Good. This is what we need.
Felix kept a tight hold on his notebook and tried to settle into his sofa. Kai sat closest to the door, like he was preparing to bolt out of it during any minor, uncomfortable moment. Zayden wasn’t far behind, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.Jude leaned forward, welcoming any moment of difficulty with a determined grin.
This was going to make for an interesting first group therapy appointment.
Zayden was forced to go first and recount when he met Juliana and all the time he spent with her. He kept it vague, factual, to the point, and leaned far from the rest of them. Dr. Burdough stopped him just as he spoke about bringing her home to meet the guys for the first time for their first group date.
“And how was the first date?” she asked.
Felix frowned. He didn’t remember it being too exciting. Juliana was one of the first omegas whose scent didn’t make him uncomfortable, but that was because her scent had no importance. It was bland, boring, and unassuming. He remembered her calling it luxurious, and Felix remembered thinking he’d never spend money on a bottle of perfume that didn’t have a lasting scent.
“She was bold,” he ended up stating, shifting on the couch uncomfortably and looking at Kai and Jude for their opinion as well. “She wore bold clothing and said bold things. I was impressed by how she held herself. She very much owned her confidence and treated the date like a gift she was giving us, not the other way around.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Kai scoffed.
“How would you put it?” asked Dr. Burdough.
“She was arrogant, entitled. I hated that.” Kai growled and glared over at the three of them. “I didn’t want a second date. I knew right away she wasn’t our omega.”
Dr. Burdough listened carefully before flipping through all the notes she’d taken. She looked up and pointed at Jude, Zayden, and Felix. “I understand Zayden was more willing and eager to pursue her. What happened during or after the first date that made the two of you more accepting of trying again?”
“I trust Zayden,” Jude said quickly.
Not past tense. Presence.
Did Felix feel the same way?
He loved Zayden and considered him a great leader, but he hardly even recognized him as one of his best friends or brothers now. Zayden was struggling hard, and in that struggle, Felix realized he was losing faith, and worst of all, trust.
“Zayden felt confident about Juliana,” Jude continued. “She did have a very bold personality that I wasn’t sure I liked, but I know all of us were really trying to find our mate. We’ve had a lot of bad first dates. Juliana was the first one who wasn’t horrible, and since Zayden wanted to keep trying with her, I was hopeful.”
“I agree,” Felix said.
“And?” Dr. Burdough pushed, her eyes settling on Felix. “With your agreement, what part would you say allowed you to accept Juliana into your home only a month after dating her. Was it the hope or trust?”
“Both. It was both. Hope, trust, and desperation.”
“What makes a very young, successful pack so desperate to complete an official bonding that you allow a woman to move in whom none of you were completely sold on?”
“Ididn’t allow anything,” Kai growled. “I didn’t know until she showed up with all her bags and boxes and barked at me to help carry them inside.”
Felix frowned. The truth was, Felix and Jude didn’t know either, but they knew sooner than Kai did. Zayden had told them the day before what he had decided, calling it a necessary decision as the lead alpha, and at the time, Felix still trusted him to make healthy decisions for their pack. But Kai’s anger was valid. Felix would never forget the moment Kai saw Juliana outside their house, realizing what Zayden had done, and how his expression fell into complete betrayal and misery.
Zayden cleared his throat. “It wasn’t the pack. It was me. It was my desperation.”
“Don’t stop. Keep going with that thought.”
Zayden looked pale and miserable, but Felix caught Jude leaning his shoulder into him for comfort. “I felt the pressure to ensure we had a mate to keep our bond strong and healthy. With so many failed dates before Juliana, I didn’t want to lose her as a potential match. The only match that, before Sonnet, made the most sense.”
“Most sense?” Kai rolled his eyes, and his hands tightened into fists. “I didn’t want her in our home. I didn’t want to mate with her. You knew that.”
“I thought with time—”
“Shut up. I’m so sick and tired of your excuses. And I’m tired of being the only one pissed off about it all.”
“You’re not the only one.” Dr. Burdough tilted her head, an unassuming yet confident smile forming on her lips. “I overheard a very revealing conversation between Jude and Zayden yesterday.”
Jude’s face turned bright pink. “You heard that?”
