Page 145 of Traded

I’m taking Rosie out of this pack and tearing it down the middle in a few days, and Lauren will be left to deal with the aftermath. For the first time, I wonder what exactly I’ll be leaving her with.

Awkwardly, I shift. “Look. I know we haven’t spent much time together. But you’re technically…” I lower my voice. “You know. Part of my pack. If anything’s wrong, I’ll try and help. ‘Cuz no offense, but you don’t exactly look like a blushing omega delighted with her matches.”

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if she’s happy at all.

“I’m not sure it’s anything you can help with.” Lauren looks down at her lap. “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re not my scent match.”

“Ouch.” My eyes slide back to my phone. Still nothing. “I’ll try not to take that personally.”

“You shouldn’t,” she says quietly. “Rosie deserves better, you know.”

Thatdraws my full attention. My eyes follow hers, and my eyes narrow on Jonas and Liam. “Than them, you mean?”

I know Rosie hasn’t told me everything. But maybe Lauren will. Twisting and hissing as my shoulder pulls awkwardly in this fucking ridiculous seat, I try to focus. “What are you saying, exactly?”

She takes a breath. “I’m saying there’s something really,reallywrong inside your pack, Carter. And I’m not sure it has anything to do with me.”

Lauren pushes to her feet as I stare at her, speechless. “Has Rosie come back to you?”

I shake my head. “What the—where are you going?”

We’re not done with this conversation. Ness pulls out her headphones as Lauren strides up to her, face creasing, before she nods and reaches for her phone. My mouth opens as Lauren yanks open the overhead cupboard and pulls out her bag.

She walks straight past Liam and Jonas on her way back to my seat. Jonas finally looks up from their little pow-wow, his head twisting to watch as she stops next to me, clutching her navy-blue bag.

“You can’t go home,” she says tightly. “But I can. And I’d rather be there than here. So I’m going to go and check on your omega for you, Carter Reynolds.”

I blink as she points at me. “Butyou’regoing to speak to someone about why you’re twitching like someone’s jammed your finger in a damned socket. Do we have a deal?”

I feel my body flush. “I’m nottwitching.”

In answer, she points. I look down at my arm. It’s shaking, and I hide it under the fucking table. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

I don’t have a fucking problem.

“Maybe not.” Her voice lowers. “But I’ve seen guys like you in New York fight through injuries and end up losing everything else. I’ve seen what happens to them if they can’tstop, Carter. Rosie is worried about you. So I want you to go up there and talk to Dickface and Martin before this flight touches down.”

She raps her knuckles on the table. “I’ll message you an update when I get there.”

“Get where?” Jonas appears behind her, but she doesn’t turn.

“The apartment.” She holds up a hand to someone behind me. “To check on Rosie.”

Jonas chokes on air. “Wait, what? We’re taking off!”

“The doors haven’t closed yet.”

I rummage around in my pocket and toss her the keys to my truck. “You can drive, right?”

“Um.” She stares down at them. “Yeah. But it’s been a while.”

“Don’t break my truck.” I reach out and catch her arm as Jonas splutters behind her. Neither of us pay him any attention. “Thanks.”

“We have a deal, right?” She stares at me steadily. I have a feeling she’ll sit her ass down right now if I refuse.

“Yeah,” I say after a moment. “I’ll speak to them.”

“What thefuck?” Jonas moves to follow, but I block the aisle with my arm. “She can’t leave like that. Will security let her through?”