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Gold shudders and moves away, gripping his hair and pulling at it. “That is my stepfather’s daughter from his ex wife.”
“Like the evil stepfather?” Barren asks. I don’t miss the way he scents the air.
“Yes, the evil one.”
“She was interesting.” Barren murmurs.
Gold snarls. “She has a pack.” The words are thrown in a violent, cold slash of sound that cuts through any lingering fantasies that were at the edge of my mind. Barren slumps slightly as well.
“Well, I’m going to finish my work.” He says quietly, slipping out from under my arm and disappearing.
We all watch him go. My heart aches at the way he moves, so cautiously. I turn on Gold once I’m sure he’s gone and advance on him until we’re standing nose to nose.
“I don’t care if she has a pack and a whole damn den of omegas. The first thing that’s gotten past that shield he’s created around himself is her. Even you haven’t been able to bring him out. Taylor can’t make him safe enough. I can’t make him feel good. Acton can’t cuddle him out of it. He’s lost in that damn moment. But she did…she brought him out.”
Gold swallows.
Taylor glides towards us. He doesn't look like the most dominant of the four of us, but he’s the one we all look to.
“He reacted to her scent?” There is a fanatical focus there that takes me aback. “He likes her?”
“Something about her, yes.” I scowl at the door as Acton moves back through and crosses to join us. “We agreed that we would do anything to help him heal.”
Gold growls in frustration, and while I can understand where he’s coming from, we agreed. “Yes, I just don’t want to see him get worse. I don’t want him to get hurt. She will hurt him, mark my words.” He spits bitterly.
I shrug. “We’ll protect him.” I meet Taylor’s eyes. “She might be the answer to getting him back again. A bond, a friend. We can take it slow.” I turn to Gold, “Is she a good person?”
He hesitates. “I don’t know.”
Taylor scowls and stares at the spot where she left. “Find out. We’ll supervise and play it by ear.”
The next day, I’m behind Barren on his daily walk when I get a whiff of chocolate. I duck behind a tree, moving off the trail and watch as she rounds the corner. Her hair is in a messy bun on her head but my eyes fall to her toned legs and those sprayed on leggings. I don’t know whether to thank the universe or curse it.
Barren’s head jerks up, and his mouth parts. His cheeks flush, and I almost groan as his scent deepens.
“Hello,” he whispers.
She looks at him for a long time, then looks past him. “Where are your alphas?”
He glances behind and blinks twice. “I don’t know.”
She sighs. “Ridiculous. Irresponsible. Tedious idiot males.”
I smirk. She’s even adorable while she’s fuming.
“Come on, I’ll walk you home.” With a long look around, she threads her arm through my omega’s and heads up the walking track. I keep far enough back to give them the illusion of privacy but close enough that I can see and hear everything.
Barren frowns. “Your name is Red?”
Her cheeks pinken. “Scarlet. Scarlet Waring.”
“Scarlet.” He says her name slowly, tasting it. “Pretty.”
She looks away. “Do you like it here?”
He shrugs. “It's nice, I guess.”
“Not a fan of all the trees, huh? It took me a long time to get used to the city and the lack of trees. All I wanted was to come home.”
