Page 124 of The Rust in Her Hair

"So if seeing them one last time in person will keep my pack safe, I'll do it." My voice stays steady, and I'm proud of it. "Let me protect my pack. Please."

The room goes still.

Mack plants his hands on his hips and looks at the floor. Adrian's jaw is tight, his throat working. But neither one of them says no.

Owen's thumb moves slowly over the back of my hand. "What are you going to do if they do ask to see you?" There’s so much worry behind his hazel eyes. "What if they want to see your mating bite?"

"Then I'll meet them," I say with a heavy sigh. "I’ll do whatever I have to."

"Not alone." Nico moves toward me before I've finished the word. "If you're in a room with those people, I'm in it too. That's not up for discussion."

Renata sets her coffee down next to Mack’s.

"Bad idea, hermano," she says plainly. "You're legally married to Owen. If you walk into Aldric Van Houten's house ‘pretending’," she does little air quotes, "to be Lyra's mate, they’ll assume you’re either cheating on your man, or that you're in a pack, and the whole thing falls apart." She lifts a brow at him. "You're the one alpha in this room who can't be there."

Nico's mouth presses flat, because she's right…and he clearly hates it.

"I'll go." Adrian says it quietly, then again, steadier. "I'll take her." He looks around at the rest of them. "We're already mates. Even if I haven’t put my mark on her yet." His gaze comes back to me and softens. "If your parents want to see a mated omega with her alpha, that's what they'll see. It'll be real, because it is real."

"I still don't like it," Mack groans, rubbing his face hard.

"You don't have to like it." Adrian says. "You have to trust me with her."

Mack looks down at Adrian, then gives a short nod. "You know I trust you."

"Fine," Nico’s voice rises slightly, and I feel a twist of frustration flare in our bond. "If they insist on a meeting, Adrian takes her in as her mate." He points a finger at his chest. "But I'm there too. I can be his half-brother or cousin. But I'm not letting the two of you walk into that house without me somewhere in the building."

"Cousin," Renata says. "You don’t have the coloring to be his brother, but you could pass as cousins." She narrows her eyes, considering him. "Maybe half-cousins."

"This is assuming that they even want to see me," I say. "But hopefully they won’t. They’ll take my word for it, and let it go." But even as I say the words, I know they aren’t true. Owen is right. They’ll definitely want to see me, and I’m annoyed I didn’t realize that sooner.

"Or," Renata says, brightening, "there’s one more option." She waits for everyone to look at her. "We kill them."

Mack smiles like that’s the best idea he’s ever heard, while everyone else shakes their heads.

"That’s not helpful," Nico scolds his sister.

Renata shrugs, her expression dead serious. "What? I’m trying to offer solutions." She bumps her shoulder into mine, then whispers, "No one will ever find their bodies."

I can’t help but smile.

"Nobody's killing anyone," Nico says firmly.

Renata winks at me. "Yet."

"Okay." Owen squeezes my hand, then he pulls in a deep breath. "When do you want to do this?"

"Now," I say before I can second-guess it. "I want to call now, before I lose my nerve." I glance toward the window and the pale light coming through it. "It's 9AM on a Saturday. My mother usually leaves for the club by ten, so if I wait too long, there’s a chance she won’t answer her phone until this afternoon." I press my toes into the carpet beneath me. "I'd rather do it while I still have the guts."

"The club." Mack rolls his eyes. "A whole gaggle of grown adults paying good money to eat tiny sandwiches in a room they ain't allowed to laugh in." He picks his coffee back up. "My mama had a club too. It was called the front porch. It was free to get in, and the beer was always cold."

Renata is the only one who laughs, but I do give Mack a quick smile.

I hate how nervous I am.

Nico crosses the room. "Adrian. Phone."

The alpha digs it out of his pocket and hands it over.