I lock my eyes forward while every cell yearns toward Lilah and her hurt, intoxicating scent.
Some part of me knew.
I saw how everyone looked at her, how the pack was already starting to revolve around Lilah like she gave us back our gravity.
If I’d spoken up, I could’ve saved her from this pain, and now I’m not sure how or if we can ever fix what we’ve done to her.
An inferno builds inside me.
I need to fight. Pound flesh. Bleed.
But no amount of fighting is gonna fix this shit.
From now on, I swear.
I’ll fight for her. I’ll do anything to win Lilah back.
JETT
You don’t belong here.
You don’t belong here!
Fuck me, I know she belongs, I’ve always known, but I—
Lilah whines as the chopper touches down on the clinic’s helipad, and the sound guts me.
Once upon a time, I wanted to stop the world from hurting her.
Now I’m the one making her cry.
I don’t know if she can ever look at me, and I don’t know if I can ever apologize, or if I’m too much of a fucking coward to get out the words.
I’m a fucking monster.
***
Forty-One
LILAH
Everything hurts.
I’ve never been hungover before, but it must be like this. My tongue aches, cramps crackle through every muscle, and even my freaking eye sockets ache.
I whimper.
“Shh,” a soft voice whispers. The sheets rustle, and I’m pulled gently against a warm chest, our legs tangling, arms surrounding me. His chin rests on the crown of my head. Comfy.
I start to pull away, but he holds me tight. “You’re alright, Lilah. It’s okay now.”
Orion.
His voice settles the raging seas inside me.
I relax into him, enjoying this dream. His apple scent is tart, a little agitated.
He shouldn’t be upset, not even in my dreams. I ache so hard, I hate to move, but I roll and nuzzle, worming my face into the fruity-sweet hollow of his neck.