“We’re losing control. I can’t fucking do that,” Lennon said emphatically. There was true fear in his eyes now.
Finally, we were at the root of it all.
“Being in a pack means we’ll be able to handle everything as a group. You can rely on us; you don’t have to be in control all the time. You’re not that kid anymore, Lennon.”
His eyes were haunted, and his fists clenched where they rested on his knees. His head fell back against the wall as he breathed through whatever was happening in his head.
“She’s worth the risk,” I pressed. “Once we figure things out with Conrad and she is ready, you’ll see that everything works out.”
I loved Conrad like a brother, but I was just about done with him deciding what was best for her.
“Conrad’s opinion doesn’t really fucking matter,” Lennon said. “But if we push this and court her, he’s going to lose his mind. It’ll put a rift between someone we’ve called a brother our entire time on the Wardens together.”
“Yeah,” I said. “It might. But at the end of the day, this comes down to her. This is her choice.”
“Do you want her?”
“She drives me crazy,” I said. “In a good way. I’ve been trying to keep up the usual façade, but I don’t want to be just friends with her. I want more.”
“That’s what fucking scares me the most,” he admitted. “This omega has the potential to ruin me, Mason.”
“I’d happily let her fuck up my life.” I shrugged.
“How does that not scare you?”
“Oh, it terrifies me,” I countered. “If you think we’re scared, imagine how she feels. Her pack left her alone for months, maybe years. Even trusting us means risking whatever safety she’s found. At one point, she trusted them, too.”
“It scares me how much I want to murder them,” Lennon muttered darkly.
“You wouldn’t,” I said. “Because that would mean being taken away from your pack and your omega.”
Both of our phones started going off. He let his head fall back in defeat, knowing we’d have to go face the others.
“You got it together?” I asked.
He scoffed but followed me as I finally extracted myself from my cocoon and pulled open the curtain.
The others were in the kitchen still eating, but Lana was nowhere in sight.
Seeing my eyes track the room, Cade chuckled. “She’s taking a shower right now.”
I shoved the thought of Lana naked aside and flopped into my usual chair, grabbing the to-go box marked with my name.
“How was your bookstore trip?” I asked, glancing at Wilder. He looked different. He also smelled like her.
“It was amazing,” he said. The words were simple, but the awe in his voice wasn’t. “She actually read the first one in theseries I was going to pick up today. We got a whole stack of books to share.”
“Sounds like your dream,” I said lightly. Another piece falling into place before our eyes.
“It was,” he admitted, meeting my gaze before checking to make sure neither of the Flynns were nearby. “Her scent is getting stronger every day.”
“It is,” I agreed. “We’ve all noticed it.”
“I don’t think she’s ready,” Wilder admitted with a frown. “The moment she is, I have no intention of holding back.”
The beta had grown bold. One outing with our omega, and he was hooked. We all were in different ways.
“Where did you go, today?” I asked Cade.
