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“Vex.” His voice was rough as he spoke words that stilled the world. “I would like to offer you the princess bond.”
My mouth popped open as I felt something intangible settling between us; the faintest bond that lit with his offer.
“I…” I tried to find my voice. “Can you… can you do that?” I asked, completely unsure. A princess bond had more steps to completion than any other bond. There was an offer made by the pack, acceptance of the omega, a bite upon the neck, and finally, unification. Love was starting the first of the steps.
He could never rescind it.
“I did my research,” he said. “I can make the offer. But they stand in as your proxy for acceptance. We can’t do anything else until negotiations, but I can’t take this back. I just need…” He swallowed. “I need you to know that you’re going to be safe,” he whispered. “There is nothing in this world I won’t give them, do you understand?”
More tears burned my eyes, and suddenly, I couldn’t look at him, gaze fixed on the glass chandelier above.
“You don’t have to do anything,” he told me. “Never again will it be your job to make us like you. It’s up to us to discover if we will ever be worthy of you.”
My fingers clasped tighter on the collar as I got my tears under control.
I thought….
For so long, I thought I’d lost everything.
All that time I’d been alone, left to decide what mattered.
And now…
I felt hollow.
Broken.
There had been a fleeting moment when Drake had been running toward me. When he’d swept me up in his arms. And Love was there, and for just one heart stopping second, I thought maybe the last week could vanish, that maybe there was something to save.
I don’t know if it was seeing Rook and Ebony beside that limo, or if it would have happened anyway, but it felt like everything had come crashing back in.
I felt like I was in a dream again.
“I’m sorry, Vex.” Love’s voice was unsteady. “I’m sorry for everything. I fucked up the night of the Gala. All of it was my fault.”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.
There were moments about that night I still didn’t understand. I’d thought they’d discovered I was gold pack and cancelled the contract. That they didn’t want me. But then they’d asked for my return.
“I didn’t know you were an omega. I thought… when we were at the Gala… I thought you were trying to trick me…” He shut his eyes. “The things I said to you, I never should have—Ishouldhave had more faith in you.”
“You didn’t…” I swallowed. “You didn’t have any reason to have more faith in me.”
I’d thought about it a thousand times. What had happened that night, it scored scars across my heart that I didn’t know would ever heal.
Butthatpart, at least, I knew was the truth. I needed to be able to separate where to place this pain. There was too much, and I couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
“I should have known, watching you and Drake, that you were the real thing. I should have known because I always hold people at arm's reach, and I still fell for you. But I was a coward. I cancelled the contract in the limo on the way home. I thought you were…” His voice caught. “I was scared of how much I cared, I couldn’t see past my own shit long enough to see the truth, and you were the one who paid for that.”
My chest tightened as I stared at him, the tiniest blossom of hope lighting in my chest at those words.
On the ride home?
But that was before the article.
“It w-wasn’t—” I had to stop, getting my quivering chin under control. I looked up again at the lights above. “It wasn’t because I’m gold pack?” My voice was a harsh, thick whisper.
I’d played it out a thousand times in my mind: My mates learning I was gold pack, then they’d been disgusted, which had turned into a claim: they didn’t want what I was, but maybe they’d rather make that claim than see another pack take their scent match.
