My eyes dropped to his hand, and I covered it with mine for just a second before signing,Thank you.
Benji didn’t say anything else. He just stood, took my plate, and moved toward the kitchen with a little extra sway in his step.
As Benji disappeared into the kitchen, I pushed my face further into the bunny, fully replacing the oxygen in my lungs with Vinny’s scent. I was fully ready to melt into the moment, to fall asleep right there at the table and make Benji carry me to bed, then I heard footsteps.
Lifting my head, I turned toward the sound to see Reed step into the room. His minty scent filled the room, mixing with the scent of nicotine lingering on his skin.
My nose scrunched.
No smoking, I signed.
“Okay, fine. No more.” Reed gave me a faint chuckle as he held his hands up in mock surrender. “You know I only touch cigarettes when they’re offered to me, so maybe take it up with your alpha.”
Reed closed the gap between us, placing his hands on the arms of my chair. Even though I had two alphas, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Vinny gave him the cigarettes. Serena would never.
My brother leaned in a little too close for my liking, allowing his breath to cascade over my cheek as his eyes bounced around my face, like he was trying to memorize every inch of me.
“I missed you today,” he said, voice low and missing all of his usual playful edge. “I was here all day and we barely spent any time together.”
My stomach flipped and I shifted in my seat, holding the bunny tighter.
You were busy, plus, it’s nice that you’re getting to know my pack, I signed.
His mouth twitched.
“Yeah,” he murmured. “Your pack.”
The word sounded as if it pained him to say.
“I don’t mind them,” he added quickly, like he was correcting himself. “I just…” He trailed off, eyes flicking to the hallway that led toward Vinny’s office before returning to me. “You know I don’t like sharing you, and the last alpha you had… well…”
They don’t need to know about Logan, I signed.
No one needed to know about Logan. The only reason I told Reed about Logan was because he’d demanded to know where I went when I randomly called him after over two years of silence. And the only reason I told Skye was because I knew he wouldn’t tell anyone else.
Reed’s jaw ticked.
“I know,” he said after a long pause. “But I need to make sure they’re not like him.”
He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. My skin tingled at the familiar motion.
They’re not, I signed quickly.They’re good to me. Even Vinny.
That should’ve been enough. For anyone else, it would have been. But, Reed was Reed.
“I just worry about you,” he whispered, now moving to stroking my bunny.
I pulled her closer, the bunny wasmine, and I didn’t want to risk getting Reed’s scent on it.
“Logan separated us, I can’t let that happen again, Vi.”
And it wont,I signed, more forcefully this time.
Reed stared at me.
“You were mine first,” he murmured, almost too quiet to hear. “You know that, right?”
My breath caught.
