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Loving them all, leaving my heart open to being broken, might scare me to death. But it was worse not to try, so much worse to let them go. When I looked deep within myself, I knew I trusted them. I could trust that their love matched mine.
“You’re right.” A lightness swept through me, my sister’s burdens clearly divided from my own love story. Will, Toby, Jonah, and Luke all loved me. I had no reason to doubt them. It was simple, really. “They want to bond with me. And…I love them.”
When I looked up at Ronnie across from me, her eyes were conspicuously damp. She never cried. “It sounds like you’re getting your happily ever after. I hope Kat does eventually, too. But will you still have time for your friends after you’re a bonded woman?” She said it on a smile, but she was clearly worried about it.
I reached for her hand at the same time I leaned into Eloise.
“Always. I promise. In fact, I think Kat could use some extra support. Maybe you guys could hang out with her too?”
They both nodded and started chatting about how they could help. I listened and chimed in with ideas, but my mind was already drifting to the implications of this whole discussion.
The timing was a bit messy, but I was resolved. I was going to do what I needed to do for my sister and for my friends. But it was time to be brave and do what I needed to do for me.
24
JONAH
The oil painting was impressive. Bold colors and thick texturing used to good effect to convey the conflict between light and dark. On any other night, I’d care. But tonight, with the buzzing crowd milling around me in the gallery and a palpable excitement in the air, I was strung tight.
There was only one thing here I cared about. One person.
Sylvie’s scent filled the space, that strawberry and cream confection that made my mouth water. She occupied all my waking thoughts, as well as my dreams. I could be patient, but being this close, scenting her without seeing or touching her, was torture.
After we left her apartment a week earlier, and left our hearts at her feet, we’d waited anxiously to hear from her. A text came through that night, saying she wanted to give us her answer in person, but that it wasn’t a good time because her sister needed her.
It made sense. Whether she said yes or no, it shouldn’t be over the phone. But that meant more waiting. More time to worry about her answer.
Toby and Luke had been the doom twins. They were convinced that Kat’s pack problems would make Sylvie think twice about our offer. That seeing a pack implode up close would cause her to doubt whether it would really work with us. Will continued to project confidence, although it was obvious he was concerned. Everyone was on edge.
I knew there wasn’t a damn thing we could do until she was ready to talk to us, so I tried to focus on my work.
Painting usually took me out of myself, gave me a break from my thoughts. Instead, I had painted her. The sweep of her hair off her forehead. The unique green of her eyes. My brush had flown over the canvas, capturing her smile and her tears. By the time she invited us to this opening, I’d filled my studio with portraits of her. I was obsessed.
Will hovered nearby in a three-piece gray suit. It had earned him some appreciative stares from ladies at the event, but he didn’t notice. He kept scanning the room for Sylvie, not seeing her.
I could scent that she was on the other side of the room, maybe in her office. In fact, I was sure I could walk straight to her if I followed my nose. My superpower, I guess.
Luke and Toby walked up. Like me, Luke was dressed casually in a button-down and jeans. Toby was tucked into black slacks and a blazer. They nodded at me, then Toby asked, “Can you scent her?” He was trying to sound nonchalant, keep the strain out of his voice, but he was failing.
“Yeah. I think she’s in her office. Should we go find her?”
We hadn’t thought this out. She’d invited us, we’d said yes, but we hadn’t let ourselves think much further than showing up tonight. It was nice to see the gallery so successful, see how well she ran it. But all we really wanted was to see her.
Will started to say something, but I wasn’t listening. Sylvie was walking past us, on the other side of the crowd, moving toward the front of the gallery. I put up my hand to stop Will and pointed toward the stage set up near the storefront window.
“She’s going to the podium.”
Other people noticed, and the crowd started to draw in, leaving us stuck in the middle, unable to get close without shoving bodies aside. It was tempting. I could see Sylvie’s shape on the stage, that she was wearing black and had her hair up. But she was too far away for me to make out more.
Damn, I wished we were closer.
“Good evening, everyone. I’m Sylvie Cleese, the director of Templeton Street Arts.”
Fuck.
I could feel the stroke of her breathy voice along my skin. My instincts screamed at me to push through the crowd and toss her over my shoulder, take her away where I could make love to her and mark her. Now.
Judging by the thrumming energy coming off Will, Luke, and Toby, they were having similar thoughts. She kept speaking, and somehow we all remained still and kept our alpha growls in check.
