“Pack our stuff, and I’ll do the rest.” Rhett smiles like it’s that simple.
I can’t hold back anymore. I surge forward and crash my mouth to his.
Rhett kisses me back without hesitation—hard, fast. It’s not a lust-filled kiss, but one desperate for connection. I need tofeelmy alpha. Just for a second.
When he pulls back, his hands stay on my face, eyeslocked on mine. He’s breathless. So am I. And as messed up as the timing is, I feel a flicker of pride that I did that to him.
“Go,” he commands me quietly, firmly.
And I do—my body already moving, desperate to make my pack alpha proud.
Two and a Half Hours Later
Autry
After dumpingmy whole miserable past onto my pack, the apartment sort of… exploded. Oli and Myrick started flying around the place, tossing shirts and chargers and underwear into massive suitcases like we were being timed. Rhett disappeared into the back with his phone glued to his ear, and Charlie and I were left to take apart our nest.
That was the worst part.
Peeling back the layers we’d built together felt like unraveling my heart. Each blanket, each pillow, each tiny trinket we’d tucked between folds to make it smell more likeus—gone. Rolled up. Folded away. It felt like burying someone we loved.
Charlie didn’t say much while we worked, and I didn’t either. What was there to say?
I killed a horrible man.I killed my parents.And now my amazing, reckless, wonderful pack is throwing away everything to keep me safe. To keep us together.
I tried to argue with Rhett. I offered to turn myself in,but that only enraged Myrick. The beta started screaming that he’d kill Rhett if the alpha allowed that. Even Charlie threatened to reject them all if they let me go. It took the pack alpha way too long to calm everyone back down. And in the end, they won.
We’re all leaving the citytogether.
I should feel grateful. And I do. But mostly, I feel like shit.
Now Charlie and I sit on the couch in the living room, watching chaos spin around us like a storm. Myrick and Oli are near the door, checking over the bags one last time. There are four massive suitcases that look like they were made to smuggle boulders, and two carry-ons filled with god knows what.
Charlie’s hand curls over my knee. I can feel the tremor in his fingers.
I’ve apologized so many times already for doing this to him. A thousand times. Maybe more. But the weight of what I’ve done—the price everyone is paying because of me—is still crushing me. I want to say I’m sorry again, but I’m afraid if I do, Charlie might actually scream.
So instead, I lean into him, pressing my cheek against his shoulder, and try to pour what little peace I have left into him. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t pull away either. That’s enough.
Then, as if pulled into the living room by a thread, Oli appears, sweaty and out of breath. His t-shirt is rumpled and his eyes scan the space like a soldier clearing a war zone. But when his gaze lands on Charlie, everything in him softens.
“You okay, baby?” Oli asks gently.
Charlie plasters on a smile. “Yeah. Fine.” The lie is so obvious it makes my chest ache.
Oli’s brows pull together, and he gives Charlie a sad smile, but he doesn’t press. “Okay. Let me know if you need anything.”
Charlie nods, then watches as his mate disappears back down the hall.
The tension in the room is unbearable, so I decide to distract him. “Hey,” I say, lifting my head. “What’s it feel like? Being mated?”
Charlie lets out a breathy laugh. “Weird.”
I smile. “Weird how?”
He lifts his hand and ghosts it near his cheek like he can feel the bond through his skin. “Oli’s just… right there. Inside my head. All the time.” He squints like he’s having trouble explaining it. “He’s always watching me. Feeling me. And every time I’m anything other than totally happy, he starts shoving calm into me like a mental airbag.”
Jealousy burns low in my belly, but I force a smile. “That sounds amazing.”
