"That was worse," Raff says.
"I know," I say.
Elowen is smiling. Just barely, the corner of her mouth tucked in, clearly trying to keep it contained, her eyes warm and a little bright.
"Thank you," she says. "For explaining it."
"Anytime," I say, with as much dignity as I can scrape together, which isn't much.
She ducks her head back over her bowl, still smiling, and something in my chest does a slow, embarrassing somersault.
“I think you’ll find that we’re a very loving pack,” Cliff says, angling his head down to catch Elowen’s eye. “We know how to take care of each other.”
She nods, then says, "But now there's me.” Her voice is almost sad, like she's not sure how she fits in here. “I don’t want to complicate anything.”
"You're not a complication," Raff says. Easy. Like there’s zero room for discussion “You belong here as much as anyone else.”
She looks up at the alpha, and the carefully guarded look she's been wearing all evening lifts. Underneath it she looks exhausted and young and like someone who can't quite believe she's being included in something.
I know that feeling.
I remember showing up to this pack as Adam's awkward twin brother, the one who never really fit in anywhere, but for some reason, Cliff and Raff wanted me anyway.I still don’t know what they see in me.
"You know. It's not too late," Elowen says quietly as she sets down her fork. "I can still go?—"
"You're not leaving." Cliff's voice is firm, leaving absolutely no room for discussion.
"You're staying," Raff agrees.
She blinks at them both, then she sets her jaw. "Fine," she says. "But I need to say something, and I need everyone to let me finish."
The table goes completely quiet without Cliff even needing to command it
She turns to Adam, then lets out a slow breath, like she's been working up to this since she sat down.
"I'm not taking your place," she says quietly. "And I really mean that.” She looks hard into Adam’s eyes. “Cliff and Raff areyouralphas. That's not changing because of me. I'm not here to come between you and what you have with them, and I would never try to."
The tension in Adam's shoulders shifts. He looks at her for a long moment, and I watch him wrestle with something behind his eyes before he gets it under control.
"It's okay," he says. “I know that.”
But it's not. I know my brother.
I've known the brat for twenty-six years and I can hear the slight fracture running through his voice as clearly as if he was screaming out loud.
And just like that, I realize he's not quiet because of a flare.
He's quiet because he's scared of what adding Elle to our pack means.
And it makes me feel like shit.
I should have realized it sooner, but I've been too busy thinking about Elowen’s sweet lips to notice that my brother was barely holding it together.
I'm a terrible beta and a mediocre brother, and I definitely need to talk to him later.
"Elowen." Cliff's voice is quiet, but it lands like a hand on the table. “No one thinks you’re going to take theirplace.” He glances at Adam, then back to Elowen. “Adding another person to a pack doesn't take anything from anyone. That's not how this works."
"I don’t want anything about your pack dynamic to change," she says. "And I mean that. This pack stays exactly the way it is." She looks at Adam again, firm and direct. "You keep sleeping in Cliff's room, and I'll stay in the guest room. That's how it's going to be." She nods once like it’s settled.
