Then let’s figure out how to keep you,” Crew growled. He looked at Jude. “Call Bowen. We’re going to need some help tracking down this memo.”
Jude nodded and pulled his phone out to start texting.
Crew looked at me then, turning his attention to Rhett and Kellan. “Hazel was cleaning up her nest. Why don’t you two help her? I want to see if my dad’s heard anything going on with betas and omegas lately.”
Joel Dutton was the head of research and development for Dutton Pharma. Growing up, unless he was at a recital for Calla or one of the guys’ baseball or soccer games, he’d always been on conference calls or in meetings. His phone was forever going off, and I remembered my dad giving him crap about it a few times when our families had vacationed together.
Kellan stood and took my hand. “Can we help you finish cleaning up the nest?”
I nodded, blushing shyly. “I actually could use some stuff from you guys. All the things from the heat need to be washed, and the nest doesn’t have the right smells yet.”
Rhett smiled at me. “I’ll get a collection of things, but I think tonight we’ll all sleep in the nest, if that’s agreeable to you, Hazel?”
I nodded so fast I could’ve passed for a bobblehead. “Yes, please.”
“Let’s go, sugar,” Kellan murmured, tugging my hand lightly to pull me down the hallway. I heard the sounds of the others dispersing behind me as Kellan and I ascended the stairs.
Kellan stopped and looked at the half-made bed. “What do you—oof.”
I punched him as hard as I could in the shoulder and pain shot across my fist. “Ow, dammit! Are your muscles made of rocks?” I shook out my hand.
He gaped at me. “You hit me.”
“You tried to leave me,” I countered, narrowing my eyes. “You can’t do that, Kellan.”
