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Lavender padded over to the bed until she was inches away from me, standing between my knees so she could get better access to my injuries. Her hair was down, falling in her face. I resisted the urge to move it so I could see her better. Handing me the ice packs she looked me over. Up close, her scent hit me like a tidal wave. I stupidly hadn’t noticed downstairs, but she smelled sweet, likeslicksweet, and Theo’s distinct lemon and pine scent was mingled with hers—like they had been close… very close.
“I must look scary,” I grunted, noticing her watching. Not liking that my appearance could be making her unhappy.
“Not that scary. I’m not even intimidated.” She laughed lightly, her hand lifting to my hairline and gently checking the side I was pretty sure had a nasty bruise forming. “You are losing weight though. You need to rest.”
I’d admit my focus had been on my pack and looking after myself had often fallen to the wayside in all the excitement, but none of my pack had noticed, yet she had?
“I can’t rest.”
“I know you’re on this mission, and I’m pretty sure it’s something to do with Juniper, but tell me this, how would she feel if she saw the state of you right now?”
Lavender’s words hit hard. It would have fucking gutted Juniper to see us like this.
“She would hate it.” I admitted, my voice thick with emotion.
I hated it. Every day I woke and was faced with the reality that I wasn’t helping my pack thrive. We were hardly surviving. I was meant to help them thrive, instead we are chasing a ghost, my pack is getting injured and we aren’t happy.”
My feelings weren’t important. I kept them bottled up for a reason. “Juniper would hate that we are putting ourselves in dangerous situations, I know that. I’m constantly failing my pack,” I admitted with a whisper.
“Gage.” Lavender's hand reached for my shoulder. “It’s clear as day you love and care about your pack. I don’t know everything that’s happened, but if you’re talking about what happened to Theo, it’s obvious he doesn't blame you at all.”
My head shot up so fast the room spun violently, and I pushed down the rising nausea. “How do you know about that?” I asked.
“Theo told me.” She offered a soft warm smile. “He took me to his rage room and we smashed up a microwave.”
That sounded like something Theo would do.
But he had trusted her, told her about his darkest moment, and yet she was still standing here, looking at me with warmth. She knew how I had failed him, how I hadn’t pulled him out of the water until his brain was so starved of oxygen he may never be the same.
Lavender was coated in Theo’s scent… had they done thatafterhe had told her about his past? My head felt fuzzy. Theo struggled to trust anyone outside our pack, yet this omega had wormed her way into his head easily. I wasn’t totally oblivious, even an idiot could see that Theo had been so much happier the last two weeks, humming to himself, far less anxiety attacks, and I was starting to think that was due to the woman in front of me.
What was I doing? We were going to find Juniper, there was no question about that, but… was she really the one for us? Was I causing more hurt and damage by allowing Kane to keep hold of his delusion? If Theo was developing real feelings for Lavender, then would I be a terrible pack leader to stop him? He had sacrificed for this pack, fuck—he had nearly died for this pack He deserved to be happy.
Did she reciprocate those feelings? We’d kidnapped her, she could just be being polite and friendly, or trying to endear herself to us so wer better.
Then again, her scent was far from distressed. From the smell of it she enjoyed whatever it was those two were doing.
I felt stuck.
Warm hands gripped my shoulders, and I was pulled against Lavender. My head resting on her chest as she stood in front of me, her arms wrapping around my head in an off balanced hug.
A hum started in her chest as her scent became more floral and relaxing as it grew in intensity. She waspurringfor me. The vibrations worked their way through my body, forcing every muscle to relax.
“Fucking hell, you’re amazing,” I mumbled. “I’ve heard a purr or two in my time but this shit is potent.” I stretched lazily in her arms. The bruises on my side didn’t even bother me. I felt so at ease. Her legs were bare in those tiny, hardly there sleep shorts. The urge to wrap my arms around her and touch the expanse of smooth skin in front of me was powerful.
I didn’t know how long we stayed there, her hugging my face, purring as I just…floated.
I smiled at her, marvelling. I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, letting my hand linger as it ran down her neck. Her skin was so damn soft. I wanted to taste it.
“You shouldn’t be so nice to us, we’ve been monsters to you,” I frowned.
“Even monsters need love, Gage. You’ve fed me, kept me safe and provided a nest—I’m really not difficult to please. In fact I kind of like it here now, it's a nice break from the repetition of the Haven.”
“I guess we got lucky it was you Archer stumbled across.” My hand rested on her hip as I looked up at her. She should be nervous, being this close to an alpha but everything about her body language suggested she was completely comfortable.
We had been chasing a ghost for so long. Would it be so wrong to put ourselves first, just this once? It could be temporary.
“Gage…” Lavender’s voice was breathy.
