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“Sure, the more the merrier,” Terran said, flicking his gaze between Dom’s biceps and Ezra’s happy expression.

We left and I waited two seconds for the door to shut behind us before I shook my head. “Oh my god, you’re hopeless.”

“What?” Terran frowned. “I know it’s a small store, but I haven’t checked all the exits. Your pack and the rest of the family would have me for lunch if I let you get snatched.”

“I mean the alpha and omega duo flirting with you like there was no tomorrow.” I threw my hands in the air. “Dom has been mentally undressing you since we got there, and you just know he tugged on that bond so Ezra could come meet you.”

Terran looked utterly baffled. I loved my brother so much, but my goodness, he could be dense. “No, he wasn’t. Didn’t.”

His cheeks turned a little pink even under his tan, so that was a good sign that the interest wasn’t one-sided.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Yes, yes, they were. I could go ask?—”

“No,” he said quickly. “They’re probably not…I mean, I’m not their type.”

“Sweet, hunky beta?” I gestured at my brother. “I’m pretty sure you’reexactlytheir type judging by the heat coming from them.”

“You’re imagining things,” he said with a sigh. “He was just doing his job.”

“Uhh-huhhh,” I said, shaking my head. I wanted a medal for not turning around and going back to the bookstore and demanding they set a date on the spot.

But I could be good. I was growing.

“They’ll come to book club,” I said. “We’ll have more people to talk aboutMercury Creationwith.”

“Yes,” Terran said, visibly brightening.

I elbowed him. “You should break their hearts gently if you’re not into them. I’ve never seen you date dudes.”

“I, ummm, usually don’t notice guys, but…” He turned bright red and shook his head. “I can’t talk about this with my sister.”

“If you can’t talk about your bi awakening with your sister, who can you talk about it with?”

Terran covered his face in his hands. I took pity on him, only because if I pushed too hard, he would stubbornly convince himself that the alpha-omega couple couldn’t possibly be into him.

He’d probably already be dating Abby if the rest of the family didn’t ask him all the time when the date was.

We climbed back into the truck, and I checked in on my cellphone that I was, in fact, fine. I also told my pack about what happened with Terran and demanded a gold star for not being pushier.

West backed up my decision, echoing my thought that pushing him would only make his little introverted beta heart hide more. I plotted ways to secretly get the three of them to meet up on the ride back, and relaxed.

Terran was right. I already loved my pack. Every time something happened, I wanted to hear about them, see who would crack the first joke. Make me feel better. Support me.

I loved them. I might as well embrace that all the way. It wouldn’t hurt any less if something happened to any of them. I’d still be brokenhearted. I might as well enjoy every bit of loving them, rather than trying to protect myself.

I couldn’t protect myself from the ravages of love. I was in deep, with no escape.

But somehow, I couldn’t picture it any other way.

Chapter 45

Ember

One of the best things in the entire world about dating musicians was my never-ending supply of music. Ben brought his laptop home and did some mixing; they had a studio downstairs; and even when Rian wasn’t working on his own stuff, he talked about the album they were working on. They recorded with other musicians, but Kinsey was the only name I was familiar with.

Ben kept apologizing for the long hours until Rian told me and West to work from the studio on a day I could manage it.

I didn’t mind the long hours, but I wasn’t going to say no to spending the day at the studio. When my schedule let me work from my laptop, I took them up on the offer and rode in the passenger side to the studio.